Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer on Monday
Monday, 6 February 2012
The Martyrs of Japan, 1597 [Commemoration]
The Accession of Queen Elizabeth II, 1952

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.

One or more of the following is said or sung:
a prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),
a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Greatness

1Bless the Lord, O my soul. •
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!

2You are clothed with majesty and honour, •
wrapped in light as in a garment.

3The sun knows the time for its setting. •
You make darkness that it may be night.

4O Lord, how manifold are your works! •
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

5When you send forth your spirit, they are created, •
and you renew the face of the earth.

6May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; •
may the Lord rejoice in his works;

7I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; •
I will make music to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 104.1, 2, 21b ,22a, 26, 32, 33, 35

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 26

Refrain: Lord, I love the place where your glory abides.

1 Give judgement for me, O Lord,
for I have walked with integrity; •
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.

2 Test me, O Lord, and try me; •
examine my heart and my mind.

3 For your love is before my eyes; •
I have walked in your truth.

4 I have not joined the company of the false, •
nor consorted with the deceitful. R

5 I hate the gathering of evildoers •
and I will not sit down with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, •
that I may go about your altar,

7 To make heard the voice of thanksgiving •
and tell of all your wonderful deeds.

8 Lord, I love the house of your habitation •
and the place where your glory abides. R

9 Sweep me not away with sinners, •
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,

10 Whose hands are full of wicked schemes •
and their right hand full of bribes.

11 As for me, I will walk with integrity; •
redeem me, Lord, and be merciful to me.

12 My foot stands firm; •
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

Refrain: Lord, I love the place where your glory abides.

Have mercy on us and redeem us, O Lord,
for our merits are your mercies
and in your judgement is our salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 28

Refrain: The Lord is my strength and my shield.

1 To you I call, O Lord my rock;
be not deaf to my cry, •
lest, if you do not hear me,
I become like those who go down to the Pit.

2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, •
when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies. R

3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers, •
who speak peaceably with their neighbours,
while malice is in their hearts.

4 Repay them according to their deeds •
and according to the wickedness of their devices. R

5 Reward them according to the work of their hands •
and pay them their just deserts.

6 They take no heed of the Lord’s doings,
nor of the works of his hands; •
therefore shall he break them down
and not build them up. R

7 Blessed be the Lord, •
for he has heard the voice of my prayer.

8 The Lord is my strength and my shield; •
my heart has trusted in him and I am helped;

9 Therefore my heart dances for joy •
and in my song will I praise him. R

10 The Lord is the strength of his people, •
a safe refuge for his anointed.

11 Save your people and bless your inheritance; •
shepherd them and carry them for ever.

Refrain: The Lord is my strength and my shield.

Hear us, Shepherd of your people,
forgive us our sins
and, in a world of pretences,
make us true in heart and mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 29

Refrain: The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, •
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; •
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; •
the Lord is upon the mighty waters. R

4 The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; •
the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; •
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf •
and Sirion like a young wild ox. R

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; •
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe
and strips the forests bare; •
in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’

9 The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; •
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.

10 The Lord shall give strength to his people; •
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Refrain: The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Open our ears, glorious Lord Christ,
to hear the music of your voice
above the chaos of this world;
open our eyes to see the vision of your glory,
for you are our King, now and for ever.

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.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Grace, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 58 (page 615), may be said

Refrain:

AllThe glorious grace of God
is freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

1Blessed are you,
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, •
for you have blest us in Christ Jesus
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

2You chose us to be yours in Christ
before the foundation of the world, •
that we should be holy and blameless before you.

3In love you destined us for adoption as your children,
through Jesus Christ, •
according to the purpose of your will,

4To the praise of your glorious grace, •
which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

5In you, we have redemption
through the blood of Christ, •
the forgiveness of our sins,

6According to the riches of your grace, •
which you have lavished upon us.

7You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight, •
the mystery of your will,

8According to your purpose
which you set forth in Christ, •
as a plan for the fullness of time,

9To unite all things in Christ, •
things in heaven and things on earth.

Ephesians 1.3-10

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.

AllThe glorious grace of God
is freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Ecclesiastes 1

The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
   vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What do people gain from all the toil
   at which they toil under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
   but the earth remains for ever.
The sun rises and the sun goes down,
   and hurries to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south,
   and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
   and on its circuits the wind returns.
All streams run to the sea,
   but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
   there they continue to flow.
All things are wearisome;
   more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
   or the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be,
   and what has been done is what will be done;
   there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
   ‘See, this is new’?
It has already been,
   in the ages before us.
The people of long ago are not remembered,
   nor will there be any remembrance
of people yet to come
   by those who come after them.

I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
What is crooked cannot be made straight,
   and what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said to myself, ‘I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.’ And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.
For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.

John 17.1-5

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
AllTrust in the Lord with all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
In all your ways acknowledge him
and he will make straight your paths.
AllTrust in the Lord with all your heart.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
AllTrust in the Lord with all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.

from Proverbs 3

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or A Song of the Blessed (page 606) may be said

Refrain:

AllMy spirit rejoices in you, O God,
my soul proclaims your greatness.

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.

Refrain:

AllMy spirit rejoices in you, O God,
my soul proclaims your greatness.

Prayers

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs

The cycle on pages 364–365 and the prayer on page 377 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

Almighty God,
who alone can bring order
to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity:
give your people grace
so to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
that, among the many changes of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
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.
AllThanks be to God.

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
All of the official Common Worship publications are available from Church House Publishing.
 
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.