Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer
Lent
Friday, 13 March 2026

Preparation

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

Hear our voice, O Lord, according to your faithful love,
Allaccording to your judgement give us life.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
In the darkness of our sin you have shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Open our eyes to acknowledge your presence,
that freed from the misery of sin and shame
we may grow into your likeness from glory to glory.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

A Song of Entreaty (page 568), the following or another suitable hymn

Lord Jesus, think on me,
and purge away my sin;
from earthborn passions set me free,
and make me pure within.

Lord Jesus, think on me
with many a care opprest;
let me thy loving servant be,
and taste thy promised rest.

Lord Jesus, think on me,
nor let me go astray;
through darkness and perplexity
point thou the heavenly way.

Lord Jesus, think on me,
that, when the flood is past,
I may the eternal brightness see,
and share thy joy at last.

George the Sinner, tr: A W Chatfield
(Tune: SM)

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 69

Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.

1 Save me, O God, ♦
for the waters have come up, even to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire where there is no foothold; ♦
I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me.

3 I have grown weary with crying; my throat is raw; ♦
my eyes have failed from looking so long for my God. R

4 Those who hate me without any cause ♦
are more than the hairs of my head;

5 Those who would destroy me are mighty; ♦
my enemies accuse me falsely:
must I now give back what I never stole?

6 O God, you know my foolishness, ♦
and my faults are not hidden from you.

7 Let not those who hope in you
be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; ♦
let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
O God of Israel. R

8 For your sake have I suffered reproach; ♦
shame has covered my face.

9 I have become a stranger to my kindred, ♦
an alien to my mother’s children.

10 Zeal for your house has eaten me up; ♦
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me. R

11 I humbled myself with fasting, ♦
but that was turned to my reproach.

12 I put on sackcloth also ♦
and became a byword among them.

13 Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, ♦
and the drunkards make songs about me. R

14 But as for me, I make my prayer to you, O Lord; ♦
at an acceptable time, O God.

15 Answer me, O God, in the abundance of your mercy ♦
and with your sure salvation.

16 Draw me out of the mire, that I sink not; ♦
let me be rescued from those who hate me
and out of the deep waters. R

17 Let not the water flood drown me,
neither the deep swallow me up; ♦
let not the Pit shut its mouth upon me.

18 Answer me, Lord, for your loving-kindness is good; ♦
turn to me in the multitude of your mercies.

19 Hide not your face from your servant; ♦
be swift to answer me, for I am in trouble. R

20 Draw near to my soul and redeem me; ♦
deliver me because of my enemies.

21 You know my reproach, my shame and my dishonour; ♦
my adversaries are all in your sight.

22 Reproach has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness. ♦
I looked for some to have pity, but there was no one,
neither found I any to comfort me.

23 They gave me gall to eat, ♦
and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. R

24 Let the table before them be a trap ♦
and their sacred feasts a snare.

25 Let their eyes be darkened, that they cannot see, ♦
and give them continual trembling in their loins.

26 Pour out your indignation upon them, ♦
and let the heat of your anger overtake them.

27 Let their camp be desolate, ♦
and let there be no one to dwell in their tents. R

28 For they persecute the one whom you have stricken, ♦
and increase the sorrows of him whom you have pierced.

29 Lay to their charge guilt upon guilt, ♦
and let them not receive your vindication.

30 Let them be wiped out of the book of the living ♦
and not be written among the righteous. R

31 As for me, I am poor and in misery; ♦
your saving help, O God, will lift me up.

32 I will praise the name of God with a song; ♦
I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.

33 This will please the Lord more than an offering of oxen, ♦
more than bulls with horns and hooves.

34 The humble shall see and be glad; ♦
you who seek God, your heart shall live. R

35 For the Lord listens to the needy, ♦
and his own who are imprisoned he does not despise.

36 Let the heavens and the earth praise him, ♦
the seas and all that moves in them;

37 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; ♦
they shall live there and have it in possession.

38 The children of his servants shall inherit it ♦
and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.

Thirsting on the cross,
your Son shared the reproach of the oppressed
and carried the sins of all;
in him, O God, may the despairing find you,
the afflicted gain life
and the whole creation know its true king,
Jesus 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.

Jeremiah 15.10-end

Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. The Lord said: Surely I have intervened in your life for good, surely I have imposed enemies on you in a time of trouble and in a time of distress. Can iron and bronze break iron from the north?

Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn for ever.
O Lord, you know;
   remember me and visit me,
   and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
   know that on your account I suffer insult.
Your words were found, and I ate them,
   and your words became to me a joy
   and the delight of my heart;
for I am called by your name,
   O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
   nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
   for you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain unceasing,
   my wound incurable,
   refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
   like waters that fail.

Therefore, thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
   and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
   you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
   not you who will turn to them.
And I will make you to this people
   a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
   but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
   to save you and deliver you,

says the Lord.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
   and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

Canticle

A Song of Christ the Servant, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 61 (page 619) or number 67 (page 625), may be said

Refrain:

AllChrist committed no sin,
no guile was found on his lips. Alleluia.

1Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, ♦
that you should follow in his steps.

2He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips, ♦
when he was reviled, he did not revile in turn.

3When he suffered, he did not threaten, ♦
but he trusted himself to God who judges justly.

4Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, ♦
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

5By his wounds, you have been healed,
for you were straying like sheep, ♦
but have now returned
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

1 Peter 2.21b-25

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.

AllChrist committed no sin,
no guile was found on his lips. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

John 8.48-end

The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

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

Forsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord of my salvation.
AllBe not far from me, O my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.

from Psalm 38

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or A Song of Praise (page 627) may be said

Refrain:

AllCome, let us return to the Lord,
for our God will richly pardon.

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:

AllCome, let us return to the Lord,
for our God will richly pardon.

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 364–365

¶ Those preparing for baptism and confirmation
¶ Those serving through leadership
¶ Those looking for forgiveness
¶ Those misled by the false gods of this present age
¶ All who are hungry

A form of prayer found on page 380 may be used.

The Litany on pages 400-403 may be said instead of the Prayers.

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,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
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

Trusting in the compassion of God,
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)

Trusting in the compassion of God,
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

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.