Virtual Compline

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

Leader:

Hear me when I call, O God of my right-eousness *

Responder:

thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken un-to my prayer.

Leader:

O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine hon-our *

Responder:

and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek af-ter leas-ing?

Leader:

Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is god-ly *

Responder:

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

Leader:

Stand in awe, and sin ◊ not: commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still  *

Responder:

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

Leader:

There be many that say,  *

Responder:

“Who will shew us an-y good?”

Leader:

Lord, lift thou up  *

Responder:

the light of thy counte-nance up-on us.

Leader:

Thou hast put gladness in my heart  *

Responder:

since the time that their corn, and wine, and oil increased.

Leader:

I will lay me down in ◊ peace, and take my rest  *

Responder:

for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safe-ty.

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.

Leader:

God,     grant Your judgements to the queen  *

Responder:

and Your righteousness to the queen’s     daugh-ter.

Leader:

May she judge Your people right-eously *

Responder:

and Your lowly ones in jus-tice.

Leader:

May the mountains bear peace to the peo-ple, *

Responder:

and the hills     right-eousness.

Leader:

May she bring justice to the lowly of the pe-◊-ople, may she rescue the children of the need-y *

Responder:

and crush the op-pres-sor.

Leader:

May she live as long as the sun  *

Responder:

and as long as the moon, gener-a-tions un-told.

Leader:

May she come down like rain on new-mown grass,  *

Responder:

like showers that mois-ten the earth.

Leader:

May the just flourish in her days: *

Responder:

and abundant peace till the moon is no more.

Leader:

And may she hold sway from sea to sea,  *

Responder:

from the River to the ends of the earth.

Leader:

Before her may the desert-folk kneel,  *

Responder:

and her enemies lick     the dust.

Leader:

May kings of Tarshish and the islands bring trib-ute, *

Responder:

may kings of Sheba and Siba of-fer vas-sal-gifts.

Leader:

And may all kings bow to her, *

Responder:

all na-tions serve her.

Leader:

For she saves the needy one plead-ing, *

Responder:

and the lowly who have none to help them.

Leader:

She pities the poor and the need-y. *

Responder:

and the lives of the need-y she res-cues,

Leader:

from scheming and outrage re-deems them, *

Responder:

and their blood is dear in her sight.

Leader:

Long may she live,  *

Responder:

and the gold of Sheba be giv-en to her.

Leader:

May she be prayed for al-ways, *

Responder:

all day long be bless-èd.

Leader:

May there be abundance of grain in the land,  *

Responder:

on the moun    -tain-tops.

Leader:

May her fruit rustle like Leb-anon, *

Responder:

and may they sprout from the town like grass of the land.

Leader:

May her name be for-ev-er. *

Responder:

As long as the sun may her name bear fruit.

Leader:

And may all nations be blessed through her,  *

Responder:

and may all nations call her hap-py.

Leader:

Blessed is the Lord God, Israel’s God,  *

Responder:

performing won-ders a-lone,

Leader:

and blessed is God’s glory for-ev-er, *

Responder:

and may God’s glory fill all the earth. A-men and a-men.

Leader:

Leader:

Liberating God,
we thank you most heartily for the steadfast courage of your servant Pauli Murray, who fought long and well:
Unshackle us from bonds of prejudice and fear,
so that we show forth your reconciling love and true freedom,
which you revealed through your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

All:

Leader:

O most mighty and merciful God,
in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto thee for succour.
Deliver us, we beseech thee, from our peril;
give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick;
prosper the means made use of for their cure;
and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is,
we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom
which leadeth to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:

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:

Collect for Poplarville (Pauli Murray, 1959: details)

Leader:

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord,

All:

    Teach us no longer to dread
        hounds yelping in the distance,
        the footfall at the door,
        the rifle butt on the window pane.

Leader:

and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils
    and dangers of this night;

All:

        Give us fearlessness to face
            the bomb thrown from the darkness,
            the gloved hand on the pistol,
            the savage intention.
        Give us courage to stand firm against
            our tormentors without rancor—
        Teach us that most difficult of tasks—
            to pray for them,
            to follow, not burn, thy cross!

Leader:

through Jesus Christ our savior,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.

All:

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.