There’s nothing like a story that involves BOTH the invocation of demon possession AND family drama. It’s all here in a little passage from the gospel according to Mark, in which people accuse Jesus of being demon-possessed, and his family tries to restrain him from healing any more people, What gives, Mary?
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: Jesus and Beelzebul
Mark 3:20-27
March 6, 2024
Preacher: Rev. Kimberly Chastain
“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 Chris Bartlette
Call to Worship Rev. Kimberly Chastain
Jesus Christ, you are the Light of the World;
a light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening…
And the day is almost over.
Let your light kindle the darkness,
and shine within your people here.
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 Mark 3:20-27 (or yours)
Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.
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 Chris Bartlette
Cover: Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae sistematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros. Anno 1057. Noli me tangere. (Compendium of demons and cabbalistic and magical signs and sigils, c. 1775) Public Domain.