All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (May 15, 2021)

 

Evening Prayer

The Service of Light

Jesus 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 Redeemer God,
You destroyed the bonds of death
and from the darkness of the tomb
drew forth the light of the world.
Led through the waters of death.
we become the children of light
singing our Alleluia
and dancing to the music of new life.
Pour out your Spirit upon us
that dreams and visions bring us
ever closer to the kingdom
of Jesus Christ our Risen Savior.
Through him and in the Holy Spirit
all glory be to you, Almighty Father,
this night and for ever and ever.
Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Peter Inwood’s setting of Psalm 141, “O Lord, Let My Prayer Rise Before You Like Incense.”

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

1. Lord, I am calling:
hasten to help me.
Listen to me as I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

2. Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No, I will never taste their delights.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

3. The good may reprove me,
in kindness chastise me,
but the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Ev’ry day I counter their malice with prayer.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

4 To you, Lord, my God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge;
do not forsake me.
Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do evil.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

5 Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all praise to the life-giving Spirit.
As it was, is now and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you as incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

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 the Crown and the Covenant’s choral arrangement of “Psalm 117—Praise the Lord.”

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
All you nations.
Extol him! Extol him!
All you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
All you nations.
Extol him! Extol him!
All you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.

Silence is kept.

Gracious God,
we praise you for your faithfulness
and pray that every nation may find your blessing
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Open this link to hear John A. Behenke’s arrangement of Martin Luther’s hymn, “All Glory Be to God on High.”

Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest.

1. All glory be to God on high
And thanks for all His favor;
No harm can touch or terrify
A child of God forever.
God shows His good and gracious will
And grants His peace, the world to fill
All strife at last has ended.

Praise be to God, praise be to God, praise be to God in the highest.

2. We praise and laud and worship You;
We give you thanks forever,
O Father, for Your rule is true
And just and changes never.
With boundless pow’r, Your mighty reign
Fulfills whatever You ordain,
Lord, grant us ev’ry blessing

Praise to God, praise to God, praise to God in the highest.

3. O Jesus Christ, the only Son
Begotten of the Father,
Your saving death has made us one
With God and with each other.
O Lamb of God, to You on high
In our distress we sinners cry,
Have mercy on us, amen!

[instrumental interlude]

4. O Holy Spirit, our delight
And source of consolation.
Protect us from the devil’s might
Through Jesus, our salvation,
Who by His death upon a tree
Has rescued us from misery;
To this we hold forever.

Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

Matthew 28: 16-20 The Commissioning of the Disciples

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Silence is kept

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.

The Homily

Team Jesus

Some New Testament scholars claim that today’s reading from the Matthew’s Gospel is an interpolation, a later addition to the gospel, and that it was not originally a part of the gospel. Whether it was originally a part of Matthew’s Gospel or added at a later date, the Christian Church has historically recognized it as the word of God and binding the consciences of Christians. While the New Testament may be a patchwork of documents, written at different times by different authors does not make it any less “God-breathed,” inspired by the Holy Spirit. What we find in the New Testament is not there by accident. It is there because God intended it to be there.

I find it to be ironic that some Christians will take issue with the inspiration of the Bible and at the same time believe that Jesus makes himself present to us in bread and wine. We may not like certain passages in the Bible or the accepted interpretation of these passages but denying the inspiration of the Bible will not solve the problems that these passages may cause us.

There is always the possibility that the way the Church has interpreted a passage may be wrong, that the Church read its own meaning into the passage instead of reading the passage’s meaning from the passage itself. At the same time, we should not be too quick to discard how a passage has been interpreted for a new interpretation which upon close examination does not hold up.

In some cases we may have to admit to ourselves and to others that we do not know what the author of a particular passage was getting at. In the case of today’s reading, this is not the case.

Jesus charged his remaining disciples with the task and responsibility of making more disciples, not just in Judaea and Jerusalem but in the entire world. By “all nations” he meant all people groups—the whole human race. 

It is noteworthy that Jesus gives this commission to them in Galilee, a country of Gentiles, non-Jews. 

We learn from Luke’s Acts of the Apostles that the apostles did not get fully what Jesus was saying and God had to intervene on several occasions to show them that the mission which Jesus had entrusted to them was not just to the Jews but also to the Gentiles—for example, Peter’s vision and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household and friends, Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch, and the persecution that forced the early Christians to leave Jerusalem.

The mission that Jesus entrusted to the eleven disciples was not just to them but to what would become the Church. The apostles were stand-ins for all followers of Jesus, including us. The task and responsibility with which Jesus charged them, he also charged us.

Unfortunately, some Christians have the mistaken notion that making disciples is their pastor’s job. However, Jesus gave that job to all of us.

