A SERVICE OF EVENING PRAYER
July 28, 2022
Welcome
Prelude
Opening
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
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God,
Whose steadfast love endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
we confess that we have not followed your path but have chosen our own way. Instead of putting others before ourselves, we long to take the best seats at the table. When met by those in need, we have too often passed by on the other side. Set us again on the path of life. Save us from ourselves and free us to love our neighbors. Amen.
Hear the good news!
God does not deal with us according to our sins but delights in granting pardon and mercy. In the name of + Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. You are free to love as God loves
Amen.
Thanksgiving for Light
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you called light into being,and you set lights in the sky to govern night and day. In a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night you led your people into freedom.
Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ; may your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and with all your creatures we give you glory,through your Son Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer
Let us pray.
Benevolent God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives. Teach us to love what is worth loving, to reject what is offensive to you, and to treasure what is precious in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Proverbs 15:1-9
1A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5A fool despises a parent's instruction,
but the one who heeds admonition is prudent.
6In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the minds of fools.
8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.
Psalm 107:1-16,43 (read responsively by whole verse)
1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
3and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
5hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
7he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
8Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
9For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.
10Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
11for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
they fell down, with no one to help.
13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
14he brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and broke their bonds asunder.
15Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
16For he shatters the doors of bronze,
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
43Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
Gloria Patri
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.
Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17
1So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
12As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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)
Magnificat A Prayer-Paraphrase of Luke 1: 46-55
We praise you, Lord,
and our spirits rejoice in you – our Saviour;
For you take notice of the unnoticeable,
and transform them into the blessed;
You are strong and true to yourself and all that is good
in everything you are and do and say;
and you do great things for us;
Through the ages you have shown compassion
to those who trust you,
And in your strength you have scattered
those who are arrogant and abusive;
You have made the thrones of tyrants topple
and you have made humble people into leaders of many;
You have cared for and provided for those who have nothing,
and you have left the over-satisfied with empty hands;
You have always been a help to your people,
and have shown mercy when we have gone astray;
You made this promise to our ancestors,
and you continue to stay true to it even now.
We praise you, Lord,
and our spirits rejoice in you – our Saviour. Amen.
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
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 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 travel, 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.
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.
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.
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
Written Offering
Benediction
Postlude Praise the Lord! O Heavens
ELW 823 (v. 1 & 2)
Praise the Lord! O heav'ns, adore him;
praise him, angels, in the height;
sun and moon, rejoice before him;
praise him, gleaming stars and light.
Praise the Lord, for he has spoken;
worlds his mighty voice obeyed;
laws which never shall be broken
for their guidance he has made.
Praise the Lord, for he is gracious;
never shall his promise fail.
God has made his saints victorious;
sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation;
hosts on high, his pow'r proclaim;
heav'n and earth, and all creation,
laud and magnify his name!
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.
Magnificat, A Prayer-Paraphrase of Luke 1: 46-55, John van de Laar, copyright © 2008 Sacredise. Posted on Sacredise.com. Used with permission.
Praise the Lord! O Heavens, Text: Foundling Hospital Collection, London, 1796. Music: Franz Jesoph Haydn, 1732-1809. Public domain.
