Evening Prayer with Devotional Address for Wednesday of Holy Week

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Let your ways be known upon earth

your saving power among the nations.

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As we behold your Son, enthroned on the cross,
stir up in us the fire of your love,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and walk with you in newness of life
singing the praise of him who died
for us and our salvation.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God for ever.

Hymn

Take, oh take me as I am;
summon out what I shall be;
set you seal upon my heart
and live in me.

Take, oh take me as I am;
summon out what I shall be;
set you seal upon my heart
and live in me.

Words & Music: John Bell (b. 1949)

That this week 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.

Amen.

The Word of God

Psalm 70

O God, make speed to save me; 

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; 

let them be turned back and disgraced who wish me evil.

Let those who mock and deride me 

turn back because of their shame.

But let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; 

let those who love your salvation say always,
‘Great is the Lord!’

As for me, I am poor and needy; 

come to me quickly, O God.

You are my help and my deliverer; 

O Lord, do not delay.

Come to me quickly, O God.

O God, our helper and defender,
deliver us in our weakness,
answer our longings
and vindicate our faith,
that we may see your glory
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament Reading

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah.

The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
    the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
    wakens my ear
    to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious,
    I did not turn backward.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face
    from insult and spitting.

The Lord God helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
    he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
    Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.

Isaiah 50. 4-9

Canticle

Christ Jesus was in the form of God, 

but he did not cling to equality with God.

He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in our human likeness.

Being found in human form he humbled himself, 

and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him, 

and bestowed on him the name above every name,

That at the name of Jesus every knee should 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.

Philippians 2.5–11

New Testament Reading

A reading from St. John’s Gospel.

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

John 13.21-32

Address

The Very Reverend Richard Giles

The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 

For he hath regarded: 
the lowliness of his hand-maiden.

For behold, from henceforth: 
all generations shall call me blessèd.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him:
throughout all generations.

He hath shewèd strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud 
in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath fillèd the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

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.

Prayers of Intercession

This evening we use The Litany. after each section comes our response.

Section I

Have mercy upon us.

Section II and III

good Lord, deliver us.

Section IV and V

Hear us, good Lord.

Section VI

Lord, have mercy.

Concluding with

Holy God,
Holy and strong,
holy and immortal,
have mercy on us.                

Then at the end.

Let us commend the world, for which Christ died,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Silence is kept.

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Standing at the foot of the cross,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Conclusion

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.