Evening Prayer

Advent
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen   Alleluia

Venite
The Antiphon:

ⓘ   A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽¹⁾ Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! ⁽²⁾ Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! ⁽³⁾ They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. ⁽⁴⁾ You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.

⁽⁵⁾ Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! ⁽⁶⁾ Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. ⁽⁷⁾ I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. ⁽⁸⁾ I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

⁽⁹⁾ How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. ⁽¹⁰⁾ With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! ⁽¹¹⁾ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! ⁽¹²⁾ Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!

⁽¹³⁾ With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. ⁽¹⁴⁾ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. ⁽¹⁵⁾ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. ⁽¹⁶⁾ I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. ⁽¹⁹⁾ I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. ⁽²⁰⁾ My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.

⁽²¹⁾ You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. ⁽²²⁾ Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. ⁽²³⁾ Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. ⁽²⁴⁾ Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Amos Chapter 3

⁽¹²⁾ Thus says the LORD: 'As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria -- In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! ⁽¹³⁾ Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,' Says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, ⁽¹⁴⁾ That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground. ⁽¹⁵⁾ I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end,' Says the LORD.

⁽¹⁾ Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, 'Bring wine, let us drink!' ⁽²⁾ The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: 'Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fishhooks, And your posterity with fishhooks. ⁽³⁾ You will go out through broken walls, Each one straight ahead of her, And you will be cast into Harmon,' Says the LORD. ⁽⁴⁾ Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.

⁽⁵⁾ Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!' Says the Lord GOD.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

2 Peter Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ⁽²⁾ that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ⁽³⁾ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁽⁴⁾ and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'

⁽⁵⁾ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁽⁶⁾ by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁽⁷⁾ But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ⁽⁸⁾ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁽⁹⁾ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. ⁽¹⁰⁾ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Matthew Chapter 21

⁽²³⁾ Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?' ⁽²⁴⁾ But Jesus answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: ⁽²⁵⁾ The baptism of John -- where was it from? From heaven or from men?' And they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' ⁽²⁶⁾ But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.'

⁽²⁷⁾ So they answered Jesus and said, 'We do not know.' And He said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. ⁽²⁸⁾ But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' ⁽²⁹⁾ He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. ⁽³⁰⁾ Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.

⁽³¹⁾ Which of the two did the will of his father?' They said to Him, 'The first.' Jesus said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ⁽³²⁾ For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.


Glory to God        
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.


The Third Song of Isaiah       Isaiah 60:1 to 3, 11a, 14c, 18 to 19
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land,
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation,
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day;
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.


The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  He descended to the dead.
  On the third day he rose again.
  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic Church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  First Sunday of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21