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
Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (v 1, 3, 6) ELW 886
Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
The name of Jesus charms our fears
and bids our sorrows cease,
sings music in the sinner's ears,
brings life and health and peace.
To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever giv'n
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heav'n.
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (v. 1 & 4) ELW 310
Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise;
manifested by the star
to the sages from afar,
branch of royal David's stem
in thy birth at Bethlehem:
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in flesh made manifest.
Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,
present in thy holy word;
grace to imitate thee now
and be pure, as pure art thou;
that we might become like thee
at thy great epiphany,
and may praise thee, ever blest,
God in flesh made manifest.
WELCOME
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
Trusting in the promise of grace,
let us pour out our hearts before God.
Forgiving God,
we repent of all the ways we turn from you.
You call, but we do not listen;
you show us your path, but we prefer our own way.
Forgive us, heal us, and lead us back to you,
that we might show mercy to others.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
This is the word of the Lord:
in + Jesus Christ, you are forgiven by God and given new life.
COLLECT
Let us pray.
Compassionate God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Savior. Bring wholeness to all that is broken and speak truth to us in our confusion, that all creation will see and know your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 95
1O come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
6O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
8Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9when your ancestors tested me,
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they do not regard my ways."
11Therefore in my anger I swore,
"They shall not enter my rest."
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 111
1Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
3Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
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.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
1Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3but anyone who loves God is known by him.
4Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." 5Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth — as in fact there are many gods and many lords — 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? 11So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.
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.
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.
God of new visions, we pray for people highly placed in power, that they may focus their eyes on you. And we pray for the lowly victims of power, that they may also focus their eyes on you. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who bless with their lips but curse with their mouths, including ourselves. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are ill and those facing the end of life. Give them the gift of prayer, that they may pour out their hearts to you. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the church and its leaders, that we may hear and respond to your call to be fishers of people. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected us today. We ask you to forgive us all our sins, where we have done wrong, and graciously to protect us tonight. Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels be with us, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us.
Rock of our salvation, through Christ and your Holy Spirit bring us into the new world that you are shaping even as this world is passing away.
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
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
Thy Holy Wings (v. 1 & 2) ELW 613
Thy holy wings, O Savior,
spread gently over me,
and let me rest securely
through good and ill in thee.
Oh, be my strength and portion,
my rock and hiding place,
and let my ev'ry moment
be lived within thy grace.
Oh, let me nestle near thee,
within thy downy breast
where I will find sweet comfort
and peace within thy nest.
Oh, close thy wings around me
and keep me safely there,
for I am but a newborn
and need thy tender care.
Portions of this liturgy are from “Feasting on the Word, Liturgies for Year B,” 2014, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY.
Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt. Music: Carl G. Gläser (1784-1829), arr/ Lowell Mason (1792-1872). Public domain.
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise Text: Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885), alt; Music: Jakob Hitze (1622-1702); arr. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Public domain.
Thy Holy Wings Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832-1903, sts. 1, 3; Gracia Grindal, b. 1943, st. 2; tr. composite
Text © 1983 Gracia Grindal, Selah Publishing Co., Inc.; Music: Swedish folk tune; arr. hymnal version, Arr © 2006 Augsburg Fortress, Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
