Mon. evening Apr. 20
Opening response
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!
In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to you be glory and praise forever. From the deep waters of death, you brought your people to new birth by raising your Son to life in triumph. Through him, dark death has been destroyed, and radiant life is everywhere restored. As you call us out of darkness into his marvelous light, may our lives reflect his glory and our lips repeat the endless song.
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
I Will Sing the Wondrous Story
Words: Francis H. Rowley (1886)
Music: Rowland H. Prichard (1855)
Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (#157)
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me
How He left the realms of glory
For the cross of Calvary
Refrain
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me
Sing it with His saints in glory
Gathered by the crystal sea
I was lost, but Jesus found me
Found the sheep that went astray
Raised me up and gently led me
Back into the narrow way [Refrain]
He will keep me 'til the river
Rolls its waters at my feet
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet [Refrain]
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 61
𝙍: You are my refuge, O Lord, a strong tower against the enemy.
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I call to You,
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
I will abide in Your tent forever;
I will take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.
𝙍: You are my refuge, O Lord, a strong tower against the enemy.
For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
Prolong the life of the king,
and may his years be like many generations!
May he sit enthroned before God forever;
appoint mercy and truth to guard him.
So will I sing praise to Your name forever,
as I fulfill my vows day by day.
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 are my refuge, O Lord, a strong tower against the enemy.
Psalm prayer
Risen Christ, as you knew the discipline of suffering and the victory that brings us salvation, so grant us your presence in our weakness and a place in your unending kingdom now and forevermore.
Psalm 65
𝙍: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!
Praise awaits You, O God, in Zion,
and to You shall vows be performed.
O You who hear prayer,
to You shall all flesh come.
Iniquities prevail against me;
as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.
Blessed is the man You choose and allow to approach You,
that he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.
𝙍: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!
By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
and of the farthest seas;
who established the mountains by His strength,
who is girded with might.
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the tumult of the peoples.
They also who dwell in the faraway places
are in awe at Your signs;
You make the going out of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
𝙍: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!
You visit the earth and water it;
You greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
for so You have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly;
You settle its ridges;
You make it soft with showers;
You bless its growth.
You crown the year with Your goodness,
and Your paths drip with fatness.
They drip on the pastures of the wilderness,
and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
the valleys also are covered with grain;
they shout for joy, yes, they also sing.
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: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth!
Psalm prayer
May the richness of your creation, Lord, and the mystery of your providence lead us to that heavenly city, where all peoples will bring their wealth, forsake their sins and find their true joy, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
Deuteronomy 5:1-22
Then Moses called all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances which I am speaking in your hearing today, so that you may learn them, and keep, and do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, we who are living now and here today. The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the LORD and you at that time to declare to you the word of the LORD, for you were afraid because of the fire and would not go up to the mountain. He said:
I am the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth ; you shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands of them who love Me and keep My commandments.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not exonerate anyone who takes His name in vain.
Keep the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, just as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor the foreigner that is within your gates, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor shall you covet your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
These are the words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Ephesians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love; He predestined us to adoption as sons to Himself through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth.
In Him also we have received an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will, that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, should live for the praise of His glory. In Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
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 people of God, that they may proclaim the risen Lord
God’s creation, that the peoples of the earth may meet their responsibility to care
Those in despair and darkness, that they may find the hope and light of Christ
Those in fear of death, that they may find faith through the resurrection
Prisoners and captives
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 Father, who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord: give us such knowledge of his presence with us, that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life and serve you continually in righteousness and truth; 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
Rejoicing in God’s new creation, 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 the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
Amen.