Evelyn Underhill
Born in 1875, Evelyn Underhill was in her thirties before she began to explore religion. At first, she wrote on the mystics, most notably in her book Mysticism, published in 1911. Her spiritual journey brought her in 1921 back to the Church of England, in which she had been baptised and confirmed. From the mid-1920s, she became highly-regarded as a retreat conductor and an influential spiritual director. Of her many books, Worship, published in 1936, embodied her approach to what she saw as the mystery of faith. She died on this day in 1941. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/5jsbbxkf
You are just, O Lord, and your judgment is right;
treat your servant in accord with your merciful love. Psalm 119
When the soul yields to prayer
The gate made of jacinth
Swings, stands ajar.
Scents out of heavenly places
Storm the sad air
On the gale that blows in the unmeasured spaces
Which link star to star.
Eyes shut to the landscape here where we are
Open elsewhere
When the soul yields to prayer.
The soul deep in prayer
As a hyacinth
Stretcheth forth from its pillar of bloom
Feelers of fragrance unseen
To the edge of the room.
So, held still and serene,
Of its outpouring gift unaware,
With radiance redeeming the gloom,
With sweetness assaulting the air,
Is the soul deep in prayer.
In the triumph of prayer
Twofold is the spell.
With the folding of hands
There’s a spreading of wings.
And the soul’s lifted up to invisible lands
And ineffable peace. Yet it knows, being there,
That it’s close to the heart of all pitiful things;
And it loses and finds, and it gives and demands;
For its life is divine, it must love, it must share
In the triumph of prayer.
In the anguish of prayer
It is well! it is well!
Then only the victory of love is complete,
When the soul on the cross
Dies to all save its loss.
When in utmost defeat
The light that was fair
And the friend who was sweet
Flee away, then the truth of its love is laid bare
In the anguish of prayer. Evelyn Underhill, “Prayer”
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!
HYMN: Benjamin Schmolck; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Unser Herrscher https://tinyurl.com/2b3v5t4a
1 Open now thy gates of beauty,
Zion, let me enter there,
where my soul in joyful duty
waits for him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessed is this place,
filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Lord, my God, I come before thee,
come thou also unto me;
where we find thee and adore thee,
there a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter thou,
let it be thy temple now!
3 Here thy praise is gladly chanted,
here thy seed is duly sown;
let my soul, where it is planted,
bring forth precious sheaves alone,
so that all I hear may be
fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken,
let me keep thy gift divine,
howsoe’er temptations thicken;
may thy Word still o’er me shine
as my guiding star through life,
as my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear thee,
let thy will be done indeed;
may I undisturbed draw near thee
while thou dost thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows,
here is balm for all our woes.
PSALMS
Psalm 78 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uq2kpk3)
1 Hear my law, O my people *
incline your ears unto the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable *
I will declare hard sentences of old;
3 Which we have heard and known *
and such as our fathers have told us;
4 That we should not hide them
from the children of the generations to come *
but to shew the honour of the Lord,
his mighty and wonderful works that he hath done.
5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Israel a law *
which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children;
6 That their posterity might know it *
and the children which were yet unborn;
7 To the intent that when they came up *
they might shew their children the same;
8 That they might put their trust in God *
and not to forget the works of God, but to keep his commandments;
9 And not to be as their forefathers,
a faithless and stubborn generation *
a generation that set not their heart aright,
and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God;
10 Like as the children of Ephraim *
who being harnessed, and carrying bows,
turned themselves back in the day of battle.
11 They kept not the covenant of God *
and would not walk in his law;
12 But forgat what he had done *
and the wonderful works that he had shewed for them.
13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers,
in the land of Egypt *
even in the field of Zoan.
14 He divided the sea, and let them go through *
he made the waters to stand on an heap.
15 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud *
and all the night through with a light of fire.
16 He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth.
17 He brought waters out of the stony rock *
so that it gushed out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him *
and provoked the most Highest in the wilderness.
19 They tempted God in their hearts *
and required meat for their lust.
20 They spake against God also, saying *
Shall God prepare a table in the wilderness?
21 He smote the stony rock indeed,
that the water gushed out, and the streams flowed withal *
but can he give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?
22 When the Lord heard this, he was wroth *
so the fire was kindled in Jacob,
and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel;
23 Because they believed not in God *
and put not their trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the clouds above *
and opened the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna also upon them for to eat *
and gave them food from heaven.
26 So man did eat angels’ food *
for he sent them meat enough.
27 He caused the east-wind to blow under heaven *
and through his power he brought in the south-west-wind.
28 He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust *
and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
29 He let it fall among their tents *
even round about their habitation.
30 So they did eat, and were well filled;
for he gave them their own desire *
they were not disappointed of their lust.
31 But while the meat was yet in their mouths,
the heavy wrath of God came upon them,
and slew the wealthiest of them *
yea, and smote down the chosen men that were in Israel.
