Seek her who made Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth. God is her name. Dear friends in Christ, here in the presence of Almighty God, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, so that we may obtain forgiveness by her infinite goodness and mercy. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you, in thought, word, and deed.
By what we have done, and by what we have left undone, we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, through the glory of your name.
Amen. Almighty God, have mercy on us. Forgive us all our sins, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us in eternal life.
Amen. O God, make speed to save us. O God, make haste to help us. Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen. O gracious light, pure brightness of the ever-living matriarch in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed, now, as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the best for light, we sing your praises, O God. Creator, word made flesh, and Holy Spirit, you are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O giver of life, and to be glorified through all the worlds. We will read Psalm 89 in its entirety.
Morning prayer assigned verses 1-18, and evening prayer assigned 19-52. So it makes sense to me that, since evening prayer is our time together today, that we should just read it through. I will sing of your steadfast love, O God, forever. With my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established forever. Your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. You said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one. I have sworn to my servant David.
I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations. Let the heavens praise your wonders, O God, your faithfulness in the assembly of the Holy Ones. For who in the skies can be compared to God? Who among the heavenly beings is like God?
A God feared in the counsel of the Holy Ones, great and awesome above all that are around her. O God of hosts, who is as mighty as you, O God? Your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule the raging of the sea.
When its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass. You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours.
The earth also is yours. The world and all that is in it, you have bounded them. The north and the south, you created them. Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
You have a mighty arm. Strong is your hand. High is your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O God, in the light of your countenance. They exalt in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness. For you are the glory of their strength.
By your favor, our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to God, our King to the Holy One of Israel. Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one and said, I have set the crown on one who is mighty. I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found my servant David. With my holy oil, I have anointed him. My hand shall always remain with him. My arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him. The wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him.
And in my name, his horn shall be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him. And my covenant with him will stand firm. I will establish his line forever and his throne as long as the heavens endure. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with scourges.
But I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth through my lips. Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness. I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun. It shall be established forever like the moon and enduring witness in the skies. But now you have spurned and rejected him. You are full of wrath against your unwinded.
You have renounced the covenant with your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust. You have broken through all his walls. You have laid his strongholds in ruins.
All who pass by plunder him. He has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes. You have made all his enemies rejoice.
Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword and you have not supported him in battle. You have removed the scepter from his hand and hurled his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame.
How long, O God? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is.
For what vanity you have created all mortals. Who can live and never see death? Who can escape the power of Sheol? God, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
Remember, O God, how your servant is taunted, how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples, with which your enemies taunt, O God, with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. Blessed be God forever. Amen and amen. Praise to the holy and divided Trinity.
One God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Reading from 1st Maccadies, chapter 3, verses 1 through 24. Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabius, took a man in his place.
All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him. They gladly fought for Israel. He extended the glory of his people, like a giant he put on his breastplate. He bound on his armor of war and waged battles, protecting the camp by his sword.
He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion's cub roaring for prey. He searched out and pursued those who broke the law. He burned those who troubled his people. Lawbreakers shrink back for fear of him.
All the evildoers were confounded. And deliverance prospered by his hand. He embittered many kings, but he made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever. He went through the cities of Judah.
He destroyed the ungodly out of the land. Thus he turned away wrath from Israel. He was renowned for the ends of the earth. He gathered in those who were perishing.
Apollonius now gathered in Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils, and Judas picked the sword of Apollonius and used it in battle the rest of his life.
When Saran, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful strangers who stayed with him, and went out to battle, he said, I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions who scorned the king's command. Once again, a strong army of godless men went up with him to help him to take vengeance on the Israelites. When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company.
But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and so strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today. Judas replied, It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the sides of the army that victory in battle all depends, but strength comes from heaven.
They come out against us in great influence and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children and to despoil us. But we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us. As for you, do not be afraid of them.
When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Saron and his army and they were crushed before him. They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain. Eight hundred of them fell and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines. Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.
