A SERVICE OF EVENING PRAYER
December 16, 2021
Welcome
Call to Worship
Jesus Christ, the true light
Is coming into the world.
To all who receive him and believe in his name
Will become children of God.
The Word became flesh
And dwelt among us
And we have seen his glory
Glory as the Son of God
Full of grace and truth.
Come Lord Jesus.
Dialogue
Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
the light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
and the day is almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness
and illumine your church.
Confession and Forgiveness
Holy One, in this season of shadow and darkness
we come and seek your light.
Help us to turn from our sin and look to you
as we confess our sin and receive your forgiveness.
Prepare us Lord for the coming of Jesus.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the
presence of God and of one another.
God of mercy and comfort,
We confess to you that we have not lived
as you desire.
You have sent us prophets and we have not listened.
We have sought our own way,
a way preoccupied with our own self-interest
rather than the way of love.
Forgive us and help us to rightly prepare for
the advent of your Son, our Lord.
Amen.
Joyous Light of Glory
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 to be praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O giver of life:
The universe proclaims your glory.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer
Stir our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son.
By his coming strengthen us to serve you with purified lives
that, transformed by grace, we may walk in your way;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Psalms and Reading
Psalm 80
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
3Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4O Lord GOD of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
8You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
11it sent out its branches to the sea,
and its shoots to the River.
12Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
14Turn again, O God of hosts;
look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15the stock that your right hand planted.
16They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
17But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.
19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Psalm 41
1Happy are those who consider the poor;
the LORD delivers them in the day of trouble.
2The LORD protects them and keeps them alive;
they are called happy in the land.
You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.
3The LORD sustains them on their sickbed;
in their illness you heal all their infirmities.
4As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you."
5My enemies wonder in malice
when I will die, and my name perish.
6And when they come to see me, they utter empty words,
while their hearts gather mischief;
when they go out, they tell it abroad.
7All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.
8They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
that I will not rise again from where I lie.
9Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.
10But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them.
11By this I know that you are pleased with me;
because my enemy has not triumphed over me.
12But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
13Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Micah 5:2-5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
5and he shall be the one of peace.
If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Reflection
Response
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.
Gospel Canticle (together)
You have mercy on those who fear you,
Simeon’s Song
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:
your Word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Guide us waking and guard us sleeping;
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep we may rest in peace.
Amen.
Prayers
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my cry.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
In righteousness I shall see you;
when I awake, your presence will give me joy.
silence for personal prayer
Gracious God, we give you thanks for the day, especially for the good we were permitted to give and to receive; the day is now past and we commit it to you. We entrust to you the night; we rest securely, for you are our help, and you neither slumber nor sleep; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your 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
Benediction
May the God of justice be your path,
the Lord of mercy be your guide,
and the Spirit of love be your light.
And may the blessing of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be upon you now and forever.
Amen.
Postlude
Hark the Glad Sound
ELW 239
Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes,
the Savior promised long;
let ev'ry heart prepare a throne
and ev'ry voice a song.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of his grace
to enrich the humble poor.
Liturgical Text and Music, from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, © 2006 and 2020 Augsburg Fortress, Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
The Book of Common Prayer, The Episcopal Church, Church Publishing, Inc. Public domain.
Hark the Glad Sound , Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702-1751. Music: Thomas Hawels, 1734-1820. Public domain.
