Evening Prayer

Epiphany
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b

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.

The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 61

⁽¹⁾ HEAR my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. ⁽²⁾ From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ⁽³⁾ For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. ⁽⁴⁾ I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

⁽⁵⁾ For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. ⁽⁶⁾ You will prolong the king's life, His years as many generations. ⁽⁷⁾ He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! ⁽⁸⁾ So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.

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.

Psalm 62

⁽¹⁾ Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. ⁽²⁾ He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. ⁽³⁾ How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. ⁽⁴⁾ They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah

⁽⁵⁾ My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. ⁽⁶⁾ He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. ⁽⁷⁾ In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. ⁽⁸⁾ Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁽⁹⁾ Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. ⁽¹¹⁾ God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. ⁽¹²⁾ Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

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.

Genesis Chapter 21

⁽¹⁾ And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. ⁽²⁾ For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ⁽³⁾ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him -- whom Sarah bore to him -- Isaac. ⁽⁴⁾ Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁽⁵⁾ Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁽⁶⁾ And Sarah said, 'God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.' ⁽⁷⁾ She also said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.' ⁽⁸⁾ So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

⁽⁹⁾ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Therefore she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.' ⁽¹¹⁾ And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son. ⁽¹²⁾ But God said to Abraham, 'Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.

⁽¹³⁾ Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.' ⁽¹⁴⁾ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. ⁽¹⁵⁾ And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. ⁽¹⁶⁾ Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, 'Let me not see the death of the boy.' So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

⁽¹⁷⁾ And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, 'What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.' ⁽¹⁹⁾ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. ⁽²⁰⁾ So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

⁽²¹⁾ He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Hebrews Chapter 11

⁽¹³⁾ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ⁽¹⁴⁾ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ⁽¹⁵⁾ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ⁽¹⁶⁾ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

⁽¹⁷⁾ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ⁽¹⁸⁾ of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' ⁽¹⁹⁾ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. ⁽²⁰⁾ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

⁽²¹⁾ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ⁽²²⁾ By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 6

⁽⁴¹⁾ The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, 'I am the bread which came down from heaven.' ⁽⁴²⁾ And they said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?' ⁽⁴³⁾ Jesus therefore answered and said to them, 'Do not murmur among yourselves. ⁽⁴⁴⁾ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

⁽⁴⁵⁾ It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. ⁽⁴⁶⁾ Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. ⁽⁴⁷⁾ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. ⁽⁴⁸⁾ I am the bread of life.

⁽⁴⁹⁾ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ⁽⁵⁰⁾ This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁽⁵¹⁾ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

A Song to the Lamb       Revelation 4:11, 5:9 to 10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is,
and by your will they were created
  and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne,
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor,
forever and forevermore.

The Song of Zechariah Luke 1: 68 to 79

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.



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:  Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13