Prayers for Evensong

The BBC were at the Cathedral yesterday, recording our Choral Evensong.

I wrote some new prayers for the occasion, which I share here:

In the evening of the day,
we come to you, O God,
bringing those we have met, for your blessing,
our hurts for your healing,
our sins for your forgiveness,
our labours as our offering
and our lives as our worship;
we come to you through our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who became like us,
that we might become like him. Amen.

Lord Jesus, you call us into your church;
help us to leave behind the things we cling to,
coax us with the treasure of heaven,
and in the age to come,
when the first will be last
and the last will be first,
allow us simply to be found
within your Kingdom,
and to feast at your table,
where there is abundant life for all your world,
for with you all things are possible,
and in your name we pray. Amen.

God of all hope,
may the light of your justice
search out the darkness of our world;
may the power of your love
banish all conflict and despair;
and may your ways be known amongst us,
on earth as in heaven;
that the nations may truly rejoice and be glad,
and all people live in freedom and in peace,
through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

God of time and of eternity,
in your hands you hold the souls of the righteous,
and in your heart there is room for all people;
shine forth upon all who are tried
in the furnace of suffering and illness,
and especially on those
for whom we pray today;
in your grace and mercy
may we know that you watch over us;
bring us at the last to abide with you in love,
we ask this in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Come Lord Jesus,
dwell with us this evening and be our welcome guest;
bring your joy to our homes this evening,
and in our rest, grant us your peace;
may we know your presence with us
in our prayers and in our play,
in our tears and in our laughter,this night and forever more. Amen.