Thanks be to God. Tentacle A, A Song of Wisdom Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors, a holy people, and a blameless race. She entered the soul of a servant of God, who stood dread rulers with wonders and signs. To the saints she gave the reward of their labors and led them by a marvelous way.
She was their shelter by day and a blaze of stars by night. She brought them across the Red Sea. She led them through mighty waters. But their enemies she swallowed in the waves and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.
And then, God, the righteous sang hymns to your name and praised with one voice your protecting hand. For wisdom opened the mouth of the mute and gave speech to the tongues of a newborn people. Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
A reading from Revelation, chapter 20, verses 7 through 15. When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle. They are as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints in the beloved city.
And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it.
The earth and the heaven fled from his presence and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life.
And the dead were judged according to their works as recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. And all were judged according to what they had done.
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.
Thanks be to God. God, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised. For these eyes of mind have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see, a light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Praise to you, Lord Christ. Matthew chapter 17, verses 1 through 13.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother Don and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, God, it is good for us to be here.
If you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them and from the cloud a voice said, This is my son, the beloved. With him, I am well pleased. Listen to him.
When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
And the disciples asked him, Why then did the scribes say that Elijah must come first? He replied, Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come. And they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased.
So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Let us affirm our faith together with the Apostles' Creed down on page 120 of the Book of Common Prayer. I believe in God, the matriarch almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, her only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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 and is seated at the right hands of the matriarch.
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. God be with you, and also with you.
Let us pray. Our Mother in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your queendom 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 queendom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O God, and grant us your salvation. Clothe your ministers with righteousness. Let your people sing with joy. Give peace, O God, in all the world, for only in you can we live in safety.
God, keep this nation under your care, and guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth, your saving house among all nations. Let not the needy, O God, be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God, and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works, give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness through the mercies of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. Be our light in the darkness, O God, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night for the love of your only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. O God, the light 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 has passed, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night and the next day, and every day after. Bring us in safety to the morning hours. Through him who died and rose again for us, your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day has passed. Be our companion in the way. Kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture in the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love.
Amen. Keep watch, dear God, with those who work or watch or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, gracious 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. Now is the time for authorized intercessions and thanksgivings. I learned this week of two more friends who took their own lives, and I pray for them, that you may at last wipe every tear from their faces, through God, and welcome them home with you. I pray for the loved ones that are here on earth and suffer such a terrible double blow of their beloveds.
God, I ask that you give us eyes to see and hearts to love all of your creation, that every human being may be treasured and honored, that we may find our worth in you and cease seeking it where it's not to be found. Help us, O God. Help us to love ourselves and each other the way that you love us. Moreover, let your love pour through us onto others.
Transform our broken pieces from obstacles that stand in the way of your love into openings where your love comes through. hold us and guide us. Lift us up and replace our fear with unshakable faith and your love. I would like to pray a prayer for the victims of addiction found on page 831 of the Book of Common Prayer.
O blessed God, you minister to all who came to you, who have compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy. Remove from them the fears that beset them. Strengthen them in the work of their recovery.
And to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen. God, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, union. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. We may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood is to understand.
To be loved is to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Let's talk, friends, about our readings tonight. So we read that rather long psalm. What speaks to me here is a psalmist recalling God's promise and then crying out and unashamedly letting God know that the psalmist, that he feels that God is not honoring his promise, that he feels forgotten. I know there are times that we all feel like that.
Because God has made the promise to us, right? God has made the promise of love and everlasting life. All throughout scripture are the beautiful promises of God, that every tear will be wiped from our eyes, that he will turn our sadness into joy. There are so many times when we can't see that.
I myself, as you all know, have felt that lately. I did what you asked me to do. I prayed and I stepped out in faith. And what I discerned, what I heard from you was the answer, was the path he wanted me to take.
And now I'm here in despair. And what I realized was that I had succumbed to despair. And that's not to say that I or anyone else is at fault for either their feelings or their time of trial. There's all kinds of, Beth Moore would call them pits, right?
