29 March 2020 4:00 P.M.

Evensong

(Recorded at the Cathedral of St. Philip on March 11, 2018, with the Reverend Canon C. Wallace Marsh IV and the Cathedral Schola)

In this traditional season of Lent and this newer “season of social distance,” we hope that the music and prayers of this Solemn Evensong (sung Evening Prayer), recorded during Lent 2018, are a source of comfort, peace, and holy company for your soul.

Introit

music: William Bradley Roberts (b. 1947), A Prayer of John Donne words: John Donne (1572-1631)

Wilt thou forgive the sin where I begun, Which was my sin, though it were done before? Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run still, though still I do deplore? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more. Wilt thou forgive the sin which I have won Others to sin, and made my sins their door? Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two, but wallowed in, a score? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more. I have a sin of fear, that when I’ve spun My last thread, I shall perish on the shore; Swear by thyself, that at my death thy Sun Shall shine, as it shines now, and heretofore; And, having done that, thou hast done; I fear no more.

The Confession

Celebrant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

All: 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. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus 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. Amen.

The Absolution

The Invitatory and Psalter

The Cantor and Choir sing

The Preces and Responses

music: Robert Lehman (b. 1960)

V. O Lord, open thou our lips:

R. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

V. O God, make speed to save us:

R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

V. Praise ye the Lord.

R. The Lord’s Name be praised.

You may want to light candles at home during the

Office Hymn 458

music: Love Unknown, John Ireland (1879–1962) words: Samuel Crossman (1624–1683), alt.

The Choir sings

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

Plainsong Tone II.1 BCP, p. 746

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, * and his mercy endures for ever.

2 Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim * that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

3 He gathered them out of the lands; * from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

17 Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; * they were afflicted because of their sins.

18 They abhorred all manner of food * and drew near to death’s door.

19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, * and he delivered them from their distress.

20 He sent forth his word and healed them * and saved them from the grave.

21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy * and the wonders he does for his children.

22 Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving * and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.

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 Lessons

The First Lesson: Ephesians 2:1-10

Lector: A Lesson from The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Lector: Here ends the lesson.

The Magnificat

music: Arthur Wills’ Magnificat & Nunc dimittis on Plainsong Themes words: Song of Mary, Luke 1:46-55

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 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 showed 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 filled 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. 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 Second Lesson: John 3:14-21

Lector: A Lesson from The Gospel of John.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Lector: Here ends the lesson.

The Nunc Dimittis

music: Arthur Wills’ Magnificat & Nunc dimittis on Plainsong Themes words: The Song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

All sing

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 catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Cantor and Choir sing

The Preces and Responses

music: Robert Lehman (b. 1960)

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

V. Let us pray.

R. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

All chant together

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. Amen.

V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us:

R. And grant us thy salvation.

V. O Lord, save the State:

R. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

V. Endue thy ministers with righteousness:

R. And make thy chosen people joyful.

V. O Lord, save thy people:

R. And bless thine inheritance.

V. Give peace in our time, O Lord:

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

V. O God, make clean our hearts within us:

R. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

The Collects

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage, we beseech thee, to take up our cross and follow him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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 thy only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Anthem after the Third Collect

music: Bob Chilcott (b. 1955), God So Loved the World words: John 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoso believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

All sing

Hymn 439

music: Wondrous Love, from The Southern Harmony, 1835; alt. acc. Carlton R. Young, (b. 1926) words: American folk hymn, ca. 1835

The Offertory Sentence

Anthem at the Offering

music: Peter Hallock (1924-2014), The Lord Is My Light words: Psalm 27:1; Psalm 139:8; Psalm 63:4, 7

The Lord is my light, the refuge of my life and my salvation; of whom then shall I be afraid? If I take the wings of the morning, or go up into heaven, your right hand will hold me. In the shadow of your wings I will rejoice and bless your holy Name; and I will sing of your glory, O Lord my strength, as long as I live.

The Intercessions

The General Thanksgiving

Officiant: Let us pray.

All: Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

The Grace

All sing

The Closing Hymn 527

music: Ton-y Botel, Thomas John Williams (1869–1944) words: Bernard Severin Ingemann (1789–1862) tr. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924), alt.

Psalm 103:1-11

Plainchant: Tone I.1 BCP, p. 733

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities; He redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness; He satisfies you with good things, and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. He made his ways known to Moses and his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger for ever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. 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.

All music is reprinted by permission under www.OneLicense.net (license number A-717455). Music from The Hymnal 1982 © Church Publishing, Inc.