The Officiant begins the service with one or more of the following sentences of Scripture, or with the Service of Light, and continuing with the appointed Psalmody; or with the versicle 'O God, make speed to save us' Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from theLord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 Worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness; let the whole earthtremble before him.
Psalm 96:9 Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
Psalm 74:15,16 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.
Psalm 16:7,8 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.
Amos 5:8 If I say, 'Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,' darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike.
Psalm 139:10,11 Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'
John 8:12 Confession of Sin Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.
or thisLet us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
*A deacon or lay person using the preceding form remains kneeling, and substitutes 'us' for 'you' and 'our' for 'your.' Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen
The Invitatory and Psalter Officiant: Lord, open our lips.
People: And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Officiant and People: 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 Alleluia
Then follows one of the Invitatory Psalms
Venite Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The following Antiphon may be sung or said with the Invitatory PsalmThe mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him.
The Lessons
Psalm
124
(1) If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,' Let Israel now say --
(2) If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us,
(3) Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;
(4) Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul;
(5) Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.'
(6) Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
(7) Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
(8) Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
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.
Psalm
125
(1) Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
(2) As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.
(3) For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
(4) Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts.
(5) As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!
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.
Psalm
126
(1) When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
(2) Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.'
(3) The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.
(4) Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South.
(5) Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.
(6) He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.
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.
Zechariah
11
(4) Thus says the LORD my God, 'Feed the flock for slaughter,
(5) whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich'; and their shepherds do not pity them.
(6) For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,' says the LORD. 'But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.'
(7) So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
(8) I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
(9) Then I said, 'I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh.'
(10) And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
(11) So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.
(12) Then I said to them, 'If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.' So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
(13) And the LORD said to me, 'Throw it to the potter' -- that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.
(14) Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
(15) And the LORD said to me, 'Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd.
(16) For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.
(17) Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.'
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians
3
(10) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
(11) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(12) Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
(13) each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
(14) If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
(15) If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
(16) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
(17) If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
(18) Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
(19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their own craftiness';
(20) and again, 'The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'
(21) Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
(22) whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come -- all are yours.
(23) And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Luke
18
(31) Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.
(32) For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
(33) They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.'
(34) But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
(35) Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.
(36) And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.
(37) So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
(38) And he cried out, saying, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'
(39) Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'
(40) So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,
(41) saying, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' He said, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.'
(42) Then Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.'
(43) And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.Canticles can be prayed or sung after each reading or after all readings.
10 The Second Song of Isaiah Quaerite Dominum Isaiah 55:6-11
Can be read after the Old Testament Reading
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
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.
15 The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
Can be read after the New Testament Reading
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor 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 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.
The Apostles' Creed *Officiant and People together, all standing
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.
The Prayers *The People stand or kneel Officiant : The Lord be with you.
People : And with your Spirit.
Officiant : Let us pray.
The Lord's Prayer
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 and ever. Amen.
Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages
A
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
B
That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of [________ and] all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord. The Collect of the Week:
Proper 29 The Sunday closest to November 23
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all
things in your well beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of
lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided
and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together
under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Collect of the Day: A Collect for Peace(Tuesday)
O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know
you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend
us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that
we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of
any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Then, unless the Eucharist or a form of general intercession is to follow,one of these prayer for mission is addedO God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
or this
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake.
Amen.
or the following
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Here may be sung a hymn or anthem.
Authorized intercessions and thanksgivings may follow.
Before the close of the Office one or both of the following may be used
The General Thanksgiving
Officiant and People
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Officiant
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Then may be said
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God
The Officiant may then conclude with one of the following
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.
2 Corinthians 13:14 ---or---
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13---or---
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from
generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21This concludes the Evening Prayer, Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord