The story of the call of Isaiah is powerful and a little scary. Adding to the thrill is the description of the angels… these are not those cute cupids resting their chubby arms on a wall. Armed with hot coals for the purpose of cleansing the prophet’s lips, they are downright frightening.
Join us on Wednesday evenings throughout Lent for a soup supper at 5:45 pm and Lenten Worship—with Holden Evening Prayer—at 6:30 pm, and get to know some of these angels and demons! You are invited.
Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer
Union Presbyterian Church, Endicott, NY
Angels and Demons: Six-Winged Angels
Isaiah 6:1-8
February 28, 2024
Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
“Holden Evening Prayer,” Marty Haugen
©1987, GIA Publications, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Sung text is indented and italicized below.
Prelude Colin DeLap
“Here I Am To Worship,” Mark Hayes.
© 2006, Thankyou Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Call to Worship Rev. Pat Raube
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening…
And the day is almost over.
Turn us again, O God of our salvation,
That the light of your face may shine on us.
Evening Hymn
“Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory"
(All sing:)
Joyous light of heavenly glory,
Loving glow of God’s own face,
You who sing creation’s story,
Shine on every land and race.
Now as evening falls around us
We shall raise our songs to you,
God of daybreak, God of shadows,
Come and light our hearts anew.
In the stars that grace the darkness,
In the blazing sun of dawn,
In the light of peace and wisdom,
We can hear your quiet song.
Love that fills the night with wonder,
Love that warms the weary soul,
Love that bursts all chains asunder,
Set us free and make us whole.
You who made the heaven’s splendor,
Every dancing star of night,
Make us shine with gentle justice,
Let us each reflect your light.
Mighty God of all creation,
Gentle Christ who lights our way,
Loving Spirit of salvation,
Lead us on to endless day.
Evening Thanksgiving
One: May God be with you all.
All: And also with you.
One: Let us sing our thanks to God.
All: It is right to sing our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Creator of the universe:
from old you have led your people by night and day.
May the light of your Christ make our darkness bright,
for your Word and your presence are the light of our pathways,
and you are the light of all creation.
All: Amen.
Evening Psalm Psalm 141
(All sing:)
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
O God, I call to you; come to me now.
O hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
Keep watch within me, God; deep in my heart
May the light of your love be burning bright.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
All praise to the God of all, Creator of life;
All praise be to Christ and the Spirit of love.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
Prayer
May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense,
and may your presence surround and fill us,
so that in union with all creation,
we might sing your praise and your love in our lives. Amen.
Scripture Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Response The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Meditation
Litany and Prayers
One: (sung petition)
All: God of mercy, hold us in love.
One: …Help us, comfort us, all of our days.
All: Keep us, hold us, gracious God.
Great and merciful God,
source and ground of all goodness and life,
give to your people the peace that passes all understanding,
and the will to live your gospel of mercy and justice,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (Unison)
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Final Blessing
One: Let us bless our God.
All: Praise and thanks to you.
One: May God, Creator, bless us and keep us.
May Christ be ever light for our lives.
May the Spirit of Love be our guide and our path
For all of our days.
All: Amen.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude Colin DeLap
“The Power of the Cross,” Carol Tornquist.
© 2005, Thankyou Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Cover: Depiction of a seraph on an unidentified Medieval manuscript; Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.