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Painting of the Ascension by Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337)

May 21, 2020

Evensong: The Ascension of our Lord

5:00 PM CDT

Rite I from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal 1982

Via Facebook Live at facebook.com/stalbanswaco

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Prelude: Prière Jean Langlais (1907-1991)

Welcome

Opening Sentence of Scripture

Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense, and let the lifting up of my

hands be an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

Confession of Sin

The officiant bids the confession saying,

Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our

heavenly Father, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his

hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for

ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our

salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him,

let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that

we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.

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 Almighty and merciful Lord grant us absolution and remission of all our sins,

true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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Invitatory and Psalter

O Gracious Light (Phos hilaron) S60

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Psalm 24 Tone VIII.1

1 The earth is the Lord's and all that therein is;*

the compass of the world and they that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas,*

and prepared it upon the floods.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?*

or who shall rise up in his holy place?

4 Even he that hath clean hands and a pure heart;*

and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity,

nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,*

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him;*

even of them that seek thy face O Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors;*

and the King of glory shall come in.

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8 Who is this King of glory?*

It is the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors;*

and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?*

Even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

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

Please be seated.

The First Reading Heb. 2:5-18

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.

But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are

mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little

while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor,

subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left

nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to

them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels,

now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the

grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in

bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect

through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have

one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the

congregation I will praise you.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again,

“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared

the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power

of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by

the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the

descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in

every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of

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God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself

was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please stand.

The Song of Mary (Magnificat) S185

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Please be seated.

The Second Reading Matt. 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had

directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And

Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to

me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything

that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the

age.”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please stand.

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The Song of Simeon (Nunc dimittis) S196

Homily The Rev. Neal McGowan

Please stand. The Creed will be chanted in unison.

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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

Officiant The Lord be with you.

People And with thy spirit.

Officiant Let us pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

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,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

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Suffrage B S30

The Collect of the Day

O Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all

heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that,

according to his promise, he abideth with his Church on earth, even to the end of the

ages; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and

the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

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A Collect for Protection

O God, who art the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those

who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank thee for the timely blessings of the

day, and humbly beseech thy merciful protection all the night. Bring us, we pray

thee, in safety to the morning hours; through him who died for us and rose again,

thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give

thine angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the

weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and

all for thy love’s sake. Amen.

Prayers and Thanksgivings

You may add your own intercessions and thanksgivings at this time.

Anthem "King of all ages, throned on high" Paul Isom (b. 1959)

King of all ages, throned on high,

Yet saviour too of those with faith,

Death at your onslaught died in fear

And grace triumphant rules supreme.

Risen from death, the heav'nly Christ

Receives from God the Father's hand

Power over all created things:

A gift he could not know on earth.

Then at your coming on the clouds

With shining strength to be our judge,

Cancel the debt we owe you still,

Give back the glory we have lost.

Glory to you, O Christ our Lord,

Exalted far beyond our sight,

Reigning for evermore,

With Father and with Paraclete.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our

common supplication unto thee; and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son

that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst

of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be best

for us; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come

life everlasting. Amen.

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Officiant

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the

Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Hymn Hail the day that sees him rise Hymnal 214

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Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Music: Llanfair, Robert Williams (1781-1821)

Organ Voluntary Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)

Today’s Worship Ministers

Officiant The Rev. Neal McGowan

Organist Holden Miller

Soloist Justin Kroll

Lectors Rebekah Stille, Bob Scattergood

Audio Assistant Matt Hagestuen

Livestream Assistant Stephanie Drum