Author: Lisa Graves

Evening Prayer ii

The Officiant begins the service with one or more of the following sentences of Scripture, or of those on pages 75-78; or with the Service of Light on pages 109-112, and continuing with the appointed Psalmody; or with the versicle "O God, make speed to save us" on page 117 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 the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2 Worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble 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 The following Confession of Sin may then be said; or the Office may continue at once with "O God make speed to save us." Confession of Sin The Officiant says to the people Dear friends in Christ, here in the presence of Almighty God, 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 this Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Silence may be kept. Officiant and People together, all kneeling 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. The Priest alone stands and says Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. A deacon or lay person using the preceding form remains kneeling, and substitutes "us" for "you" and "our" for "your."
The Invitatory and Psalter
All stand Officiant O God, make speed to save us. People O Lord, make haste to help us. 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 for ever. Amen.
Except in Lent, add Alleluia. The following, or some other suitable hymn, or an Invitatory Psalm, may be sung or said.
O Gracious Light Phos hilaron
O gracious light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed! Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of Life, and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Then follows The Psalm or Psalms Appointed At the end of the Psalms is sung or said 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 Lessons
One or two lessons, as appointed, are read, the Reader first saying A Reading (Lesson) from ________________. A citation giving chapter and verse may be added. After each Lesson the Reader may say The Word of the Lord. Answer Thanks be to God. Or the Reader may say Here ends the Lesson (Reading). Silence may be kept after each Reading.
One of the following Canticles, or one of those on pages 47-52, or 85-95, is sung or said after each Reading. If three lessons are used, the Lesson from the Gospel is read after the second Canticle.
The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55 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 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 Song of Simeon Nunc Dimittis Luke 2:29-32 Lord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people 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 for ever. 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 power of 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 also with you. Officiant Let us pray.
Officiant and People Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages
A
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord; R. And grant us your salvation. V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy. V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care; R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth. V. Let your way be known upon earth; R. Your saving health among all nations. V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. V. Create in us clean hearts, O God; R. 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 Officiant then says one or more of the following Collects The Collect of the Day
A Collect for Sundays
Lord God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ triumphed over the powers of death and prepared for us our place in the new Jerusalem: Grant that we, who have this day given thanks for his resurrection, may praise you in that City of which he is the light, and where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for Fridays Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies' sake. Amen.
A Collect for Saturdays O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you, our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Peace Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
A Collect for Aid against Perils Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Collect for Protection O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Collect for the Presence of Christ Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen. Then, unless the Eucharist or a form of general intercession is to follow, one of these prayer for mission is added O 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.
Or this
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom 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 Officiant: Let us bless the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. From Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost "Alleluia, alleluia" may be added to the preceding versicle and response.
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 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 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 for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21

Choose one of these opening sentences.

Choose one confession invitations.

No priest? No problem. When you say the words of absolution, use the words “us” and “our” making it a prayer for absolution. .

Whenever the words are bold it means everyone says them together. .

These words are called the doxology and are
often used at the end of a psalm or canticle.

There is a canticle
between the readings. If you do 2 readings, use one canticle. If you do three readings, use two. The gospel is always the last reading if you do three.

Think about the words of the creed. These are the summation of our beliefs as Christians.

Choose a version of the Lord’s Prayer. Which do you prefer and why?

Choose one set of “Suffrages” A or B. These are said antiphonally (leader and people) not
Responsively (half of the
people responding to half of the people.)

Say at least one
collect from these options (two more on next page), plus a
collect for mission (also found next page)
You can say as many additional ones as you’d like.
Only the celebrant says the collect,
everyone else joins in for the “amen.”

Here is where you choose the mission collect you prefer.
There are 3 to choose from.

You can ask for intercession here, either silently or aloud. Give time for private or vocal prayer.

You end either with the General Thanksgiving
or the Prayer of
St. Chrysostom.
These are said in unison.

The Officiant selects and says an ending sentence taken from scripture.

Good job.

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 tresspasses, 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, for ever and ever. Amen.	Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.