All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (November 9, 2022)
A lamp or candle may be lit.
The Lord is my light and my salvation:
my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever.
Other candles may be lit as the following is sung.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Susan Briehl’s “Let Evening Fall.”
Let evening fall on field and forest,
on desert mesa, canyon deep;
let coyote prowl and night hawk circle
while solemn owl her wise watch keeps.
*Let mountain now resound with chanting,
and meadow echo antiphon;
let dusky breezes rustle aspen
while lake and land join even-song.
Let those who labor in the daylight
now bring their working to an end;
let others rise to keep the vigil,
the weak to guard, the sick to tend.
Let every heart that harbors hatred
(Let every heart that harbors hatred)
release its hold, receive your grace;
(release its hold, receive your grace;)
let every mouth that spoke in anger
(let every mouth that spoke in anger)
seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.
(seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.)
Let daylight fade and shadows lengthen
when those we love draw near to death;
Attend our prayers, our weak faith strengthen
as you receive their final breath.
O Maker of creation’s choir,
O Song of love sung out for all,
O Spirit, breath of all our singing,
Let praise arise, let evening fall.
*Omitted on the video.
As Psalm 141 — A Song of the Evening Sacrifice, is sung, incense may be burned.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s responsorial setting of the evening psalm, “Psalm 141—Like Burning Incense, O Lord.”
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my rise to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer rise to you.
1 I call out to you,
Come quickly to my aid.
My song cries out to you,
O listen to me now.
I raise my hands in off’ring to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
2 Let me speak your truth;
watch over all I say.
Keep my thoughts on you;
let goodness rule my heart.
Keep me far from those who do harm.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
3 Never let me dine
with those who seek to harm.
Keep your holy ones
always at my side.
Plant your wisdom deep in my soul.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
4 I look to you for help;
I seek your loving eyes.
Guard my life for you;
Spare me from all wrong.
Keep all evil far from my heart.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
5 Glory be to God
and to God’s only Son,
glory to the Spirit,
three in one,
now and for ever. Amen.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you as incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
This opening prayer is said.
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALMODY
Open this link in a new tab to hear Heather Sorenson’s choral arrangement of Psalm 121, “I Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills.”
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
Neither will He sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper,
The Lord is thy shade.
The sun shall not smite thee by day;
the moon shall not smite thee by night.
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever
He will preserve thy soul.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
Amen, Amen.
Silence is kept.
Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defense
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Elizabeth Christopher’s “Worthy Is the Lamb.”
You are holy,
You are worthy,
Holy Lamb of God
You are righteous,
You are precious,
Holy Lamb of God
You are Lord,
You are Lord,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
[Instrumental interlude]
You are Lord,
You are Lord,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Silence may be kept.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 6 Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call
It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,
‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to me for healing.”
Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”
And he replied,
“Until their towns are empty,
their houses are deserted,
and the whole country is a wasteland;
until the Lord has sent everyone away,
and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
If even a tenth—a remnant—survive,
it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
Silence is kept.
Matthew 5:21-37 Jesus’ teaching about anger, adultery, divorce, and vows
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
This evening’s New Testament reading is an excerpt from what is called the Sermon on the Mount, a series of teachings that Jesus gave to his disciples who were gathered around him while he was seated on a mountainside. These teachings form an important corpus, or body, of Jesus’ teaching. While they do not comprise the entirety of what he taught, they form the largest collection of his teachings as recorded in the Gospels.
Generations of Christians desiring to know Jesus better and to model their own lives on what Jesus taught have studied the Sermon on the Mount. The exposition of the teachings that Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount have been the subject of many sermons and the topic of discussion in many Sunday school classes.
According to Matthew’s Gospel Jesus gave these teachings after he had begun his ministry, called his first disciples, and traveled through the region of Galilee, teaching in synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. He was healing all kinds of diseases and illnesses and large crowds followed him wherever he went.
In this excerpt of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus draws to the attention of his disciples to two important principles. One is that what we think and feel is as important as how we act.
Feeling anger, hatred, and ill-will toward someone and viewing them with contempt and loathing is the same as breaking God’s command not to kill anyone. They are the kinds of feelings that can cause us to see a person as a thing rather than as a fellow human being and thereby reducing or eliminating any inhibitions or scruples against killing them.
