All Hallows Wednesday Evening Worship (February 1, 2023)
The order of worship for this Wednesday evening is based on the basic pattern of worship in The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992). The songs are taken from The Faith We Sing (2000) and Worship and Song (2011), supplements to The United Methodist Hymnal (1989).Open this link in a new tab to hear Fred Pratt Green’s “Now It Is Evening.” [TFWS #2187]
1 Now it is evening:
lights of the city
bid us remember
Christ is our Light.
Many are lonely,
who will be neighbor?
Where there is caring,
Christ is our Light.
2 Now it is evening:
little ones sleeping
bid us remember
Christ is our Peace.
Some are neglected,
who will be neighbor?
Where there is caring,
Christ is our Peace.
3 Now it is evening:
food on the table
bids us remember
Christ is our Life.
Many are hungry,
who will be neighbor?
Where there is sharing,
Christ is our Life.
4 Now it is evening:
here in our meeting
may we remember
Christ is our Friend.
Some may be strangers,
who will be neighbor?
Where there's a welcome,
Christ is our Friend.
Great is the Lord!
He is most worthy of praise!
Solo:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Shirley Erena Murray’s “Creation Sings!” [WnS #3018]
Creation sings! And we are in the music,
the movement of God's energy and art,
a liturgy that links our life to angels,
a litany that rises from the heart.
The Spirit sings! Through love and lamentation,
from Pentecost to joy of Easter Day
the universe is resonant with music,
the smallest creature dances to its play.
Creation groans at our discordant clashing:
the Spirit comes with music as our friend
to bring the harmony of peace and beauty,
to teach the textures of the way to blend.
O God, you draw the melody from silence,
you make of us the instruments of song!
We offer thanks in worship and in wonder
that such a gift to human souls belong,
that such a gift to human souls belong.
Hymn of Preparation:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Terry Butler’s “Cry of My Heart.” [TFWS #2165]
It is the cry of my heart to follow You
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow
All of the days of my life
It is the cry of my heart to follow You
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow
All of the days of my life
1 Teach me Your holy ways oh Lord
So I can walk in Your truth
Teach me Your holy ways oh Lord
And make me wholly devoted to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow You
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow
All of the days of my life
2 Open my eyes so I can see
The wonderful things that You do
Open my heart up more and more
And make it wholly devoted to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow You
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow
All of the days of my life
It is the cry of my heart to follow You
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You
It is the cry of my heart to follow
All of the days of my life
All of the days of my life
All of the days of my life
Opening Prayer:
Let us bow our heads in prayer.
A time of silence is kept, and then this opening prayer is said.
Heavenly Father,
wherever we go, you are there.
Help us to be always mindful of your presence with us,
to not forget that whatever we say is said within your hearing,
and whatever we do is done in your sight,
that even our innermost thoughts and desires are known to you.
Enable us to say and to do, to think and to feel,
what is pleasing to you, and to honor you in all things;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (1 Corinthians 4: 1-12)
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.
There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.
So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.
Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
A time of silence follows the reading.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
In this evening’s Scripture reading from his first letter to the Corinthians Paul draws our attention to what is the principal drawback of praying and singing in tongues. Unless someone is present who has the gift of interpreting tongues, the gift of speaking in tongues only strengthens the faith of the individual with the gift. It does not build up the whole church. By the “whole church,” Paul means the local congregation of believers in a particular locality. For this reason, Paul goes on to say that he values prophecy more than he does speaking in tongues. Those who speak a word of prophecy strengthen the entire church. Those who speak in tongues only strengthen themselves.
What then does Paul mean by prophecy?
Frist, we need to look at what Paul does not mean. He is not talking about making specific predictions about people or events in the future. He is also not talking about special revelations from God, which contradict what God has revealed in the Scriptures. He is not talking about new teachings that conflict with the instructions that God has already given. One of the tests of whether a word of prophecy has come from God is to try it against what is clearly said in Scripture and certainly not some obscure passage of Scripture. Elsewhere in his writings Paul warns that the words of a prophet are subject to the spirit of the prophet. In other words, they may come from the prophet’s imagination and not from God. Paul is also not talking about what an particular individual claims is a message from God urging believers to harm others, to engage in what Scripture tells us are evil deeds, stealing from others, lying to them, deceiving them, cheating them, exploiting them, mistreating them, and the like.