When we were baptized, or confirmed, and professed our faith in Jesus before the gathered church, we became a member of Team Jesus. Our assignment from that day on has been to make disciples--to point other people to Jesus, and when they accept him as their Saviour and Lord to sponsor and prepare them for baptism, to take part in their baptism, to form and mentor them as a follower of Jesus and instruct them in what Jesus commanded. We are not only to teach them how Jesus expects his followers to live their lives and to be a bright light shining in a dark world, but also we are set an example for them. We are to live our lives Jesus’ way in front of their eyes.

“Whoa,” you may be thinking, “did I sign up for that?!” “I thought that all I had to do to be a Christian was to believe in Jesus, not to do anything bad, to go to church, to pay my tithe, to listen to sermons, to receive communion, and to be a helper to the pastor.”

That is only a part of the life of a follower of Jesus. As for being a helper to the pastor, the pastor is supposed to be a helper to us. Pastors are supposed to equip the congregations in their care for the work of ministry. Yes, you heard it right! We all are ministers, servants of God. God has given us different gifts according to the measure of grace given to us, gifts to be used to build up the Body of Christ. Jesus, however, has entrusted us to all of us the mission of making disciples.

Making disciples is not as hard as we might think. It has its challenges, but they are not insurmountable. It means mingling with people who, unlike us, are not Christians, and forming genuine friendships with them. 

“But they are weird. They do not think like I do!” That is not a problem. They think that we are weird and do not think like they do. We already have common ground with them. The more we get to know them and the more they get to know us, the weirdness will not seem quite as weird.

Making disciples means really listening to the non-Christians whom we have befriended, to let them do the talking. Our job is not to sell them on Jesus, not to jump in at the first opportunity with a sales pitch. If the conversation turns to spiritual matters, our job is to hear them out, to let them know that we hear what they are saying.

Making disciples means praying for our non-Christian friends, helping them when we can, and showing them the love of Jesus. 

When the opportunity arises, the time is right, and we experience the nudging of the Holy Spirit, we point them to Jesus. We may share with them how Jesus touched our lives or the life of someone else or answer their questions about Jesus and what he means to us. There is no one way of pointing someone to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will give us the words to say. 

If they express an interest in learning more about Jesus and the life of a follower of Jesus, we encourage their interest. We may agree to meet with them for that purpose. We may encourage them to join our small group.

One-to-one discipling is a good place to start. In one-to-one discipling it is best to stick to who Jesus claimed that he was and what he taught and exemplified.

If they do not show any interest, we keep being their friend, praying for them, and showing them Jesus’s love. We do not and I emphasize do not cut them loose because they do not appear responsive. Our friendship toward them, our love toward them, must be genuine. It should not be conditional on the possibility that they may become a follower of Jesus through our witness to them. God works in each of us his own way and his own time.

We bear fruit not in the number of scalps on our belt of people we have browbeaten, cajoled, or otherwise induced to say the Sinner’s Prayer, but in the extent that we show and share the love of Jesus with our fellow human beings. We are the servants of a God who is love. We serve him through our loving obedience to his Son, to Jesus, and through our kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and generosity to other human beings. 

We give them one of the most precious gifts that we can give them—our time. We are there for them when they need us. We are not so busy with our own lives that we cannot spare some time to make a difference in the life of someone else. Indeed, the number of our days is a gift from God. It is not our time. It is the time that God has given us to serve him here on earth.

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

Risen, ascended Lord,
as we rejoice at your triumph,
fill your Church on earth with power and compassion,
that all who are estranged by sin
may find forgiveness and know your peace,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen

The Lord's Prayer

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 Leon M. Adkin’s hymn “Go Make of All Disciples.”

1. "Go make of all disciples:"
We hear the call, O Lord,
That comes from thee, our Father,
In thy eternal Word.
Inspire our ways of learning
Through earnest, fervent prayer,
And let our daily living
Reveal you ev'rywhere.

2. "Go make of all disciples."
Baptizing in the name
Of Father, Son, and Spirit
From age to age the same.
We call each new disciple
To follow thee, O Lord,
Redeeming soul and body
By water and the Word.

3. "Go make of all disciples."
We at your feet would stay
Until each life's vocation
Accents thy holy way.
We cultivate the nature
God plants in ev'ry heart,
Revealing in our witness
The Master Teacher's art.

4. "Go make of all disciples."
We welcome thy command;
"Lo, I am with you always."
We take thy guiding hand.
The task looms large before us
We follow without fear.
In heav'n and earth thy power
Shall bring God's kingdom here.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Schneider Kirner’s choral benediction, “From Age to Age.”

Bless to us, O Lord, the earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us, O Lord, the path on which we walk.
Bless to us, O Lord, the heart of our desires.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.

Bless to us this day and bless to us this night.
Bless to us our hands and bless our feet that dance.
Bless us with the dreams on which we set our hopes.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you.

Bless to us the way that leads us back to you.
Bless to us the ones on which we set our love.
Bless us with the grace that leads us to your peace.
From age to age, eternally
may we find rest in you