Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language
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Please note: Daily Prayer provided by the official Church of England web site, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2002-2004.
¶
Evening Prayer on Wednesday
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Preparation
O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
The Blessing of Light (page 110) may replace the Preparation at Evening Prayer on any occasion.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
A prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
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:
AllBlessed be God for ever.
or a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Descending
1I love you, O Lord my
strength. ♦
The Lord is my crag, my fortress and my deliverer.
2In my distress I called
upon the Lord ♦
and cried out to my God for help.
3He heard my voice in
his temple ♦
and my cry came to his ears.
4He parted the heavens
and came down ♦
and thick darkness was under his feet.
5He rode upon the cherubim
and flew; ♦
he came flying on the wings of the wind.
6He made darkness his
covering round about him, ♦
dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
7From the brightness
of his presence, through the clouds ♦
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
8The Lord also thundered
out of heaven; ♦
the Most High uttered his voice
with hailstones and coals of fire.
9For you will save a
lowly people ♦
and bring down the high looks of the proud.
10You also shall light
my candle; ♦
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
11As for God, his way
is perfect;
the word of the Lord is tried in the fire; ♦
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
Psalm 18.1, 6, 7 ,10-14, 28, 29, 31
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
This opening prayer may be said
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 for ever.
AllAmen.
The Word of God
Psalmody
The appointed psalmody is said.
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
4 Who alone does great wonders, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
5 Who by wisdom made the heavens, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
6 Who laid out the earth upon the waters, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
7 Who made the great lights, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
8 The sun to rule the day, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
9 The moon and the stars to govern the night, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
10 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
12 With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
13 Who divided the Red Sea in two, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
15 But Pharaoh and his host he overthrew in the Red Sea, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
16 Who led his people through the wilderness, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
17 Who smote great kings, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
18 And slew mighty kings, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
20 And Og, the king of Bashan, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
21 And gave away their land for a heritage, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
22 A heritage for Israel his servant, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
23 Who remembered us when we were in trouble, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
24 And delivered us from our enemies, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;
25 Who gives food to all creatures, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.
Remember us, O God, and shape our history,
form our inward eyes
to see the shadow of the life-giving cross
in the turbulence of our time;
for his sake who died for all,
Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
Job 3
After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
Job said:
Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
A man-child is conceived.
Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
or light shine on it.
Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds settle upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
That nightlet thick darkness seize it!
let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.
Yes, let that night be barren;
let no joyful cry be heard in it.
Let those curse it who curse the Sea,
those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan.
Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none;
may it not see the eyelids of the morning
because it did not shut the doors of my mothers womb,
and hide trouble from my eyes.
Why did I not die at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?
Why were there knees to receive me,
or breasts for me to suck?
Now I would be lying down and quiet;
I would be asleep; then I would be at rest
with kings and counsellors of the earth
who rebuild ruins for themselves,
or with princes who have gold,
who fill their houses with silver.
Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child,
like an infant that never sees the light?
There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at rest.
There the prisoners are at ease together;
they do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
The small and the great are there,
and the slaves are free from their masters.
Why is light given to one in misery,
and life to the bitter in soul,
who long for death, but it does not come,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
who rejoice exceedingly,
and are glad when they find the grave?
Why is light given to one who cannot see the way,
whom God has fenced in?
For my sighing comes like my bread,
and my groanings are poured out like water.
Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest; but trouble comes.
Canticle
A Song of the Blessed, or another suitable canticle,
for example, number 69 (page 627),
may be said
Refrain:
AllRejoice and be glad
for you are the light of the world,
and great is your reward in heaven. Alleluia.
1Blessed are the poor
in spirit, ♦
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2Blessed are those who
mourn, ♦
for they shall be comforted.
3Blessed are the meek,
♦
for they shall inherit the earth.
4Blessed are those who
hunger
and thirst after righteousness, ♦
for they shall be satisfied.
5Blessed are the merciful,
♦
for they shall obtain mercy.
6Blessed are the pure
in heart, ♦
for they shall see God.
7Blessed are the peacemakers,
♦
for they shall be called children of God.
8Blessed are those who
suffer persecution
for righteousness’ sake, ♦
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5.3-10
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllRejoice and be glad
for you are the light of the world,
and great is your reward in heaven. Alleluia.
Scripture Reading
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Romans 2.1-16
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, We know that Gods judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth. Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that Gods kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when Gods righteous judgement will be revealed. For he will repay according to each ones deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.
All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in Gods sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Lord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
AllLord, you will guide
me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
For I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
AllAnd afterwards receive
me with glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllLord, you will guide
me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
from Psalm 73
Gospel Canticle
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of
Simeon) (page 613) may be said
AllRemember your promise of
mercy,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
1My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
2From this day all generations
will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.
3He has mercy on those
who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.
4He has shown strength
with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5Casting down the mighty
from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6He has filled the hungry
with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7He has come to the aid
of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8The promise made to our
ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllRemember your promise of
mercy,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Prayers
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 362–363
¶ 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
One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
O Lord, from whom all good things come:
grant to us your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration
we may think those things that are good,
and by your merciful guiding may perform the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Conclusion
All 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.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
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The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
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Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002-2021.