Evening Prayer: Sunday 7 January 2018

January 7, 2018

First Sunday after Epiphany: The Baptism of the Lord
Evening Prayer – Festivals

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: Sing to the Lord a new song;*
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. (Ps. 149.1)

Opening (from Psalm 149)

1 Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
2 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
3 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
4 Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two-edged sword in their hand.

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 89.19-37

19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people:*
‘I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant;*
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 My hand will hold him fast*
and my arm will make him strong.
22 No enemy shall deceive him,*
nor any wicked man bring him down.
23 I will crush his foes before him*
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him,*
and he shall be victorious through my name.
25 I shall make his dominion extend*
from the Great Sea to the River.
26 He will say to me, “You are my Father,*
my God, and the rock of my salvation.”
27 I will make him my firstborn*
and higher than the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my love for him for ever,*
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29 I will establish his line for ever*
and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law*
and do not walk according to my judgements;
31 If they break my statutes*
and do not keep my commandments ;
32 I will punish their transgressions with a rod*
and their iniquities with the lash;
33 But I will not take my love from him,*
nor let my faithfulness prove false.
34 I will not break my covenant,*
nor change what has gone out of my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness:*
“I will not lie to David.
36 His line shall endure for ever*
and his throne as the sun before me;
37 It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon,*
the abiding witness in the sky.”’

Remember us, gracious God, when we cannot see your way and purpose, and renew in us the joy of your kingdom of light and life. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

Conclusion Revelation 4 and 5

1 Glory and honour and power*
are yours by right, O Lord our God;
2 For you created all things*
and by your will they have their being.
3 Glory and honour and power*
are yours by right, O Lamb who was slain;
4 For by your blood you ransomed us for God,*
from every race and language,
from every people and nation.
5 To make us a kingdom of priests*
to stand and serve before our God.
6 To God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb*
be praise and honour, glory and might,
for ever and ever.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Sing to the Lord a new song; sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

READING(S)

Luke 3.15-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

 

Response Ps. 132.15

Zion shall be your resting place for ever.
Zion shall be your resting place for ever.
Here will you dwell for you delight in her.
Your resting place for ever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Zion shall be your resting place for ever.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: The Lord swore to David,* the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.

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: The Lord swore to David,* the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.

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

Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son,
anointing him with the Holy Spirit:
grant that we, being born again,
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
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.