LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Evening Prayer February 17, 2021 7:00 p.m.

A service of chant, word, and

prayer.

St. Peter’S Lutheran ChurCh Ash Wednesday

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 3025 CHURCH ROAD LAFAYETTE HILL, PENNSYLVANIA

Ash Wednesday Vespers February 17th, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS ELW 577 v. 1 & 7 Tonight’s Vespers begins without a prelude. This symbolizes the silence within which we begin the Lenten Cantor: season. This silence arcs to Maundy Thursday, where there is no postlude, and Good Friday, where there is no prelude or postlude.

We open this Ash Wednesday Vespers with the ancient to the Holy Spirit, Veni, Creator Spiritus. This hymn is a classic hymn that may be traced to Rhabanus Maurus (776–856) who wrote these fiery lyrics. Paul Westermeyer writes in Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran PRECES Worship, “…this is a massively Cantor: capacious and Assembly potent hymn. It is no surprise that it has found such wide use over long stretches of the C A church’s singing…” (416).

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1 The Preces (Latin for prayers) are the beginning of the Vespers. They invite the light to shine in C A the darkness of the evening. These short prayers open the themes of Lent with the idea of salvation. C

Vespers is evening A prayer. Its origins are ancient and stem from the Catholic office (service) of the C hours in which each A time of the day would have its own special service. Monks and nuns ELW 229 Cantor: typically observe all the hours. In our times, Vespers (or Evening prayer, Vigil, , etc.) has become the C most musically rich and unique office a because of its use of n music and chant to guide the service. At o r

The Phos Hilaron (Lamp Lighting Hymn) calls us to evening prayer. During Vespers, the image of the light is profoundly important. It symbolizes both our material need for light in the darkness of the evening and our spiritual need for God’s light to shine in this dark world.

2 DOMINUS VOBISCUM Dominus vobiscum is Latin for The Lord be with you. This is a salutation that has been in the C A church for a long time. This a salutation is used by Catholic and n Protestant churches t alike, though the C Catholic church o typically responds a with, “And with rn your spirit.” t A o r THANKSGIVING FOR THE LIGHT

C a n The beauty of Lutheran Verspers t is its call-and- response nature. o The congregation or r assembly is asked to respond to the cantor throughout the whole service. This is also similar to many Jewish services where the role of cantor is supremely important. You will know when to sing when you see the cantor (me!) motion to the camera.

Continuing the call- and-response singing, we give thanks for the joy of the evening light and recall how God guided his people when they were in the desert.

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3 PSALMODY

Psalm 51 ELW 188

The psalmody is the next section of the Vespers wherein the psalms are sung. Typically, the ssembly A psalmody opens with Psalm 141. This is similar to the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions that observe the Vespers, All-night Vigil, or Evensong. However, during Lent and beginning with Ash Wednesday, we switch to Psalm 51 for its penitential nature.

4 Psalm 25: 1–10 TONE 16

The singing of the psalms is one of the oldest methods of their recitation. Often, in times of C 25 Unto | thee, O LORD, 2 O my God, I | trust in thee: struggle, the Jewish people would recite do I lift | up my soul. ‖ let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies the entire 150 psalms. This | triumph over me. ‖ method of chanting A 3 4 them is one of the Yea, let none that wait on thee | be Shew me thy | ways, O LORD; ways we are tied ashamed: teach | me thy paths. ‖ together through thousands of years let them be ashamed which transgress | of history between the Jewish and without cause. ‖ Christian people. In C 5 6 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies the Evangelical Lutheran Worship, thou art the God of | my salvation; and thy | lovingkindnesses; ‖ the hymn book most often used by the on thee do I wait | all the day. ‖ for they have been e- | ver of old. Evangelical A 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor | 8 Good and upright | is the LORD: Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) my transgressions: therefore will he teach sinners | in the way. ‖ since its publication according to thy mercy remember thou me in 2006, we are offered sixteen for thy goodness' | sake, O LORD. ‖ Tones to use for the psalms’ singing. The 9 10 C The meek will he | guide in judgment: All the paths of the | LORD are mercy Tone we are using for the singing of and the meek will he | teach his way. ‖ and truth unto such as keep his covenant Psalm 25 is Tone and his | testimonies. ‖ 16, which is a sixteen-note tone. Notice how the mood of the psalm GLORIA PATRI changes from when A Glory be to the Father and | to the Son reading it to using a Tone. and to the | Holy Ghost; ‖

