All Hallows Morning and Evening Worship for Sunday (September 25, 2022)

This Sunday All Hallows Murray offers two options—one for Morning Worship and another for Evening Worship. The same preparation may be used for both options, and the Scripture reading, affirmation of faith, prayers, choir anthem, homily, and closing hymn are the same for each option.

PREPARATION

Open this link in a new tab to hear a call to worship with church bells.

Hear these words of scripture.

Love one another,
for love is of God,
and whoever loves is born of God and knows God.
Spirit of God, search our hearts.

Let us bow our heads and, in silence,
remember our need for God’s forgiveness.

Silence is kept.

Let us confess our sins to God.

Almighty and merciful God,
we have sinned against you,
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with all our heart.
We have not loved others
as our Saviour Christ loves us.
We are truly sorry.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Almighty God, who pardons all who truly repent,
forgive our sins, strengthen us by the Holy Spirit,
and keep us in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.

IN THE MORNING

INTRODUCTOY DIALOGUE AND DOXOLOGY

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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.

PSALMODY

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s setting of the Venite, “Come, O Come, Let Us Sing to God.”

Come, O come, let us sing to God,
Let us shout for joy to our saving Rock;
Come, enter in with songs of praise,
Come, enter in with thanksgiving.

1 You are a great and wondrous God,
cupping in your hands all the depths of earth.
You made the hills and the mountains high,
You made the seas and the dry land.

Come, O come, let us sing to God,
Let us shout for joy to our saving Rock;
Come, enter in with songs of praise,
Come, enter in with thanksgiving.

2 Come, let us worship and, bowing low,
Kneel before the One who has made us all,
You are the God whom we call our own,
We are the flock that you shepherd.

Come, O come, let us sing to God,
Let us shout for joy to our saving Rock;
Come, enter in with songs of praise,
Come, enter in with thanksgiving.

Come, O come, let us sing to God,
Let us shout for joy to our saving Rock;
Come, enter in with songs of praise,
Come, enter in with thanksgiving,
Come, enter in with thanksgiving.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Francesca LaRosa’s setting of Psalm 146, “Praise the Lord My Soul.”

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free.

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers..

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The fatherless and the widow the Lord sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Hallelujah!.

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

Silence is kept.

Lord of all,
our breath and being come from you,
yet our earthly end is dust;
as you loose the bound and feed the hungry,
so bring us in your mercy through the grave and gate of death
to the feast of eternal life,
where you reign for evermore. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Stephen P. Starke’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedicite, “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord.”

1 All you works of God bless the Lord!
All you angels, now bless the Lord;
Come you heavens and powers that be,
Praise the Lord and his majesty.

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

2 Sing you sun and moon above,
Stars of heaven now sing his love;
Dew and showers and winds that blow,
Heat and fire, you ice and snow;

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

3 Frosts of winter with songs so cold,
dews of summer, your song unfold;
light and darkness, you day and night ,
clouds of thunder, you lightnings bright;

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

4 Hills and mountains now sing his worth,
all you green things that grow on earth;
seas and rivers, you springs and wells,
beasts and cattle, you birds and whales;

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

5 Come humanity, sing along,
sing, you people of God, a song;
priests and servants, your lord now bless,
join, you spirits and souls at rest.

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

6 Bless the Lord, all you pure of heart;
all you humble, his praises start;
God the Father and Son adore,
Bless the Spirit forever more!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!

MORNING HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear Elenor Farjeon’s “Morning Has Broken.”

1 Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world

2 Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

3 Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

IN THE EVENING

PROCLAMATION OF THE LIGHT

One or more candles may be lit.

Light and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light that no darkness can extinguish.

EVENING HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear William George Storey’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine.”

1 O radiant light, O sun divine,
Of God the Father's deathless face,
O image of the light sublime
That fills the heav'nly dwelling place.

2 O Son of God, the source of life,
Praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteem'd and splendid name.

3 Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
As shine the lights of eventide,
We praise the Father with the Son,
The Spirit blest and with them one.

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.

