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EVENING PRAYER (Vespers)
Stephen, King of Hungary, 1038 (transferred from August 16)
(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
L Let your light scatter the darkness,
C
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 9:1-10
1 I will give
thanks to you, O Lord, with | my
whole heart;*
I will tell of all your mar- | velous works.
2 I will be
glad and re- | joice in you;*
I will sing to your name, | O Most High.
3 When my
enemies are | driven back,*
they will stumble and perish | at your presence.
4 For you
have maintained my right | and my cause;*
you sit upon your throne | judging right.
5 You have
rebuked the ungodly and de- | stroyed the wicked;*
you have blotted out their name forev- | er and ever.
6 As for the
enemy, they are finished, in per- | petual ruin,*
their cities plowed under, the memory | of them
perished;
7 but the Lord is en- | throned forever;*
he has set up his | throne for judgment.
8 It is he
who rules the | world with righteousness;*
he judges the peo- | ples with equity.
9 The Lord will be a refuge for | the
oppressed,*
a refuge in | time of trouble.
10 Those who
know your name will put their | trust in you,*
for you never forsake those who seek | you, O Lord.
Hymn LBW 275 O Trinity, O Blessed Light
Romans 8:26-30
Luke 12:35-40
From Stephen's admonitions to his son
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 all who offer 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.
COLLECTS
Of the day
For peace among the nations
For our own needs and for the needs of others
For peace at the end of the day (Church of Sweden, 1614):
Watch over us, O Lord, our heavenly Father,
preserve us from all evil, and grant that we may this night rest secure beneath your care; bless your Church and our government; remember the sick and those who are in need or peril; have mercy on all your people; and when our last evening shall come, grant that we may fall asleep in your peace and wake in your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen
