good evening and welcome as this sunday the 16th of august comes to a close here at canterbury cathedral we've had an afternoon of heavy rain but it's stopped now and the garden feels cool and is full of the freshness of rain having fallen on the plants and grass there are two people who have had anniversary birthdays this weekend one of them edith nesbit the novelist and also political activist but she was probably best known for her book children's book the railway children and we remember her she's buried here in kent on the marsh at the church of saint mary in the marsh and as we reflect right at the end of our service on our candle i shall read her poem a kentish garden the other is t e lawrence lawrence of arabia who was born on this day in 1888 famous for his seven pillars of wisdom and also for the activism that caused him to go out from here to be lawrence of arabia i found a quote from his that i thought was really a good quote for any kind of creative work and he wrote all the revision in the world will not save a bad first draft for the architecture of the thing comes or fails to come in the first conception and revision only affects the detail and ornament alas i know that to be so true but also the other quote which came right at the end of the great war when the piece of versailles was signed and he found himself full of disappointment here it is and perhaps it's a warning for us as we look to the future following this pandemic yet when we achieved and the new world dawned the old men came out again and took our victory to remake it in the likeness of the former world they knew youth could win but had not learned to keep and was pitiably weak against age we stammered that we had worked for a new heaven and a new earth and they thanked us kindly and made their peace so we say our little service of compline the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end our men sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the face 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 oh 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 we say some verses from psalm 91 and 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 buckler 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 it destroyeth in the noonday a thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nighty 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 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 o lord out 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 i commend my spirit 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 dost live and reign eternally amen keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of my wings so this time in our service we light our evening candle in commemoration of those whom we have known and loved who have died and any who have died this week both from the virus and for any other reason rest eternal grant unto them oh lord and let light perpetual shine upon them save us o 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 thy thy servant 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 o 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 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 lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen we will lay us down in peace and take our rest blessed art thou o lord god of our forebears and to be praised and glorified forever let us bless the father the son and the holy ghost let us praise and exalt him above all forever blessed art thou o lord in the firmament of heaven and to be praised and glorified and exalted above all forever the almighty and merciful lord guard us and give us his blessing amen vouch safe oh lord to keep us this night without sin o lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy enlighten upon us as our trust is in thee lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee let us pray visit we beseech thee o lord our homes and drive far from them all snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell therein 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 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 moment of silence for our own prayers for those whom we love and those we would pray for on this sunday evening 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 soothe thy suffering ones pity thine afflicted ones and all for thy love's sake and the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and if his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost be upon you upon those whom you love and those you would pray for tonight and always amen a kentish garden a poem by edith nesbit there is a grey walled garden far away from noise and smoke of cities where the hours pass with soft wings among the happy flowers and lovely leisure blossoms every day they're tall and white perceptual lilly blows there grow the pansy pink and columbine brave hollyhocks and star white jessamine and the red glory of the royal rose their greeny glowworms gem the dusky lawn the lime trees breathe their fragrance to the night pink roses sleep and dream that they are white until they wake to color with the dawn now in the splendor of the sultry noon the sunshine sleeps upon the garden bed where the white poppy droops a drowsy head and dreams of kisses from the white full moon and there some days all wild with wind and rain the tossed trees show the white side of their leaves while the great drops drip from the ivy eaves and birds are still till the sun shines again [Music] [Music] [Music] now [Music] uh