good evening and welcome on this sunday the 20th of september as we come to say our final prayers for this day and the little office of compline here under the trees in front of the fern garden at the scenery and the the water which gives that garden moisture is trickling down behind me it's been the most lovely day here in canterbury and wherever you are in the world please feel free to join us and feel welcome as we say our evening prayers this is the first evening of the feast of saint matthew these these major feasts begin with even song on the eve of the feast itself so even song having happened we are in the compass of the feast of the apostles in matthew tomorrow morning at morning prayer we will think about the role of that apostle within the twelve but let's think this evening for a moment about that gospel which bears his name the gospel of saint matthew we tend sometimes to harmonize the gospel in our mind and if asked where does that particular story appear it would seem well of course it's in the gospel or where does that particular insight come from or that emphasis and we think well of course it's in the gospel but what the four names give us is a sense of individ individuality and distinctiveness we've been following because that's the way our lectionary gave us the lessons at morning prayer for many weeks now the writings of saint luke both in the acts of the apostles which were following through at the moment and earlier in the gospel which he researched as probably a gentile of greek speaking origin luke the physician who sets out his intention to theophilus whether an imaginary reader or a real person we don't know he sets out his intention to record by memory in the later part of the acts or by research in the whole of the gospel and the earlier part of the acts by listening to the stories of other eyewitnesses but he comes at it with his own particular distinct emphasis and it's no different with the other three names matthew and mark and john those gospels bear the stamp of an individual discipleship an individual way of telling the good news and ordering the good news it will be exactly the same if you or i told a story so much of it would include parts of our own personality and i for one rejoice in the fact that we have a fulfilled witness to the ministry of our lord jesus christ as our savior here in ordinary human life and also to the passion and the resurrection completely distinct and yet at the same time complementary and as you would from the views of different friends about a particular person you build up a picture and then bring your own reflections and intentions into that tonight as we end this particular sunday in our worship we've reflected on different things and it happened that the gospel this morning came from the gospel of saint matthew as they have done through the ordinary sundays of this year the gospel of the labourers in the vineyard and it always pleases me really that that the the owner of the vineyard goes out at the traditional monastic hours early in the morning nine in the morning 12 noon three in the afternoon then at the time of vespers and then finally as the day closes now at the time of compline and it's a fascinating story but you can hear a sermon all about that if you tune in online to the eucharist from this morning from canon andrew tonight let's just give thanks for the way in which matthew and mark and luke and john give that different emphasis and insight of their own into the ministry and life of our lord and what his ministry meant in terms of the good news right to death for us and beyond i wanted to think a little bit about someone whose birth date it is today charles williams who was born in 1886 he was one of that group of people called the inklings to which both c.s lewis and j.r.r tolkien belonged and also many others i think of adam fox who was the professor of poetry at oxford at that particular time of these inklings and later became a candle of westminster and is buried in poet's corner in westminster abbey charles williams was one of them and they would meet in the pub called the eagle and child in oxford and share their thoughts and conversations much to the benefit of each lewis and tolkien and fox and williams were devout christians tolkien of course a devout roman catholic lewis and fox fox uh a anglican clergyman and also williams who was a parish and a novelist and a thinker and again a devout anglican but of his writings his novels and one thinks of the the the novel war in heaven or descent into hell lewis said it's as though our human world were invaded by something quite marvelous he is probably in his writings one of the most obscure of the inklings and the one who needs most thought spent on him lois lang sims who wrote the most marvelous history of the cathedral here and was here as a a girl growing up and then as a young woman in the years of the war was devoted to him she was if you like one of his disciples and spoke so well of him and in her own writings tried to emulate charles williams so we feel in contrary that we have that special relationship with him but tonight i remember him on the anniversary of his birth and i'm going to to read now of a sonnet by charles williams and during our reflection right at the end when the candle of remembrance is burning i'll read a longer poem of his simply called at easter but this is a sonnet by charles williams and it needs reflection but you will get a style of his work when absence as beneath the moon a cloud love or all reach of circumstance distills devotions convent walls to thee seem vowed and steeped toward thee the paths of labour's hills upon all friendship thou who art no friend or art by but an accident of grace dust indirectly by great worth expend and holds the least acquaintancy in place all friendliness hath reason for its cause as born of honor custom or delight but thou unreasonably the fount of laws to thine own harm thus lesser loves in sight such strength springs in them from thy love o rare that with thyself they vie and would compare williams in full devotion to the person of christ who gave himself to us in love in ways which puzzle and sometimes hide themselves but sometimes make themselves so plain that as lewis said it's as if something marvelous had invaded our world on this night then when we give thanks for the distinctiveness of the inklings uh we give thanks also for the distinctiveness of the evangelists john and mark and luke and on his feast day