Wed. evening Oct. 14
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
O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
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 119:129-152
𝙍: The unfolding of Your words gives light.
Your testimonies are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of Your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
for I long for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
as is Your manner toward those who love Your name.
𝙍: The unfolding of Your words gives light.
Direct my steps according to Your word,
and let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
that I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
and teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
because they keep not Your law.
Righteous are You, O LORD,
and upright are Your judgments.
You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
and great faithfulness.
My zeal has consumed me,
because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
Your word is very pure;
therefore Your servant loves it.
𝙍: The unfolding of Your words gives light.
I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is the truth.
Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me,
but Your commandments are my delight.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
give me understanding that I may live.
𝙍: The unfolding of Your words gives light.
I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD!
I will keep Your statutes.
I cried unto You; save me,
that I may keep Your testimonies.
I rise before the dawning of the morning and cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,
that I may meditate on Your word.
𝙍: The unfolding of Your words gives light.
Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O LORD, give me life according to Your judgment.
Those who pursue wickedness draw near;
they are far from Your law.
You are near, O LORD,
and all Your commandments are truth.
Concerning Your testimonies, I have known long ago
that You have established 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: Keep me as the apple of Your eye.
Psalm prayer
Lord, you are just, and your commandments are eternal; teach us to love you with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament reading
Ezekiel 33:21-33
In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city is taken.” Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, before those who escaped came. And He opened my mouth at the time they came to me in the morning. Therefore my mouth was opened and I was speechless no more.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Son of man, those who inhabit these wastes in the land of Israel are saying, “Abraham was one, yet he inherited the land. But to us who are many, the land has been given for an inheritance.” Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat meat with the blood in it and lift up your eyes toward your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? You rely upon your sword, you work abominations, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?
Thus you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and him who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the forts and in the caves shall die of pestilence. For I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pomp of her strength shall cease. And the mountains of Israel shall be desolate so that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.
As for you, son of man, the sons of your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses; and they speak to one another, each saying to his brother, “Come now, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.” They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them. They do the lustful desires in their mouth, and their heart goes after their covetousness. And behold, you are to them like one who sings love songs with a pleasant voice, and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.
When this comes to pass, and it is coming to pass, then shall they know that a prophet has been among them.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
John 13:21-30
When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom He spoke. Now there was leaning to the right of Jesus one of His disciples whom Jesus loved. Therefore Simon Peter motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
Leaning back against Jesus’ chest, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. After receiving the piece of bread, Satan entered him.
Then Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew why He said this to him. Since Judas had the moneybox, some thought that Jesus said to him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then left immediately. And it was night.
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 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
O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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.