Lady Chapel Evensong for Epiphany

Welcome to the Lady Chapel Evensong for Epiphany! For those who are joining us for the first time, Evensong is an Episcopal / Anglican service of evening prayer that follows a set order of hymns, psalms, readings, and prayers. You can listen via the audio player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you want to follow along in the Book of Common Prayer, we’re on page 117. Or you can follow the order of service below. Happy Epiphany! - Allie

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Order of Service for Evensong

A brief welcome from my daughter

Opening Responses (also called Preces, which in Latin means prayers)

Then follows

Evening Hymn: O Gracious Light (Phos hilaron)

Then follows

The Psalm (read by Rev. Dr. Will Levanway)

Psalm 65 

1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; 
and to you shall vows be performed,

2 O you who answer prayer! 
To you all flesh shall come.

3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, 
you forgive our transgressions. 

4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. 
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; 
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.

6 By your strength you established the mountains; 
you are girded with might. 

7 You silence the roaring of the seas, 
the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. 

8 Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; 
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; 
the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.

10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, 
softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

11 You crown the year with your bounty; 
your wagon tracks overflow with richness. 

12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, 
the hills gird themselves with joy, 

13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, 
they shout and sing together for joy. 

Then follows

The Lesson (read by Rev. Claire Brown)

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (Isaiah 60:1-6)

Here ends the Reading.

Then follows

The Song of Mary (Magnificat)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer - Sung to the tune of "Lifting Up the Lowly" (music coming soon) Our Father, 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Epiphany by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

Loving God, by the light of a bright star you led shepherds and wise ones to gaze upon a baby and see your face. Lead us now into this season of Epiphany, a time of illumination and wonder. Teach us to be more firmly rooted in love for this sweet, old, world. Help us to recognize the bright splendor of your face in all those we encounter. We ask this in deep gratitude for the incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth, the Word made Flesh. Amen.

A hymn is sung. Intercessions can be offered aloud or in silence.

The service closes with

Amen.

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Bonnie Smith Whitehouse wrote our collect for Epiphany. She is a writer and professor of English at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Her book, Seasons of Wonder, has been essential to this project, and it would be a lovely companion to your spiritual wandering this year. You can learn more about her here.

This podcast was mixed by Meg Settle and mastered by Edsel Holden. It was recorded at the downtown branch of the Chattanooga Public Library.

Thank you to Chase Floyd for playing guitar and harmonica on O Gracious Light and Lifting Up the Lowly.

Thank you to Rev. Claire Brown, Rev. Dr. Zac Settle, Rev. Murdock Jones, Rev. Casey Andrew Perkins, and Chase Floyd for sharing your beautiful voices in this service.

Thank you to Mary Erskine for notating these charts.

We might be doing Lady Chapel evensong in person soon - stay tuned if you’d like to come or host one!