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Evening Prayer
Pam Smith
Pam Smith
Thursday, January 7, 2021
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Come join us as we close the day and welcome the evening in this devotional time.


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A SERVICE OF EVENING PRAYER


PRELUDE

     Love Has Come (vs. 1-3)     ELW 292

Love has come—a light in the darkness!
Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies.
See, all heaven has come to proclaim it;
hear how their song of joy arises:
Love! Love! Born unto you, a Savior!
Love! Love! Glory to God on high.

Love is born! Come, share in the wonder.
Love is God now asleep in the hay.
See the glow in the eyes of his mother;
what is the name her heart is saying?
Love! Love! Love is the name she whispers;
Love! Love! Jesus, Immanuel.

Love has come and never will leave us!
Love is life everlasting and free.
Love is Jesus within and among us.
Love is the peace our hearts are seeking.
Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas;
Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high!

     As with Gladness Men of Old (vs. 1,4)    ELW 302

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led by thee.

Holy Jesus, ev'ry day
keep us in the narrow way;
and when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.

WELCOME

DIALOGUE

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters;
then God said; Let there be light,
and God saw that it was good.
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was baptized by John.
The heavens opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove;
then God said: This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
A prophet appeared in the wilderness, calling the people to repent, be baptized, and prepare the way of the Lord. We return to the waters to confess our sins, giving thanks for the grace of Jesus Christ, the one who has come to save us.

God of all glory, you look from heaven and see us as we are – not worthy to kneel at your feet, not ready to welcome your way. Forgive us, gracious God. In Christ, stoop down to save us; loosen the ties that bind us to sin and set us free to love and serve you; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hear the good news of the gospel: As a voice from heaven said to Jesus, so God says to each of us: You are my beloved child and with you I am well pleased. In + Jesus Christ you are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

COLLECT
Let us pray. Holy God, creator of light and giver of goodness, your voice moves over the waters. Immerse us in your grace, and transform us by your Spirit, that we may follow after your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Psalm 2
 1Why do the nations conspire,
 and the peoples plot in vain?
 2The kings of the earth set themselves,
 and the rulers take counsel together,
 against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
 3"Let us burst their bonds asunder,
 and cast their cords from us."
 4He who sits in the heavens laughs;
 the LORD has them in derision.
 5Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
 and terrify them in his fury, saying,
 6"I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill."
 7I will tell of the decree of the LORD:
 He said to me, "You are my son;
 today I have begotten you.
 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
 and the ends of the earth your possession.
 9You shall break them with a rod of iron,
 and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
 10Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
 be warned, O rulers of the earth.
 11Serve the LORD with fear,
 with trembling 12kiss his feet,
 or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
 for his wrath is quickly kindled.
 Happy are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 29
 1Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
 ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
 2Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
 worship the LORD in holy splendor.
 3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
 the God of glory thunders,
 the LORD, over mighty waters.
 4The voice of the LORD is powerful;
 the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
 5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
 the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
 6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
 and Sirion like a young wild ox.
 7The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
 8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
 the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
 9The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,
 and strips the forest bare;
 and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
 10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
 the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
 11May the LORD give strength to his people!
 May the LORD bless his people with peace!

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.

Genesis 1:1-5
1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

REFLECTION

RESPONSE

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness.

OFFERING

GOSPEL CANTICLE  (together)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for you, Lord,
have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me bless’d:
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
to remember the promise of mercy, the promise made
to our forebears, to Abraham and his children forever.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
    the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth,
    of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father,
    God from God, Light from Light,
    true God from true God,
    begotten, not made,
    of one Being with the Father;
    through him all things were made.
    For us and for our salvation
        he came down from heaven,
        was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
        and became truly human.
        For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
        he suffered death and was buried.
        On the third day he rose again
        in accordance with the scriptures;
        he ascended into heaven
        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
        He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
        and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
    who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
    who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
    who has spoken through the prophets.
    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
    We look for the resurrection of the dead,
    and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS
Let us pray.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the health of the creation, for abundant harvests that all may share, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For public servants, the government, and those who protect us; for those who work to bring peace, justice, healing, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who are sick and suffering and for those who are in captivity, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For deliverance in the time of affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For all servants of the church, for this assembly, and for all people who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

     A brief silence for additional petitions.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Giving thanks for all who have gone before us and are at rest, rejoicing in the communion of all the saints, we commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to you, through Christ our Lord.

To you, O Lord.

Living God, maker of light, thank you for the gift of this night. Let me be at peace in your presence so that I may rest, be restored, and arise to praise your glory; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER
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.

BENEDICTION
Go forth in the light and love of God, giving glory to God in all that y ou do. And may the blessing of God, who is Father, + Son and Holy Spirit be upon you bellowed of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.

POSTLUDE

    O Beautiful for Spacious Skies     ELW 888

O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain,
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain:
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam,
undimed by human tears:
America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law.

 


Portions of this liturgy are from “Feasting on the Word, Liturgies for Year B,” 2014, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY.

Love Has Come Text: Ken Bible, b. 1950, Text © 1996 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc.; Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved. Music: F. Seguin, Recueil de noëls composés en langue provençal, 1856.  Public Domain.

As With Gladness Men of Old  Text: Nikolai F.S.Grundtvig, 1783-1872; tr. Jens Christian Aaberg, 1877-1970, alt.; Text © 1958 Service Book and Hymnal, Admin. Augsburg Fortress,  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.; Music: Danish, 19th cent. Public Domain.

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies  Text: Katherine L. Bates, 1859-1929; Music: Samuel A. Ward, 1848-1903.  Public Domain.