32 But for all this they sinned yet more *
and believed not his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity *
and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, they sought him *
and turned them early, and enquired after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their strength *
and that the high God was their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with their mouth *
and dissembled with him in their tongue.
37 For their heart was not whole with him *
neither continued they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave their misdeeds *
and destroyed them not.
39 Yea, many a time turned he his wrath away *
and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise.
40 For he considered that they were but flesh *
and that they were even a wind that passeth away,
and cometh not again.
41 Many a time did they provoke him in the wilderness *
and grieved him in the desert.
42 They turned back, and tempted God *
and moved the Holy One in Israel.
43 They thought not of his hand *
and of the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;
44 How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt *
and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
45 He turned their waters into blood *
so that they might not drink of the rivers.
46 He sent lice among them, and devoured them up *
and frogs to destroy them.
47 He gave their fruit unto the caterpillar *
and their labour unto the grasshopper.
48 He destroyed their vines with hail-stones *
and their mulberry-trees with the frost.
49 He smote their cattle also with hail-stones *
and their flocks with hot thunderbolts.
50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath,
anger, displeasure, and trouble *
and sent evil angels among them.
51 He made a way to his indignation,
and spared not their soul from death *
but gave their life over to the pestilence;
52 And smote all the first-born in Egypt *
the most principal and mightiest in the dwellings of Ham.
53 But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep *
and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.
54 He brought them out safely, that they should not fear *
and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea.
55 And brought them within the borders of his sanctuary *
even to his mountain which he purchased with his right hand.
56 He cast out the heathen also before them *
caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage,
and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
57 So they tempted, and displeased the most high God *
and kept not his testimonies;
58 But turned their backs, and fell away like their forefathers *
starting aside like a broken bow.
59 For they grieved him with their hill altars *
and provoked him to displeasure with their images.
60 When God heard this, he was wroth *
and took sore displeasure at Israel.
61 So that he forsook the tabernacle in Silo *
even the tent that he had pitched among men.
62 He delivered their power into captivity *
and their beauty into the enemy’s hand.
63 He gave his people over also unto the sword *
and was wroth with his inheritance.
64 The fire consumed their young men *
and their maidens were not given to marriage.
65 Their priests were slain with the sword *
and there were no widows to make lamentation.
66 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep *
and like a giant refreshed with wine.
67 He smote his enemies in the hinder parts *
and put them to a perpetual shame.
68 He refused the tabernacle of Joseph *
and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
69 But chose the tribe of Judah *
even the hill of Sion which he loved.
70 And there he built his temple on high *
and laid the foundation of it like the ground
which he hath made continually.
71 He chose David also his servant *
and took him away from the sheep-folds.
72 As he was following the ewes great with young ones he took him *
that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
73 So he fed them with a faithful and true heart *
and ruled them prudently with all his power.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 78, Part I: Tetherdown
1 My people, give ear, attend to my word,
2 in parables new deep truths shall be heard;
the wonderful story ancestors made known
3 to children succeeding by us must be shown.
4 In our instructions we gladly record
the praises, the works, the might of the LORD,
5 for he has commanded that what he decreed
be taught to generations that succeed.
6 Let children thus learn from history’s light
to hope in our God and walk in his sight,
7 the God of their forebears to fear and obey,
and ne’er to forget his deeds nor turn away.
8 The story be told, to warn and restrain,
of hearts that were hard, rebellious, and vain,
9 of soldiers who faltered when battle was near,
10 who kept not God’s covenant nor walked in his fear.
Part II: Old 104th
11 God’s wonderful works to them he had shown,
12 marvelous deeds those before had known;
13 he made for their pathway the waters divide,
14 his glorious pillar of cloud was their guide.
15 He gave them to drink, relieving their thirst,
16 and forth from the rock caused water to burst;
17 yet faithless they tempted their God, and they said,
18-20 “Can he who gave water supply us with bread?”
21 God’s rage was kindled because they forgot
22 to hope in their God, and trusted him not;
23 yet gracious, he opened the doors of the sky
24 and rained down the manna in richest supply.
25 With bread from on high their need he supplied,
and more did he do when thankless they sighed;
26 the strong winds commanding from south and from east
27-28 he sent them abundance of quail for their feast.
29 Though well they were filled, their folly they chose;
30 till God in his wrath o’erwhelmed them with woes;
31 he slew of their strongest and smote their young men,
32-33 but still unbelieving they sinned even then.
34 Because of their sin he smote with his rod,
35 and then they returned and sought for their God;
their rock and redeemer was God the Most high,
36 yet false were their praises, their promise a lie.
Part III: Houghton
37 Not right with their God in heart and in will,
they faithlessly broke his covenant still;
but he, in compassion, reluctant to slay,
forgave them and oft turned his anger away.
38 His pity was great, though often they sinned,
39 for they were but flesh, a swift passing wind;
40 yet though his compassion and grace they beheld,
they tempted and grieved him and often rebelled.
41 They limited God, the Most Holy One,
and hindered the work his grace had begun;
42 the hand that was mighty to save they forgot,
the day of redemption remembering not.
