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EVENING PRAYER
Vespers
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
L Jesus
Christ is the Light of the world,
C the
light no darkness can overcome.
L Stay
with us, Lord, for it is evening,
C and
the day is almost over.
L Let
your light scatter the darkness,
C and
illumine your Church.
Joyous light of glory:
of the immortal Father;
heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun,
and we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit:
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life:
The universe proclaims your glory.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God,
king of the universe, who led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day
and a pillar of fire by night: Enlighten our darkness by the light of your
Christ; may his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are
merciful, and you love your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify
you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Silence for meditation.
Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever.
Amen
Psalm 48
1 Great is
the Lord, and highly | to be
praised;*
in the city of our God is his | holy hill.
2 Beautiful
and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the | hill of Zion,*
the very center of the world and the city of | the
great king.
3 God is in
her citadels;*
he is known to be | her sure refuge.
4 Behold, the
kings of the | earth assembled*
and marched for- | ward together.
5 They looked
and | were astounded;*
they retreated and | fled in terror.
6 Trembling |
seized them there;*
they writhed like a woman in childbirth,
like ships of the sea when the | east wind shatters
them.
7 As we have
heard, so have we seen,
in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city | of our
God;*
God has established | her forever.
8 We have
waited in silence on your lovingkind- | ness, O God,*
in the midst | of your temple.
9 Your
praise, like your name, O God, reaches | to the world's end;*
your right hand is | full of justice.
10 Let Mount
Zion be glad and the cities of Ju- | dah rejoice,*
because | of your judgments.
11 Make the
circuit of Zion; walk | round about her;*
count the number | of her towers.
12 Consider
well her bulwarks; exam- | ine her strongholds;*
that you may tell those | who come after.
13 This God
is our God forev- | er and ever;*
he shall be our guide for- | evermore.
Father, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the bulwark of the new Jerusalem. Make this holy city, built of living stones, so shine with spiritual radiance that it may show your greatness in the sight of all nations; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hymn Take My Life, That I May Be LBW 406
1 Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
ev'ry pow'r as thou shall choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine,
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its
treasure store;
take myself, and I
will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Text:
Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879, alt.
READINGS
Romans 12:1-8
Following the reading:
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
From A Treatise on the New Testament That is the Holy Mass by Martin Luther
Response
In many and various ways
God spoke to this people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
The GOSPEL CANTICLE is sung.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm;
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
The LITANY is sung. (LBW p. 148)
C Lord, have mercy.
L For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For Dan, our bishop, for all pastors in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For our public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
L For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, let us give thanks to the Lord.
C Alleluia.
L Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Silence for meditation.
L Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord.
C To you, O Lord.
The collects are said with the response, Amen.
L O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever. (255)
C Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer and Benediction
Accept, O Lord, our praises and supplications, and look graciously on our households and our faith family, that we may abide this night in peace and safety under the shadow of your wings, and so assist us by your grace that we may be made fit for that kingdom where there shall be no more sin, nor sorrow, nor pain, but all shall be joy and peace in the Holy Spirit, to whom, with you, O Father, and you, O blessed Jesus, be all glory, both now and evermore.
Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you. Amen