PSALMODY

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.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Francesca LaRosa’s setting of Psalm 146, “Praise the Lord My Soul.”

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free.

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers..

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The fatherless and the widow the Lord sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Hallelujah!.

Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!

Silence is kept.

Lord of all,
our breath and being come from you,
yet our earthly end is dust;
as you loose the bound and feed the hungry,
so bring us in your mercy through the grave and gate of death
to the feast of eternal life,
where you reign for evermore. Amen.

NEW TESTAMENT CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Burkhardt’s choral arrangement of Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical paraphrase of the Dignus es, “Splendor and Honor”.

Splendor and honor, majesty and power,
are yours, O Lord God, fount of every blessing,
for by your bidding was the whole creation
called into being.

Praised be the true Lamb, slain for our redemption,
by whose self-offering we are made God's people:
a priestly kingdom, from all tongues and nations,
called to God's service.

To the Almighty, throned in heavenly splendor,
and to the Savior, Christ our Lamb and Shepherd,
be adoration, praise, and glory given,
now and for ever. Amen.

IN THE MORNING AND IN THE EVENING

SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 16: 19-31 The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Silence is kept.

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

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.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again 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 the life everlasting. Amen.

IN THE MORNING

GOSPEL CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Ruth Duck’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Now Bless the God of Israel.”

1 Now bless the God of Israel who comes in love and power,
who raises from the royal house deliv’rance in this hour.
Through holy prophets God has sworn to free us from alarm,
to save us from the heavy hand of all who wish us harm.

2 Remembering the covenant, God rescues us from fear,
that we might serve in holiness and peace from year to year.
And you, my child, shall go before, to preach, to prophesy,
that all may know the tender love, the grace of God most high.

[Instrumental interlude]

3 In tender mercy, God will send the dayspring from on high,
our rising sun, the light of life for those who sit and sigh.
God comes to guide our way to peace, that death shall reign no more.
Sing praises to the Holy One, O worship and adore.

IN THE EVENING

GOSPEL CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s “Luke 1: My Soul Rejoices.”

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

My soul proclaims your mighty deeds.
My spirit sings the greatness of your name.

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

Your mercy flows throughout the land
and ev’ry generation knows your love.

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

You cast the mighty from their thrones
and raise the poor and lowly to new life.

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

You fill the hungry with good things.
With empty hands you send the rich away.

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

Just as you promised Abraham,
You come to free your people, Israel.

My soul rejoices in God, my Saviour.
My spirit finds joy in God, the living God.

IN THE MORNING AND IN THE EVENING

PRAYERS AND CONCERNS

(Let us offer our prayers to the source of all love and all life, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)

Merciful Lord, we pray for all who call themselves Christians: that we may be faithful disciples of your Son Jesus Christ.
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for N our pastor, for all pastors, and for all who serve Christ in his Church: that they may remain faithful to their calling and rightly proclaim the word of truth. Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the leaders of the nations, and all in authority: that your people may lead quiet and peaceable lives.
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our community and those who live here, the poor and the rich, the elderly and the young, men and women: that you will show your favor and goodwill to all.
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are in any kind of trouble or need that you will deliver them from their distress.
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for _______________________.
Lord, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for all the saints who have found favor in your sight from earliest times, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and those whose names are known to you alone: and we pray that we too may be counted among your faithful witnesses.
Lord, hear our prayer.

Free Prayer

In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.

The Collect

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

CHOIR ANTHEM

Open this link in a new tab to hear Skip Cleavinger’s choral arrangement of “To Christ the Seed.”

To Christ, the seed, to Christ, the harvest.
Into the barns of Christ may we be brought.
To Christ the fish, the depths, the oceans.
Into the nets of Christ may we be caught.

From birthing through age, from age to our parting,
Your two strong arms, O Christ, be around us all.
From age to end – not end, but birthing,
Into the House of Heaven may we be called.

To Christ – be the harvest;
To Christ – his nets for us all,
Into the arms of Christ may we be called.

Silence is kept.