Anger can also affect our judgment, keep us from thinking clearly, and cause us to act impulsively.
As Psalm 141 — A Song of the Evening Sacrifice, is sung, incense may be burned.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s responsorial setting of the evening psalm, “Psalm 141—Like Burning Incense, O Lord.”
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my rise to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer rise to you.
1 I call out to you,
Come quickly to my aid.
My song cries out to you,
O listen to me now.
I raise my hands in off’ring to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
2 Let me speak your truth;
watch over all I say.
Keep my thoughts on you;
let goodness rule my heart.
Keep me far from those who do harm.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
3 Never let me dine
with those who seek to harm.
Keep your holy ones
always at my side.
Plant your wisdom deep in my soul.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
4 I look to you for help;
I seek your loving eyes.
Guard my life for you;
Spare me from all wrong.
Keep all evil far from my heart.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
5 Glory be to God
and to God’s only Son,
glory to the Spirit,
three in one,
now and for ever. Amen.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
O Lord, let my prayer rise before you as incense,
my hands like an evening offering.
This opening prayer is said.
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALMODY
Open this link in a new tab to hear Heather Sorenson’s choral arrangement of Psalm 121, “I Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills.”
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
Neither will He sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper,
The Lord is thy shade.
The sun shall not smite thee by day;
the moon shall not smite thee by night.
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall protect thee from ev’ry evil.
He shall preserve thy soul
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever, for-ever,
for-ever
He will preserve thy soul.
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
the hills from where my help is come.
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
My help, it cometh from the Lord
Who made heaven,
heaven and earth.
Amen, Amen.
Silence is kept.
Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defense
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Elizabeth Christopher’s “Worthy Is the Lamb.”
You are holy,
You are worthy,
Holy Lamb of God
You are righteous,
You are precious,
Holy Lamb of God
You are Lord,
You are Lord,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
[Instrumental interlude]
You are Lord,
You are Lord,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb of God
Silence may be kept.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 6 Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call
It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,
‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to me for healing.”
Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”
And he replied,
“Until their towns are empty,
their houses are deserted,
and the whole country is a wasteland;
until the Lord has sent everyone away,
and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
If even a tenth—a remnant—survive,
it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
Silence is kept.
Matthew 5:21-37 Jesus’ teaching about anger, adultery, divorce, and vows
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Silence is kept.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
HOMILY
Called to Be a Community of Healing
This evening’s New Testament reading is an excerpt from what is called the Sermon on the Mount, a series of teachings that Jesus gave to his disciples who were gathered around him while he was seated on a mountainside. These teachings form an important corpus, or body, of Jesus’ teaching. While they do not comprise the entirety of what he taught, they form the largest collection of his teachings as recorded in the Gospels.
Generations of Christians desiring to know Jesus better and to model their own lives on what Jesus taught have studied the Sermon on the Mount. The exposition of the teachings that Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount have been the subject of many sermons and the topic of discussion in many Sunday school classes.
According to Matthew’s Gospel Jesus gave these teachings after he had begun his ministry, called his first disciples, and traveled through the region of Galilee, teaching in synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. He was healing all kinds of diseases and illnesses and large crowds followed him wherever he went.
In this excerpt of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus draws to the attention of his disciples to two important principles. One is that what we think and feel is as important as how we act.
Feeling anger, hatred, and ill-will toward someone and viewing them with contempt and loathing is the same as breaking God’s command not to kill anyone. They are the kinds of feelings that can cause us to see a person as a thing rather than as a fellow human being and thereby reducing or eliminating any inhibitions or scruples against killing them.
Anger can also affect our judgment, keep us from thinking clearly, and cause us to act impulsively.
Feeling strong sexual desire for some other than our spouse is the same as breaking God’s command not to commit adultery, for a married person not to have sex with someone to whom they are not married.
What Jesus is saying is that we not only should not murder our fellow human beings or be unfaithful to our spouses, but we should also guard against the thoughts and feelings that can lead to us killing or being unfaithful.
Psychologists who have studied human behavior tell us that there is a definite connection between our thoughts and feelings and our actions. One leads to the other. We can stew over how we believe someone has mistreated us, entertain thoughts of killing them, and then act on those thoughts. We can experience growing sexual desire for a coworker, fantasize about sex with them, and make a sexual overture toward them. They may prove receptive to the overture and as a result we are unfaithful to our spouse.
