Evening Prayer - January 5, 2027

Today's Readings

Psalm 2:1-12

Psalm 110:1-5

Joshua 1:1-9

Hebrews 11:32-40,12:1-2

John 15:1-16

Today is the Twelfth day of Christmas
Behold, the dwelling of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3

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

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

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

Alleluia. To us a child is born: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.

The Lessons

Psalm 2

⁽¹⁾ Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?⁽²⁾ The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,⁽³⁾ Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.'⁽⁴⁾ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision.

⁽⁵⁾ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:⁽⁶⁾ Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.'⁽⁷⁾ I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.⁽⁸⁾ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

⁽⁹⁾ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' '⁽¹⁰⁾ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.⁽¹¹⁾ Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling.⁽¹²⁾ Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

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 110

⁽¹⁾ The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'⁽²⁾ The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!⁽³⁾ Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.⁽⁴⁾ The LORD has sworn And will not relent, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.'

⁽⁵⁾ The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

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.

Joshua Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying:⁽²⁾ Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them -- the children of Israel.⁽³⁾ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.⁽⁴⁾ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

⁽⁵⁾ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.⁽⁶⁾ Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.⁽⁷⁾ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.⁽⁸⁾ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

⁽⁹⁾ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Hebrews Chapter 11

⁽³²⁾ And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:⁽³³⁾ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,⁽³⁴⁾ quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.⁽³⁵⁾ Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

⁽³⁶⁾ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.⁽³⁷⁾ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented --⁽³⁸⁾ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.⁽³⁹⁾ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

⁽⁴⁰⁾ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.⁽¹⁾ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,⁽²⁾ looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 15

⁽¹⁾ I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.⁽²⁾ Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.⁽³⁾ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.⁽⁴⁾ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁽⁵⁾ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.⁽⁶⁾ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.⁽⁷⁾ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.⁽⁸⁾ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

⁽⁹⁾ As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.⁽¹⁰⁾ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.⁽¹¹⁾ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.⁽¹²⁾ This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

⁽¹³⁾ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.⁽¹⁴⁾ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.⁽¹⁵⁾ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.⁽¹⁶⁾ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The First Song of Isaiah Isaiah 12:2 to 6

Surely, it is God who saves me;
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold
and my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say,
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples;
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord,
for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
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

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Seasonal Collect: Second Sunday after Christmas Day
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of 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.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

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