Vineyard Evensong Part 17
Today let’s talk about a short type of prayer in the evensong liturgy called the Collect.
Each collect follows a general pattern of organization, which includes an opening address to God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, a petition or request with a short description of the hopeful result, and a conclusion that includes a pleading and an amen. Collects are written as a single sentence, which often requires some creative punctuating.
The Collect for Purity is among the best known of the collects:
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy name; through Christ our Lord. AMEN.
This is how its organized into three major sections:
Part 1: Opening Address
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden;
Part 2: Petition
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, (request)
that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, (hopeful result)
Part 3: Conclusion
through Christ our Lord (pleading)
Amen.
In our evensong liturgy we include three collects. The first, the collect of the day, pulls together or collects the unifying thread of the readings for the day.
The Collect of the Day (This changes from Sunday to Sunday reflecting the readings and the liturgical season)
Lord God, let Your continual mercy cleanse and defend Your church, and because it cannot continue in safety without You, preserve and protect it by your goodness and grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
The Second Collect, for Peace
O God, the author of all holy desires, all good purposes, and all just works: grant to us Your servants the peace which passes understanding, so that we, living by trying to do the next right thing, and being delivered from the fear of our enemies, may live in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. AMEN.
The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray: and in Your great mercy defend us from all peril and danger this night; for the love of Your only Son our Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.
