All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (June 26, 2022)

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE LIGHT

One or more candles may be lit.

Grace, mercy and peace to us
from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are in the midst of us, O Lord;
and we are called by your name.

EVENING HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Liturgical Folk’s setting of the Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light.”

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Thou art worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
thou art worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

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, ruler of the universe!
Your word brings on the dusk of evening,
your wisdom creates both night and day.
You determine the cycles of time,
arrange the succession of seasons,
and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.
Lord of the starry hosts is your name.
Living and eternal God, rule over us always.
Blessed be the Lord, whose word makes evening fall.
Amen.

HYMN OF THE DAY

Open this link in a new tab to hear Selah’s arrangement of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.

A Ta Nge Buya, Mono Ta Kwenda (Even If You Reject Him, I Still Will Go)
A Ta Nge Buya, Mono Ta Kwenda (Even If You Reject Him, I Still Will Go)
A Ta Nge Buya, Mono Ta Kwenda (Even If You Reject Him, I Still Will Go)
Vutuka Ve, Vutuka Ve (No turning back, no turning back)

The world behind me, the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me;
no turning back, no turning back,
no turning back, no turning back.

SCRIPTURE

Luke 9:51-62 The Cost of Following Jesus

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village.

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![c] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Silence is kept.

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

HOMILY

No Part-Time Disciples

In today’s reading, Luke 9: 51-62, James and John want Jesus to call down fire on a Samaritan village because the villagers did not welcome them since they were on their way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans believed that God had chosen Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem’s Mount Zion as the location for his temple. Consequently, they were not friendly toward pilgrims to Jerusalem which they apparently assumed that Jesus and his companions were.

Jesus, however, rebukes James and John. Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 55 and an additional sentence in verse 56: And he said, “You don’t realize what your hearts are like. For the Son of Man has not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”

We learn in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles that God’s mercy extends not just to the Jews but also to the Samaritans and the Gentiles. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be sent to the Jews and to the Jews alone. For this reason, some Jewish believers were insistent that Gentiles before they could become disciples of Jesus should undergo circumcision if they were male and should become Jews and keep all the requirements of the Mosaic Code.

We encounter a similar sentiment among some modern-day Christians. These Christians are insistent that non-believers must adopt what they consider “Biblical values” before they will recognize them as believers.

Jesus, however, we learn from today’s reading, has only two requirements for those who would be his disciples. They must understand that the path they are choosing is not an easy one and they must show no hesitation to follow him. Jesus tells one man who says that he will follow Jesus anywhere that the life of his disciples is not an easy life. He can expect hardship.

Jesus calls two men to follow him, but both display hesitance. One man responds that he will follow Jesus after he buries his father. Since he is evidently among those who gathered to hear Jesus, his father could not have been dead or dying. As a son whose father had died or was on the point of death, he would have been at his father’s house or on his way there. He would not have been hanging about, listening to Jesus.

The second man asks Jesus to let him go and say ‘goodbye’ to his family. Jesus’ reply may puzzle modern-day readers of Luke’s Gospel who are unfamiliar with the agricultural practices of the time. In the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry ploughs were drawn by oxen. A ploughman had to give the task of ploughing his full attention in order to drive the furrows straight. In saying “goodbye,” to his family, the second man might have had second thoughts. His family might have dissuaded him from what to them might have appeared an unwise decision, following an itinerant preacher about whom they had heard all kinds of stories—some good and others bad.

Those who decide to follow him must do so with open eyes and not half-heartedly is the point Jesus is making. Serving God’s Kingdom requires their full commitment, their complete dedication.

Being a follower of Jesus is not something that we can do part of the time when we feel like it. Being a disciple of Jesus, witnessing to him and for him, and following his teaching and example requires our total devotion. For this reason, Jesus warned would-be followers to count the cost before choosing to respond to his call. He also warned them that following him would cause division in families, setting family members against each other.

To those who do respond to Jesus’ call, God provides an infinite supply grace. God also transforms them into channels of grace for their fellow disciples.

John Wesley realized this when he formed those spiritually awakened by his preaching into societies and the societies into classes, small groups of about twelve people for mutual accountability, encouragement, and support. The coals of a fire when heaped together will burn brightly, but when they scattered apart from each other will slowly die.

Many local churches would benefit from the formation of similar groups in their congregations.

Following Jesus is not something that we do alone but in the company of others. Loving one another as Jesus commanded his disciples goes beyond having affectionate feelings for each other or a positive attitude toward each other. It involves “watching over one another in love” and helping each other grow and mature spiritually. We do everything that we can to build each other up and to enable each other to bear much fruit to God’s glory.

Silence is kept.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

Open this link to hear the Liturgical Folk’s setting of our Lord’s Summary of the Law, “Jesus Creed.”

Jesus said
The first commandment is this:
Hear O Israel
The Lord our God is the only Lord.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
Amen.

SONG OF PRAISE

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Liturgical Folk’s setting of the Magnificat, “Song of Mary.”

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Let us pray.

God, most gracious and most holy,
grant us the help of your Spirit
as we pray for the Church and the world.

We pray for the Church in every land . . .
for this church and for other local churches . . .
that we may worship and serve you
with reverence and joy.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for the peoples of the world . . .
and for the leaders of the nations . . .
that all may work together for justice and peace.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for those who are ill or distressed . . .
for the lonely and the bereaved . . .
and for those in any other need or trouble . . .
that they may be comforted and sustained.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Father, we remember before you
all your servants who have died in the faith of Christ . . .
We pray that we too may lead faithful and godly lives in this world,
and finally share with all the saints in everlasting joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect

O God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
Pour into our hearts such love towards you,
that, loving you above all things,
we may obtain your promises
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

RESPONSE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Joh L. Bell’s “Kyrie (Columbia)”

Lord, have mercy upon is.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon is.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

As our Saviour taught his disciples,
we pray:

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.

BLESSING

The blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
remain with us always. Amen.