Evening Prayer
October 25, 2020
(adapted from the Book of Alternative Services, pages 61-71)
Opening Sentence:
If you love me, you will keep my word, and my Father will love you, and we will come to you. John 14.23
Officiant God’s love has been poured into our hearts.
People We dwell in him and he in us.
Officiant Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name;
People Make known his deeds among the peoples.
Officiant Sing praises to him, sing praises to him,
People And speak of all his marvellous works.
Officiant Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty,
People Who was and is and is to come!
Opening Hymn: Rejoice, the Lord is King
1 Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
2 Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He has purged our stains,
He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
3 His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o'er earth and heav'n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv'n:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
4 Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord and judge shall come
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Text: Charles Wesley (1744)
Music: DARWAL’S 148th John Darwal (1770)
The Proclamation of the Word
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY 34.1-12
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is
opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali,
the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the
Negeb, and the Plain that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees as far as Zoar. The
Lord said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,
saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall
not cross over there." Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at
the Lord's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Bethpeor, but no
one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he
died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigour had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in
the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua son
of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the
Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. Never since has there
arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequalled
for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against
Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the
terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
PSALM: Psalm 90 1-6, 13-17
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling-place*
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us* back to dust,
and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like yesterday when it is past,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
13 Turn, O Lord! How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be manifest to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!
A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2.1-8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though
we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had
courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our
appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to
please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our
witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek
praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands
as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own
children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the
gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Magnificat
The Song of Mary
Luke 1.46–55 Music: Russian Chant.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; *
for he has looked with favour on his lowly
servant.
From this day all generations will call me
blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their
thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be
for ever.
Amen.
The congregation may stand or sit for a Gospel reading. The reader may say,
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to . . .
People Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then at the conclusion of the Gospel, the reader says,
The Gospel of Christ.
People Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and
one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the
law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment.
And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Now while the Pharisees were gathered
together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is
he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the
Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your
enemies under your feet"'? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was
able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
MATTHEW 22:34-46
Sermon:
A sermon or other comment on the readings is appropriate at principal
services on Sundays and at other major gatherings of the Christian
community. A silence for reflection may follow.
Affirmation of Faith
The Nicene Creed
The celebrant may invite the people, in these or similar words, to join in the
recitation of the creed.
Celebrant Let us confess our faith, as we say,
All We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions and Thanksgivings
Intercession or thanksgiving may be offered for
the Church
the Queen and all in authority
the world
the local community
those in need
the departed.
The Collect of the Day:
Lord God our redeemer,
who heard the cry of your people
and sent your servant Moses
to lead them out of slavery,
free us from the tyranny of sin and death,
and by the leading of your Spirit
bring us to our promised land;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn: O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness.
1 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name.
2 Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness:
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.
3 Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine:
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on his shrine.
4 These, though we bring them in trembling and
fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.
5 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name.
Text: John B. Monsell (1811-1875)
Dismissal
Then may be said or sung,
Officiant Let us bless the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
From Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost, Alleluia is added to the
dismissal and the people’s response
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.