Opening response

Hurry, God, to deliver us.
LORD, come quickly to 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

Who Is This Gigantic Foe

Charles Wesley

Who is this gigantic foe,
That proudly stalks along,
Overlooks the crowd below,
In brazen armor strong?
Loudly of his strength he boasts;
On his sword and spear relies;
Meets the God of Israel’s hosts,
And all their force defies.

Tallest of the earth-born race,
They tremble at his power;
Flee before the monster’s face,
And own him conqueror.
Who this mighty champion is,
Nature answers from within,
He is my own wickedness,
My own besetting sin.

In the strength of Jesus’ name,
I with the monster fight;
Feeble and unarmed I am,
But Jesus is my might;
Mindful of his mercies past,
I trust the same to prove;
Still my helpless soul I cast
On his redeeming love.

From the bear and lion’s paws,
He hath delivered me;
He will still maintain my cause,
And still my helper be;
God in my defense shall stand,
Jesus on my side I have;
From the proud Goliath’s hand
He now my soul shall save.

With my sling and stone I go
To fight the Philistine;
God hath said it shall be so,
And I shall conquer sin;
On his promise I rely,
My trust is in the Lord,
Sure to win the victory,
For he hath spoke the word.

In the strength of God I rise,
I run to meet my foe;
Faith the word of power applies,
And lays the giant low;
Faith in Jesus’ conquering name,
Slings the sin-destroying stone;
Points the word’s unerring aim,
And brings the monster down.

Rise, ye men of Israel, rise!
Your rooted foe pursue;
Shout his praises to the skies,
Who conquers sin for you;
Jesus doth for you appear,
He his conquering grace affords;
Saves you, not with sword and spear,
The battle is the Lord’s.

Every day the Lord of hosts,
His mighty power displays;
Stills the proud Philistine’s boast,
The threatening Gittite slays;
Israel’s God, let all below
Conqueror over sin proclaim,
O that all the earth might know,
The power of Jesus’ name!

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.

Psalm 136

Refrain:
God’s loving kindness endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who made the great lights,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
the sun to rule by day,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and brought out Israel from amongst them,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who divided the Red Sea apart,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and made Israel to pass through the middle of it,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
to him who struck great kings,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and killed mighty kings,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
Og king of Bashan,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
even a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
who remembered us in our low estate,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and has delivered us from our adversaries,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
who gives food to every creature,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loving kindness endures 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.

Refrain:
God’s loving kindness endures forever.

Psalm prayer

Remember us, O God, and shape our history,
form our inward eyes
to see the shadow of the life-giving cross
in the turbulence of our time;
for his sake who died for all,
Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Samuel 19:8-23

Then the king arose and sat in the gate. The people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent. All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why don’t you speak a word of bringing the king back?”

King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the speech of all Israel has come to the king, to return him to his house? You are my brothers. You are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab.’ ” He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

So the king returned, and came to the Jordan. Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan. Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of Saul’s house, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king. A ferry boat went to bring over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good.

Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had come over the Jordan. He said to the king, “Don’t let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore behold, I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”

David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?” The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king swore to him.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

Acts 11:19-30

They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch, who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea; which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

Refrain:
My spirit rejoices in you, O God,
my soul proclaims your greatness.

My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
for he has looked at the humble state 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.
Holy is his name.
His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him.
He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down princes from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things.
He has sent the rich away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and his offspring 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.

Refrain:
My spirit rejoices in you, O God,
my soul proclaims your greatness.

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.

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 God,
who called your church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
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.