A Brief History of Evening Prayer (Evensong) or Compline
The practice of saying prayers at fixed hours of the day or night was general among the Jewish community in the time of primitive Christianity. The early Christians adopted this practice as seen in the Acts of the Apostles in Chapters 10 and 16.
The 7-9 daily offices of prayer were used in the early Basilica churches from the 5th century onward but these were fixed in detail by St. Benedict, of whom you will learn more in the lessons to come. He named them, “Opus dei”, the work of God.
The use of the daily office was introduced in England by the 7th century and the structure of the daily offices continues to resemble the early services from which they grew. It was in the time of the Reformation that their place was taken by what we call Morning and Evening Prayer.

Evening Prayer or Compline (Latin: Completorium)
The last of the daily offices said before retiring for the night. In the western church it received its form from St. Benedict, although there are a number of variations throughout the modern church. Through both Morning and Evening prayer, worshippers read Psalms and the Bible in an orderly and systematic way. We believe that through the individuals in our community praying together in their homes, or wherever they find themselves in the world, we will each find strength in God’s grace to us and also strengthen the life of our community in prayer at All Saints itself.

The Apostles’ Creed
This creed was first found in about 390 C.E. The legend then existed that it was jointly composed by the 12 Apostles. It was quoted in its present form by the 8th century and was used in the daily office between the 7th through 9th centuries.

We find it today as it has been used since the Middle Ages as a statement of faith in our Baptismal Covenant. It emphasizes our belief and that of the newly baptized in God, in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit and their power working through us affects us and God’s created order. In the 20th Century it has been seen as one of the stronger points of agreement in the larger Churches’ discussions for unity.