Wednesday evening October 3

Thursday evening
Tuesday evening

Preparation

Opening response

Favor us, Lord, and deliver us.

Lord, come quickly and help us.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:

to you be praise and glory forever.

As darkness falls you renew your promise

to reveal among us the light of your presence.

By the light of Christ, your living Word,

dispel the darkness of our hearts

that we may walk as children of light

and sing your praise throughout the world.

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God forever.

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,

let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,

so may your mercy come down upon us

to cleanse our hearts

and set us free to sing your praise

now and forever.

Amen.

Hymn

Stupendous Height of Heavenly Love

Charles Wesley

Stupendous height of heavenly love,

Of pitying tenderness divine;

It brought the Savior from above,

It caused the springing day to shine;

The Sun of Righteousness to appear,

And gild our gloomy hemisphere.

God did in Christ himself reveal,

To chase our darkness by his light,

Our sin and ignorance dispel,

Direct our wandering feet, aright:

And bring our souls, with pardon blest,

To realms of everlasting rest.

Come, then, O Lord, thy light impart,

The faith that bids our terrors cease;

Into thy love direct our heart,

Into thy way of perfect peace:

And cheer the souls, of death afraid,

And guide them through the dreadful shade.

Answer thy mercy's whole design,

My God incarnated for me.

My spirit make thy radiant shrine,

My Light and full Salvation be;

And through the shades of death unknown,

Conduct me to thy dazzling throne.

Confession of sin

Let us admit to God the sin which always confronts us.

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Almighty God,

patient and of great goodness:

I confess to you,

I confess with my whole heart

my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments,

my wrong doing, thinking, and speaking;

the hurts I have done to others,

and the good I have left undone.

O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you;

and raise me to newness of life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

May the God of love and power

forgive us and free us from our sins,

heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,

and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Word of God

Psalm 91

Refrain:

God’s faithfulness is a protective shield.

Living in the Most High’s shelter,

camping in the Almighty’s shade,

I say to the Lord, “You are my refuge, my stronghold!

You are my God—the one I trust!”

God will save you from the hunter’s trap

and from deadly sickness.

God will protect you with his pinions;

you’ll find refuge under his wings.

His faithfulness is a protective shield.

Don’t be afraid of terrors at night,

arrows that fly in daylight,

or sickness that prowls in the dark,

destruction that ravages at noontime.

Even if one thousand people fall dead next to you,

ten thousand right beside you—

it won’t happen to you.

Just look with your eyes,

and you will see the wicked punished.

Because you’ve made the Lord my refuge,

the Most High, your place of residence—

no evil will happen to you;

no disease will come close to your tent.

Because he will order his messengers to help you,

to protect you wherever you go.

They will carry you with their own hands

so you don’t bruise your foot on a stone.

You’ll march on top of lions and vipers;

you’ll trample young lions and serpents underfoot.

God says, “Because you are devoted to me,

I’ll rescue you.

I’ll protect you because you know my name.

Whenever you cry out to me, I’ll answer.

I’ll be with you in troubling times.

I’ll save you and glorify you.

I’ll fill you full with old age.

I’ll show you my salvation.”

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

God’s faithfulness is a protective shield.

Psalm prayer

Keep us, good Lord,

under the shadow of your mercy

and, as you have bound us to yourself in love,

leave us not who call upon your name,

but grant us your salvation,

made known in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 93

Refrain:

The Lord will rule forever and always.

The Lord rules!

He is robed in majesty—

the Lord is robed,

clothed with strength.

Yes, he set the world firmly in place;

it won’t be shaken.

Your throne is set firm for a very long time.

You are eternal!

Lord, the floods have raised up—

the floods have raised up their voices;

the floods raise up a roar!

But mightier than the sound of much water,

mightier than the sea’s waves,

mighty on high is the Lord!

Your laws are so faithful.

Holiness decorates your house, Lord, for all time.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

The Lord will rule forever and always.

Psalm prayer

Christ our King,

you put on the apparel of our nature

and raised us to your glory;

reign from your royal throne

above the chaos of this world,

that all may see the victory you have won

and trust in your salvation;

for your glory’s sake.

Old Testament reading
Ezekiel 18:21-32

But if the wicked turn away from all the sins that they have committed, keep all my regulations, and act justly and responsibly, they will surely live and not die. None of the sins that they committed will be held against them, but they will live because they do the right things. Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Certainly not! If they change their ways, they will live.

If those who do the right thing turn from righteousness and engage in the same detestable practices that the wicked committed, can they do these things and live? None of their righteous deeds will be remembered. They will die because of their treacheries and sins. But you say, “My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up.” Listen, house of Israel, is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up? When those who do the right thing turn from their responsible ways and act maliciously, they will die because of it. For their malicious acts they will die. And when the wicked turn from their wicked deeds and act justly and responsibly, they will preserve their lives. When they become alarmed and turn away from all their sins, they will surely live; they won’t die. Yet the house of Israel says, “My Lord’s way doesn’t measure up.” Is it my ways that don’t measure up? Isn’t it your ways that don’t measure up, house of Israel? Therefore, I will judge each of you according to your ways, house of Israel. This is what the Lord God says. Turn, turn away from all your sins. Don’t let them be sinful obstacles for you. Abandon all of your repeated sins. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? I most certainly don’t want anyone to die! This is what the Lord God says. Change your ways, and live!

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading
Mark 15:33-41

From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”

After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!” Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” But Jesus let out a loud cry and died.

The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.”

Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticle
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Refrain:

You show mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors you as God.

With all my heart I glorify the Lord!

In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.

He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.

Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

Holy is his name.

He shows mercy to everyone,

from one generation to the next,

who honors him as God.

He has shown strength with his arm.

He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.

He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones

and lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty-handed.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

remembering his mercy,

just as he promised to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.

Luke 1:46-55

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

You show mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors you as God.

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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,

is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and will come again 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

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered

for peace

for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns:

The social services

All who work in the criminal justice system

Victims and perpetrators of crime

The work of aid agencies throughout the world

Those living in poverty or under oppression

Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.

Response

God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty and everlasting God,

increase in us your gift of faith

that, forsaking what lies behind

and reaching out to that which is before,

we may run the way of your commandments

and win the crown of everlasting joy;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior taught us, so we pray

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.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and forever.

Amen.

Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

be with us all evermore.

Amen.