All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (March 27, 2022)
One or more candles may be lit.
Bless be God who forgives all our sins
God’s mercy endures forever
EVENING HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear Joyous Light of Glorious God from Kent Gustavson’s Mountain Vespers.
Joyous light of glorious God,
heavenly, holy, Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
and we look to the ev’ning light.
We sing to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our voices pure voices together.
O precious God, giver of life,
we sing your praises forever.
Joyous light of glorious God,
heavenly, holy, Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
and we look to the ev’ning light.
We sing to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our voices pure voices together.
O precious God, giver of life,
we sing your praises forever.
PRAYER OF 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 might learn to be your people once more.
In fasting and service
you bring us back to your heart.
You open our eyes to your presence in the world
and you 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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 141 from Kent Gustavson's Mountain Vespers.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O God, I call you; come to me quickly;
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth,
and guard the doors of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
Never occupied in wickedness.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
My eyes are turned to you, O God,
in you I take refuge.
My eyes are turned to you, O God,
Strip me not of my life.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Silence is kept.
May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense, and may your presence surround and fill us, so that in union with all creation, we might sing your praise and your love in our lives. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Christ's Ambassadors
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
HOMILY
Stand-Ins for Jesus
Jim Egli has an article posted on the internet, titled “4 Powerful Questions to Engage Your Small Group in Any Bible Passage.” In the article he gives four questions to guide a small group in studying a passage from the Scriptures. After I read the article, I thought that I would look at today’s reading, using the questions that Jim Egli recommends.
You may find these questions useful in your own small group or personal Bible study. If you want to read his article yourself, the link is https://jimegli.com/4-powerful-questions-to-engage-your-small-group-in-any-bible-passage/.
The first question is “What stands out to you in this passage?”
When I look at the passage several things stand out. One is that when we begin the new life, we see Jesus and other people differently. We do not see them as we use to do. Jesus is the Lord of our life and the King of our heart. Jesus teaches us to love people. Loving them means caring about them, forgiving them, and treating them with grace and kindness.
The second thing that stands out is that God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. We are stand-ins for Jesus. We are to do the job that Jesus was doing, and we are to take his place in the world because he is now in heaven.
The next question is “What do you think the main point is?”
Put another way, "What is Paul getting at in this passage?"
The work of reconciling humankind to himself did not end with Jesus. It continues with us. We have been entrusted with a very important task. What’s more God expects us to carry it out. He doesn’t expect us to sit on our thumbs and diddle around.
The third question is “What would it look like if Christ-followers totally applied this lesson (or obeyed this principle) in their lives today?”
Christians would be giving more attention to Jesus’ teachings and example. An important part of being a stand-in for Jesus is living your life according to what Jesus taught and practiced. Being a stand-in for someone else is what an ambassador is.
Surveys show that people who do not yet know Jesus are more likely to give a hearing to someone who lives their life in accordance with Jesus’ teachings and example.
Christians would be exhibiting that generous forgiveness which the father shows his youngest son in today’s gospel reading, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and which his older brother begrudges. They would be showing grace and kindness to everyone.
Christians would be spending more time with people who do not yet know Jesus. They would be forming friendships with them. They would be listening to them. They would be having spiritual conversations with them. They would be loving them with the same kind of self-sacrificing love that Jesus showed.
Christians would not be picking fights with people on social media. They would not be acting like jerks around people whom they hope to reach with the gospel. They would not be giving their brothers and sisters in Christ and other people the cold shoulder, ghosting them, flying off the handle at them, giving them the silent treatment, or otherwise treating them abominably. They certainly would not be canceling people.
The final question is “What is one way you can apply this truth to your life this week?”
I leave to you to decide what you are going to do but do something. If you are uncertain about what to do, pray about it. Ask God’s guidance.
When you have decided what you are going to do, write it down. Here is where keeping a journal can be helpful. Writing down what we are going to do enables us to be more specific. It helps us to come up with something doable.
Once you have gotten it on paper, do it!
You may be tempted to procrastinate, to drag your feet. You may feel apprehensive and uncertain.
Remember the words of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” However difficult a task may be, we can only complete it if we first start it.
The journey on which you are beginning is a journey in which you will fulfilling God’s will for you. God will be your companion and guide on that journey. He will be the path beneath your feet, and he will be your destination. Link your arm in his and take that first step. Leave you reluctance and your fears behind you. God will be with you always.
SONG OF PRAISE
Open this link in a new tab to hear the Magnificat from Kent Gustavson’s Mountain Vespers.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
1 You O God have done great things
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you
n ev’ry generation.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
2 You have shown the strength of your arm,
you have scattered the proud in their conceit.
You have cast the might down from thrones
and have lifted up the lowly.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
3 You have filled the hungry with good things,
the rich you have sent away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel
you’ve remembered your promise of mercy.
The promise you made
to Sarah and Abraham.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
Glory to you, O Lord our God
With your love and power.
Glory to you, O Lord our God
With your love and power.
Amen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
With confidence and trust let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those preparing for baptism and for their teachers and sponsors, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For peace in the world, that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy
For all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For grace to amend our lives and to further the reign of God, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
The Collect
We praise you God,
that the light of Christ shines in our darkness
and is never overcome;
show us the way we must go to eternal day;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
RESPONSE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s “God Sends Us Forth.”
