Compline (Night Prayer) - Oct 14

The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

A period of silence for reflection on the day past.

Most merciful God, I confess to you,

before the whole company of heaven,

that I have sinned in thought, word and deed

and in what I have failed to do.

Forgive me my sins,

heal me by your Spirit

and raise me to new life in Christ. Amen.

O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. 

Alleluia.

Before the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray

That you, with steadfast love, would keep your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight, from fears and terrors of the night;

Tread underfoot our deadly foe that we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, that we ask be done through Jesus Christ, your only Son;

And Holy Spirit, by whose breath our souls are raised to life from death.

Psalm 4

In peace I will lie down and sleep.

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness; 

you set me at liberty when I was in trouble;

have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

How long will you nobles dishonour my glory;

how long will you love vain things and seek after falsehood?

But know that the Lord has shown me his marvellous kindness;

when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

Stand in awe, and sin not; 

commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still,

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord.

There are many that say, Who will show us any good?

Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon us.

You have put gladness in my heart,

more than when their corn and wine and oil increase.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for it is you Lord, only, who make me dwell in safety.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. 

In peace I will lie down and sleep.

Give us today, O God, a glad heart and a clear conscience, 

that when we come to this days end we may rest in peace with Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 30.15

Thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

The Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon)

Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, 

that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled.

My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people;

A light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen. 

Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, 

that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.

Intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered here.

The Collect

God, the giver of life, whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:

by the Spirit's gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will,

that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In peace we will lie down and sleep; for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.

Abide with us, Lord Jesus, for the night is at hand and the day is now past.

As the night watch looks for the morning, so do we look for you, O Christ.

Come with the dawning of the day and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.

The Lord bless us and watch over us;

the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us;

the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace. Amen.

Daily Office - Oct 14

Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes,
to you that are enthroned in the heavens.
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
or the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God,
until he have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of the arrogant,
and of the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 124
If the Lord himself had not been on our side,
now may Israel say;
If the Lord had not been on our side,
when enemies rose up against us;
Then would they have swallowed us alive when their anger burned against us;
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us
and the torrent gone over our soul;
over our soul would have swept the raging waters.
But blessed be the Lord who has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler;
the snare is broken and we are delivered.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who has made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but stands fast for ever.
As the hills stand about Jerusalem,
so the Lord stands round about his people,
from this time forth for evermore.
The sceptre of wickedness shall not hold sway over the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous turn their hands to evil.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are true of heart.
Those who turn aside to crooked ways the Lord shall take away with the evildoers;
but let there be peace upon Israel.

Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
then were we like those who dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with songs of joy.
Then said they among the nations,
‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
The Lord has indeed done great things for us,
and therefore we rejoiced.
Restore again our fortunes, O Lord,
as the river beds of the desert.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed,
will come back with shouts of joy,
bearing their sheaves with them.

2 Chronicles 33.1-13
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had pulled down, and erected altars to the Baals, made sacred poles, worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.’ He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. He made his son pass through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, practised soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. The carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to his son Solomon, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; I will never again remove the feet of Israel from the land that I appointed for your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.’ Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel.
 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they gave no heed. Therefore the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with fetters, and brought him to Babylon. While he was in distress he entreated the favour of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to him, and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord indeed was God.

John 15.1-11
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

The Collect
God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:
by the Spirit's gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.