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
O Word of God Incarnate (vs. 1 & 2) ELW 514
O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky:
we praise you for the radiance
that from the hallowed page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.
The church from you, dear Master,
received the gift divine;
and still that light is lifted
o'er all the earth to shine.
It is the chart and compass
that, all life's voyage through,
mid mists and rocks and quicksands
still guides, O Christ, to you.
Here I Am, Lord ELW 574
"I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?"
Refrain
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
"I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?" Refrain
"I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?" Refrain
WELCOME
DIALOGUE
The one who calls you together this day
yearns for each of you and for all people to hear and be blessed.
Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.
Blessed is the One who comes bringing trustworthy words
for the healing of the world.
Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Assured that the One who calls us to hear and obey
already knows the confessions of our hearts
and is ready to forgive,
let us confess our sin before God and before one another.
Holy God, you see in each of us and know us fully
as creatures in need of your constant care.
We confess that we have neither heard your word nor followed your will.
We have failed our nation, neighbors, families, friends, and ourselves.
Give us ears to hear your wisdom.
Lead us to honesty and faith so that we may begin again
with renewed strength; in Jesus’ name. Amen.
In Jesus’ name you are forgiven.
Your sins are no more.
You have been made clean.
God strengthens you with freedom
through the Holy Spirit, in Christ Jesus.
COLLECT
Let us pray. Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, most merciful redeemer, for the countless blessings and benefits you give. May we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day praising you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Psalm 54
1Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.
Selah
4But surely, God is my helper;
the LORD is the upholder of my life.
5He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
6With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 139:1-18
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
O LORD, you know it completely.
5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,"
12even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18I try to count them — they are more than the sand;
I come to the end — I am still with you.
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.
I Corinthians 6:12-20
12All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. 13Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh." 17But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
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.
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. 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
All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.
Listen to the word of the Lord as you move through your days.
Trust that the Holy Spirit will guide your choices.
See in each person you meet one for whom Jesus gave his life.
And may the blessing of God, who is Father, + Son and Holy Spirit be upon you beloved of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.
POSTLUDE
God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven (v 1 & 3) ELW 564
God, who made the earth and heaven,
darkness and light:
you the day for work have given,
for rest the night.
May your angel guards defend us,
slumber sweet your mercy send us,
holy dreams and hopes attend us
all through the night.
Guard us waking, guard us sleeping,
and, when we die,
may we in your mighty keeping
all peaceful lie.
When the last dread call shall wake us,
then, O Lord, do not forsake us,
but to reign in glory take us
with you on high.
Portions of this liturgy are from “Feasting on the Word, Liturgies for Year B,” 2014, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY.
O Word of God Incarnate Text: William W. How, 1823-1897, alt. Music: Neuvermehrtes Gesangbuch, Meiningen, 1693, Public Domain.
Here I Am, Lord Text: Daniel L. Schutte, b. 1946, Music: Daniel L. Schutte, Text and Music © 1981 OCP Publications, Inc., Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven Text: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826, st. 1, alt.; William Mercer, 1811-1873, sts. 2, 4, alt.; Richard Whately, 1787-1863, st. 3, alt.Katherine L. Bates, 1859-1929, Public Domain; Music: Welsh traditional; arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958, Arr © Oxford University Press. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