Psychologists also tell us that if someone who kills another person and experiences no immediate negative consequences for their actions is likely to kill again. They can become addicted to killing. The person who is unfaithful to their spouse on one occasion will keep on being unfaithful to them. Each time they are unfaithful, it will further erode any inhibitions or scruples that they have about being unfaithful. They are also likely to be unfaithful to their new sex partner. Negative behavior has a way of cascading, one action leads to another.
While we may never reach the point of killing someone, we can do considerable harm to others when we are angry, when we let our anger toward someone do our thinking for us and control our actions. We may also come to regret our actions.
We cannot love others or forgive their failings as Jesus taught his disciples if we are nurturing anger, hate, and ill-will toward them, if we see them less than what they are—a child of God like ourselves. We are all God’s children in the sense that he created us, and that we bear God’s image albeit it may have become marred by wrongdoing and continued offense against God. As one writer put it, we all are kin, one great big family. When we hate or despise someone else, we commit the sin of Cain who killed his brother Able. However Cain may have rationalized what he did in his own mind, he let his anger get the better of him.
The second principle that Jesus draws to the attention of his disciples is not to delay in making peace with anyone who has something against us, who feels upset and angry because of the way in which they have been treated. Their grievance may be real or imagined. In either case it falls to us to make peace with them and become friendly with them again. As Jesus goes on to point out, the matter will only get worse if we do not attend to it right away.
Most of us tend to shy away from someone whom we have aggrieved. We may feel that we were not in the wrong and they have no reason for feeling the way that they do. We also may be afraid of a confrontation. Jesus tells his disciples that they should drop whatever they are doing to be reconciled with a person who has something against them.
Presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple was not something the Jews in Jesus’ time took lightly. It was also not something that in their minds could be abandoned on the spur of the moment. Through the presentation of a sacrifice the Jews sought to commune with God and to become closer to him, to pay God homage, and to express thanks, gratitude, and love to God. It was also a way to ask God’s favor and to atone for unintentionally breaking God’s commandments out of ignorance, provided the person presenting the sacrifice had sincerely repented what they had done. In telling his disciples to leave their sacrifice at the altar and go and make peace with someone who has something against them, he is elevating the importance of reconciliation with the aggrieved person above all these things.
Do we take reconciliation with that kind of seriousness?
While the other person may not be open to reconciliation with us, it nonetheless behooves us to pursue reconciliation with them. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told his disciples, “Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5: 9 NRSV). While we may be reluctant to pursue reconciliation out of the fear of confrontation, poor communication is what may have helped to create the situation in the first place. When people do not talk to each other or they are not honest and open in their conversations, misunderstandings are likely to arise.
Well-meaning people may sometimes create obstacles to the process of reconciliation. They may not fully grasp the situation, or they may judge it wrongly. Others may intentionally interfere out of a desire to keep the parties from reconciling with each other. They see an advantage for themselves in one party nursing a grievance against the other.
I believe that we can safely conclude that when Jesus talks about reconciliation, he is not talking about a victim of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse moving back in with the abuser or the kind of reconciliation which would expose them to further abuse. Rather he is talking about resolving a grievance that someone harbors against us and which keeps us from enjoying friendly relations with them.
Small grievances can become large ones over a period of time and can lead to unpleasant and unwanted consequences. It is easier to resolve a grievance while it is small than when it has become large. Ignoring a grievance that someone harbors against us in hopes that it will go away is wishful thinking.
People are apt to feel aggrieved when they believe that someone else has not treated them fairly or kindly. Human beings are not able to read each other’s minds. Consequently, we may misunderstand and misinterpret someone else’s words and actions and their intentions and motives. This can trigger feelings of anger, anxiety, disappointment, dismay, fear, frustration, sadness, and unhappiness in ourselves.
Our assessment of the situation may be influenced by past trauma that we have experienced and distorted ways of thinking that we have developed. We may confuse a present situation with a past one. We may overreact by seeing a situation as far worse or far more serious than it is.
Our feelings can also affect our thinking. Anger can cause our bodies to produce high levels of adrenaline and cortisol which keep our brains from thinking clearly. Over a period of time these hormones can damage our brain and impair its functioning.
