All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (February 28, 2021)
Evening Prayer
The Service of LightJesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.
Open this link in a new tab to hear David von Kampen’s choral arrangement of “Joyous Light of Glory.”
Joyous light of glory of the immortal Father:
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory,
your glory, your glory.
Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God,
the Shepherd of Israel,
their pillar of cloud by day,
their pillar of fire by night.
In these forty days you lead us
into the desert of repentance
that in this pilgrimage of prayer
we may learn to be your people once more.
In fasting and service you bring us back to your heart.
Open our eyes to your presence in the world
and free our hands to lead others
to the radiant splendour of your mercy.
Be with us in these journey days
for without you we are lost and will perish.
To you alone be dominion and glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Randall De Bruyn’s arrangements of Psalm 141 from The Grail (England).
Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.
I have called to you, Lord, hasten to help me.
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense.
the raising of my hands like the evening oblation.
Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth,
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with those who are sinners.
Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If the righteous strike or reprove me, it is a kindness;
but let the oil of the wicked n’er anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.
To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned;
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe;
Keep me from the snares of those who do evil.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.
Silence is kept.
Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your loving kindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever. Amen.
The Psalms
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ken Canedo’s paraphrase of Psalm 91, “Be With Me, Lord.”
Refrain:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
1 If you seek a shelter,
then come to the Lord, our God.
Say to the Lord,
“My refuge, I put my trust in you.”
Refrain
2 No evil shall snare you,
no harm come upon your home.
God sends to you his angels
to guard you on your way.
Refrain
*3 Your feet shall not stumble;
the angels will lift you high.
You shall defy the viper
and those who cause you harm.
Refrain
4 Because of your love,
because of your faithfulness,
God will indeed be with you
to save you from all fear,
to save from fear.
Final Refrain:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord!
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
When I am in trouble, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord, be with me, Lord.
Be with me, Lord!
*This verse is omitted in the video.
Silence is kept.
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
and, as you have bound us to yourself in love,
leave us not who call upon your name,
but grant us your salvation,
made known in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
Colossians 3: 12-17 The New Life in Christ
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Silence is kept.
Homily
God’s Handiwork
What sets disciples of Jesus apart from the adherents of other faiths? Have you ever thought about it?
Becoming a disciple of Jesus is different from becoming the disciple of a master practitioner of some other religion or philosophy, someone who has practiced its teachings to such an extent that they may have earned the title of sage and they are respected not only for their long practice of these teachings but also for their wisdom. Consequently, those who are attracted to the teachings and practices of that religion or philosophy seek them out in order to become their disciple and to learn from them.
Through the Holy Spirit God works in us, drawing us to Jesus and to himself. He enables us to experience the first stirrings of faith in Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to believe in Jesus, to trust in his words, and to become his disciple.
Through our faith in Jesus, we are not only saved, put right with God, but we are also united with Jesus. It is a spiritual union, and it is the Holy Spirit, God himself indwelling us, who unites us to Jesus and to each other.
We do not become a disciple of Jesus due to his reputation. This is not to say that God cannot use Jesus’ reputation to influence us. We may hear about Jesus from someone else, but it is the Holy Spirit that piques our curiosity and nudges us to check Jesus out.
We can ignore the Holy Spirit and play solitaire. However, God will not give up on us. Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who wanted to chop down a fig tree that was growing in his vineyard because the tree had not produced fruit right away. The gardener persuaded the vineyard owner to give the tree more time. He would dig around the tree and put down fertilizer. The gardener knew that some fig trees bear fruit later than others. Like the gardener, God is not willing to give up on us.
Adopting a new way of life, one that reflects Jesus’ teaching and example, one that sets us apart as a disciple of Jesus, is not something that we do on our own. It arises from our union with Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us—in our innermost being. The Holy Spirit nudges us to make changes in our lives and enables us to make these changes. The changes that we make are testimony to our union with Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in us.
This process is what theologians call sanctification. It does not happen overnight. God does not just zap us and voila we are living our lives as Paul is urging the believers at Colossae to live theirs. In the meantime, we can sit around waiting for God to do his thing. We can keep playing solitaire.
Sanctification requires action on our part. While it is God’s work, it also requires our cooperation. And God, being the gracious God that he is, enables us to cooperate with him.
The word “sanctification” comes from the Latin word “sanctus,” or holy. Sanctification, however, is not just about becoming holier—purer, less sinful, more devoted to God, it is also about becoming godlier—more Jesus-like, more God-like. The qualities in which Paul is urging the Colossian believers to cloth themselves are qualities that Jesus and God exhibit. They are also qualities on which Jesus places a strong emphasis in his teaching.
The old English word for “sanctify,” to make holy or set apart for holy use, is “hallow.” When “hallow” is used as a noun, it refers to a “saint,” one of God’s holy ones, his called-out ones, those whom God has called to be, in the words of the apostle Peter, a “chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood.” Having called us, you and I, God is now “hallowing” us, so we are indeed the “holy priesthood” that he has called us to be.
Before we puff ourselves up with pride, we need to be mindful that God did not choose us because we are exceptional people. While theologians argue over what criteria, if any, God uses in choosing us, one thing that Scripture clearly tells us is that we were chosen to glorify God.
Since we all are “damaged goods” so to speak—full of imperfections and willfully disobedient to boot, it is reasonable to believe that God calls a lot more people than some Christians believe. If God can glorify himself in a few, he can also glorify himself in many. It does not make what God is doing any less amazing!
God, however, does not just make us holy, he also makes us godly. Holiness and godliness go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. Unholy godliness? Holy ungodliness? “It does not compute” as the robot in the 1960s TV series “Lost in Space” would say when it was given an illogical command. The Bible contains a number of paradoxes but this is not one of them.
