Opening response

Make haste, O God, to deliver us.
Hurry, O LORD, to help us.

Hear our voice, Lord, according to your faithful love,
according to your judgment give us life.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be glory and praise forever.
In the darkness of our sin you have shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Open our eyes to acknowledge your presence,
that freed from the misery of sin and shame
we may grow into your likeness from glory to glory.
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

Saw Ye Not the Cloud Arise

Charles Wesley

Saw ye not the cloud arise,
Little as the human hand?
Now it spreads along the skies,
Hangs over all the thirsty land.

Lo! the promise of a shower
Drops already from above,
But the Lord will shortly pour
All the Spirit of his love.

When he first the work begun
Small and feeble was his day,
Now the word doth swiftly run,
Now it wins its widening way;

More and more it spreads and grows,
Ever mighty to prevail;
Sin's strongholds it now overthrows,
Shakes the trembling gates of hell.

Sons of God your Savior praise,
He a door hath opened wide
He hath given the word of grace,
Jesus’ word is glorified.

Jesus mighty to redeem,
He alone the work hath wrought,
Worthy is the work of him,
Him who spoke a world from naught.

Confession of sin

Let us confess our sins to God.

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

My God, for love of you
I desire to hate and forsake all sins
by which I have ever displeased you;
and I resolve by the help of your grace
to commit them no more;
and to avoid all opportunities of sin.
Help me to do this,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Lord enrich us with his grace,
and nourish us with his blessing;
the Lord defend us in trouble and keep us from all evil;
the Lord accept our prayers,
and absolve us from our offenses,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

Psalm 9

𝙍: You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will recount all Your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

When my enemies retreat,
they stumble and perish before You.
For You have upheld my just cause;
You sit on Your throne judging righteously. 𝙍

You have rebuked the nations;
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have erased their name forever and ever.
The enemy has come to eternal ruin,
and You have uprooted their cities;
the very memory of them has vanished.

But the LORD abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
He governs the people with equity.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know Your name trust in You,
for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. 𝙍

Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion;
proclaim His deeds among the nations.
For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers;
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

Be merciful to me, O LORD;
see how my enemies afflict me!
Lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may declare all Your praises—
that within the gates of Daughter Zion
I may rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have fallen into a pit of their making;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
The LORD is known by the justice He brings;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. 𝙍

The wicked will return to Sheol—
all the nations who forget God.
For the needy will not always be forgotten;
nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed.

Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail;
let the nations be judged in Your presence.
Lay terror upon them, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.

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: You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm prayer

Remember, Lord, all who cry to you
from death’s dark gates;
do not forget those whom the world forgets,
but raise your faithful ones to Zion’s gate,
with your all-conquering Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 28

𝙍: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

To You, O LORD, I call;
be not deaf to me, O my Rock.
For if You remain silent,
I will be like those descending to the Pit.
Hear my cry for mercy
when I call to You for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your holy sanctuary. 𝙍

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
and with the workers of iniquity,
who speak peace to their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.
Repay them according to their deeds
and for their works of evil. 𝙍

Repay them for what their hands have done;
bring back on them what they deserve.
Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
or what His hands have done,
He will tear them down
and never rebuild them. 𝙍

Blessed be the LORD,
for He has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and I give thanks to Him with my song. 𝙍

The LORD is the strength of His people,
a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
shepherd them and carry them 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: The LORD is my strength and my shield.

Psalm prayer

Hear us, Shepherd of your people,
forgive us our sins
and, in a world of pretenses,
make us true in heart and mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament reading

Jeremiah 5:20-31

Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

“Hear this,
O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear.
Do you not fear Me?”
declares the LORD.
“Do you not tremble before Me,
the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea,
an enduring barrier it cannot cross?
The waves surge, but they cannot prevail.
They roar but cannot cross it.

But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
They have turned aside and gone away.
They have not said in their hearts,
‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season,
who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

Your iniquities have diverted these from you;
your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
For among My people are wicked men;
they watch like fowlers lying in wait;
they set a trap to catch men.
Like cages full of birds,
so their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

They have grown fat and sleek,
and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked.
They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless,
that they might prosper;
nor have they defended
the rights of the needy.
Should I not punish them for these things?”
declares the LORD.

“Should I not avenge Myself
on such a nation as this?

A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land.
The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule by their own authority.
My people love it so,
but what will you do in the end?

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading

John 5:30-47

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that His testimony about Me is valid.

You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. Even though I do not accept human testimony, I say these things so that you may be saved.

John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light. But I have testimony more substantial than that of John. For the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form, nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent.

You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

I do not accept glory from men, but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Silence may be kept.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

𝙍: Come, let us return to the Lord, for our God will freely pardon.

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: Come, let us return to the Lord, for our God will freely pardon.

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:

Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
Those serving through leadership
Those looking for forgiveness
Those misled by the false gods of this present age
All who are hungry

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

Response

Father, by your Spirit
Bring in your kingdom.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
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

Trusting in the compassion of God, 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

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
Amen.