What the aggrieved person believes may have no basis in reality, but it is nonetheless real to them. This is why honest and open communication is so important in the process of reconciliation. It can help to resolve any misperceptions that the aggrieved person may have.
It is not surprising that Jesus in his teaching urges his disciples to pursue reconciliation when someone has something against them. In his ministry Jesus not only called people to repentance and proclaimed the Good New of the Kingdom, but also he healed bodies and minds. A number of his teachings not only promote healing of our relationship with God but also our relationship with our fellow human beings. As his disciples we are called to faithfully represent Jesus in our community and the world and to embody the love and caring for humankind that Jesus showed. Among the implication for the local church is that we are called to be a community of healing, not just the healing of the body and mind but also the healing of relationships. Pursuing reconciliation ourselves and helping others take the path to reconciliation is an integral part of fulfilling our calling.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s setting of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord.”
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
My spirit sings to God, my saving God,
Who on this day above all others favored me
And raised me up, a light for all to see.
Through me great deeds will God make manifest,
And all the earth will come to call me blest.
Unbounded love and mercy sure will I proclaim
For all who know and praise God's holy name.
God's mighty arm, protector of the just,
Will guard the weak and raise them from the dust.
But mighty kings will swiftly fall from thrones corrupt.
The strong brought low, the lowly lifted up.
Soon will the poor and hungry of the earth
Be richly blest, be given greater worth.
And Israel, as once foretold to Abraham,
Will live in peace throughout the promised land.
All glory be to God, Creator blest,
To Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
And to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
All glory be, both now and ever more.
Silence may be kept.
PRAYERS
Particular intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered before any section.
Periods of silence may be kept.
Blessed are you eternal God,
to be praised and glorified for ever.
Heavenly Father, hear us as we pray for the unity of the Church.
May we all be one that the world may believe.
Grant that every member of the Church
may truly and humbly serve you,
that the life of Christ may be revealed in us.
We remember those who have died.
Father, into your hands we commend them.
(Remembering N)
We praise you for all your saints
who have entered your eternal glory.
May we also come to share your heavenly kingdom.
Have compassion on those who suffer from sickness,
grief or trouble.
In your presence may they find strength.
Look with your kindness on our homes and families.
Grant that your love may grow in our hearts.
Make us alive to the needs of our community.
Help us to share one another’s joys and burdens.
Inspire and lead those who hold authority
in the nations of the world.
Guide us and all people in the way of justice and peace.
Strengthen all who minister in Christ’s name.
Give us courage to proclaim your Gospel.
We pray in silence for our own needs and the needs of others...
Praise to you, abundant God,
for when we ask, you give;
when we seek, you show the way.
When we knock, you answer.
Praise to you for your unfailing grace.
Make us now your faithful people.
Amen.
THE COLLECTS
Almighty God,
you have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
and set us free from the bondage of sin;
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all your people may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Gracious God,
you have given us much today;
grant us also a thankful spirit.
Into your hands we commend ourselves
and those we love.
Be with us still, and when we take our rest
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
As Christ teaches us, 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.
CLOSING SONG
Open this link in a new tab to hear Herbert O’ Driscoll’s “Come and Journey with a Saviour.”
1 Come and journey with a Saviour
who has called us from our birth,
who has washed us in the waters,
and who loved us on the earth.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
2 Come and journey, journey inward,
come and seek him deep within,
where he meets us in our living,
in our striving and our sin.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
3 Come and journey, journey outward,
telling others of his name,
telling others of his glory,
of his cross and of the shame.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
4 Come and journey, journey outward,
where that cross calls us to care,
where injustice and where hunger
and the poor call us to share.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
5 Come and journey, journey upward.
Sing his praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness
find his presence everywhere.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
6 Come and journey, journey onward;
all our gifts we now shall bring
to the building of a city
that is holy, Christ its King.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
THE CONCLUSION
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The almighty and merciful God bless us
and keep us now and for ever. Amen.
What Jesus is saying is that we not only should not murder our fellow human beings or be unfaithful to our spouses, but we should also guard against the thoughts and feelings that can lead to us killing or being unfaithful.
