Lenten Evening Worship: Vespers
Prelude
Service of Light
Please stand as you are able.
Procession
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 142)
L: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,
C: the light no darkness can overcome.
L: Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
C: and the day is almost over.
L: Let your light scatter the darkness,
C: and illumine your Church.
The leader pauses until all candles are lighted and then continues:
Joyous Light of Glory
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 143)
L: Joyous light of glory:
of the immortal Father; heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun, and we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life: The universe proclaims your glory.
Thanksgiving
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 144)
L: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
L: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
L: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night: Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ; may his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Psalmody
Psalm 141
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 145)
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my life.
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.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Silence for meditation
L: Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever.
C: Amen.
Please be seated and extinguish hand candles.
Psalm 102
“Hear Our Prayer, Lord”
Stephen J. Pearson
1 Hear our Prayer, Lord. Let our cry for help come to Thee.
We are ashes, and our cup is filled with tears.
O, Lord! Do not hide your face from us. Lift this agony.
We’re all alone. O Lord, we need You near.
2 Lord, we wither. We are like the evening shadow.
Lord, Your mercy would reveal throughout the years,
to all future generations — a people not yet born —
that You are Lord. Your love is ever near.
3 Be it written for all future generations:
all else passes, but our God remains the same.
O, Lord — source of all creation! God, You alone endure.
Be with us as we call upon Your name.
Silence for meditation
L: Lord God, while our days vanish like shadows and our lives wear out like a garment, you are eternal. Although our earthly lives come to an end, help us to live in Christ’s endless life and at length attain our home, the heavenly Jerusalem, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Lessons
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Please stand as you are able.
Hymn #274 (green hymnal)
“The Day You Gave Us, Lord, Has Ended”
1 The day you gave us, Lord, has ended;
the darkness falls at your behest.
To you our morning hymns ascended;
your praise shall hallow now our rest.
2 We thank you that your church, unsleeping
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world its watch is keeping,
and never rests by day or night.
3 As to each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.
4 The sun, here having set, is waking
your children under western skies,
and hour by hour, as day is breaking,
fresh hymns of thankful praise arise.
5 So be it, Lord; your realm shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
but stand and grow and rule forever,
till all your creatures own your sway.
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
R: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 4th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
1 Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
R: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
L: In many and various ways God spoke to his people of old by the prophets.
C: But now in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.
Gospel Canticle
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 147)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm;
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
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.
Litany
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 149)
Please kneel or stand as you are able.
L: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For our homes and communities; for our parishes and churches; for this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For all our gatherings in the name of our Holy Church, bless them, and let them spread throughout all the earth, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For Elizabeth and Suzanne, our Bishops, for church leaders, for Emily, our pastor in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For the unity of the Spirit and the bonds of peace, that we may become one body and one spirit, according to our common calling and vocation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For our public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in our congregations, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, let us give thanks to the Lord.
C: To you, O Lord.
L: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Silence for meditation
L: Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord.
C: To you, O Lord.
L: O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.
C: Amen.
L: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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.
Sending
Please stand as you are able.
Benediction
♫ LBW Vespers
(green hymnal, p. 152)
L: Let us bless the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
L: The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn #272 (green hymnal)
“Abide with Me”
1 Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
2 I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.
3 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
4 I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me!
5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Dismissal
L: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Worship Leaders
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Carroll Mayhugh, Leader
John Cathcart, Reader
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, March 1
6 pm Lenten Soup/Salad Potluck
7 pm Lenten Evening Worship: Vespers
Thursday, March 2
10:30 am Bible study (in-person / Zoom)
Sunday, March 5: Second Sunday in Lent
9 am Sunday School / Adult Forum
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)
After worship: Evangelism Committee
2 pm The Chosen Bible study
Tuesday, March 7
5:30 pm Confirmation Class
Wednesday, March 8
6 pm Lenten Soup/Salad Potluck
7 pm Lenten Evening Worship: Holden Evening Prayer
Thursday, March 9
10:30 am Bible study (in-person / Zoom)
6 pm Scouts BSA
Copyright Notices
Hear Our Prayer, Lord: Text and music by Stephen J. Pearson © 1998 Psalmistry Music.
Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.
Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.