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The Church of England – Evening Prayer Christmas Season Friday, 29 December 2023
O God, make speed to save us.
All O Lord, make haste to help us.
You laid the foundation of the earth
Alland the heavens are the work of your hands.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
To dispel the darkness of our night
you sent forth your Son, the firstborn of all creation,
to be the Christ, the light of the world.
Rejoicing in the mystery of the Word made flesh,
we acclaim him Emmanuel, as all creation sings to you:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.
A Song of God’s Descending (page 552), the following or another suitable hymn
Of the Father’s heart begotten,
ere the world from chaos rose,
he is Alpha: from that fountain
all that is and has been flows;
he is Omega, of all things
yet to come the mystic close,
evermore and evermore.
O how blest that wondrous birthday,
when the Maid the curse retrieved,
brought to birth mankind’s salvation,
by the Holy Ghost conceived;
and the Babe, the world’s redeemer,
in her loving arms received,
evermore and evermore.
Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
angels and archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful,
let your joyous anthems ring,
every tongue his name confessing,
countless voices answering,
evermore and evermore.
Prudentius, tr: R F Davis
(Tune: 87 87 87 7)
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 131
Refrain:O Israel, trust in the Lord.
1O Lord, my heart is not proud; ♦
my eyes are not raised in haughty looks.
2I do not occupy myself with great matters, ♦
with things that are too high for me.
3 But I have quieted and stilled my soul,
like a weaned child on its mother’s breast; ♦
so my soul is quieted within me.
4 O Israel, trust in the Lord, ♦
from this time forth for evermore.
Refrain:O Israel, trust in the Lord.
Eternal God,
calm and quieten our souls;
keep us humble and full of wonder
and trusting as we live in your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 132
Refrain: Arise, O Lord, into your resting place.
1Lord, remember for David ♦
all the hardships he endured;
2How he swore an oath to the Lord ♦
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3‘I will not come within the shelter of my house, ♦
nor climb up into my bed;
4‘I will not allow my eyes to sleep, ♦
nor let my eyelids slumber,
5 ‘Until I find a place for the Lord, ♦
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.’ R
6Now, we heard of the ark in Ephrathah ♦
and found it in the fields of Ja-ar.
7 Let us enter his dwelling place ♦
and fall low before his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place, ♦
you and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness ♦
and your faithful ones sing with joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake, ♦
turn not away the face of your anointed. R
11 The Lord has sworn an oath to David, ♦
a promise from which he will not shrink:
12‘Of the fruit of your body ♦
shall I set upon your throne.
13 ‘If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, ♦
their children also shall sit upon your throne for evermore.’
14 For the Lord has chosen Zion for himself; ♦
he has desired her for his habitation: R
15 ‘This shall be my resting place for ever; ♦
here will I dwell, for I have longed for her.
16‘I will abundantly bless her provision; ♦
her poor will I satisfy with bread.
17‘ I will clothe her priests with salvation, ♦
and her faithful ones shall rejoice and sing.
18‘ There will I make a horn to spring up for David; ♦
I will keep a lantern burning for my anointed.
19 ‘As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; ♦
but on him shall his crown be bright.’
Refrain:Arise, O Lord, into your resting place.
Jesus, Son of David,
make us a priestly people;
clothe us in righteousness,
make us fruitful,
and give us hearts to shout for joy in your salvation;
we pray in the power of the Spirit.
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.
Isaiah 57.15-end
For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For I will not continually accuse,
nor will I always be angry;
for then the spirits would grow faint before me,
even the souls that I have made.
Because of their wicked covetousness I was angry;
I struck them, I hid and was angry;
but they kept turning back to their own ways.
I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will lead them and repay them with comfort,
creating for their mourners the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord;
and I will heal them.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea
that cannot keep still;
its waters toss up mire and mud.
There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.
Canticle
A Song of Redemption, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 68 (page 626) or number 73 (page 631), may be said.
Refrain:
All Christ is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
1 The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, ♦
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;
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2In whom we have redemption, ♦
the forgiveness of our sins.
3He is the image of the invisible God, ♦
the firstborn of all creation.
4For in him all things were created, ♦
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
5All things were created through him and for him, ♦
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
6He is the head of the body, the Church, ♦
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
7In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; ♦
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
Colossians 1.13-18a, 19, 20a
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.
All Christ is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
Scripture Reading
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
John 1.1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
All The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
And we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
All full of grace and truth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
All The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
from John 1
Gospel Canticle
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) (page 613) may be said
Refrain:
All When peaceful silence lay over all,
and night was in the midst of her swift course:
from your royal throne, O God, down from the heavens,
leapt your almighty Word.
1 My 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.
4 He has shown strength with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5 Casting down the mighty from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6 He has filled the hungry with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8 The promise made to our ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
All Glory 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:
All When peaceful silence lay over all,
and night was in the midst of her swift course:
from your royal throne, O God, down from the heavens,
leapt your almighty Word.
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
¶ The Church, especially in places of conflict
¶ The Holy Land, for peace with justice, and reconciliation
¶ Refugees and asylum seekers
¶ Homeless people
¶ Families with young children
A form of prayer found on page 378 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
Lord God,
who gave grace to your servant Thomas Becket
to put aside all earthly fear
and be faithful even to death:
grant that we, disregarding worldly esteem,
may fight all wrong,
uphold your rule,
and serve you to our life’s end;
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.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
All 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.
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)
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
All 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Conclusion
May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvellous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.
All Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
