Above:  The Author, November 27, 2012

Within the hour, while seeking a good proper for liturgists in official volumes from various denominations, I found no such thing.  So I wrote a prayer and selected the readings.

Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,

thank you for those (especially N.)

who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.

May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

1 Chronicles 25:1-8

Psalm 145

Revelation 15:1-4

John 4:19-26

I am and am not a traditionalist regarding worship.  I am not a traditionalist in the sense of traditionalism that objects to calling God “You” instead of “Thee,” considers any new idea a bad one reflexively, or idolizes the 1928 Book of Common Prayer or some other older liturgical volume.  Yet I am sufficiently traditional to think that anyone who brings a guitar to church needs to be there to play classical guitar.  And I am enough of a traditionalist to have complete disdain for “contemporary worship,” accurate synonyms for which are inappropriate for a G-rated blog.  (Use your imagination, O reader; you might guess correctly.)  And “blended worship” bears the taint of “contemporary worship.”

Here I stand; I can and will do no other.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR

THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN

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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/proper-for-liturgists/

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Ireland Map

Image Source = Wikipedia

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An Evening Absolution:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/an-evening-absolution/

Scatter the Darkness of Our Hearts:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/scatter-the-darkness-of-our-hearts/

Treasure of All Goodness:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/treasure-of-all-goodness/

Invitation to Confession of Sin Followed by the Confession of Sin:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/invitation-to-confession-of-sin-followed-by-the-confession-of-sin/

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The Logo of The Church of England

Image Source = Wikipedia

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Te Deum Laudamus:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/te-deum-laudamus/

Confession of Sin:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/confession-of-sin-1662/

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Title Page of a 1762 Edition of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer

Image Source = Wikipedia

Prayer Source = The Book of Common Prayer (1662), of The Church of England

I have altered only the formatting and made clear who says what.–KRT

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The Priest says:

Dearly beloved brethren,

the Scripture moveth us in sundry places

to acknowledge our manifold sins and wickedness;

and that we should not dissemble nor cloke

before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father;

but confess them with an humble, lowly, and obedient heart;

to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same,

by his infinite goodness and mercy.

And although we ought at all times

humbly to acknowledge our sins before God;

yet ought we most chiefly so to do,

when we assemble and meet together to render thanks

for the great benefits that we have received at his hands,

to set forth his most worthy praise,

to hear his most Word,

and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary,

as well as for the body as the soul.

Wherefore I pray and beseech you,

as many as are here present,

to accompany me with a pure heart,

and humble voice,

unto the throne of the heavenly grace,

saying after me;

The Priest and congregants say:

Almighty and most merciful Father,

We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against thy holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;

And we have done things which we ought not to have done;

And there is no health in us.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.

Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent;

According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake;

That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

To the glory of thy holy Name.  Amen.

The Priest says:

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who desirest not the death of a sinner,

but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live;

and hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers,

to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,

the Absolution and Remission of their sins:

He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent,

and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.

Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,

and his Holy Spirit,

that those things may please him,

which we do at this present;

and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy;

so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ Pantocrator Icon, 500s C.E.

Image in the Public Domain

English Translation from The Book of Common Prayer (1662), of The Church of England

Another translation is here.

I take some minor aspects of the text as poetry, not literal truth, but why quibble?–KRT

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We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.

To thee, Cherubin, and Seraphin: continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy Glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee.

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee.

The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee;

The Father: of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true: and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death; thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the Glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come: to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people: and bless thine heritage.

Govern them: and lift them up forever.

Day by day: we magnify thee:

And we worship thy Name: ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon his: have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us; as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, Ireland

Image Source = Wikipedia

Prayer Source = Evening Prayer Two from the Book of Common Prayer (2004), of the Church of Ireland

The priest says:

Beloved in Christ,

we come together to offer to Almighty God

our worship and praise and thanksgiving,

to confess our sins and to receive God’s forgiveness,

to hear his holy word proclaimed,

to bring before him our needs and the needs of the world,

and to pray that in the power of his Spirit

we may serve him and know the greatness of his love.

The people kneel and keep silence.

Heavenly Father,

we have sinned against you and against our neighbour

in thought and word and deed,

through negligence, through weakness,

through our own deliberate fault;

by what we have done

and by what we have failed to do.

We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,

forgive us all that is past;

and grant that we may serve you in newness of life

to the glory of your name.  Amen.

The priest says:

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,

have mercy on you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The following is how A Late Evening Office, from the Book of Common Prayer (2004), of the Church of Ireland, begins:

Blessed be our God for all time, now and forever more.  Amen.

Glory to you, our God, glory be to you,

Holy Spirit, Comforter,

treasure of all goodness and giver of life,

come and dwell in us,

cleanse us from all sin,

and in your love bring us to salvation.

Holy God, holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

have mercy on us.

The 2004 Irish Prayer Book is available online:

http://ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=worship&id=12

I have found the 2004 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of Ireland online in PDF format.  The Irish outdid themselves.  One of their liturgies is “A Late Evening Office,” from which I take the following prayer verbatim.

KRT

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Lord Almighty,

come and scatter the darkness of our hearts

by the light of your presence;

that we may know you

the Light of the world

and the one true God,

blessed this night and forevermore.  Amen.

Image Source = Wikipedia

The following absolution comes from Evening Prayer Two, from the Book of Common Prayer (2004), of the Church of Ireland.  This is the absolution for when no priest is present.

KRT

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Merciful Lord,

grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,

that we may be cleansed of all our sins,

and serve you with a quiet mind;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

From A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989), of The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia:

Dear God,

thank you for all that is good,

for our creation and 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.

O thou, most holy and beloved,

my Companion, my Guide upon the way

my bright evening star.

We repent of the wrongs we have done:

Silence

We have wounded your love.

O God, heal us.

We stumble in the darkness.

Light of the world, transfigure us.

We forget that we are your home.

Spirit of God, dwell in us.

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.