EVENING PRAYER

1. EVENING PRAYER • In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit • Amen

2. L O Lord, open my lips, C and my mouth will declare Your praise. L Make haste, O God, to deliver me; C make haste to help me, O Lord. C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.

3. The Psalm • “Children and parents gather together to pray, share, sing, and speak the poetry of God, words that promise Jesus for His children. Select verses are in bold print to encourage responsive reading”

4. Psalm 99 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 1The Lord reigns; let the peoples | tremble!* He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the | earth quake! 2The Lord is great in | Zion;* he is exalted over all the | peoples. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 3Let them praise your great and | awesome name!* Ho- |ly is he! 4The King in his might loves | justice.* You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in | Jacob.

5. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called up- | on his name.* They called to the Lord, and he | answered them. 7In the pillar of the cloud he | spoke to them;* they kept his testimonies and the statute that he | gave them. 8O Lord our God, you | answered them;* you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrong- | doings. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 9Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy | mountain;* for the Lord our God is | holy!

6. Have No Fear, Little Flock Have no fear, little flock;Have no fear, little flock, For the Father has chosen To give you the Kingdom;Have no fear, little flock! Have good cheer, little flock;Have good cheer, little flock, For the Father will keep you In His love forever;Have good cheer, little flock!

7. Praise the Lord high above;Praise the Lord high above, For He stoops down to heal you, Uplift and restore you;Praise the Lord high above! Thankful hearts raise to God;Thankful hearts raise to God, For He stays close beside you, In all things works with you;Thankful hearts raise to God!

8. Genesis 15:1-6 A reading from Genesis, the fifteenth chapter. 1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. L O Lord, have mercy on us. C Thanks be to God.

9. Ephesians 6:1-3 The Epistle is from Ephesians, the sixth chapter. 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God

10. Luke 18:15-17 P The Holy Gospel according to Luke, the eighteenth chapter. C Glory to You, O Lord. 15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.

11. Responsory Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Unite my heart to fear Your name that I may walk in Your truth. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

12. Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

13. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

14. and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

15. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

16. The Fourth Commandment Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

17. Childhood • Being a child is a calling from God: • A sphere of love and service in which God Himself is at work. • We are all children to our parents • We are all children to God • So, we’ve asked what is a mother, a father…now we ask, what is a child?

18. Young children are a model for Christian faith • Luke 18 • Children exist in a state of utter dependence upon their parents • Christians likewise are utterly dependent upon their heavenly Father and trust Him to provide…this is faith. • The Child’s vocation reminds us that sometimes it matters more WHO WE ARE than WHAT WE DO

19. Prodigal Son welcomed back not because of his wonderful speech but because of who he was. • The relationship of child/parent is permanent • Children do not get to choose their parents • Membership in the family is NOT contingent upon good behavior (thankfully!) or personal commitment (as we see with the Prodigal) or paying of dues (not even chores)….one is simply born into a family • Galatians 3:27 • Romans 8:16-17

20. So then, a Christian cannot earn their way into God’s family, they must be born into it • Just as a child then does not choose to be born so also we are unable to choose but rather are called forth by God’s Word & Sacrament • Upon our birth, we begin to grow as Christians • Can a child Honor their father and mother before he is first born? Of course not! • So also a Christian cannot do good works unless they are first born into God’s family

21. The Son of God • Vocation of Marriage – manifestation of Christ & the church • Vocation of Parenthood – expression of God the Father • Vocation of Children – manifests the Son of God • Athanasian Creed – the Son is begotten • Verse 20-22, 24-25 • A person creates something other than themselves but begets something like himself, though distinct – another person (we beget children, create art) • Verse 32-33

22. Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God • Our human nature, substance, flesh itself can be found within the Trinity! • Looking to Jesus we see a child who perfectly obeyed and served His Father…childhood was not something he merely passed through but a time when he fulfilled his vocation. In Christ we see the validity and blessedness of being someone’s child.

