toward evening as the light failed and the pear tree at my window darkened i put down my book and stood at the open door the first raindrops gusting in the eaves a smell of wet clay in the wind sixty years ago lying beside my father half asleep on a bed of pine barrels as rain drummed against our tent i heard for the first time a loon sudden whale drifting across that remote lake a loneliness like no other though what i heard as inconsolable may have been only the sound of something untamed and nameless singing itself to the wilderness around it and to us until we slept and thinking of my father and of good companions gone into oblivion i heard the steady sound of rain and the soft lapping of water and did not know whether it was grief or joy or something other that surged against my heart and held me listening there so long and late that poem is called rain by peter everwine welcome to canterbury cathedral on a rainy night as we've come to say compline and we've sought the shelter of the greenhouse where the sweet smell of the jasmine and flowers around us is very powerful if you have an interest in the stars and the night sky you may have realized that this morning about an hour before dawn it was possible in the dark sky to see the crescent moon and jupiter and mars and venus and mercury all in the same sky somewhere over in the east and two were over in the west but it's an odd night it gives us that kind of configuration a wonderful kind of configuration and it causes me before we start complin to remember that tomorrow is the anniversary of the birth of the poet petrarch was born in 1304 and who wrote this wonderful sonnet which talks about god's mastery in creation and his focusing down on the humility of the mother of our lord in a little village and also our lord's own birth not in rome but in judea here it is a sonnet by petrarch what infinite providence and art he showed in his wonderful mastery who created this and the other hemisphere and jupiter far gentler than mars descending to earth to illuminate the page which had for many years concealed the truth taking john from the nets and peter and making them part of heaven's kingdom it did not please him to be born in rome but in judea to exalt humility to such a supreme state always pleases him and now from a little village a sun is given such that the place and nature praise themselves out of which so lovely a lady is born to the world we give thanks for our lord's incarnation and for the humility of the blessed virgin mary in that almost hidden part of the mediterranean world let's say our evening prayer in compline 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 seeking 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 hath made heaven and earth so for a moment we reflect on the day before we say prayers of penitence 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 though god makes 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 31 and psalm 134 in thee o lord have i put my trust let me never be put to confusion deliver me in thy righteousness bow down thine ear to me make haste to deliver me and be thou my strong rock and house of defense that thou may save me for thou art my strong rock and my castle be thou also my guide and lead me for thy name's sake draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strengths into thy hands 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 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 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 so we use as our compliment hymn this evening the evening hymn written by rh robinson holy father cheer our way with thy love's perpetual ray grant us every closing day light at evening time holy saviour calm our fears when earth's brightness disappears grant us in our latter years light at evening time holy spirit be thou nigh when in mortal pains we lie grant us as we come to die light at evening time holy blessed trinity darkness is not dark with thee those thou keepist always see light at evening time keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings so we come at this time in compline to light our candle in memory of those whom we have loved of those who have died recently and as we name them in our hearts and remember them we remember also in our prayers those who still grieve for them and ask for them light at evening tide [Music] rest eternal grant unto them oh lord and let light perpetual shine upon them 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 out 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 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 we say each in our own language and in whichever way we like to say it the prayer our lord 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 amen we will lay us down in peace and take our rest blessed art thou o lord god of our fathers and to be praised and glorified forever let us bless the father and 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 guide us and give us his blessing vouch safe o lord to keep us this night without sin o lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee oh lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee let us pray visit we beseech the 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 the lord who by triumphing over the power of darkness did prepare our place in the new jerusalem grant us who have this day given thanks for thy resurrection to praise thee in the eternal city whereof thou art the light wherewith the father and the holy ghost thou livest and rainest one god world without end 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 so a few moments of silence before the blessing and then a reflection and a poem as we concentrate on the candle of remembrance oh 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 spirit be upon you this night and always amen edgar guest was a popular poet early in the 20th century one of his poems is called have you earned your tomorrow as we say this poem we give thanks that probably none of us have earned our tomorrow it's only by god's grace that we shall wake to the new day fresh and forgiven here's the poem is anybody happier because you passed his way does anyone remember that you spoke to them today this day is almost over and its toiling time is through is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along or a churlish sort of howdy and then vanish in the throng were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today can you say tonight in parting with the day that's slipping fast that you helped a single person of the many that you passed is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said is there one whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead did you waste the day or lose it was it well or sorely spent did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent as you close your eyes in slumber do you think that god would say you have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today watch now dear lord with those who wake or watch or weep tonight 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 [Music] uh