O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
The Blessing of Light (page 110) may replace the Preparation at Evening Prayer on any occasion.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
A prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
AllBlessed be God for ever.
or a suitable hymn,
or A Song of Worship
1Come, bless the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord, ♦
you that by night stand in the house of the Lord.
2Lift up your hands towards
the sanctuary ♦
and bless the Lord.
3The Lord who made heaven
and earth ♦
give you blessing out of Zion.
Psalm 134
AllGlory 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.
This opening prayer may be said
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. ♦
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
2 You are clothed with majesty and honour, ♦
wrapped in light as in a garment.
3 You spread out the heavens like a curtain ♦
and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.
4 You make the clouds your chariot ♦
and ride on the wings of the wind.
5 You make the winds your messengers ♦
and flames of fire your servants. R
6 You laid the foundations of the earth, ♦
that it never should move at any time.
7 You covered it with the deep like a garment; ♦
the waters stood high above the hills.
8 At your rebuke they fled; ♦
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
9 They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath, ♦
to the place which you had appointed for them.
10 You have set them their bounds that they should not pass, ♦
nor turn again to cover the earth. R
11 You send the springs into the brooks, ♦
which run among the hills.
12 They give drink to every beast of the field, ♦
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
13 Beside them the birds of the air make their nests ♦
and sing among the branches.
14 You water the hills from your dwelling on high; ♦
the earth is filled with the fruit of your works. R
15 You make grass to grow for the cattle ♦
and plants to meet our needs,
16 Bringing forth food from the earth ♦
and wine to gladden our hearts,
17 Oil to give us a cheerful countenance ♦
and bread to strengthen our hearts.
18 The trees of the Lord are full of sap, ♦
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
19 In which the birds build their nests, ♦
while the fir trees are a dwelling for the stork.
20 The mountains are a refuge for the wild goats ♦
and the stony cliffs for the conies. R
21 You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, ♦
and the sun knows the time for its setting.
22 You make darkness that it may be night, ♦
in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
23 The lions roar for their prey ♦
and seek their food from God.
24 The sun rises and they are gone ♦
to lay themselves down in their dens.
25 People go forth to their work ♦
and to their labour until the evening. R
26 O Lord, how manifold are your works! ♦
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
27 There is the sea, spread far and wide, ♦
and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.
28 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan ♦
which you have made to play in the deep.
29 All of these look to you ♦
to give them their food in due season.
30 When you give it them, they gather it; ♦
you open your hand and they are filled with good.
31 When you hide your face they are troubled; ♦
when you take away their breath,
they die and return again to the dust.
32 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, ♦
and you renew the face of the earth. R
33 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; ♦
may the Lord rejoice in his works;
34 He looks on the earth and it trembles; ♦
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
35 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; ♦
I will make music to my God while I have my being.
36 So shall my song please him ♦
while I rejoice in the Lord.
37 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth
and the wicked be no more. ♦
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Alleluia.
Refrain: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
Creator God,
send your Holy Spirit to renew this living world,
that the whole creation,
in its groaning and striving,
may know your loving purpose
and come to reflect your glory;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory 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.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate that faces towards the east; and the water was coming out on the south side.
Going on eastwards with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, ‘Mortal, have you seen this?’
Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on one side and on the other. He said to me, ‘This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. People will stand fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.’
The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung
1Most High, all powerful,
good Lord, ♦
to you be praise, glory, honour and all blessing.
2Only to you, Most High,
do they belong ♦
and no one is worthy to call upon your name.
3May you be praised,
my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially brother sun, ♦
through whom you lighten the day for us.
4He is beautiful and
radiant with great splendour; ♦
he signifies you, O Most High.
5Be praised, my Lord,
for sister moon and the stars: ♦
clear and precious and lovely, they are formed in heaven.
6Be praised, my Lord,
for brother wind; ♦
for air and clouds, clear skies and all weathers,
by which you give sustenance to your creatures.
7Be praised, my Lord,
for sister water, ♦
who is very useful and humble and precious and pure.
8Be praised, my Lord,
for brother fire,
by whom the night is illumined for us: ♦
he is beautiful and cheerful, full of power and strength.
9Be praised, my Lord,
for our sister, mother earth,
who sustains and governs us ♦
and produces diverse fruits
and coloured flowers and grass.
10Be praised, my Lord,
by all those who forgive for love of you ♦
and who bear weakness and tribulation.
11Blessed are those who
bear them in peace: ♦
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.
12Be praised, my Lord,
for our sister, the death of the body, ♦
from which no one living is able to flee;
woe to those who are dying in mortal sin.
13Blessed are those who
are found doing your most holy will, ♦
for the second death will do them no harm.
14Praise and bless my
Lord and give him thanks ♦
and serve him with great humility.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
the Lord is the strength of my life.
AllThe Lord is my light
and my salvation;
the Lord is the strength of my life.
The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
AllThe Lord is the strength
of my life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllThe Lord is my light
and my salvation;
the Lord is the strength of my life.
from Psalm 27 and John 1
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of
Simeon) (page 613) may be said
Refrain:
AllYou are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things.
1My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
2From this day all generations
will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.
3He has mercy on those
who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.
4He has shown strength
with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5Casting down the mighty
from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6He has filled the hungry
with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7He has come to the aid
of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8The promise made to our
ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
AllGlory 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.
Refrain:
AllYou are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things.
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 362–363
¶ The universal Church
¶ Bishops, synods and all who lead the Church
¶ The leaders of the nations
¶ The natural world and the resources of the
earth
¶ All who are in any kind of need
One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Holy and eternal God,
you are the Maker of heaven and earth,
you are the Word through whom all things were made,
and you are the Spirit, the giver of life:
draw us into the mystery of your love,
that with all creation we may proclaim your praise,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(or)
O God and Father of all that was, is and ever shall be,
help us to be thankful for all that is made
at the hands of your Son
and through the wisdom of your Spirit,
that we may care in heart and in deed for the life of our world,
to the praise and glory of your holy name.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
All The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
Church House Publishing.
The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.