Opening response

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste 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

Live Our Great God on High

Charles Wesley

Live our great God on high
Eternally adored,
Who gave his Son to die,
Our dear redeeming Lord
He from his throne and bosom gave,
A world, a sinful world to save.

Worship and praise and power
Ascribe we to the Lamb,
His bleeding wounds adore,
And kiss his precious name,
Jesus the name to sinners given,
The name that lifts us up to heaven.

That blessed Spirit praise
Who shows the atoning blood,
Applies the Savior’s grace,
And seals the sons of God;
Spirit of grace and glory too
He claims eternal praise his due.

We with our friends above,
When time and death shall end,
In ecstasies of love
A heavenly life shall spend,
Spend in the great Jehovah’s praise
An age of everlasting days.

Confession of sin

Come, Holy Spirit of God,
and search our hearts with the light of Christ.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
No other commandment is greater than these.
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

After a period of reflection

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

Lord our God,
in our sin, we have avoided your call.
Our love for you is like a morning mist,
like the early dew that vanishes.
Have mercy on us;
deliver us from judgment;
bind up our wounds and revive us;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

cf Hosea 6

May almighty God,
who sent his Son into the world to save sinners,
bring us his pardon and peace, now and forever.
Amen.

Psalm 138

𝙍: O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever.

I give You thanks with all my heart;
before the gods I sing Your praises.
I bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name
for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness;
You have exalted Your name
and Your word above all else.
On the day I called, You answered me;
You emboldened me and strengthened my soul. 𝙍

All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD,
when they hear the words of Your mouth.
They will sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
Though the LORD is on high,
He attends to the lowly;
but the proud He knows from afar. 𝙍

If I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve me from the anger of my foes;
You extend Your hand,
and Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will fulfill
His purpose for me.

O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever—
do not abandon the works of Your hands.

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: O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever.

Psalm prayer

Lord our God, supreme over all things,
look upon the humble and lowly
and put new strength into our souls
to complete your purpose for us
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 140

𝙍: Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men.
Protect me from men of violence,
who devise evil in their hearts
and stir up war all day long.
They sharpen their tongues like snakes;
the venom of vipers is on their lips.

Guard me, O LORD,
from the hands of the wicked.
Keep me safe from men of violence
who scheme to make me stumble.
The proud hide a snare for me;
the cords of their net are spread along the path,
and lures are set out for me. 𝙍

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.
O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You shield my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
do not promote their evil plans,
lest they be exalted. 𝙍

May the heads of those who surround me
be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.
May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into the miry pits, never to rise again.
May no slanderer be established in the land;
may calamity hunt down the man of violence. 𝙍

I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor
and defends the cause of the needy.
Surely the righteous will praise Your name;
the upright will dwell in Your presence.

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: Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.

Psalm prayer

Glorious Savior,
rescue us from the subtle evils that are too strong for us,
from poisonous words and the spirit of war;
by your judgment overthrow the forces of violence,
that all the world may join to worship you
in thanksgiving and peace,
now and forever.

Psalm 141

𝙍: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to You.
May my prayer be set before You like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing
or take part in works of wickedness
with men who do iniquity;
let me not feast on their delicacies. 𝙍

Let the righteous man strike me;
let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion.
It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.
For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs,
the people will listen to my words,
for they are pleasant.
As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. 𝙍

But my eyes are fixed on You,
O GOD the Lord.
In You I seek refuge;
do not leave my soul defenseless.
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
and from the lures of evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

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: Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth.

Psalm prayer

Lord God, our protector and guide,
who made us knowing both good and evil,
help us to desire all that is good,
that the offering of our lives may be acceptable to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

2 Chronicles 35:1-19

Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD.

To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and Solomon his son.

Moreover, stand in the Holy Place by the divisions of the families of your kinsmen the lay people, and by the divisions of the families of the Levites. Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given by Moses.”

From his own flocks and herds Josiah contributed 30,000 lambs and goats plus 3,000 bulls for the Passover offerings for all the people who were present.

His officials also contributed willingly to the people and priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 Passover offerings and 300 bulls. Additionally, Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, donated to the Levites 5,000 Passover offerings and 500 bulls.

So the service was prepared; the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs, while the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them and the Levites skinned the animals. They set aside the burnt offerings to be given to the divisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as is written in the Book of Moses; and they did the same with the bulls.

They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the regulation, and they boiled the other holy offerings in pots, kettles, and bowls and quickly brought them to all the people. Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering up burnt offerings and fat until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their position, because their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

So on that day the entire service of the LORD was carried out for celebrating the Passover and offering burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah. The Israelites who were present also observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 16:1-15

“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things. But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.

I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

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

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me.
Holy is His name.
His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud
in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
but has exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
as He promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and 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.

𝙍: 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.
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:

Local government, community leaders
All who provide local services
Those who work with young or elderly people
Schools, colleges and universities
Emergency and rescue organizations

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

Response

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your church:
by the Spirit's gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ
and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation
the joys of eternal life;
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, 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

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.