As it was in the beginning, is now, and e- | ver shall be:

world without end. | Amen. ‖

Anthem Shall We Gather at the River Robert Lowry (1826–1899) Shall We Gather at Arr. Hal H. Hopson the River—our Chancel Choir, virtual recording choir loved singing this classic spiritual. Robert Lowry was inspired to write this gospel hymn during a pandemic in Brooklyn. As a pastor, he buried many people, during which he asked himself if he will ever meet these people again. Being an amateur organist, he sat at his church organ and this song came to him.

5 LECTION

First Reading Joel 2:1–2, 12–17 (NRSV)

2 Blow the trumpet in Zion; Our readings are sound the alarm on my holy mountain! taken from the Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, lectionary (the cyclical year of the for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near— church’s readings) 2 a day of darkness and gloom, and use the New a day of clouds and thick darkness! Revised Standard Version. The Like blackness spread upon the mountains passage in Joel a great and powerful army comes; continues the theme of penitence and their like has never been from of old, fasting. This is a nor will be again after them beautiful and in ages to come. dramatic depiction of God’s relationship to his 12 Yet even now, says the LORD, people and the return to me with all your heart, people’s recognition of their abject state. with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,

and relents from punishing. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD, your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast.

Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and do not make your heritage a mockery,

a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

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Office Hymn A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth ELW 340 v. 1

A “hefty” hymn, according to Paul Westermeyer, this hymn originally had ten stanzas! This hymn has been criticized by some for being sentimental, however, Wolf Krötke, a prisoner in East Germany, writes, “…I love this hymn. ‘A companion with a word’—that means to me all the words about our experience of God. They broaden the space that has been allotted us. They turn the couple of square meters in front of my wooden bench [in prison] into the wide-open spaces in which God sets our feet…” The music was written by Wolfgang Dachstein (c.1487– 1553). Westermeyer writes, “[This hymn] nestles shorter notes between longer notes. The result is supplicatory, with a binding quality that rounds off the rough edges…” (136). Indeed, this hymn is the perfect mid- service hymn to keep is in the Lenten spirit.

7 Gospel Reading Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 (NRSV)

The Gospel reading gets special attention with the Assembly singing Assembly “Glory and praise to you, O Lord Christ.” This allows us to focus Concerning Almsgiving attentively to the scripture’s reading.

6 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they 3 have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what 4 your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Concerning Prayer

5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in

the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the

door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Concerning Fasting

16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their 17 18 reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in

secret will reward you.

Concerning Treasures

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where

your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Much like we opened the gospel C reading with our

acclamation, we respond to it with chant by affirming that Jesus is the light of the world. A

Sermon Pastor Jonathan Suloff

8 MAGNIFICAT

The Magnificat is the first line of the Latin text “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” Cantor My soul doth magni- | fy the Lord, * which literally translates to, and my spirit hath rejoiced in | God my Saviour. ‖ “Magnifies my soul God.” The For he hath regarded the low estate | of his handmaiden: * Magnificat is the signature prayer of for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall | call me blessed. ‖ the office of the Vespers.

