All are Welcomed to join us for a service of Evening Prayer
The Lord be with You
THE ORDER FOR
EVENING PRAYER
5th Sunday after Trinity (6th after Pentecost Proper 15)
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.
The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. ~ Deuteronomy 30.14
Opening Hymn: Love Divine All Loves Excelling
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast,
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find that second rest.
Take away the love of sinning,
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Sets our hearts at liberty.
3. Come almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
4. Finish then thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love and Praise.
Text: Charles Wesley. Tune: BLAENWERN (William Penfro Rowlands)
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 119. 105-112. Lucerna pedibus meis.
THY word is a lantern unto my feet, / and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn, and am stedfastly purposed, / to keep thy righteous judgements.
107 I am troubled above measure: / quicken me, O LORD, according to thy word.
108 Let the free-will offerings of my mouth please thee, O LORD, / and teach me thy judgements.
109 My life is alway in my hand; / yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The ungodly have laid a snare for me; / but yet I swerve not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever; / and why? they are the very joy of my heart.
112 I have applied my heart to fulfil thy statutes, / alway, even unto the end. .
The First Lesson is taken from the Book of Genesis, in the 22nd Chapter, beginning at the 1st verse. (Genesis 22.1-14 NRSV)
These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddanaram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
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 8th Chapter, beginning at the 1stverse. (Romans 8.1-11 )
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
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 13th Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew beginning at the 1st Verse.
Glory be to thee, O Lord.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
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: Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless
until they find their rest in you.
May we find peace in your service,
and in the world to come, see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for 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.
Come and Journey with a Saviour Tune: Beach Spring
1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; nauht be all else to me save that thou art. Thou my best though, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2. Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word; I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, thy child may I be, thou in me dwellig, and I one with thee.
3. Be thou my buckler, my word for the fight. Be thou my dignity, thou my delight, thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower. Raise thou me heave’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
4.Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise; thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and thou only, first in my heart, high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
5. High King of heaven, when vict’ry is won may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun! Heart of my heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Text: Ancient Irish Rob tu mo bhoile, a Comdi cride; tr. Mary Elizabeth Byrne. . Tune: Irish Melody.
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.