Heavenly Father,
give us faith to receive your word,
understanding to know what it means,
and the will to put it into practice,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

HOMILY

In Step with God

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus Jesus tells in today’s Gospel Reading, Luke 16: 19-31, is a reminder Jesus taught that our actions and inactions have consequences beyond this life.

Jesus tells this story after the Pharisees who dearly loved their money scoff at his teaching about not being able to serve two masters. He had told them they could not serve God and be enslaved to money.

He would go on to warn them that while they liked to appear righteous in public, God knew their hearts. What the world honors, God detests.

He points to their attention that before John the Baptist came, they had the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets as their guides. Although the good news of the Kingdom was being preached and everyone was being urged to enter in, it did not mean that the law had lost its force. It was still binding.

Whatever else the parable of the rich man and Lazarus may teach us, its chief purpose is to reinforce what Jesus say about the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets. The rich man’s five brothers have the law and the prophets to guide them.

Unspoken is that the rich man himself had the law and the prophets as his guides too, but he chose to ignore them. He did not show any charity to Lazarus who lay dying of starvation outside his gate.

The law teaches that the people of Israel should be open-handed to the needy and the poor and not let them suffer want, that the one who considered the poor is blessed, whoever oppresses the poor insults God but whoever is generous to the needy honors him.

Those who are generous to the poor, lend to God and God will repay them. The generous who share their food with the poor will themselves be blessed.

The rich man had done none of these things. He had shown no kindness to Lazarus who lay outside his gate and could not have escaped his sight.

This negative attitude toward Lazarus does not appear to have disappeared after his own death. He is suffering in the afterlife for what he did or did not do in this life and he begs Abraham send the one whose suffering he did not ease in this life to ease his suffering in the afterlife. He showed no compassion to Lazarus when Lazarus was alive, but he asks Abraham to make Lazarus the agent of compassion toward him.

One might say that he did so because he saw Lazarus with Abraham. But he saw them at a distance. This suggests that he recognized Lazarus, that he had seen Lazarus lying outside his gate and had been deliberate in not showing him kindness. He could have asked Abraham to send someone else to ease his suffering or even asked Abraham to do so.

In some ways what we see in this story the playing out of Jesus’ teaching about doing to others what we would have done to us. The rich man did not show Lazarus kindness so he cannot really expect Lazarus to show him kindness. We are not told if Lazarus is motivated to do so. What are told is that a great chasm which cannot be crossed separates them and therefore even if Lazarus was motivated to ease his suffering, he could not do so.

Abraham’s words in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus are prophetic, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” When the Pharisees and the teachers of the law heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus, Mary and Martha’s brother, from the dead, they became even more determined to get rid of Jesus. Jesus himself was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose from the dead on the third but people scoff at the accounts of his resurrection and give no heed to his message, his teaching, or his example. They do not treat others with kindness or generosity, and they begrudge any kind assistance to the poor and the needy, the homeless and the destitute. What makes matters worse is some claim to be followers of Jesus!

Jesus’ point is that the Pharisees have all that they needed to know to live the kind of life, which was pleasing to God, but they choose to not to give heed to it. They put on a pretense of being very religious but in reality they did many things that were displeasing to God. The same thing can be said for us. The Scriptures contain all we need to know for our salvation and for living a righteous and godly life.

God provides us with an infinite supply of grace, enabling us to will and do what is pleasing to him, believing in Jesus, trusting what he said, living according to his teaching and example, sharing his message with others—everything we need. God gently nudges us to take that first step. What is holding us back? If we have taken that first step, what is keeping us from moving forward?

A great chasm separated Abraham and Lazarus from the rich man in Jesus’ story, but no chasm separates us from God. God will help us if we ask for God’s help. At the same time, we need to do something ourselves. We cannot passively wait for God to make the first move. We have to work together with God. While our actions may not always be God’s, God has a way of acting through our actions. Whenever we take a step in the direction of God, even though it may be a faltering step, we are likely to discover that God was in that step.

Silence

CLOSING HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith Duke’s rendition of “Christ Be Near.”

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me where e’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined.
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.

[Instrumental interlude]

3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
guide and shepherd to the end.

BLESSING

Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.