Let My Prayer Rise Before You Like Incense

By Robin G. Jordan

Since the last Sunday in May I have been posting services of Evening Prayer online, first on the A Prayer Book for North America weblog and then the All Hallows Murray weblog. I have so far experimented with four different formats— Evening Prayer from the Episcopal Church’s The Book of Common Prayer (1928), the Blessing of Light and Evening Prayer from the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Daily Prayers, the Blessing of Light and Evening Prayer from Common Worship, and the Service of Light and Evening Prayer from the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services.

Among characteristics for which I was looking in a format was adaptability to use online, simplicity, brevity, understandability, and opportunities for the use of a wide range of music styles. The last three formats met these requirements. Evening Prayer from the 1928 Prayer Book, while it has some admirable features, was the least flexible of the four formats. Two other formats at which I have looked but have not used are Evening Prayer from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and An Order for Evening Praise and Prayer from The United Methodist Hymnal. I have, however, used music from Lutheran and Methodist sources as well as music from Anglican, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic sources. The music that I have used form what might be described as a common repertoire of these traditions.

The original idea behind posting these services online was to provide members of congregations that decided against singing when they resumed in-person services an opportunity to hear high-quality church music and to sing “hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs” at home in the context of a service of praise, proclamation, and prayer. Posting these services online also afforded an opportunity to acquaint such members with the newer rites and services and the wealth of church music that is available to churches in the twenty-first century—music from previous generations of Christians; from more recent writers, composers, and arrangers; and from around the world. Despite the limitations that the COVID-19 pandemic places upon our services of public worship, we live in a wonderful time for praising God in song.

The Lord’s Day has traditionally been recognized as beginning on Saturday evening at sunset and concluding on Sunday evening at dusk. These times are referred to as the first eve and the second eve of the Lord’s Day. The Christian Church has a long tradition of beginning the Lord’s Day with prayer on its first eve and concluding it with prayer on its second eve. I have been posting services of Evening Prayer for both eves. I have also been posting services of Evening Prayer for Wednesday evenings.

In post-apostolic times it was not uncommon to preach a homily at cathedral (or popular) services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Sometimes these homilies were an exposition of a Scripture text; other times they were instruction in one of the basic tenets of the Christian faith. This was consistent with Paul’s teaching that everything should be done for edification. Since the Reformation Protestant churches have sought to embody this teaching in their services of public worship. With each service of Evening Prayer I have posted a short homily.

I plan to continue to post these services of Evening Prayer as long as I discern interest in them. They give me an opportunity to explore new patterns of worship and to find and introduce “new” music. I plan to use some songs over a longer period of time than other songs. This is to provide readers an opportunity to learn and master these songs. I will repeat these songs from time to time. The services also encourage my own study of the Bible.

I posted All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (July 8, 2020) a moment ago. In the Service of Light the 10th century Mozarabic hymn, “Christ, Mighty Savior, Light of All Creation,” has been substituted for the Phos Hilaron. The tune is INNISFREE Farm. “Christ, Mighty Savior” may also be sung to CHRISTE SANCTORUM, which is the tune to which I learned this evening hymn. It is one of a number of hymns that may be sung in place of the Phos Hilaron in the Service of Light. Psalm 141, which is a fixed element of the cathedral (or popular) office of Vespers and serves as a penitential element of the dusk office is Peter Inwood’s responsorial setting of the psalm, “O Lord, Let My Prayer Rise Before You Like Incense.” The variable psalm is Tony Alonso’s choral arrangement of Psalm 23, “My Shepherd, You Supply My Need,” the Evangelical Lutheran Worship version of Isaac Watt’s “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.” It is set to the American folk hymn tune RESIGNATION. The Magnificat is Ann Krentz’s choral arrangement of “MY Soul Proclaims Your Greatness,” With One Voice’s version of the canticle. It may also be sung to the English melody, KINGSFOLD, which goes back to Medieval times. The dismissal hymn is Cindy Berry’s choral arrangement of the traditional spiritual, “Give Me Jesus.” The link to the service is: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2020/07/evening-prayer-for-wednesday-evening.html#more.

I apologize for the annoying commercial interruptions that sometimes occur at the beginning of the videos. Just click "skip ad."  I hope that this evening's service will be a blessing to you.