God sends us forth to love and serve,
make known God’s name and live God’s word,
mirror God’s love and reflect God’s grace
till all have seen the Savior’s face.
Nourished by Christ with word and bread;
burning with love and Spirit led,
sent to embrace the world in need,
to make God known in word and deed.
Called to the ones the world ignores—
hungry and thirsty, weak and poor—
let us be Christ who heals all pain
and comforts those with guilt or shame.
So, with the cross to lead the way,
let us go forth in peace today
till ev’ry end of earth has known
the saving love of God alone.
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.
SOLEMN PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Look with compassion, O Lord,
upon this your people;
that rightly observing this holy season
they may learn to know you more fully,
and to serve you with a more perfect will;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The first question is “What stands out to you in this passage?”
When I look at the passage several things stand out. One is that when we begin the new life, we see Jesus and other people differently. We do not see them as we use to do. Jesus is the Lord of our life and the King of our heart. Jesus teaches us to love people. Loving them means caring about them, forgiving them, and treating them with grace and kindness.
The second thing that stands out is that God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. We are stand-ins for Jesus. We are to do the job that Jesus was doing, and we are to take his place in the world because he is now in heaven.
The next question is “What do you think the main point is?”
Put another way, "What is Paul getting at in this passage?"
The work of reconciling humankind to himself did not end with Jesus. It continues with us. We have been entrusted with a very important task. What’s more God expects us to carry it out. He doesn’t expect us to sit on our thumbs and diddle around.
The third question is “What would it look like if Christ-followers totally applied this lesson (or obeyed this principle) in their lives today?”
Christians would be giving more attention to Jesus’ teachings and example. An important part of being a stand-in for Jesus is living your life according to what Jesus taught and practiced. Being a stand-in for someone else is what an ambassador is.
Surveys show that people who do not yet know Jesus are more likely to give a hearing to someone who lives their life in accordance with Jesus’ teachings and example.
Christians would be exhibiting that generous forgiveness which the father shows his youngest son in today’s gospel reading, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and which his older brother begrudges. They would be showing grace and kindness to everyone.
Christians would be spending more time with people who do not yet know Jesus. They would be forming friendships with them. They would be listening to them. They would be having spiritual conversations with them. They would be loving them with the same kind of self-sacrificing love that Jesus showed.
Christians would not be picking fights with people on social media. They would not be acting like jerks around people whom they hope to reach with the gospel. They would not be giving their brothers and sisters in Christ and other people the cold shoulder, ghosting them, flying off the handle at them, giving them the silent treatment, or otherwise treating them abominably. They certainly would not be canceling people.
The final question is “What is one way you can apply this truth to your life this week?”
I leave to you to decide what you are going to do but do something. If you are uncertain about what to do, pray about it. Ask God’s guidance.
When you have decided what you are going to do, write it down. Here is where keeping a journal can be helpful. Writing down what we are going to do enables us to be more specific. It helps us to come up with something doable.
Once you have gotten it on paper, do it!
You may be tempted to procrastinate, to drag your feet. You may feel apprehensive and uncertain.
Remember the words of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” However difficult a task may be, we can only complete it if we first start it.
The journey on which you are beginning is a journey in which you will fulfilling God’s will for you. God will be your companion and guide on that journey. He will be the path beneath your feet, and he will be your destination. Link your arm in his and take that first step. Leave you reluctance and your fears behind you. God will be with you always.
SONG OF PRAISE
Open this link in a new tab to hear the Magnificat from Kent Gustavson’s Mountain Vespers.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
1 You O God have done great things
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you
n ev’ry generation.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
2 You have shown the strength of your arm,
you have scattered the proud in their conceit.
You have cast the might down from thrones
and have lifted up the lowly.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
3 You have filled the hungry with good things,
the rich you have sent away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel
you’ve remembered your promise of mercy.
The promise you made
to Sarah and Abraham.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For you have looked with favor on your lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
Glory to you, O Lord our God
With your love and power.
Glory to you, O Lord our God
With your love and power.
Amen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
With confidence and trust let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those preparing for baptism and for their teachers and sponsors, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For peace in the world, that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy
For all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For grace to amend our lives and to further the reign of God, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Free Prayer
In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.
The Collect
We praise you God,
that the light of Christ shines in our darkness
and is never overcome;
show us the way we must go to eternal day;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
RESPONSE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s “God Sends Us Forth.”
God sends us forth to love and serve,
make known God’s name and live God’s word,
mirror God’s love and reflect God’s grace
till all have seen the Savior’s face.
Nourished by Christ with word and bread;
burning with love and Spirit led,
sent to embrace the world in need,
to make God known in word and deed.
Called to the ones the world ignores—
hungry and thirsty, weak and poor—
let us be Christ who heals all pain
and comforts those with guilt or shame.
So, with the cross to lead the way,
let us go forth in peace today
till ev’ry end of earth has known
the saving love of God alone.
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.
SOLEMN PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Look with compassion, O Lord,
upon this your people;
that rightly observing this holy season
they may learn to know you more fully,
and to serve you with a more perfect will;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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