Sunday Evening Together – 25 February 2024 6.00 pm

Join us on Zoom for Evening Prayers, led by Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga.  The link to the meeting is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338669584?pwd=cWRCT1lkdlRUS1djQ21oelREQWZCQT09

You may follow us with the prayers below or use them for your own prayer time.

---

WELCOME

We meet in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

OPENING SENTENCES

God, Creator of all things, we call upon Your presence.

Silence

Beloved God.
We come to You as Your creative people.

Come and be with us.
‘For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.’

Your sole presence draws us together. Your Spirit is our home.

Silence

In Your presence we are community..
Spirit of the creative God you are like a wind. You come and go at Your will.

In your freedom –.
You dance among us. You touch our broken hearts.

In your mystery –.
You remain silent. You are still.

In your grace –.
You keep your promise. You are present. Amen

CONFESSION

In Your presence we confess our failings.
We have failed to see Your presence in the world around us..
Creative father, forgive us.

We have failed to see Your presence in each other. .
Creative Spirit, deliver us.

We have failed to see Your presence in ourselves. .
Creative Son, heal us. Amen

READING

Mark 8:31-38

Jesus predicts his death

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

The way of the cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’

Conversation…

Prayers

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.

Silence

Visit this place, O Lord, we pray,
and drive far from it the snares of the enemy;
may your holy angels dwell with us and guard us in peace,.
and may your blessing be always upon us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven..
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the
glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

The Conclusion

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.

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.

FINAL PRAYER

Spirit of the living God, help us – .
to claim our own way to be creative,
to be a creative source of life-giving presence and hope,
to hold a creative presence, or absence, from your people,.
to find our own place in your creative community.

Creative Spirit,
in Your presence we are whole,.
we are blessed, we are one..
Amen