Evening Prayer for April 7, 2021
Wednesday in Easter Week
Evening Prayer
April 7, 2021
Check out the live stream at 5:00 p.m. at www.FaceBook.com/StMattSav.
Evening Prayer
Enriching Our Worship 1 and Book of Common Prayer
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
[BCP, p. 77]
The Invitatory and Psalter
[EOW1, p. 20]
V: O God, be not far from us. R: Come quickly to help us, O God.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Light of the World (Phos hilaron)
[EOW1, p. 23]
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
The Psalm or Psalms Appointed
Psalm 115
[BCP, p. 757]
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your Name give glory; *
because of your love and because of your faithfulness.
2 Why should the heathen say, *
"Where then is their God?"
3 Our God is in heaven; *
whatever he wills to do he does.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; *
eyes have they, but they cannot see;
6 They have ears but they cannot hear; *
noses, but they cannot smell;
7 They have hands, but they cannot feel; feet, but they cannot walk; *
they make no sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the LORD; *
he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; *
he is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; *
he is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has been mindful of us, and he will bless us; *
he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, *
both small and great together.
14 May the LORD increase you more and more, *
you and your children after you.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heaven of heavens is the LORD'S, *
but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, *
nor all those who go down into silence;
18 But we will bless the LORD, *
from this time forth for evermore. Hallelujah!
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Lessons
A Reading from John (15:1-11)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 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. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle C: The Song of Hannah
[EOW1, p. 31; 1 Samuel 2:1-8]
My heart exults in you, O God; *
my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, *
for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *
Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, *
those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *
while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *
gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; *
and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers *
and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s *
on which the whole earth is founded.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018
April 7: Tikhon, Bishop and Ecumenist, d. 1925 [p. 175]
Vasily Ivanovich Belavin (Tikhon’s given name) was born January 19th, 1865. He grew up in a rural area among peasants in a village where his father was a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. Even as a child, he loved religion, and by age thirteen he began his seminary training, where his classmates nicknamed him “Patriarch.” At 23, he graduated as a layman and began to teach moral theology. Three years later, he became a monk and was given the name Tikhon.
By 1897, he was consecrated Bishop of Lublin, and in 1898 became Archbishop of the Aleutians and Alaska, the leader of Russian Orthodoxy in North America. Tikhon was held in such esteem that the United States made him an honorary citizen. While living there, he established many new cathedrals and churches, and participated in ecumenical events with other denominations, in particular the Episcopal Church. In 1900, at the consecration of Bishop Reginald Weller as coadjutor of the Diocese of Fond du Lac, the diocesan bishop, Charles Grafton, invited Tikhon to sit on his own throne. The Archbishop would have participated in the laying-on-of-hands if the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops had not forbidden it. Tikhon later established warm relations with the Diocese of California.
In 1907, Tikhon returned to Russia and a decade later was elected Patriarch of Moscow. The outbreak of the Russian Revolution threw the Church into disarray. When a severe famine caused many peasants to starve in 1921, the Patriarch ordered the sale of many church treasures to purchase food for the hungry. Soon the government began seizing church property for itself, and many believers were killed in defense of their faith. The Communists tried to wrest control of the church from Tikhon, while he, in turn, attempted to shelter his people. To this end, he discouraged the clergy from making political statements that might antagonize the government. He prayed, “May God teach every one of us to strive for His truth, and for the good of the Holy Church, rather than something for our sake.”
Imprisoned by the Soviet government for more than a year, he was criticized both by the Communist Party and by those Orthodox bishops who believed he had compromised too much with the government. On April 7th, 1925, he died, worn out by his struggles. In 1989, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church glorified Patriarch Tikhon, numbering him among the saints of the church.
Canticle L: A Song of Christ's Humility
[EOW1, p. 36; Philippians 2:6-11]
Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
[EOW1, p. 41]
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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
[EOW1, p. 42; BCP, p. 121]
V: God be with you. R: And also with you. Let us pray.
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.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Suffrages A
[BCP, p. 121]
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
Collect of the Day: Wednesday in Easter Week
[BCP, 223]
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect of the Day: Tikhon, Bishop and Ecumenist, d. 1925
[Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018, p. 176]
Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered unto us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.
A Collect for Protection
[BCP, p. 124]
O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer for Mission
[BCP, p. 124]
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings.
The General Thanksgiving
[BCP, p. 125]
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 our selves 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.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
[BCP, p. 126]
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 126]
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia! Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. [Ephesians 3:20,21]
Credits: This service is drawn from The Book of Common Prayer (1979), Enriching Our Worship 1 (1997), and other liturgical resources of The Episcopal Church and the scriptures are reprinted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.