Evening Prayer
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 27, 2020
(adapted from the Book of Alternative Services, pages 61-71)
Opening Sentence:
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me. John 10.27
Officiant O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
People Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Officiant Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as
incense,
People The lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.
All 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.
Except in Lent, add,
Alleluia!
Opening Hymn: Let Streams of Living Justice
Let streams of living justice flow down upon the
earth.
Give freedom’s light to captives; let all the poor
have worth.
The hungry’s hands are pleading; the workers claim
their rights,
The mourners long for laughter, the blinded seek
for sight.
Make liberty a beacon, strike down the iron power.
Abolish ancient vengeance. Proclaim your people’s
hour.
The dreaded disappearance of family and friend,
The torture and the silence – the fear that knows
no end.
The mother with her candle, the child who holds a
gun,
The old one nursing hatred – all seek release to
come.
Each candle burns for freedom, each light’s a
tyrant’s fall.
Each flower placed for martyrs gives tongue to
silenced call.
For healing of the nations, for peace that will not
end.
For love that makes us lovers, God grant us grace
to mend.
Weave our varied gifts together: knit our lives as
they are spun.
On your loom of life enrol us till the thread of life
is run.
O great Weaver of our fabric, bind church and
world in one.
Dye our texture with your radiance, light our
colours with your sun.
Your city’s built for music: we are the stones you
seek.
Your harmony is language. We are the words you
speak.
Our faith we find in service, our hope in other’s
dreams.
Our love in hand of neighbour. Our homeland
brightly gleams.
Inscribe our hearts with justice, your way – the path
untried:
Your truth – the heart of stranger, your life – the
Crucified.
Text: William Whitla 1989
Music: THAXTED Gustav Theodore Holst (1918)
The Proclamation of the Word
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord
commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people
quarrelled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel
with me? Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people
complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and
livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are
almost ready to stone me." The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the
elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be
standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so
that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah
and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or
not?"
EXODUS 17:1-7
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
PSALM: PSALM 78.
Attendite, popule
1 Hear my teaching, O my people;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.
4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord,
*a
nd the wonderful works he has done.
12 He worked marvels in the sight of their
forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He split open the sea and let them pass through;
*
he made the waters stand up like walls.
14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.
15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.
16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.
God of pilgrims, strengthen our faith, we pray. Guide us
through the uncertainties of our journey, and hold before us
the vision of your eternal kingdom, made known to us in Jesus
Christ our Lord. AMEN
A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2:1-13
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit,
any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility
regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the
interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in
the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied
himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human
form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my
beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you,
enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
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 Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was
teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you
by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human
origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did
you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John
as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you
by what authority I am doing these things. What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first
and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his
mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did
not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I
tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John
came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the
prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
MATTHEW 21:23-32
Sermon:
By Whose Authority?
Legitimation Crisis and the Gospel.
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 refection may follow.
Affirmation of iaith
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:
Grant, O merciful God,
that your Church,
being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one,
may show forth your power among all peoples,
to the glory of your name;
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: Abide with Me
1 Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
2 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
3 I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's
power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
4 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy
victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the
skies.
Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain
shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Text: Henry Francis Lyte . Tune: EVENTIDE William Henry Monka
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.