Evening Prayer from 

     The Book of Common Prayer

     Sunday, 10th September 2023

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Hymn  286 From thee all skill and science flow (verses 1 to 3)

Dearly beloved [brethren],

    the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge

        and confess our manifold sins and wickedness;

     [and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before

        the face of almighty God our heavenly Father;

    but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent and

obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy.

    And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge

        our sins before God;

    yet ought we most chiefly so to do,

    when we assemble and meet together

    to render thanks for the great benefits that we have

        received at his hands,

    to set forth his most worthy praise,

    to hear his most holy word,

    and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary,

    as well for the body as the soul.]

     Wherefore I pray and beseech you,

    as many as are here present,

    to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice,

    unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying [after me]:

Almighty and most merciful Father,

    we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

    We have followed too much the devices and desires

        of our own hearts.

    We have offended against thy holy laws.

    We have left undone those things which we ought to have done.

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us.

    But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.

    Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto humankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.

    And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

    that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

    to the glory of thy holy name.    Amen.

A priest says

    Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

    who desireth not the death of a sinner,

    but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;

    and hath given power, and commandment, to his ministers

    to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,

    the absolution and remission of their sins:

    he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent

        and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.

    Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,

        and his Holy Spirit,

    that those things may please him which we do at this present;

    and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy;

    so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;

    through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

    hallowed be thy name;

    thy kingdom come;  thy will be done,

    in earth as it is in heaven.

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our trespasses,

   as we forgive them that 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.

These responses are used

     O Lord, open thou our lips

All   and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

     

    O God, make speed to save us.

All   O Lord, make haste to help us.

     

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

    and to the Holy Ghost;

All   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

    world without end. Amen.

     

    Praise ye the Lord.

All   The Lord's name be praised.

Psalmody     PSALM 108.   Paratum cor meum

1 O GOD, my heart is ready, my heart is ready : I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have.

2  Awake, thou lute, and harp : I myself will awake right early.

3  I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people : I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

4  For thy mercy is greater than the heavens : and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

5  Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens : and thy glory above all the earth.

6  That thy beloved may be delivered : let thy right hand save them, and hear thou me.

7  God hath spoken in his holiness : I will rejoice therefore, and divide Sichem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8  Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine : Ephraim also is the strength of my head.

9  Judah is my law-giver, Moab is my wash-pot : over Edom will I cast out my shoe, upon Philistia will I triumph.

10  Who will lead me into the strong city : and who will bring me into Edom?

11  Hast not thou forsaken us, O God : and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

12  O help us against the enemy : for vain is the help of man.

13  Through God we shall do great acts : and it is he that shall tread down our enemies.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

  world without end. Amen

   

 Old Testament Reading  Exodus 12: 1-14     King James Version

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Here ends the First Lesson

 

Magnificat  

      

1  My soul doth magnify the Lord :

  and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

     

2  For he hath regarded :

   the lowliness of his handmaiden.

     

3  For behold, from henceforth :

  all generations shall call me blessed.

     

4 For he that is mighty hath magnified me :

   and holy is his Name.

     

5  And his mercy is on them that fear him :

   throughout all generations.

     

6  He hath shewed strength with his arm :

   he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

     

7  He hath put down the mighty from their seat :

   and hath exalted the humble and meek.

     

8  He hath filled the hungry with good things :

   and the rich he hath sent empty away.

     

9  He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel :

   as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

            Luke 1.46-55

   Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :

   and to the Holy Ghost;

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

   world without end. Amen.

 New Testament Reading    Matthew 18: 15-20    King James Version

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Here ends the second Lesson

Nunc dimittis  

 1  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :

   according to thy word.

     

2  For mine eyes have seen :

   thy salvation;

     

3  Which thou hast prepared :

  before the face of all people;

     

4  To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :

   and to be the glory of thy people Israel.   Luke 2.29-32

     

   Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

   world without end.       Amen.

 

The Apostles' Creed     

  I believe in God the Father almighty,

   maker of heaven and earth:

   and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,

   who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

   born of the Virgin Mary,

   suffered under Pontius Pilate,

   was crucified, dead, and buried.

   He descended into hell;

   the third day he rose again from the dead;

   he ascended into heaven,

   and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;

   from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

   I believe in the Holy Ghost;

   the holy catholic Church;

   the communion of saints;

   the forgiveness of sins;

   the resurrection of the body,

   and the life everlasting.     Amen.

     

 Prayers  

  The Lord be with you.

All  And with thy spirit.

     

 Let us pray.

   Lord, have mercy upon us.

All  Christ, have mercy upon us.

   Lord, have mercy upon us.

     

All  Our Father, which art in heaven,

   hallowed be thy name;

   thy kingdom come;

   thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.

   Give us this day our daily bread.

   And forgive us our trespasses,

   as we forgive them that trespass against us.

   And lead us not into temptation;

   but deliver us from evil. Amen.

     

   O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.

All  And grant us thy salvation.

     

   O Lord, save the KIng.

All  And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

     

   Endue thy ministers with righteousness.

All  And make thy chosen people joyful.

     

   O Lord, save thy people.

All  And bless thine inheritance.

     

   Give peace in our time, O Lord.

All  Because there is none other that fighteth for us,

   but only thou, O God.

     

   O God, make clean our hearts within us.

All  And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

 

Three Collects are said.

The Collect of the Day – Trinity 14

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect for Peace  

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments,  and also that, by thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies  may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

 The Collect for Aid against all Perils  

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this   night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Hymn  171 Thy hand O God has guided (verses 1, 4, 5, 6)

 

A reading from Saints & Pilgrims in the Diocese of St Albans

by Alan Smith +St Albans

10th September –  Gerrard Winstanley – 1609-76

Quaker and Leveller

Hymn  373 Help us, O Lord, to learn   

Prayers -

Hymn   10 Glory to thee, my God, this night   

The Blessing & The Dismissal

   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

   and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.    

Organ Voluntary –  Paul Edwards

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
All of the official Common Worship publications are available from Church House Publishing.

The Book of Common Prayer; Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, CB28BS.

CCLI number. 804157