Topic: Evening Prayer 22 September 2021
Time: Sep 22, 2021 07:30 PM London
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The service leaflet is available here: Evening Prayer Wednesday 22 September 2021
and below here:
Wednesday 22 September 2021: Evening Prayer
PREPARATION
OPENING SENTENCE
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2
VERSICLES AND RESPONSES
Blessed be the Lord our God,
By whose grace we are yet alive.
Blessed be His Son Jesus Christ,
By whose rising we are yet set free.
Blessed be the Spirit of God,
In whom is our hope and our joy.
OPENING PRAYER
Father, we come together in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, to offer you our worship, praise and thanksgiving. To you belong all power and glory. You are the source of all goodness. Let our worship bear witness to your peace and saving power. Through your Spirit may we ever rejoice in the abiding presence of our risen and ascended Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE (SAID)
O Gracious Light
O Gracious light, pure brightness
of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life, and to be
glorified through all the worlds.
PENITENCE
Have mercy upon us,
most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon, and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALM
Thanks & Praise 110
O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down, you are before me:
ever the maker and keeper of my days.
You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
and with love everlasting you besiege me:
in ev’ry moment of life or death, you are.
Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
you have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future too.
Although your Spirit is upon me,
still I search for shelter from your light.
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:
even the darkness is radiant in your sight.
For you created me and shaped me,
gave me life within my mother’s womb.
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:
safe in your hands, all creation is made new.
Bernadette Farrell (b. 1957 )
based on Psalm 139
A READING
John 8: 21-38
Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’
Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.’
MEDITATION
THE GOSPEL CANTICLE
MAGNIFICAT The Song of the Virgin Mary Luke 1: 46-55
1 My soul proclaims the | greatness · of the | Lord, ♦︎
my spirit re•joices · in | God my | Saviour,
2 who has looked with favour on his | lowly | servant; ♦︎
from this day all gene|rations · will | call me | blessèd;
3† the Almighty has done | great things | for me ♦︎
and | holy | is his | name.
4 God has mercy on | those who | fear him, ♦︎
from gene|ration · to | gene|ration.
5 The Lord has shown | strength · with his | arm ♦︎
and scattered the | proud in | their con|ceit,
6 casting down the mighty | from their | thrones ♦︎
and | lifting | up the | lowly.
7 God has filled the hungry with | good | things ♦︎
and sent the | rich a|way | empty.
8 He has come to the aid of his | servant | Israel ♦︎
to re|member · the | promise of | mercy,
9 The promise | made to · our | forebears, ♦︎
to Abraham | and his | children · for | ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.
PRAYER
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed by our Name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Lord, reveal your love among us;
That we may know the joy of your salvation.
Grant peace within and among all nations;
And teach our leaders wisdom.
Endow your Church with faithfulness;
And her servants with knowledge and true godliness.
Defend, O Lord, the rights of the poor and the oppressed;
That your justice may be known among all people.
Lord, renew your Spirit within us;
That in us and through us your will may be done.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
O Lord,
Hear the prayers of your people who call upon you;
and grant that they may both perceive and know
what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COLLECTS AT EVENING PRAYER
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, creator of day and night, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent, bestowing upon us occasions of song in the evening. As you have protected us in the day that is past so be with us in the coming night. Free us from all evil, sin and fear; for you are our light and salvation, and the strength of our life. To you be glory for endless ages. Amen.
O Lord, support us all day long of this troublous life, until the shades lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, Lord, in mercy grant us safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grant, Lord, that we may be faithful to you without turning aside, worship you without growing weary, serve you without failing; diligently seek you, happily find you, and forever possess you, the one and only God, blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
INTERCESSIONS
O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we pray for people of every race, and in every kind of need; make your ways known on earth, your saving presence among all nations. (Especially we pray for ___________)
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
We pray for your Church throughout the world: Guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. (Especially we pray for ___________)
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are in any way afflicted or distressed in body, mind or spirit; comfort and relieve them in their necessities; give them patience under their sufferings, and bring good out of their afflictions. (Especially we pray for ___________)
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Almighty God, we thank you
for the gift of your Holy Word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
A light to our paths,
And a strength to our lives.
Take us and use us to love
and serve all persons
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the Name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE ENDING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14