Assembly For he that is mighty hath done to | me great things; *

and holy | is his name. ‖

And his mercy is on | them that fear him *

from generation to | generation ‖

antor C He hath shewed strength | with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination | of their hearts. ‖

He hath put down the mighty | from their seats, *

and exalted them of | low degree. ‖

ssembly A He hath filled the hungry | with good things; *

and the rich he hath sent em- | pty away. ‖

He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance | of his mercy; *

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his | seed forever. ‖

Glory be to the Father and | to the Son: *

and to the | Holy Ghost; ‖

As it was in the beginning, is now, and e- | ver shall be: *

world without end. | Amen. ‖

KYRIE ELW 409

One of the cool things about the Lutheran Church is that it is a church of protestors! When Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Church’s use of indulgences, with it came a whole transformation of the liturgy/Mass. No longer was the liturgy/Mass to be

9 held entirely in Latin, a language the common person did not understand, but now the vernacular language could be used too. This is a clever adaptation written around the Reformation mixing the Latin words “Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.” (Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.) with text in German and explanations for the original Latin words’ meaning. Keeping with the spirit of translation, this hymn is now in English for us to enjoy, tying us back to the earliest Lutheran worshippers in Germany.

INVITATION TO LENT

Spoken

Minister Friends in Christ, today with the whole church we enter the time of remembering Jesus’ passover from death to life, and our life in Christ is renewed.

We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and for God’s mercy.

We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors,

and creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our creator intended.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent—self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and

works of love—strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

THE GREAT LITANY

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Little needs to be said about the Great Litany except that it is long. A litany is a prayer, or a series of prayers. Martin Luther considered the Great Litany to be the greatest prayer in all of Christianity because it covers all our essential prayer needs and describes the spiritual warfare the Church Militant (the Church on Earth, versus the Church Triumphant, the Church in Heaven) is constantly fighting. This prayer is the armor in that spiritual war.

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IMPOSITION OF ASHES

Minister Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth. May these ashes be a sign of our mortality and penitence, reminding us that only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ are we given eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. A ssembly Amen. M Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. M Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation, A that we may show forth your glory in the world. M By the cross and passion of your Son, our Savior, A bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

14 THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

ANAPHORA

Minister A

Minister A

Minister

Assembly

PROPER PREFACE

Minister

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SANCTUS

Assembly

THANKGIVING AT THE TABLE Spoken M inister You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God. You are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.

You so loved the world that you gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.

16 We give you thanks for his coming into the world to fulfill for us your holy will and to accomplish all things for our salvation.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Assembly

M inister Remembering, therefore, his salutary command, his life-giving passion and death, his glorious resurrection and ascension, and the promise of his coming again, we give thanks to you, O Lord God Almighty, not as we ought but as we are able; we ask you mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving and with your Word and Holy Spirit to bless us, your servants, and these your own gifts of bread and wine, so that we and all who share in the body and blood of Christ may be filled with heavenly blessing and grace, and, receiving the forgiveness of sin, may be formed to live as your holy people and be given our inheritance with all your saints.

To you, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory in your holy church, now and forever.

Assembly

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Cantor

17 Assembly

INVITATION TO COMMUNION M inister Taste and see that the Lord is good.

AGNUS DEI

A

18 COMMUNION M inister The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen.

NUNC DIMITTIS

C antor 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 thy people. * A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people | Israel. ‖

Assembly Glory be to the Father and | to the Son: * and to the | Holy Ghost; ‖ As it was in the beginning, is now, and e- | ver shall be: * world without end. | Amen. ‖

BENEDICAMUS

C A

BENEDICTION

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19 Closing Hymn Beneath the Cross of Jesus ELW 338

PARTING BLESSING

M Go in peace to share the life, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. A Thanks be to God.

20 Parting Hymn God Be with You Till We Meet Again ELW 536

Postlude Adagio ma non tante, from Flute Sonata in E Major, BWV 1035 J. S. Bach (1685–1750) Improvisational medley of Lenten Andrew Kammerle, Flute

21 Upcoming Special Services

February 24, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Lenten Vespers March 3, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Lenten Vespers March 10, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Lenten Vespers March 17, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Lenten Vespers March 24, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Lenten Vespers April 4, 2021, times TBD Easter Liturgy

Please follow our virtual services on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/stplh

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 3025 CHURCH ROAD LAFAYETTE HILL, PENNSYLVANIA

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