23. Jesus in the temple – not disobedient – why not communicate more? Childish behavior is not necessarily a sin, a child is going to act childishly, but immaturity is not a sin. • Something parents need to remember. • Jesus not playing around, discussing God’s Word. Mindful already of his vocation of Savior. Yet in Luke 2:51 Jesus “was submissive” to Mary and Joseph – obeying the 4th commandment. • Children, like Jesus did, are called to increase in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and man – to learn, grow, to know God’s grace and love and serve their neighbor.

24. We are physical and spiritual beings • Physically born • Spiritually re-born • To increase in both • Christians are to grow up in their faith (1 Cor. 3:1-3) • Christian immaturity is always a problem • Hebrews 5:12-6:2 • 1 Peter 2:2 • We always remain children of our parents • So also with God, we will always be his children • Childhood becomes our everlasting office • Jesus remains “Son of God”

25. Titus 3:7 • To be an heir is an important privilege of the child – the legacy of the family, with property and titles, is given to the child – not something earned, but received. • It is contingent upon 1 thing…the owner of the legacy must die • We inherit a salvation that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4) • We are not merely servants or even children, but honored heirs • Galatians 3:25-29 – Baptism is a mark of being adopted into God’s family – which started with Abraham – God’s promises to him apply to all of his descendants – Christians.

26. Holy Baptism What is Baptism? Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's word. Which is that Word of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." What benefits does Baptism give? It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. Which are these words and promises of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

27. How can water do such great things? Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God's word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three, "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying." (Titus 3:5–8) What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4)

28. C 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 forever and ever. Amen.

29. Collects L O Lord, hear my prayer. C And let my cry come to You. Collect of the Day P O Lord, our God, we acknowledge Your great goodness toward us and praise You for the mercy and grace that our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, and our hearts have known. We sincerely repent of the sins of this day and those in the past. Pardon our offenses, correct and reform what is lacking in us, and help us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Inscribe Your law upon our hearts, and equip us to serve You with holy and blameless lives. May each day remind us of the coming of the night when no one can work. In the emptiness of this present age keep us united by a living faith through the power of Your Holy Spirit with Him who is the resurrection and the life, that we may escape the eternal bitter pains of condemnation. By Your Holy Spirit bless the preaching of Your Word and the administration of Your Sacraments. Preserve these gifts to us and to all Christians. Guard and protect us from all dangers to body and soul. Grant that we may with faithful perseverance receive from You our sorrows as well as our joys, knowing that health and sickness, riches and poverty, and all things come by permission of Your fatherly hand. Keep us this day under Your protective care and preserve us, securely trusting in Your everlasting goodness and love, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,

30. Visit, O Lord, the homes in which Your people dwell, and keep all harm and danger far from them. Grant that we may dwell together in peace under the protection of Your holy angels, sharing eternally in Your blessings; Gracious Father, Your Son grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all people. Bless, guide, and govern the children and young people of Your Church by Your Holy Spirit, that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of Your Word. Grant that they may serve You well and usefully, developing their talents not for their own sakes but to Your glory and for the welfare of their neighbor. Protect and defend them from all danger and harm, giving Your holy angels charge over them; through Jesus Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen.

31. Benediction The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace. Amen.

32. God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It 1 God’s own child, I gladly say it: I am baptized into Christ!He, because I could not pay it, Gave my full redemption price.Do I need earth’s treasures many?I have one worth more than any That brought me salvation free Lasting to eternity!

33. 2 Sin, disturb my soul no longer: I am baptized into Christ!I have comfort even stronger: Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.Should a guilty conscience seize meSince my Baptism did release me In a dear forgiving flood, Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?

34. 3 Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ!Drop your ugly accusation, I am not so soon enticed.Now that to the font I’ve traveled,All your might has come unraveled, And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me!

35. 4 Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ!When I die, I leave all sadness To inherit paradise!Though I lie in dust and ashesFaith’s assurance brightly flashes: Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal mine.

36. 5 There is nothing worth comparing To this lifelong comfort sure!Open-eyed my grave is staring: Even there I’ll sleep secure.Though my flesh awaits its raising,Still my soul continues praising: I am baptized into Christ; I’m a child of paradise!