An Evening Service with Taizé
Lydia, a worshipper of God
16 August 2020 at 6pm
Cover image: Icon, St Lydia Purpuraria
Chant I: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Veni Sancte Spiritus.
(Holy Spirit, come to us.)
Verses: Come, Father of the poor, come, generous Spirit, come, light of our hearts. Veni Sancte Spiritus. Come from the four winds, O Spirit, come breath of God; disperse the shadows over us, renew and strengthen your people. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Most kindly warming light! Enter the inmost depths of our hearts, for we are faithful to you. Without your presence we have nothing worthy, nothing pure. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
You are our only comforter, Peace of the soul. In the heat you shade us; in our labour you refresh us, and in trouble you are our strength. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
On all who put their trust in you and receive you in faith,
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shower all your gifts. Grant that they may grow in you and persevere to the end. Give them lasting joy! Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Greeting The Lord be with you. And also with you.
We light a candle as a sign that we welcome in God’s Shalom to our gathering this night
Opening Prayer
Jesus, peace of our hearts, you call each of us to follow you. To whom should we go, other than you? You Christ, have the words that give life to our souls.
Prayer of Confession
Merciful Father, We confess to you failure to love in thought, word and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We seek the peace that forgiveness brings.
A short time of silence
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May God forgive us, Christ renew us and the Spirit enable us to grow in love. Amen.
Chant II: Confitemini Domino
Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus. Confitemini Domino, alleluia.
(Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Give thanks to the Lord, alleluia.)
Psalm 90 A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You turn us back to dust, and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
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For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due to you. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands!
Chant III: Bonum est confidere
Bonum est confidere in Domino, bonum sperare in Domino.
(It is good to trust in the Lord, it is good to hope in the Lord.)
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A reading from Acts 16.1-15 Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his 2 father was a Greek. H e was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and 3 Iconium. P aul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for 4 they all knew that his father was a Greek. A s they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been 5 reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. S o the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been 7 forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of 8 Jesus did not allow them; s o, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 D uring the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 10 W hen he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the 12 following day to Neapolis, a nd from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this 13 city for some days. O n the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down 14 and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to 15 listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. W hen she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.
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Chant IV: Jesus Christ, Bread of Life
Jesus Christ, Bread of Life, those who come to you will not hunger. Jesus Christ, Risen Lord, those who trust in you will not thirst.
A reading from John 51-58 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’
A longer time of silence
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The Prayers of Intercessions
Living God, however poor our prayer is, we search for you with confidence and your love carves out a way forward.
The response to each petition is
Chant V: Kyrie
Kyrie eleison, eleison.
(Lord, have mercy.)
The Lord’s Prayer
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 forever. Amen.
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A Sending Prayer at the End of the Day
Jesus you are the light of the world a light no darkness can quench
Stay with us Lord, for it is evening: and the day is almost over.
The dark night is not fearful to you: the night is large and full of wonder. Let your light scatter our fears: Heal us and fill us with your glory Amen
A Blessing for the Night The peace of all peace Be ours this night In the name of the Father, And of the Son, And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Chant VI: Stay with us
Stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, night will soon fall. Then stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, light in the darkness.
Please feel free to remain in prayer and contemplation after the service.
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