Evening Prayer: Sunday 3 December 2017

December 3, 2017

First Sunday of Advent
Evening Prayer – Anticipation

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

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. 

PSALMODY

Antiphon: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God;*
in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life. (Ps. 141.8)

Opening (from 140 and 141)

1 I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my God;*
listen, O Lord, to my supplication.’
2 O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;*
hear my voice when I cry to you.
3 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor*
and render justice to the needy.
4 Surely, the righteous will give thanks to your name,*
and the upright shall continue in your sight.

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 96
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name;*
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations*
and his wonders among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;*
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;*
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!*
Oh, the power and the splendour of his sanctuary!
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;*
ascribe to the Lord honour and power.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due his name;*
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;*
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations: ‘The Lord is king!*
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.’
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;*
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes,*
when he comes to judge the earth.
13 He will judge the world with righteousness*
and the peoples with his truth.

We worship you, God of glory, in the beauty of holiness, and we joyfully proclaim your just and righteous rule, established for all, through your Son Jesus Christ the Lord.

Conclusion Revelation 22

1 ‘Behold, I am coming soon*
to repay everyone for what he has done.
2 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,*
the beginning and the end.
3 ‘I am the root and offspring of David,*
the bright morning star.’
4 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’;*
let anyone who hears, say, ‘Come’,
5 Let anyone who is thirsty come;*
let anyone who desires take the water of life without price.
6 The Lord says, ‘Surely I am coming soon’.*
Amen; come, Lord Jesus!

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.

READING(S)

John 3.1-17

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The windblows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

Response Ps. 28.11

Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Shepherd them and carry them for ever.
Bless your inheritance.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is
drawing near. (Luke 21, 28)

1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
2 for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant;*
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
3 The Almighty has done great things for me*
and holy is his name.
4 He has mercy on those who fear him*
in every generation.
5 He has shown the strength of his arm;*
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
6 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones*
and has lifted up the lowly.
7 He has filled the hungry with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
8 He has come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
9 the promise he made to our forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father… (may be said by all)

Magnificat Antiphon: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is
drawing near. (Luke 21, 28)

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Collect of the Day

Stir up your power, Lord, and come:
that, with you as our protector,
we may be rescued from our sins;
and with you as our deliverer,
we may be set free;
for you live and reign with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.