EVENING PRAYER Vespers
for the Feast of St Thomas
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
The Spirit and the Church cry out:
Come, Lord Jesus.
All those who await his appearance pray:
Come, Lord Jesus.
The whole creation pleads:
Come, Lord Jesus.
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.
We praise and thank you, O God, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom you have enlightened us by revealing to us the light that never fades.
Night has fallen and day’s allotted span draws to a close.
The daylight which you created for our pleasure has fully satisfied us, and yet, of your free gift, now the evening lights do not fail us.
We praise and glorify you through you Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
through him be glory, honor, and power to you in the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Amen
The psalmody begins with this prayer for forgiveness and protection:
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. Ps. 141:1-7
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 126
1 When the Lord restored the for- | tunes of Zion,*
then were we like | those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth | filled with laughter,*
and our tongue with | shouts of joy.
3 Then they said a- | mong the nations,*
"The Lord has done great | things for them."
4 The Lord has done great | things for us,*
and we are | glad indeed.
5 Restore our for- | tunes, O Lord,*
like the watercourses | of the Negev.
6 Those who | sowed with tears*
will reap with | songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carry- | ing the seed,*
will come again with joy, shoulder- | ing their sheaves.
Lord Jesus, our life and our resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your Passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the Church, so that, after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever.
Hymn Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending (LBW 27)
1 Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
once for favored sinners slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
2 Ev’ry eye shall now behold him
robed in glorious majesty;
those who set at nought and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall their true Messiah see.
3 Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!
4 Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the pow’r and glory,
claim the kingdom as thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt.
READINGS
Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29
After each reading:
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence for reflection.
From a sermon by Kaj Munk for the First Sunday of Easter
Silence for reflection.
Response
In many and various ways
God spoke to his 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
An ADVENT LITANY is said.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, name called Wonderful:
We praise and bless your Holy Name.
Jesus, our great Counselor: /R
Jesus, true and mighty God: /R
Jesus, everlasting Father: /R
Jesus, Prince of Peace: /R
Jesus, Son of David: Deliver us from our sins, we beseech you.
Jesus, Branch of Jesse: /R
Jesus, Rose of Sharon: /R
Jesus, Lily of the Valleys: /R
Jesus, Bright and Morning Star: /R
Jesus, Scepter of Israel: Help us and bless us.
Jesus, Light of the Gentiles: /R
Jesus, Desire of all nations: /R
Jesus, Sun of Righteousness: /R
Jesus, Lawgiver, Priest, Judge, and King: /R
O Jesus, hear us: And prepare us for your coming.
Gather your ancient people unto yourself:
Hear our prayer, O Lord, and let our cry come before you.
Bring all the nations to come to your light and your truth:
/R
Convert all leaders of nations to fall down before you
and to desire your beauty: /R
Help your messengers in every land to prepare the way before you:
/R
Let all the nations fear you as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations: /R
Give your ministers righteousness and knowledge: /R
Preserve all who put their trust in you: /R
And give peace to all your people: /R
Prepare us for your coming: And save us from our sins.
The collects are said.
The Lord's Prayer is said.
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.
1 O Savior, rend the heavens wide;
come down, come down with mighty stride:
unlock the gates, the doors break down;
unbar the way to heaven’s crown.
2 O Morning Star, O radiant Sun,
when will our hearts behold your dawn?
O Sun arise; without your light
we grope in gloom and dark of night.
3 Sin’s dreadful doom upon us lies;
grim death looms fierce before our eyes.
Oh, come, lead us with mighty hand
from exile to our promised land.
4 There shall we all our praises bring
ever to you, our Savior King;
there shall we laud you and adore
forever and forever more.