43 Ungrateful and blind, no longer they thought
of wonders and signs and mighty deeds wrought,
44 Of how all the rivers of Egypt ran red,
45-50 and plagues in God’s anger were heaped on their head.
51 They thought not of how, their freedom to gain,
in Egypt’s abodes the first born were slain,
52 and how all God’s people were led forth like sheep,
the flock he delighted in safety to keep.
Part IV: Laudate Dominum
53 Unharmed through the sea, where perished their foe,
he caused them with ease and safety to go;
54 his holy land gaining, in peace they were brought
to dwell in the mountain the Lord’s hand had bought.
55 He gave them the land, a heritage fair;
the nations that dwelt in wickedness there
he drove out before them with great overthrow
and gave to his people the tents of the foe.
56-57 Again they rebelled and tempted the Lord,
58 unfaithful, they turned to idols abhorred,
59 and God in his anger withdrew from them then,
60-61 no longer delighting to dwell among men.
62 He gave them to death in battle, although
his glory and strength were scorned by the foe;
63 their young men were fallen, their maidens unwed,
64 their priest slain in battle, none wept for the dead.
65 Then mercy awoke, the Lord in his might
66-68 returned, and the foes were scattered in flight;
again to his people his favor he showed
69 and chose in Mount Zion to fix his abode.
70-71 His servant he called, a shepherd of sheep,
from tending his flock, the people to keep;
72 so David their shepherd with wisdom and might
protected and fed them and led them aright.
PRAYER
God of pilgrims,
strengthen our faith, we pray.
Guide us through the uncertainties of our journey,
and hold before us the vision of your eternal kingdom,
made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 47:13-31
Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain that they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. When the money from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan was spent, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” And Joseph answered, “Give me your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. That year he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock. When that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We cannot hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the herds of cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Shall we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We with our land will become slaves to Pharaoh; just give us seed, so that we may live and not die and that the land may not become desolate.”
So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe upon them, and the land became Pharaoh’s. As for the people, he made slaves of them from one end of Egypt to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh, here is seed for you; sow the land. And at the harvests you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households and as food for your little ones.” They said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be slaves to Pharaoh.” So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. The land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.
Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen, and they gained possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.
When the time of Israel’s death drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor with you, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal loyally and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my ancestors, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” And he said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the head of his bed.
HYMN: Elizabeth Scott
Tune: Woodworth https://tinyurl.com/yc25rn5s
1 The God of love will sure indulge
The flowing tear, the heaving sigh,
When death inflicts his fatal wound,
When tender friends and kindred die.
2 Yet not one anxious, murmuring thought
Should with our morning passions blend,
Nor would our bleeding hearts forget
The almighty, ever-living Friend.
3 Beneath a numerous train of ills
Our feeble flesh and heart may fail;
Yet shall our hope in thee, our God,
O’er every gloomy fear prevail.
4 Our Father, God! to thee we look,
Our Rock, our Portion, and our Friend;
And on thy covenant love and truth,
Our sinking souls shall still depend.
READING: Acts 4:23-31
After Peter and John were released, they went to their own people and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:
‘Why did the gentiles rage
and the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
“For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
HYMN: Carl Boberg; trans. Stuart K Hine ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/2xuzy5rt
1 O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hands hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]
3 And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
that on the cross my burden gladly bearing
he bled and died to take away my sin; [Refrain]
4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim: “My God, how great thou art!” [Refrain]
READING: Matthew 8:23-27
And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm suddenly arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
CANTICLE Isaiah 60:1-3, 11, 14, 18-19
(BCP 2019/S Wesley)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, *
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land; *
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise, *
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light, *
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open; *
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord, *
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land, *
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation, *
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day; *
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light, *
and your God will be your glory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
THE PRAYERS BCW
We rejoice in your generous goodness, O God,
and celebrate your lavish gifts to us this day,
for you have shown your love
in giving Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.
Especially we give thanks for
the labors of those who have served us today . . .
friends with whom we have shared . . .
those whom we love and have loved us . . .
opportunities for our work to help others . . .
all beauty that delights us. . . .
Gracious God, we know you are close to all in need,
and by our prayers for others we come closer to you.
We are bold to claim for others
your promises of new life in Jesus Christ,
as we claim them for ourselves. Especially we pray for
those in dangerous occupations . . .
physicians and nurses . . .
those who are ill or confined to nursing homes . . .
those who mourn . . .
Setting by Eric Wyse:2
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and 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 for ever. Amen.
O God, Origin, Sustainer, and End of all your creatures: Grant that your Church, taught by your servant Evelyn Underhill, guarded evermore by your power, and guided by your Spirit into the light of truth, may continually offer to you all glory and thanksgiving and attain with your saints to the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have promised by our Savior Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. HWHM
Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © Church Publishing, Inc.
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 78 is a revision of the metrical version in Psalter, 1912. The canticle is from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps.
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2026 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
Oremus 