Penitential Rite
Luke will serve as “all.”
Officiant:
Friends, it is in vain that we rise up so early, and go so late to rest, and eat the bread of anxiety: for God gives sleep to his beloved.
Dear God,
thank you for all that is good,
for our creation and for our humanity,
for the stewardship you have given us of this planet Earth,
for the gifts of life and of one another,
for your love, which is unbounded and eternal.
Let us come to God as one from whom no secrets are hidden, to ask for forgiveness and peace.
A moment of silence is kept.
Officiant:
We have wounded your love.
All:
O God, heal us.
Officiant:
We stumble in the darkness.
All:
Light of the world, transfigure us.
Officiant:
We forget that we are your home.
All:
Spirit of God, dwell in us.
Officiant:
Eternal Spirit, living God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
all that we are, have been, and shall be is known to you,
to the very secret of our hearts
and all that rises to trouble us.
Living flame, burn into us,
cleansing wind, blow through us,
fountain of water, well up within us,
that we may love and praise in deed and in truth.
May the God of Love have mercy on us, pardon us, and set us free. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. May God strengthen us in all goodness and keep us in life eternal.
All:
Amen
Opening Sentences
Hannah will serve as “all.”
Those designated sing the Compline hymn:
Te Lucis ante Terminum
(Sarum Rite Plainchant, Festal Tone)
Hannah will sing verses 1 and 3; Philip will sing verse 2.
Before the end of the light,
we beg you, creator of all,
that you, with familiar mercy,
might be the leader of our care.
Let troubled dreams withdraw to the distance.
Silence our enemy
and all deceptions of the night,
that our bodies may rest secure.
Be present, omnipotent father,
through the Lord, Jesus Christ,
who with you forever
reigns with the Holy Spirit.
Psalmody
The psalm is sung antiphonally. You are invited to join either the “leader” or the “responder” part (with your microphone muted).
Hannah will serve as leader and Philip will serve as responder.
Psalm 67 (Coverdale)
Leader:
God be merciful unto us, and bless us *
Responder:
and shew us the light of his countenance, and be merci-ful un-to us;
Leader:
That thy way may be known upon earth *
Responder:
thy saving health a-mong all na-tions.
Leader:
Let the people praise thee, O God *
Responder:
yea, let all the peo-ple praise thee.
Leader:
O let the nations rejoice and be glad *
Responder:
for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the na-tions up-on earth.
Leader:
Let the people praise thee, O God *
Responder:
let all the peo-ple praise thee.
Leader:
Then shall the earth bring forth her in-crease *
Responder:
and God, even our own God, shall give us his bles-sing.
Leader:
God shall bless us *
Responder:
and all the ends of the world shall fear him.
Leader:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
Responder:
and to the Ho-ly Ghost,
Leader:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
Responder:
world with-out end. A-men.
Short Reading
Luke will serve as leader and Philip will serve as “all.”
The leader chants the reading:
1 Corinthians 15:12–28 (NRSV)
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
Responsories
Luke will serve as leader and Philip will serve as “all.”
All sing a responsory:
Epitaph
Text by Sarah Williams; Music by F.J. Haydn (details)
- Hannah sings the melody once, ending on “oo.”
- All join in the unison “oo” while Philip repeats the melody, ending on “oo.”
- Everyone sings the melody, starting at different times and moving at different speeds, ending by returning to “oo.”
- Once everyone is singing “oo,” gradually fade into silence.
Prayers
Hannah will serve as leader and Philip will serve as “all.”
The leader begins the Lord’s Prayer:
All continue silently until “and lead us not …”:
… 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 then conclude:
A moment of silence is kept.
Stacy will serve as leader and Luke will serve as “all.”
The leader begins the collects:
Leader:
Leader:
Keep watch, dear Lord,
with those who work, or watch, or weep this night,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary,
bless the dying, soothe the suffering,
pity the afflicted, shield the joyous;
and all for your love's sake.
All:
Leader:
Be present, Spirit of God,
within us, your dwelling place and home,
that this house may be one where
all darkness is penetrated by your light,
all troubles calmed by your peace,
all evil redeemed by your love,
all pain transformed in your suffering,
and all dying glorified in your risen life.
All:
Leader:
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord,
and by thy great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
through Jesus Christ our savior,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.
All:
After the collects, we will keep a moment of silence to call to mind our concerns, reflections, intentions, and reasons for thankfulness. Those who wish to share them aloud will be invited to do so.
Canticle
The canticle is sung antiphonally. You are invited to join either the “leader” or the “responder” part (with your microphone muted).
Philip will serve as leader and Hannah will serve as responder.
Nunc Dimittis: Luke 2:29–32
Leader:
Lord, you | now have set your ser-|-vant free *
Responder:
to go in peace as you 𝄀 have pro-mised,
Leader:
For with 𝄀 my eyes I 𝄀 have seen *
Responder:
your 𝄀 sal-va-tion,
Leader:
→ 𝄀 which you 𝄀 have pre-pared *
Responder:
before the sight of 𝄀 all peo-ple:
Leader:
A light 𝄀 to shine through all 𝄀 na -tions *
Responder:
and the glory of your peo-𝄀-ple, Isra-el.
Leader:
Glo -|-ry be to the Fa-ther, and to | the Son, *
Responder:
and to the Ho-|-ly Spi-rit,
Leader:
As it | was in the be-gin-ning, | is now, *
Responder:
and will be fore-|-ver. A-men.
Benediction
Luke will serve as “all.”
Those designated sing the Marian antiphon:
Regina Caeli, Laetare
(Gregorian Chant, Simple Tone)
Philip will sing part A; Hannah will sing part B.
Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia,
for the one whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia,
has risen, just as he said. Alleluia.
Pray for us to God. Alleluia.
It is traditional to end Compline with a few moments for silent reflection.