Evening
Prayer is one of the principal Daily Offices.
Evening Prayer has been the title for the Evening Office in Anglican
worship since the 1552 revision of the Prayer Book. The Book of Common Prayer provides
forms for Daily Evening Prayer in traditional and contemporary language (pp.
61, 115).
Typically,
Evening Prayer at St. Paul’s begins with an opening sentence of scripture
followed by the confession of sin. The
Invitatory includes the canticle Phos Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising
Christ at the lighting of the lamps at sunset.
The office continues with a selection from the Psalter, readings from
scripture followed by canticles (typically the Magnificat and Nunc
dimittis), the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, a set of suffrages, one
or more collects, and the dismissal.