Evening Prayer 19th May 2021

Topic: Evening Prayer
Time: May 19, 2021 07:30 PM London

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Wednesday 19 May

Night Prayer

 Approach

The angels of God guard us through the night,

and quieten the powers of darkness.

The Spirit of God be our guide
to lead us to peace and to glory.

 

It is but lost labour that we haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of anxiety. For those beloved of God are given gifts even while they sleep.

 

Silence

 

Our help is in the name of the eternal God

who is making the heavens and the earth.

 

Dear God, thank you for all that is good, for our creation and for our humanity, for the stewardship you have given us of this planet earth,
for the gifts of life and of one another, for your love which is unbounded and eternal. O thou, most holy and beloved, my Companion, my Guide upon the way, My bright evening star. We repent the wrongs we have done:

 

Silence

 

We have wounded your love.

O God, heal us.

We stumble in the darkness.
Light of the world transfigure us.

We forget that we are your home.
Spirit of God, dwell in us.

 

Eternal Spirit, living God, in whom we live and move and have our being, all that we are, have been, and shall be is known to you, to the very secret of our hearts and all that rises to trouble us. Living flame burn into us, cleansing wind, blow through us, fountain of water, well up within us, that we may love and praise in deed and in truth.

 

 

Invocation

Eternal Spirit, flow through our being and open our lips,

that our mouths may proclaim your praise.

Let us worship the God of love.

Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Psalm 16

O God, I give you thanks for the wisdom of your counsel, even at night you have instructed my heart.

I have set your face always before me, you are at my right hand and I shall not fall.

Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices, my flesh also shall rest secure.

For you will not give me over to the power of death, nor let your faithful one see the Pit.

In your presence is the fullness of joy, and from your right hand flow delights for evermore.

 

Reading

John 16:16-24

‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying to us, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ They said, ‘What does he mean by this “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

 

Address

 

Into your hands, O God, I commend my spirit,

for you have redeemed me, O God of truth and love.

Keep me, O God, as the apple of an eye;
hide me under the shadow of your wings.
Preserve us, O God, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep may rest in your peace.

 

Nunc Dimittis

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

 

Prayer response

I will lie down in peace and take my rest,
for it is in God alone that I dwell unafraid.
Let us bless the Earth-maker, the Pain-bearer, the Life-giver,
let us praise and exalt God above all for ever.
May God’s name be praised beyond the furthest star,
glorified and exalted above all for ever.

 

Lord, it is night. The night is for stillness. Let us be still in the presence of God. It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be. The night is dark. Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you. The night is quiet. Let the quietness of your peace enfold us, all dear to us, and all who have no peace. The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys, new possibilities. In your name we pray. Amen.

 

O God, strengthen your servants with your heavenly grace, that we may continue yours for ever, and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more, until we come to your everlasting kingdom. Amen.