All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (August 28, 2022)

PROCLAMATION OF THE LIGHT

One or more candles may be lit.

All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 14:11

EVENING HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s evening hymn, “O Light Whose Splendor Thrills and Gladdens.”

O Light whose splendor thrills and gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God's unending glory,
O Jesus, blest Anointed One;

as twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.

In all life's brilliant, timeless moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our Life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
eternal creator of day and night,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Now, as darkness is falling,
hear the prayer of your faithful people.
As we look for your coming in glory,
wash away our transgressions,
cleanse us by your refining fire
and make us temples of your Holy Spirit.
By the light of Christ,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
and make us ready to enter your kingdom,
where songs of praise for ever sound.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever. Amen.

HYMN OF THE DAY

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Samuel Bewley Monsell’s “O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness.”

1 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.

2 Low at his feet lay your burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for you,
comfort your sorrows and answer your prayerfulness,
guiding your steps in the way that is true.

3 Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth you would count as your own;
truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness
these are the offerings to bring to his throne.

4 These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.

5 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.

SCRIPTURE

Luke 14:1, 7–14 Jesus Dines in the Home of a Leading Pharisee

One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.

When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Silence

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

HOMILY

A Heart Fixed on God

In his conversations with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law Jesus on a number of occasions takes a truth from Scripture, that is, the Old Testament, and the principle or principles that may be derived from it and applies it to a particular situation. He may expand upon a particular truth and the derivative principle or principles, and he may interpret them in a way differently from the way that those with whom he is talking interpret them.

For us as his disciples the passages of the Old Testament to which Jesus gives the most attention are important as is the weight that he gives to these passages. Jesus’ interpretation and application of a passage of Scripture carries far greater authority for us than how someone else may interpret and apply a passage of Scripture. For this reason, we need more than a passing acquaintance with the Old Testament if we are to full appreciate what Jesus is saying.

We also would benefit from some knowledge of how the various rabbinical schools of the time interpreted the Old Testament.

Jesus’ teaching is also the lens through which we should look at the New Testament as well as the Old Testament.

In today’s gospel reading, Luke 14:1, 7–14, Jesus applies a truth and a principle that may be derived from it, which we find in several forms in a number of places in the Old Testament

1 Samuel 2:7

The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.

Psalm 138: 6

Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.

Proverbs 3:34

The Lord mocks the mockers
but is gracious to the humble.

In the Greek version

The Lord opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.

Proverbs 25:6–7

Don’t demand an audience with the king
or push for a place among the great.
It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Proverbs 29: 23

Pride ends in humiliation,
while humility brings honor.

This truth also appears in several forms in a number of places in the New Testament, including today’s gospel reading.

We find it in Mary’s song of praise to God in response to the angel Gabriel’s announcement that she will be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1: 52),

He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.

This same principle and truth the apostles James and Peter recognize in their epistles (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Both quote the Greek version of Proverbs 3:34:

The Lord opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.

As often as this truth and the several principles derived from it are repeated in the Old Testament one would think that the Pharisees who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture would have given more attention to it. But like what God had said through the prophets about showing compassion and mercy, it was not on their radar screen. It was not something to which they gave any thought. Otherwise, they would not have been scrambling for the best seats.

We can, I believe, safely conclude that it is something which deserves our attention since Jesus brought it to the attention of all who had come to the dinner, that, and the same truth in one form or another and the principles that can be developed from it crop up in the Bible over and over again. God does not think too highly of those who have an overinflated opinion of their own importance and who crave the respect and admiration of others. God is likely to bring them down a peg or two. On the other hand, God shows his favor and goodwill toward those who are not proud and who do not believe that they are important. It is them whom God is likely to use to fulfill his purposes.

Jesus goes on to give this advice to his host:

“When you put on a luncheon or a banquet…, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Jesus may have had Proverb 14:31 in mind.

Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but helping the poor honors him.

Or Proverbs 19: 17

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you!

He may have had other passages of the Old Testament in mind.

From the Old Testament we can gather that God takes a kindly attitude toward the poor and the needy and that he expects us to have same attitude toward them, Jesus himself exemplified that attitude in his earthly ministry. He was generous, helpful, and caring. As his disciples we will want to follow his example.

In his book John Wesley’s Message for Today, Steve Harper points to the attention of his readers that John Wesley, an Anglican priest who was a leading figure in the eighteenth century Evangelical Revival and the founder of the Methodist movement, laid down a number of principles that were intended to help the early Methodists grow in their knowledge of the Scriptures and to enable the Scriptures to have the greatest effect on them. One of these principles is to carefully apply and immediately put into practice what we read. To this end we should ask, “What does this mean for me?” and “How can I put the truth of Scripture to work for the good of others?” whenever we read a passage of Scripture. In this way the Scriptures can serve as an important means of grace for us.

