Evening Prayer — from All Saints’ Day until — the day before the First Sunday of Advent — Saturday, 14 November 2026 — Samuel Seabury, first Anglican Bishop in North America, 1796 [Commemoration]

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, our light and our salvation, to you be glory and praise for ever. Now, as darkness is falling, wash away our transgressions, cleanse us by your refining fire and make us temples of your Holy Spirit. By the light of Christ, dispel the darkness of our hearts and make us ready to enter your kingdom, where songs of praise for ever sound. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.

A Song of Tobit (page 596), the following or another suitable hymn

Give me the wings of faith to rise within the veil, and see the saints above, how great their joys, how bright their glories be.

Once they were mourning here below, and wet their couch with tears; they wrestled hard, as we do now, with sins and doubts and fears.

I ask them whence their victory came: they, with united breath, ascribe their conquest to the Lamb, their triumph to his death.

They marked the footsteps that he trod, his zeal inspired their breast, and, following their incarnate God, possess the promised rest.

Our glorious Leader claims our praise for his own pattern given; while the long cloud of witnesses show the same path to heaven.

Isaac Watts (Tune: CM)

This opening prayer may be said

That this evening 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

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 86

All nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord.

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, ♦ for I am poor and in misery.

2 Preserve my soul, for I am faithful; ♦ save your servant, for I put my trust in you.

3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; ♦ I call upon you all the day long.

4 Gladden the soul of your servant, ♦ for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5 For you, Lord, are good and forgiving, ♦ abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer ♦ and listen to the voice of my supplication.

7 In the day of my distress I will call upon you, ♦ for you will answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, ♦ nor any works like yours.

9 All nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord, ♦ and shall glorify your name.

10 For you are great and do wonderful things; ♦ you alone are God.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; ♦ knit my heart to you, that I may fear your name.

12 I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, ♦ and glorify your name for evermore;

13 For great is your steadfast love towards me, ♦ for you have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.

14 O God, the proud rise up against me and a ruthless horde seek after my life; ♦ they have not set you before their eyes.

15 But you, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion, ♦ slow to anger and full of kindness and truth.

16 Turn to me and have mercy upon me; ♦ give your strength to your servant and save the child of your handmaid.

17 Show me a token of your favour, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; ♦ because you, O Lord, have helped and comforted me.

All nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord.

God of mercy, who in your great love drew your Son from the depths of the Pit, bring your people from death to life, that we may rejoice in your compassion and praise you now and for ever.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Micah 6.6-8

‘With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Canticle

A Song of God’s Assembled, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 70 (page 628) or number 73 (page 631), may be said

We have come before the throne of God to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

1 We have come before God’s holy mountain, ♦ to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

2 We have come before countless angels making festival, ♦ before the assembly of the firstborn citizens of heaven.

3 We have come before God, who is judge of all, ♦ before the spirits of the just made perfect.

4 We have come before Jesus, ♦ the mediator of the new covenant.

5 We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken: ♦ so let us give thanks and offer to God acceptable worship,

6 Full of reverence and awe; ♦ for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12.22-24a, 28, 29

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

We have come before the throne of God to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Colossians 3.12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. For I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. And afterwards receive me with glory. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory.

from Psalm 73

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of the Simeon) (page 613) may be said

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦ he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

2 From this day all generations will call me blessed; ♦ the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

3 He has mercy on those who fear him, ♦ from generation to generation.

4 He has shown strength with his arm ♦ and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

5 Casting down the mighty from their thrones ♦ and lifting up the lowly.

6 He has filled the hungry with good things ♦ and sent the rich away empty.

7 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, ♦ to remember his promise of mercy,

8 The promise made to our ancestors, ♦ to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke 1.46-55

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Prayers

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered for peace for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365

The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God All who fear the winter months All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear in power and great glory we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom 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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(or)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, 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 has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005 Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from Church House Publishing.

The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Simon Kershaw at Crucix. Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.