Thu. evening Sep. 24
Opening response
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!
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
Here Is Love Vast as the Ocean
Confession of Sin
Seek the LORD while He may be found,
call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
cf Isaiah 55
A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.
Lord God, I have sinned against you; I have done what is evil in your sight. I am sorry and repent. Have mercy on me according to your lovingkindness. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Renew a right spirit within me, and restore unto me the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
cf Psalm 51
May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessed be the LORD,
because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and with my song I will thank Him.
cf Psalm 28:7,9
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 62
𝙍: My soul, wait in silence for God alone.
For God alone my soul silently waits;
from Him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my refuge; I shall not be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man?
So you can murder all of you,
like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
They only conspire to cast him down
from his high position;
they delight in lies,
they bless with their mouth,
but they curse inwardly.
My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
for my expectation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
𝙍: My soul, wait in silence for God alone.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
Surely men of low degree are but a vapor;
men of high degree are a lie;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than vapor.
Trust not in oppression;
put no vain hope in robbery;
if riches increase,
set not your heart on them.
God has spoken once;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy.
For You render to every man
according to his work.
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 soul, wait in silence for God alone.
Psalm prayer
God, teach us to seek security, not in money or theft, not in human ambition or malice, not in our own ability or power, but in you, the only God, our rock and our salvation.
Psalm 64
𝙍: The righteous will be glad in the LORD.
Hear my voice, O God, concerning my complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret schemes of the wicked,
from the turmoil of the workers of iniquity,
who sharpen their tongues like a sword,
and aim bitter words like arrows,
that they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
they talk of laying snares secretly;
they say, “Who will see them?”
They devise injustice,
saying “We have perfected a secret plot.”
For the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
𝙍: The righteous will be glad in the LORD.
But God will shoot an arrow at them;
suddenly they will be wounded.
So He will bring ruin to them
with their own tongues;
all who see them will shake their heads.
All men will fear,
and will declare the work of God;
they will wisely consider His deeds.
The righteous will be glad in the LORD,
and take refuge in Him.
And all the upright in heart will exult.
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 righteous will be glad in the LORD.
Psalm prayer
Cut through the malice of our hearts, redeeming God, with the Spirit’s sword, wound the pride of our rebellion with the grace that makes righteous and bring near the day of Christ, when love shall reign in joy; for he is alive and reigns, now and forever.
Old Testament reading
Ezekiel 3:12-27
Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a great thundering voice: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His place.” I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another and the noise of the wheels beside them, even a great rushing sound. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel-aviv, who lived by the River Kebar, and I sat there where they sat seven days, causing consternation among them.
At the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Whenever you hear the word from My mouth, then warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity. But you have delivered your soul.
Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered. But his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning. And you have delivered your soul.
The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, Rise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there. Then I arose, and went out into the plain. And behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Kebar, and I fell on my face.
Then the Spirit entered me, and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: Go, shut yourself up within your house. As for you, son of man, behold, they shall put bands on you and shall bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. And I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth so that you shall be mute and cannot be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD.” He who hears, let him hear. And he who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Mark 13:14-23
“When you see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down or enter the house to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not turn back to take his garment. But woe to women who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! Pray that your escape may not be in winter. For in those days there will be distress as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created to this time, nor ever shall be.
“Except the Lord shortened the days, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there He is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed. I have told you all things beforehand.
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:
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
Father, hear our prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill them; 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.