Psychologists who have studied human behavior tell us that there is a definite connection between our thoughts and feelings and our actions. One leads to the other. We can stew over how we believe someone has mistreated us, entertain thoughts of killing them, and then act on those thoughts. We can experience growing sexual desire for a coworker, fantasize about sex with them, and make a sexual overture toward them. They may prove receptive to the overture and as a result we are unfaithful to our spouse.
Psychologists also tell us that if someone who kills another person and experiences no immediate negative consequences for their actions is likely to kill again. They can become addicted to killing. The person who is unfaithful to their spouse on one occasion will keep on being unfaithful to them. Each time they are unfaithful, it will further erode any inhibitions or scruples that they have about being unfaithful. They are also likely to be unfaithful to their new sex partner. Negative behavior has a way of cascading, one action leads to another.
While we may never reach the point of killing someone, we can do considerable harm to others when we are angry, when we let our anger toward someone do our thinking for us and control our actions. We may also come to regret our actions.
We cannot love others or forgive their failings as Jesus taught his disciples if we are nurturing anger, hate, and ill-will toward them, if we see them less than what they are—a child of God like ourselves. We are all God’s children in the sense that he created us, and that we bear God’s image albeit it may have become marred by wrongdoing and continued offense against God. As one writer put it, we all are kin, one great big family. When we hate or despise someone else, we commit the sin of Cain who killed his brother Able. However Cain may have rationalized what he did in his own mind, he let his anger get the better of him.
The second principle that Jesus draws to the attention of his disciples is not to delay in making peace with anyone who has something against us, who feels upset and angry because of the way in which they have been treated. Their grievance may be real or imagined. In either case it falls to us to make peace with them and become friendly with them again. As Jesus goes on to point out, the matter will only get worse if we do not attend to it right away.
Most of us tend to shy away from someone whom we have aggrieved. We may feel that we were not in the wrong and they have no reason for feeling the way that they do. We also may be afraid of a confrontation. Jesus tells his disciples that they should drop whatever they are doing to be reconciled with a person who has something against them.
Presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple was not something the Jews in Jesus’ time took lightly. It was also not something that in their minds could be abandoned on the spur of the moment. Through the presentation of a sacrifice the Jews sought to commune with God and to become closer to him, to pay God homage, and to express thanks, gratitude, and love to God. It was also a way to ask God’s favor and to atone for unintentionally breaking God’s commandments out of ignorance, provided the person presenting the sacrifice had sincerely repented what they had done. In telling his disciples to leave their sacrifice at the altar and go and make peace with someone who has something against them, he is elevating the importance of reconciliation with the aggrieved person above all these things.
Do we take reconciliation with that kind of seriousness?
While the other person may not be open to reconciliation with us, it nonetheless behooves us to pursue reconciliation with them. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told his disciples, “Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5: 9 NRSV). While we may be reluctant to pursue reconciliation out of the fear of confrontation, poor communication is what may have helped to create the situation in the first place. When people do not talk to each other or they are not honest and open in their conversations, misunderstandings are likely to arise.
Well-meaning people may sometimes create obstacles to the process of reconciliation. They may not fully grasp the situation, or they may judge it wrongly. Others may intentionally interfere out of a desire to keep the parties from reconciling with each other. They see an advantage for themselves in one party nursing a grievance against the other.
I believe that we can safely conclude that when Jesus talks about reconciliation, he is not talking about a victim of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse moving back in with the abuser or the kind of reconciliation which would expose them to further abuse. Rather he is talking about resolving a grievance that someone harbors against us and which keeps us from enjoying friendly relations with them.
Small grievances can become large ones over a period of time and can lead to unpleasant and unwanted consequences. It is easier to resolve a grievance while it is small than when it has become large. Ignoring a grievance that someone harbors against us in hopes that it will go away is wishful thinking.
People are apt to feel aggrieved when they believe that someone else has not treated them fairly or kindly. Human beings are not able to read each other’s minds. Consequently, we may misunderstand and misinterpret someone else’s words and actions and their intentions and motives. This can trigger feelings of anger, anxiety, disappointment, dismay, fear, frustration, sadness, and unhappiness in ourselves.
Our assessment of the situation may be influenced by past trauma that we have experienced and distorted ways of thinking that we have developed. We may confuse a present situation with a past one. We may overreact by seeing a situation as far worse or far more serious than it is.