matthew let's say our compline and then as the candle burns i shall read the other charles williams poem the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end amen be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about whom seeking whom he may resi who whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the faith but thou o lord have mercy upon us thanks be to god our help is in the name of the lord who has made heaven and earth we confess to god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost before the whole company of heaven that we have sinned exceedingly in thought word and deed through our fault our own fault our own grievous fault therefore we pray god to have mercy upon us almighty god have mercy upon us forgive us all our sins and bring us to everlasting life amen turn us so god our savior and let thine anger cease from us oh god make speed to save us oh lord make haste to help us 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 so we say psalm 91 and psalm 134 who so dwelleth under the defense of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty i will say unto the lord thou art my hope and my stronghold my god in him will i trust for he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noisome pestilence he shall defend thee under his wings and thou shalt be safe under his feathers his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and butler thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noonday a thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neither yea with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the ungodly for thou lord art my hope thou has set thine house of defense very high there shall no evil happen unto thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone thou shalt go upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet because he has set his love upon me therefore will i deliver him i will set him up because he has known my name he shall call upon me and i will hear him yea i am with him in trouble i will deliver him and bring him to honor with long life will i satisfy him and show him my salvation 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 behold now praise the lord all ye servants of the lord ye that by night stand in the house of the lord even in the courts of the house of our god lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the lord the lord that made heaven and earth give the blessing out of zion 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 thou o lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not o lord our god thanks be to god into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me o lord thou god of truth glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit before the ending of the day creator of the world we pray that with thy wanted favor thou wouldst be our guard and keeper now from all ill dreams defend our eyes from nightly fears and fantasies tread underfoot our ghostly foe that no pollution we may know oh father that we ask be done through jesus christ thine only son who with the holy ghost and thee doth live and reign eternally are men keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings so this time in our evening prayer we light a candle of memory for those whom we have known and loved whom we have treasured and valued in the past and those whom we have heard of who have died this week for whatever reason and we commend them into the hands of almighty god [Music] so rest eternal grant unto them oh lord and let light perpetual shine upon them may they rest in peace and rise in glory amen save us our lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord now let us thou thy servants depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people israel 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 save us our lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord have mercy upon us christ have mercy upon us lord have mercy upon us so in whatever language we would normally use and in whichever way we would like to say it we use the prayer our savior taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men we will lay us down in peace and take our rest right safe o lord to keep us this night without sin oh lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in the lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee visit we beseech thee oh lord our homes and drive far from them all the snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace and may thy blessing be upon us ever more through jesus christ our lord amen be present oh merciful god and protect us through the silent hours of this night so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may repose upon thy eternal changelessness through jesus christ our lord amen we keep silent for a moment for our own prayers and intentions for others on this night watch thou dear lord with those who wake or watch or weep tonight and give thine angels charge over those who sleep tend thy sick ones o lord christ rest thy weary ones bless thy dying ones sooth thy suffering ones pity thine afflicted ones and all for thy love's sake amen the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for this night and always amen [Music] at easter the kings and lords took up their swords and compassed me about the slaves desired to see my woe the free men mocked my overthrow the women cast me out on me that hour the cross had power i stretched my hands to death strong in his ancient pride he came and in my arms he heard my name man's doom no more he says for now i walk while many talk in babel of hard speech and even on the bridge i built where on of late my blood was spilt by all men and for each though creed on creed be raised at need and shattered soon of right yet still i teach by sure degrees the rulers of the pharisees who come to me by night though age on age the people's rage the kings of earth stand up yet still within the upper room i bless i break the bread of doom i bless i pass the cup though nations be it enmity and battle do not cease neighbor with neighbor be it feud yet still i move in quietude and where i go is peace though earth be still in depth of ill and dream of me in scorn for me their strife the faint the dead the marshals of my hosts are led by crying babes newborn as a clear star the ages are the night is and they pass but till ye walk and listen here you are but shaken in their fear as in the wind the grass [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] you