New Year’s Eve Compline – 31st December 2020
Gathering
Be present at our table, Lord;
Be here and everywhere adored;
Thy creatures bless, and grant that we
May feast in paradise with Thee.
(John Cennick)
Preparation
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Confession
Most merciful God,
we confess to you,
before the whole company of heaven and one another,
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed
and in what we have failed to do.
Forgive us our sins,
heal us by your Spirit
and raise us to new life in Christ.
Amen.
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 shall be for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High ♦
and abides under the shadow of the Almighty,
2 Shall say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my stronghold, ♦
my God, in whom I put my trust.’
3 For he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler ♦
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his wings and you shall be safe under his feathers; ♦
his faithfulness shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, ♦
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, ♦
nor of the sickness that destroys at noonday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, ♦
yet it shall not come near you.
8 Your eyes have only to behold ♦
to see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge ♦
and the Most High your stronghold,
10 There shall no evil happen to you, ♦
neither shall any plague come near your tent.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, ♦
to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you in their hands, ♦
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; ♦
the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 Because they have set their love upon me, therefore will I deliver them; ♦
I will lift them up, because they know my name.
15 They will call upon me and I will answer them; ♦
I am with them in trouble, I will deliver them and bring them to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy them ♦
and show them my salvation.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Scripture passage
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called – that you might inherit a blessing.
(1 Peter 3: 8-9)
Responsary
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit..
Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings.
Gospel Canticle
The Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) is said or sung
Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
1 Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: ♦
your word has been fulfilled.
2 My own eyes have seen the salvation ♦
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
3 A light to reveal you to the nations ♦
and the glory of your people Israel.
Luke 2.29-32
Glory to the Father
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
Prayers
God of all nations, God of all time, as we gather to mark the passing of the year, we offer again our thanks for your faithfulness over the year. Renew us in the gift of faith, that we may walk into an unknown future confident that we shall meet you there, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Each year we come together to seek God’s reign in our individual and family lives and in the cause of the world’s poor. We try to take stock of what we have achieved, to repent where we have failed, and to ask for God’s strength to rededicate ourselves to his work. We do this in trust because God does not require success, but ongoing faithfulness to his cause. So in gratitude and in sorrow let us reflect on our work for God in the year gone by.
For Christian witness and for new Christians, for new endeavours and renewed faith and action, for all efforts to serve Christ in our neighbour, for things for which we are especially grateful,
Lord of our lives: Receive our thanks and praise.
For times when we have walked away from Jesus, and for all for whom trust in God has waned, for occasions when we have made matters worse, and for all who have sown seeds of discord, for society’s endless desire to consume and control, and for all who are victims of the greed of others, for the times when we have failed to live up to our Christian calling and for all who have failed in discipleship, for things for which we are especially sorrowful,
God of restoration: Forgive us and save us.
God, you are both our rescuer and judge; we give you thanks for all that you have helped us to do in days gone by, and we repent of all that separates us from your will. Trusting both in the cross and in your restoring love, may we move on from here both forgiven and restored, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Loving God, we come to you in the assurance that you are present with us now. We do not have to seek your presence. We are daily living in your presence. Make us aware of it. Make it real to us. Help us in these moments of prayer to know that we are speaking to one who is near and not far off, whose love is all around us and who knows our every need.
God of peace, we pray for the world. Set your peace in the hearts of men and women that the nations of the world may learn to live as members of one family and children of one God and Father, to the glory of your name.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
God of justice, we pray for worldly rulers and governments. Make all who exercise power over others to be defenders of liberty and champions of justice; and so rule in their hearts that they may also be lovers and makers of peace.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
God of truth, we pray for society. Help us to understand the causes of our social tensions and unrest. Open our eyes to economic wrongs and racial bias; deepen our concern for the poor, the old, the disabled; stir in us a sense of responsibility one for another.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
God of love, we pray for our community. Make us mindful of the people we live alongside, those who share in the activities of the community, those who are at its core and those who feel on the edge. Help us to make our contribution to the community and to learn to be good neighbours, that by love we may serve one another.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Father God, we pray for our families. Sustain and comfort them in times of need, bring healing in times of division and tension, increase in us mutual understanding, tolerance, patience and love.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
God of compassion, we pray for those in need. Give relief to those in pain, friendship to those who are alone, reassurance to those in doubt or distress of mind; and may our love be so strong that seeing need we may never pass by on the other side.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
God of wisdom, we pray for the Church. Guide and direct us as we look to be your Church for the present and the future, restore our faith and vision, renew our energies and love, revive your people to new life and power; and may we live and speak for Christ in the world he came to save, for the sake of his Kingdom.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
The things that we have prayed for, loving God, give us grace also to work for; and in the purposes of your love answer our prayers as may be best for us and for those for whom we have prayed, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Collect
Silence may be kept.
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
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.
Sending Out
Brothers and sisters,
take the life you have from God and bring life to the world;
take the love you have from Christ and embrace your neighbour and your enemy;
take the joy you have in the Spirit and infect the world with rumours of resurrection;
and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us now and evermore. Amen.