Among the things that we can conclude from today’s gospel reading is that Jesus believed humility and kindness to the poor and the needy were things that we should not take lightly. Humility is not something to disregard as the other guests at the meal were doing. Showing kindness to the less fortunate, “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,” is far more important than having our guests at dinner return our hospitality on some future occasion. This coincides with what Jesus taught about giving without expecting anything in return (Luke 6:35-36).

One of the ways that we show humility is to help in whatever way we can in the different activities related to the various ministries of our church such setting up a student center banquet room for a church service, unloading heavy boxes of canned goods and produce from a truck for distribution to families and individuals in need, preparing a meal for the homeless and the needy, passing out flyers and popsicles at a Fourth of July parade, decorating a van and a trailer for a Christmas parade, collapsing and storing folding chairs at the conclusion of a church function, and other similar things. We may not receive any recognition for what we do but we are not motivated by a desire for recognition. We act out of the belief that what we are doing is the right thing to do, based upon what we understand our Lord to have taught and practiced. It is our intention to please God.

As for showing kindness to the less fortunate, those who do not enjoy the advantages that we enjoy, we can set a good example for our fellow disciples by volunteering for our church’s ministries to the disadvantaged and the disabled; developing and pioneering new ministries to meet their needs; and working with others in our community and the larger world to alleviate homelessness, illiteracy, poverty, and other similar things.

We can become more intentional in identifying needs in our community and individually and collectively do what we can to meet these needs. We can network to help others with those who, while they may not share our beliefs, may share our concerns.

We can perform simple acts of kindness like inviting a poor student or elderly person to our home for a meal and using a part of our own food budget to purchase groceries for a needy family. We can buy school supplies for a child whose family cannot afford to buy them for the child. We can take a child whose family is preoccupied with more than their share of problems on our family vacation These are just a few things that we can do.

There is far more to being a faithful disciple of Jesus than going to church on Sundays, chatting with friends, attending a Sunday school class, listening to the praise band or a choir, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles Creed, trying to look attentive during the pastor’s sermon, putting a check in the collection basket, and taking communion. We can do all of those things and live lives no different from those who sleep in on Sundays or play a few holes of golf. We can do all of them without patterning our lives on Jesus' teaching and his example. Believing in Jesus requires more than kneeling at the communion rail and saying a prayer. It requires that we take Jesus’ words to heart and make them a part of our selves, a part of our lives.

A disciple is a person who not only trusts in Jesus for his salvation but also believes in what Jesus taught and practiced and strives to live their life according to his teaching and example. They are not satisfied to give the appearance of following Jesus so their coreligionists will approve of them and even admire them. They know that God does not judge us by appearances. God examines and weighs the heart.

Any outward change in us must be accompanied by an inward transformation, something John Wesley repeatedly drew to the attention of the early Methodists. It is something that Jesus also drew to the attention of his disciples and the crowds that flocked to hear him. We can act very pious like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, but our hearts can be far from God.

What interests God is the inclination of our heart. Do we have a heart—feelings and a will, that is without any doubt fixed on God? We can deceive ourselves. We can deceive others. But we cannot deceive God.

We are not perfect. We are all works in progress. Our motives at times may be mixed. But God is on whom our heart is centered.

If we have any doubts about on whom our heart is fixed, we can ask God to correct that. We can ask God to firmly center our hearts on him. God will not turn us down.

Silence

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

SONG OF PRAISE

Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas’ adaptation of the Magnificat, “Holy Is His Name.”

My soul is filled with joy
as I sing to God my savior;
you have looked upon your servant,
you have visited your people.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

I am lowly as a child,
but I know from this day forward
that my name will be remembered,
for all will call me blessed.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

I proclaim the pow’r of God,
you do marvels for your servants;
though you scatter the proud hearted
and destroy the might of princes.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

To the hungry you give food,
Send the rich away empty;
In your mercy you are mindful
of the people you have chosen.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

In your love you now fulfill
what you promised to your people
I will praise you, Lord my savior
everlasting is your mercy.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

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

Author and Giver of all good things,
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us in all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

RESPONSE

Open this link in a new tab Fernado Ortaga’s setting of the Trisagion, “Holy God.”

Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.

Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy on us.

Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy
have mercy on us.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

As our Savior 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.