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A SERVICE OF EVENING PRAYER
July 22, 2021
Prelude
Praise and Thanksgiving (vs. 1,2) ELW 689
Praise and thanksgiving, God, we would offer
for all things living, you have made good:
harvest of sown fields, fruits of the orchard,
hay from the mown fields, blossom and wood.
God, bless the labor we bring to serve you,
that with our neighbor we may be fed.
Sowing or tilling, we would work with you,
harvesting, milling for daily bread.
Break Now the Bread of Life (vs. 1, 3) ELW 515
Break now the bread of life,
dear Lord, to me,
as once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page
I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you,
O living Word.
You are the bread of life,
dear Lord, to me,
your holy word the truth that rescues me.
Give me to eat and live
with you above;
teach me to love your truth,
for you are love.
Welcome
Call to Worship
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
Sing praises to God.
Confession and Forgiveness
Let us confess our sins to God,
for God is faithful and loves us eternally.
Holy God, we confess that we have sinned against you
and have strayed from living wholeheartedly.
Envy and fear have dulled our generosity,
and we have grown mean and destructive.
Forgive us our sins and return us to health
through the grace and mercy of Christ. Amen.
Sisters and brothers, God loves us, forgives us,
and frees us from our sins;
therefore be at peace
and love with boldness and generosity.
Thanksgiving for Light
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Prayer
Let us pray.
Gracious God, you have placed within the hearts of all your children a longing for your word and a hunger for your truth. Grant that we may know your Son to be the true bread of heaven and share this bread with all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 145
1I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
4One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
7They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9The LORD is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
12to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
14The LORD upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17The LORD is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
18The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
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 113
1Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD;
praise the name of the LORD.
2Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time on and forevermore.
3From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
4The LORD is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.
5Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
6who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
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.
Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Reflection
Response
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.
Gospel Canticle (together)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
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 blessed:
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,
he 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.
Prayers
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
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 assembly, 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, 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.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.your holy
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
Rejoice in the Lord always. Do not be anxious about anything but pray with thanksgiving. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, let your minds dwell on these. May the blessing of God who is Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you now and forever.
Amen.
Postlude Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer (vs. 1,3) ELW 618
Guide me ever, great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your pow'rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs and praises, songs and praises,
I will raise forevermore,
I will raise forevermore.
Praise and Thanksgiving. Text: Albert F. Bayly, 1901-1984, alt., Text © Oxford University Press; Music: Gaelic tune; arr. hymnal version, Arr. © 2006 Augsburg Fortress, Text and Music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Break Now the Bread of Life, Text: Mary A. Lathbury, 1841-1913, alt.. Music: William F. Sherwin, 1826-1888), Public domain.
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
Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer Text: William Williams, 1717-1791; tr. William Williams and Peter Williams, 1722-1796, alt; Music: John Hughes, 1873-1932, Public domain.
