Sun. evening Jan. 25
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Opening response
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
your glory is proclaimed in all the world.
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, our light and our salvation, to you be glory and praise forever. You gave your Christ as a light to the nations, and through the anointing of the Spirit, you established us as a royal priesthood. As you call us into your marvelous light, may our lives bear witness to your truth and our lips never cease to proclaim your praise.
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
O Word of God Incarnate
Words: William W. How (1876)
Music: Neuvermehrtes Gesangbuch (1693)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#126)
O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth, unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky,
we praise Thee for the radiance
that from the hallowed page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.
The church from thee Our Savior,
received the gift divine,
and still that light is lifted
o'er all the earth to shine.
It is the sacred vessel,
where gems of truth are stored;
it is the heav'n-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.
The Scripture is a banner
before God's host unfurled;
it is a shining beacon
above the darkling world.
It is the chart and compass
that o'er life's surging tide,
mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
to Thee, O Christ, will guide.
O make Thy Church, dear Savior,
a lamp of purest gold,
to bear before the nations
Thy true light as of old.
O teach Thy wand'ring pilgrims
by this, their path to trace,
'til, clouds and darkness ended,
they see Thee face to face.
Confession of Sin
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor recompensed us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his mercy toward those who fear Him.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
so the LORD pities those who fear Him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits.
Psalm 33
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of His mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He puts the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the people of no effect.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom He has chosen as His inheritance.
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
The LORD looks down from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His habitation He gazes
on all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions the hearts of them all;
He considers all their works.
No king is saved by a great army;
a mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
it will not deliver by its great strength.
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
on those who hope in His lovingkindness,
to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart will rejoice in Him,
because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
just as we hope in You.
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.
𝙍: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Psalm prayer
Feed your people, Lord, with your holy word, and free us from the emptiness of our wrongful desires, that we may sing the new song of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
There is a specific time for everything,
and an appropriate time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to lament, and a time to dance;
a time to cast down stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to cease from embracing;
a time to seek out, and a time to give up;
a time to guard, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear up, and a time to mend together;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What benefit does the worker have in his toil? I have seen the task that God has given to people to be concerned with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put obscurity in their hearts so that people do not come to know the work that God has done from the beginning to the end.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
1 Peter 1:3-12
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, kept in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now, if for a little while, you have had to suffer various trials, in order that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried by fire, may be found to result in praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, you love; and in whom, though you do not see Him now, you believe and you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving as the result of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that should come to you have inquired and searched diligently, seeking the events and time the Spirit of Christ, who was within them, signified when He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but us, concerning the things which are now announced to you, by those who have preached the gospel to you, through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven —things into which angels desire to look.
Silence may be kept.
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)
Luke 1:46-55
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded
the low estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
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.
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.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He 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.
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 unity of the Church
The peace of the world
The healing of the sick
The revelation of Christ to those from whom his glory is hidden
All who travel
Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.
Response
Lord, hear your people
and answer our prayers.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; 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
Believing the promises of God, as our Savior taught us, so we pray
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. Amen.
Conclusion
May Christ, who sends us to the nations, give us the power of his Spirit.
Amen.