7th Sunday after Trinity (8th after Pentecost)

THE ORDER FOR

EVENING PRAYER

7^th Sunday after Trinity (8^th after Pentecost Proper 17)

The Minister shall read aloud one or more of these Sentences of

the Scriptures that follow, or at special seasons the appropriately

Sentences provided in Morning Prayer.

 

Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. . ~ John 6.68

 

Opening Hymn: Spirit Divine, Attend our Prayers

 

 

Text: Andrew Reed Tune: GRAFENBERG (Johann Cruger)

 

The Minister, turning to the people, shall say the Exhortation in the form following. Occasionally the second paragraph may be omitted, or in place of the Exhortation the Minister may say, Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace.

A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation with the Minister, all kneeling.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen

The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing: the people still kneeling. ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live, hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins. He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Here the Lord’s Prayer may be said; the people repeating it with the Minister.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

 

Minister. O LORD, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord’s Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS. Then THE FIRST LESSON as appointed. And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

PSALM 105. Confitemini Domino.

Verses 1-11, 45

O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, and call upon his Name; / tell the peoples what things he hath done.
2 O let your songs be of him and praise him; / and let your talking be of all his wondrous works.
3 Rejoice in his holy Name: / let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
4 Seek the LORD and his strength: / seek his face evermore.
5 Remember the marvellous works that he hath done, / his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, / ye children of Jacob, his chosen.
7 HE is the LORD our God: / his judgements are in all the world.
8 He hath been alway mindful of his covenant, / and the promise that he made to a thousand generations;
9 Even the covenant that he made with Abraham, / and the oath that he sware unto Isaac;
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, / and to Israel for an everlasting testament;
11 Saying, ‘Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, / the lot of your inheritance.’

45 That they might keep his statutes, / and observe his laws.

 

The First Lesson is taken from the Book of Genesis, in the 29^th Chapter, beginning at the 15^th (Genesis 29.15- 28 NRSV)
Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban said, "This is not done in our country - giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

Here endeth the lesson.

MAGNIFICAT. St Luke 1. 46.

MY soul doth magnify • the | Lord : and my spirit hath re- joiced • in | God my | Saviour.

2 For I he hath • re- | garded : the | lowli-ness ' of his | hand-maiden.

3 For be- | hold from | henceforth : all gene- | rations • shall | call me | blessed.

4 For he that is mighty hath | magni- • fied | me : and | holy ' is his | Name.

5 And his mercy is on | them that | fear him : throughout | all ' gene- | rations.

6 He hath shewed | strength • with his | arm : he hath scattered the proud, in the imagi- | nation ' of their | hearts.

7 He hath put down the mighty ' from their | seat : and hath ex- | alted • the | humble • and | meek.

8 He hath filled the | hungry with | good things : and the rich he ' hath sent | empty • a- 1 way.

9 He re- | memb'ring • his | mercy : hath | holpen • his | servant | Israel;

10 As he promised ' to our | forefathers : Abraham ' and his | seed for | ever.

Glory be to the Father & to the Son & to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end, Amen.

The Second Lesson is taken from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans in the 8^th Chapter, beginning at the 26^th verse. (Romans 8.26 -39 )

And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here endeth the lesson.

THE SECOND LESSON as appointed. And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Song of Simeon).

NUNC DIMITTIS. St Luke 2.29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel. GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

The Holy Gospel is written in the 13^th Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew beginning at the 13^th Verse.

Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

The Gospel of Christ

Praise be to thee, O Christ.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles’ Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried:

He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting.

Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say: O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY, together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

Collect of the Day: O God,

the protector of all who trust in you,

without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,

increase and multiply upon us your mercy,

that with you as our ruler and guide,

we may so pass through things temporal,

that we lose not the things eternal;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn. Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

 

O Love that wilt not Let me Go

 

Text: George Matheson Tune: ES IST GEWISSLICH

Other prayers and thanksgivings are offered.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

The Grace

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.