You jump in the pit or you're thrown in the pit. But we find ourselves in a place of despair for many different reasons. And so, no, I'm not saying that we should feel double shame then, you know, ashamed of feeling despair. But what I am saying is that I have found help in repenting of despair and hopelessness and disbelief in God's willingness and power to rescue me.
Because, if we remember, to repent means to turn away from. So I turn away from these unholy and unhealthy spiritual states. I rebuke the spirits that bring these atmospheres with them. I rebuke the spirits of hopelessness and fear.
Despair, despair, disbelief. I cast them far aside. I turn from them intentionally. And I turn toward God and God's everlasting faith and love.
And I bask in the radiant warmth of God's promise. That God will see me through this and do something wonderful. And I offer it all up to God. And I enter into cooperation with God.
That I will work together with God. I will co-labor to bring forth justice and righteousness. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, all of this I pray. Our Old Testament reading.
It's another slightly long reading, right? And it is a reading of great hope. That in God's power, only a few are needed. Even when against the many.
And I feel as though, here in this context, we are to look at this passage metaphorically. And that's not to discount any historical events that are being described here. But rather, that for us today, fighting immense spiritual battles that feel like the numbers are completely overwhelming, right? Does it not feel to us sometimes like the forces of evil are just rampant and overwhelming on the earth?
The few are enough. We few are enough with God by our side. So let us strap on our breastplate. Let us run the whole armor of God.
There's a link between these verses and Ephesians, I believe. Verse 3. Like a giant, he put on his breastplate. He bound on his armor of war and waged battles.
Let us take up all the weapons that God has given us. All of the tools. The knowledge. All of the things that sustain and nourish us, right?
Everything that leads us to spiritual strength. Books and art and music and poetry and the touch of a child's hand. The call of a friend at just the right moment. All of these things are talismans and helpmeets and build us up for the battle.
Sustain us. So let us take them all up. Let us see them for what they are. And with their help, and the help of our comrades in arms, let us go forth into the spiritual battle unafraid.
For, as our last verse says, God herself will crush them before us. We are not afraid of them. In our reading from Revelation, Gog and Magog, right, gather with the nations for war against Israel. Satan is released.
It seems overwhelming. But then, fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and silver. This is affirmation that God will come and rescue. God has us.
God will save us. Keep striving. Keep fighting. Keep yearning and growing and transforming.
For when we fight against the evil forces that work in the world, and I'm not necessarily saying the people, I'm not saying the people at all. I'm saying the forces. When we fight against the evil powers that be, we fight with God. Amen.
When we think that we are undecided, unseen that our strivings and our trying and our emptying out of ourselves for God's work is unseen, to remember it's all written in the book of life, and eventually everything taken will be given up to God. Our beloved friends that we have lost will be given up to God. Every lost thing that we mourn goes to God for God's redemption and restoration and becomes so much more. Every lost dream, every broken heart, even every stressful day, they go to God and God remakes our gospel reading, the Transfiguration, and the message embedded here in the reading about John the Baptist not being recognized, Elijah returning, and the people, us, not seeing him for who he was and destroying him.
God, give us eyes to see that we don't miss out on what you're showing us. Let us be humble. Let us know that we can learn from ourselves and each other. Let not one drop be wasted.
I love how Peter here went. He's like, this is good. Let's make it three houses. You can stay here forever.
The dwelling place of God is in our hearts. Let's build the houses, Peter, in our hearts. Let us create sacred space within our very selves for Jesus to take up residence, for all three members of the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Let us both safeguard that space and the presence that fills it and also generously, unafraid, unashamed, unabashed, pour it out onto others.
All this I pray in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I think that's about all I have to say tonight. I feel so renewed and restored in this time with you.
Thank you so much for joining me. And perfect timing, because I've got to wrap up and get going. I'm in such a good place for the next part of my evening. I hope that you are too.
Almighty God, Mother of all mercies, we, those who cannot do it on our own, 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 and 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 ourselves to your service and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Let us bless God. Thanks be to God. May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.