Saint Barnabas Church
Sutton
The Solemn Evensong Service
The Sunday after Ascension Day
12 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.
Isaiah 61
Here beginneth the 61st chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah.
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.
Luke 4:14–21
Here beginneth the 14th verse of the 4th chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke.
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 Sunday after Ascension Day.
O God the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. 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:
We hope you will join us again soon.