Our feelings can also affect our thinking. Anger can cause our bodies to produce high levels of adrenaline and cortisol which keep our brains from thinking clearly. Over a period of time these hormones can damage our brain and impair its functioning.
What the aggrieved person believes may have no basis in reality, but it is nonetheless real to them. This is why honest and open communication is so important in the process of reconciliation. It can help to resolve any misperceptions that the aggrieved person may have.
It is not surprising that Jesus in his teaching urges his disciples to pursue reconciliation when someone has something against them. In his ministry Jesus not only called people to repentance and proclaimed the Good New of the Kingdom, but also he healed bodies and minds. A number of his teachings not only promote healing of our relationship with God but also our relationship with our fellow human beings. As his disciples we are called to faithfully represent Jesus in our community and the world and to embody the love and caring for humankind that Jesus showed. Among the implication for the local church is that we are called to be a community of healing, not just the healing of the body and mind but also the healing of relationships. Pursuing reconciliation ourselves and helping others take the path to reconciliation is an integral part of fulfilling our calling.
Silence is kept.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s setting of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord.”
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
My spirit sings to God, my saving God,
Who on this day above all others favored me
And raised me up, a light for all to see.
Through me great deeds will God make manifest,
And all the earth will come to call me blest.
Unbounded love and mercy sure will I proclaim
For all who know and praise God's holy name.
God's mighty arm, protector of the just,
Will guard the weak and raise them from the dust.
But mighty kings will swiftly fall from thrones corrupt.
The strong brought low, the lowly lifted up.
Soon will the poor and hungry of the earth
Be richly blest, be given greater worth.
And Israel, as once foretold to Abraham,
Will live in peace throughout the promised land.
All glory be to God, Creator blest,
To Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
And to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
All glory be, both now and ever more.
Silence may be kept.
PRAYERS
Particular intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered before any section.
Periods of silence may be kept.
Blessed are you eternal God,
to be praised and glorified for ever.
Heavenly Father, hear us as we pray for the unity of the Church.
May we all be one that the world may believe.
Grant that every member of the Church
may truly and humbly serve you,
that the life of Christ may be revealed in us.
We remember those who have died.
Father, into your hands we commend them.
(Remembering N)
We praise you for all your saints
who have entered your eternal glory.
May we also come to share your heavenly kingdom.
Have compassion on those who suffer from sickness,
grief or trouble.
In your presence may they find strength.
Look with your kindness on our homes and families.
Grant that your love may grow in our hearts.
Make us alive to the needs of our community.
Help us to share one another’s joys and burdens.
Inspire and lead those who hold authority
in the nations of the world.
Guide us and all people in the way of justice and peace.
Strengthen all who minister in Christ’s name.
Give us courage to proclaim your Gospel.
We pray in silence for our own needs and the needs of others...
Praise to you, abundant God,
for when we ask, you give;
when we seek, you show the way.
When we knock, you answer.
Praise to you for your unfailing grace.
Make us now your faithful people.
Amen.
THE COLLECTS
Almighty God,
you have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
and set us free from the bondage of sin;
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all your people may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Gracious God,
you have given us much today;
grant us also a thankful spirit.
Into your hands we commend ourselves
and those we love.
Be with us still, and when we take our rest
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
As Christ teaches us, 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.
CLOSING SONG
Open this link in a new tab to hear Herbert O’ Driscoll’s “Come and Journey with a Saviour.”
1 Come and journey with a Saviour
who has called us from our birth,
who has washed us in the waters,
and who loved us on the earth.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
2 Come and journey, journey inward,
come and seek him deep within,
where he meets us in our living,
in our striving and our sin.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
3 Come and journey, journey outward,
telling others of his name,
telling others of his glory,
of his cross and of the shame.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
4 Come and journey, journey outward,
where that cross calls us to care,
where injustice and where hunger
and the poor call us to share.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
5 Come and journey, journey upward.
Sing his praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness
find his presence everywhere.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
6 Come and journey, journey onward;
all our gifts we now shall bring
to the building of a city
that is holy, Christ its King.
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.
THE CONCLUSION
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The almighty and merciful God bless us
and keep us now and for ever. Amen.
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