Reflections and Closing Intercessions

O God make speed to save us . O Lord, make haste to help us . Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of day and night. To you be praise and glory for ever . As darkness falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. By the light of Christ, your living word, dispel the darkness of our hearts, that we may walk as children of light, and sing your praise throughout the world. Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever . That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind . 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 . Psalm one hundred and twenty seven unless the Lord Unless thy Lord Jesus said , Thy God is not changing It is in the main natural hasten to rise up and go so it's a rest asy God is his law and seek Children are high fish from the wall Hunt all the world is giv en Like arrows in the hand of the war , so all she all wants to How the those who have the cream for all They shall not be put to shame when they discount with her with my soul I told her why we sp ent as it was in my The first reading is from the second book of Chronicles, beginning at chapter 17, verse 1 . His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him, and strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Assa had taken . The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the ways of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand . All Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat , and he had great riches and honor. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord, and furthermore he removed the high places and the sacred poles from Judah. In the third year of his reign, he sent his officials Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nathanael, and Mekiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. With them were the Levites Shemiah, Nethaniah, Zebediah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, and with these Levites the priests They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them. They went around through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people . The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, and they did not make war against Jehoshaphat . Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabs also brought him 7, 700 rams and 7, 700 male goats . Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah . The glorious grace of God is freely bestowed on us in the beloved . Blessed are you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . For you have blessed us in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places you chose us to be yours in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before you . In love you destined us for adoption as your children through Jesus Christ , according to the purpose of your will , to the praise of your gl orious grace, which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved . In you we have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins , according to the riches of your grace , which you have lavished upon us , you have made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of your will , according to your purpose, which you set forth in Christ , as a plan for the fullness of time , to unite all things in Christ , things in heaven and things on earth . 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 glorious grace of God is freely bestowed on us in the beloved . The second reading is from the letter of Paul to the Romans, beginning at chapter 1, verse 1 . Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness, by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, to all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ . First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you . For I am longing to see you, so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine . I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented, in order that I may reap some harvest among you, as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome . For I am not ashamed of the gospel . It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek . For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith, as it is written , the one who is righteous will live by faith . Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and be not wise in your own sight . Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and be not wise in your own sight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths . Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit . Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and be not wise in your own sight. My soul broke names the grace of the Lord My skilled rejo ices in God, my slaver . He has to famous from this day, which gener ations will call me bl ess The Almighty Must ang s for me and hol y From Janu aration to J anu ary Strength with his all and scarter cost ing dog almighty through the throats and lifting of He res cued the home with four things and sent He has come to the sun To in mind his problem is of us , but To all this child ren I just would all be sav ed . Let us pray . In every age you have raised up holy people to reflect the light of Christ and to teach us the way of holiness . We thank you for those who have been teachers in the school of Christ. Give understanding to those who study the faith that the Church has handed on, and clarity to those who communicate the gospel in a changing world . Lord hear us . Lord graciously hear us We thank you for those whom you have called to live in community . Establish mutual love among those drawn into fellowship in your service, and bless with Christ's presence all the communities to which we relate . Lord hear us . Lord graciously hear us. We thank you for those who have brought wholeness through the medicine of the gospel . Give skill to all who minister healing and reconciliation in your name , and comfort all who cry out to you from any sort of distress . Lord hear us . Lord, graciously hear us We thank you today for Bede, whose sustained scholarship, love of learning, and faithful monastic living, enabled him to research and record a comprehensive history of early Christianity in England . As we celebrate his memory and rejoice in his friendship, we ask for your blessing on all who live in religious communities today and those who undertake significant scholarship for the church . Lord hear us . Lord graciously hear us . Hasten, Lord, the day when people will come from east and west, from north and south, and sit at table in your kingdom, and we shall see your son in his glory . Let us pray God our Maker, whose Son Jesus Christ gave to your servant Bed, grace to drink in with joy the word that leads us to know you and to love you. In your goodness, grant that we also may come at length to you, the source of all wisdom, and stand before your face, through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever . Amen . As our Saviour taught us, so we pray . Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come , your will be d one on earth as in heaven . Give us to day 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 . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore . Amen . Let us bless the Lord . Thanks be to God