Vespers - 10 March 2019

(This responsive prayer is encased by the 8th Century Latin hymn, Jesu, Nostra Redemptio. It can be found in the Trinity Hymnal, rev. ed. number 161 "O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart's Desire.")

“O Christ, our hope, our heart's desire, redemption's only spring! Creator of the world art thou, its Savior and its King.” Our mighty Savior and sovereign lover; who alone can bring order and goodness to the unruly hearts and lives of people, we pray for these… Take hold of their lives, health, hopes and longings and bring about their wellbeing. Hear their cry, and ours for them, and draw them up out of the pit, out of the miry bog, and set their feet on a rock making their steps secure (Psalm 40.1-2). O Lord, hear our prayer.  

“How vast the mercy and the love which laid our sins on thee, and led thee to a cruel death, to set thy people free.” Our Passover who has been sacrificed for us to liberate your people from their Egyptian bondage, the house of slavery; we pray for you to rescue and redeem and regenerate and reclaim those who either are not Christians or once claimed to be and have since walked away… We beg you to watch over these others whom we are concerned may be falling into traps and dead-ends… And we implore you to give liberating, loving aid to those who find themselves in dark places crawling with doubt and deviant thoughts about you… O Lord, hear our prayer. 

“But now the bands of death are burst, the ransom has been paid; and thou art on thy Father's throne, in glorious robes arrayed.” Jesus, the true Lord and Master, look on our nation, and shepherd our leaders and the led toward more wholesome ways morally, ethically, economically, politically, judicially, and legislatively. Bring us back around to where we will work with one another for the common good of our communities and neighborhoods. Restore to us the important virtue of being good neighbors. Recall your church out of any idolatry, immorality, injustice, ignorance, or idiocy; and help us to be the embassies of your kingdom and emissaries of your saving rule. O Lord, hear our prayer.

  

“O Christ, be thou our lasting joy, our ever great reward! Our only glory may it be to glory in the Lord.” For us in our homes, vocations, hobbies, learning, and together as your church, may these words be our hearts desire in all we think, speak and do – together and individually. O Christ, be thou our lasting joy, our ever great reward! Our only glory may it be to glory in the Lord. O Lord, hear our prayer.