The qualities in which Paul is urging the Colossian believers to cloth themselves are qualities of godliness. God is a holy God, and they are the qualities of a holy God. They cannot be separated from God’s holiness.
Putting on the new self is tied to putting to death our old way of living. We will exhibit both increasing holiness and godliness in our lives. We may exhibit more of one than the other in particular season of our lives, but if we are indeed becoming one of God’s “hallows,” his saints, we will grow in both holiness and godliness.
God is like a carpenter working on a beautiful handcrafted cherry wood dining table. A master carpenter will not work on the entire table at once. He will work on one part of the table and then another. When he finishes, it will be clear to all that the table is the work of a master craftsman. God is also a master craftsman. He works on us in the same way. He will work on one part of us and then another. When he finishes, it will be clear to all that it is God’s handiwork.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Chaz Bower’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness, Lord.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To all who live in holy fear
Your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lowly throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored,
on God, by all adored.
Intercessions
Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For peace from on high and our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the welfare of all churches and for the unity of the human family, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For (name), our bishop, and (name), our pastor, and for all ministers of the Gospel, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For our nation, its government, and for all who serve and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For this city (town, university, monastery…). For every city and community, and for all those living in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the safety of travelers, the recovery of the sick, the care of the destitute and the release of prisoners, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For an angel of peace to guide and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a Christian end to our lives and for all who have fallen asleep in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
In the communion of the Holy Spirit (and of all the saints), let us commend ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
The Collect
Lighten our darkness,
Lord, we pray,
and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night,
for the love of your only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
And now, as our Saviour has taught us,
we are bold to say,
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
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Dismissal
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “We Are God’s Work of Art.”
Refrain:
God, however, does not just make us holy, he also makes us godly. Holiness and godliness go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. Unholy godliness? Holy ungodliness? “It does not compute” as the robot in the 1960s TV series “Lost in Space” would say when it was given an illogical command. The Bible contains a number of paradoxes but this is not one of them.
The qualities in which Paul is urging the Colossian believers to cloth themselves are qualities of godliness. God is a holy God, and they are the qualities of a holy God. They cannot be separated from God’s holiness.
Putting on the new self is tied to putting to death our old way of living. We will exhibit both increasing holiness and godliness in our lives. We may exhibit more of one than the other in particular season of our lives, but if we are indeed becoming one of God’s “hallows,” his saints, we will grow in both holiness and godliness.
God is like a carpenter working on a beautiful handcrafted cherry wood dining table. A master carpenter will not work on the entire table at once. He will work on one part of the table and then another. When he finishes, it will be clear to all that the table is the work of a master craftsman. God is also a master craftsman. He works on us in the same way. He will work on one part of us and then another. When he finishes, it will be clear to all that it is God’s handiwork.
Silence is kept.
The Gospel Canticle
Open this link in a new tab to hear Chaz Bower’s choral arrangement of “My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness, Lord.”
My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
To all who live in holy fear
Your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lowly throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored,
on God, by all adored.
Intercessions
Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For peace from on high and our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the welfare of all churches and for the unity of the human family, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For (name), our bishop, and (name), our pastor, and for all ministers of the Gospel, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For our nation, its government, and for all who serve and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For this city (town, university, monastery…). For every city and community, and for all those living in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the safety of travelers, the recovery of the sick, the care of the destitute and the release of prisoners, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For an angel of peace to guide and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For a Christian end to our lives and for all who have fallen asleep in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
In the communion of the Holy Spirit (and of all the saints), let us commend ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
The Collect
Lighten our darkness,
Lord, we pray,
and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night,
for the love of your only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
And now, as our Saviour has taught us,
we are bold to say,
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
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Dismissal
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “We Are God’s Work of Art.”
Refrain:
We are God’s work of art,
fashioned in Christ,
fashioned to shine with goodness and light.
As it was from the start
formed by this great, great love,
we are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
1 When we were dead in sin,
you brought us to life in Christ,
and raised us up,
up to the heavens.
Refrain
2 How rich is the grace of God,
how strong is the love of God,
to send us Christ
for our salvation.
Refrain
3 We are strangers no longer,
outcasts no longer,
We are saints
in the house of God.
Refrain
*4 We are the temple that
our God has fashioned in Christ
we are the dwelling place of love.
Refrain
5 From the foundation of the world
you have chosen us,
destined in love to be your sons and daughters,
you have revealed to us the mystery of grace,
to unite all things in Christ.
Final Refrain:
We are God’s work of art,
fashioned in Christ,
fashioned to shine with goodness and light.
As it was from the start
formed by this great, great love,
we are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
We are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
*Omitted in the video.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father,
comfort our hearts and establish them
In every good work and word. Amen
fashioned in Christ,
fashioned to shine with goodness and light.
As it was from the start
formed by this great, great love,
we are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
1 When we were dead in sin,
you brought us to life in Christ,
and raised us up,
up to the heavens.
Refrain
2 How rich is the grace of God,
how strong is the love of God,
to send us Christ
for our salvation.
Refrain
3 We are strangers no longer,
outcasts no longer,
We are saints
in the house of God.
Refrain
*4 We are the temple that
our God has fashioned in Christ
we are the dwelling place of love.
Refrain
5 From the foundation of the world
you have chosen us,
destined in love to be your sons and daughters,
you have revealed to us the mystery of grace,
to unite all things in Christ.
Final Refrain:
We are God’s work of art,
fashioned in Christ,
fashioned to shine with goodness and light.
As it was from the start
formed by this great, great love,
we are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
We are God’s great, wondrous work of art.
*Omitted in the video.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father,
comfort our hearts and establish them
In every good work and word. Amen
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