An Order for Compline (Week of April 21)

Join St. Phoebe School at 8 p.m. ET Sunday-Thursday to pray Compline: Zoom Link for Compline

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The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen.

Our help is in the Name of the Lord;
The maker of heaven and earth.

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF AWARENESS

As light gives way to darkness
And the busyness of day concedes to night’s stillness.
As conscious thought surrenders to dreams
And our bodies long for rest
We pause to listen
For the beat of your Presence in all things
Pulsing in the light of distant galaxies
Sounding in the depths of our soul
Vibrating in each vein of earth’s body.
One Sound as vast as the universe
One universe filled with Presence
One Life within every life.
In the darkness of night
In the stillness that surrounds us
In the unknown depths of our being
We pause to listen.

BE STILL AND AWARE (Pause for silent prayer.)

SCRIPTURE AND MEDITATION

Psalm 4 Cum invocarem

1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”

3 Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.

4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.

6 Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21

By the light of day and by the dark of night your God has not forgotten you. (Quran Daylight 93.1-3)

PRAYER FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD

In lives where love has been born this day, thanks be to you, O God.
In families where forgiveness has been strong thanks be to you.
In nations where wrongs have been addressed, where tenderness has been cherished, and where visions for earth’s oneness have been served, thanks be to you.
May those who are weary find rest this night.
May those who carry great burdens for their people find strength.
May the midwives of new beginnings in our world find hope.
And may the least among us find greatness
Strength in our souls, worth in our words, love in our living.

We hold now time for our own intercessions for the world and those we love, concluding with:

O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never forget that our common life depends upon each other’s toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER OR BLESSING

In sleep may we be made new this night.
In sleep may we let go of today and release the worries of tomorrow.
In sleep may we know you as Soul within our soul
As Guide within our dreams
As Lover within our longings.
In sleep may we be one with you
One with earth’s darkness
One with heaven’s shining
One with each creature dying
One with each newborn breath.
In sleep may we be one with you
And one with all.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen.

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Compline for the Week of April 21 was prepared by the Rev. Hope Laingen, Deacon in the Diocese of Western North Carolina and St. Phoebe School alum. The prayers for this week are based on John Philip Newell’s Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace.