Solemn Evensong

The Solemn Evensong Service
The fifth Sunday after Easter
5 May 2024 6:30 pm

We welcome you to our service of Solemn Evensong. Please join in the words in bold text.

This opening section is said in the seasons of Advent and Lent only.

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 mankind 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.

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.

O Lord, open thou OUR lips :

And our mouth shall shew forth THY praise.

O God, make speed to SAVE us :

O Lord, make haste to HELP us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho‑LY Ghost :

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever SHALL be :
world without END. A‑men.

Praise YE² the LORD²:

The Lord's NAME² be PRAIS²‑ed.

The Psalm.

The First Lesson.

Song of Solomon 4:16–5:2, 8:6–7

Here beginneth the 16th verse of the 4th chapter of Song of Solomon.

4:16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

5I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

5:2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

8:6Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

8:7Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Here endeth the first lesson.

The Magnificat.

My soul doth magnify the LORD :

and my spirit hath rejoiced in GOD my Sav‑iour.

For he hath re‑GAR‑ded :
the lowliness of HIS hand‑maid‑en.

For behold, from HENCE‑forth :
all generations shall CALL me bless‑ed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified ME :
and ho‑LY is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that FEAR him :
throughout all GEN‑er‑a‑tions.

He hath shewed strength with his ARM :
he hath scattered the proud in the imagina‑TION of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their SEAT :
and hath exalted the HUM‑ble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good THINGS :
and the rich he hath sent EMP‑ty a‑way.

He re‑membering his mercy hath holpen his servant IS‑rael :
As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his SEED for ev‑er.

Glory be to the Father, and to the SON :
and to THE Ho‑ly Ghost :

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever SHALL be :
world with‑OUT end. A‑men.

The Second Lesson.

Revelation 3:14–22

Here beginneth the 14th verse of the 3rd chapter of the Revelation to John.

3:14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

3:15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

3:16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

3:17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

3:18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

3:20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

3:21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

3:22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Here endeth the second lesson.

The Nunc Dimittis.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant de‑part in PEACE :

according TO thy word.

For mine eyes have SEEN :
thy SAL‑va‑tion:

Which thou hast pre‑PAR‑ed :
before the face of ALL² peo‑ple,

To be a light to lighten the GEN‑tiles :
and to be the glory of thy peo‑PLE Israel.

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 catholick Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.

The Lord be with you :

And WITH thy² spir²‑it.

Let us pray.

The Prayers.

Lord, have mercy up‑ON² us:

Christ, have mercy up‑ON² us.

Lord, have mercy up‑ON² us.

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.

O Lord, shew thy mercy up‑ON us:

And grant us thy salva‑TION.

O Lord, save THE King :

And mercifully hear us when we call up‑ON thee.

Endue thy ministers with right‑EOUS‑ness :

And make thy chosen people joy‑FUL.

O Lord, save thy peo‑PLE :

And bless thine inherit‑ANCE.

Give peace in our time, O Lord :

Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts with‑IN us :

And take not thy holy Spirit FROM us.

The Collect of the fifth Sunday after Easter.

O Lord, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

The Lent Collect.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; 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 thine only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The LORD be² with² you :

And WITH thy² spir²‑it.

Let us BLESS² the Lord² :

Thanks BE² to God².

May the souls of the faithful through the mercy of God rest in peace :
And rise in glory.

A sermon may be preached.

The intercessions.

The service concludes with a hymn:

Thank you for worshipping with us today.
We hope you will join us again soon.

Please email saintbarnabasvicar@gmail.com for general enquiries.

Saint Barnabas Church

Sutton