Genuine words of prophesy generally take the form of words of encouragement. They may also take the form of words of warning or correction. They build up those to whom they are addressed and do not tear them down. Just as the Holy Spirit nudges us as individual believers to practice godliness and pursue holiness, they urge us collectively, as a congregation of the faithful, to do the same. They may remind us of the guidance and direction that our Lord has given in regards to how live our lives and to treat others and which are recorded in the Gospels. They may draw our attention to what is good, true, and beautiful, those things which Paul urges those to whom he wrote his letters to think about. They will extol and magnify Jesus, his work in creation and salvation, his message, his teaching, his character, and his example. They will not point to the person giving them utterance but past that person to Jesus. They may give us courage in a difficult time.
A second thing that we can take away from this evening’s Scripture reading is the importance of using language in our teaching and preaching which those whom we are teaching or to whom we are preaching can clearly understand. If we use a particular term, we should not assume that they understand what we are saying, and we should take the time to explain to them what the term means. In this way we will help them to better understand what we are saying. It includes using a translation of the Bible that is easy to understand and which does not contain archaic language and unfamiliar words and phrases.
We should avoid using what is called “Christianese” or “the language of Zion,” insider jargon, words and expressions which we may use and understand as believers but which those who may be visiting our church service, Sunday school class, or small group and who do not move in Christian circles do not use or understand.
As Paul wrote, it is better to “speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.” We want them to come to know, love, and follow Jesus.
A time of silence is kept, and then this hymn is sung.
Hymn of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Scott Wesley Brown and David Hampton’s “We Are the Body of Christ.” [TFWS #2227]
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
And to this
we give our lives
to see you glorified.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
And to this
we give our lives
to see you glorified.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
We are the Body of Christ.
Concerns and Prayers:
The following is prayed, during which any person may offer a brief prayer of intercession or petition.
After each prayer, the leader may conclude: God of mercy and all may respond: Hear our prayer.
Together, let us pray
for the people of this congregation...
for those who suffer and those in trouble...
for the concerns of this local community...
for the world, its peoples, and its leaders...
for the earth you have given to our care…
for the Church universal—its leaders, its members, and its mission...
in communion with the saints...
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught
us to 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 Hymn:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Rusty Edward’s “We All Are One in Mission.” [TFWS #2243]
1 We all are one in mission,
We all are one in call,
Our varied gifts united
By Christ, the Lord of all.
A single, great commission
Compels us from above
To plan and work together
That all may know Christ's love.
2 We all are called for service
To witness in God's name.
Our ministries are diff'rent,
Our purpose is the same:
To touch the lives of others
By God's surprising grace
So ev'ry folk and nation
May feel God's warm embrace.
3 Now let us be united
And let our song be heard.
Now let us be a vessel
For God's redeeming Word.
We all are one in mission,
We all are one in call,
Our varied gifts united
By Christ, the Lord of all.
May God bless and keep us. Amen.
May God’s face ever shine upon us. Amen.
May God grant us peace for all our days. Amen.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
What the Apostle Paul Teaches about Speaking in Tongues
In this evening’s Scripture reading from his first letter to the Corinthians Paul draws our attention to what is the principal drawback of praying and singing in tongues. Unless someone is present who has the gift of interpreting tongues, the gift of speaking in tongues only strengthens the faith of the individual with the gift. It does not build up the whole church. By the “whole church,” Paul means the local congregation of believers in a particular locality. For this reason, Paul goes on to say that he values prophecy more than he does speaking in tongues. Those who speak a word of prophecy strengthen the entire church. Those who speak in tongues only strengthen themselves.
What then does Paul mean by prophecy?
Frist, we need to look at what Paul does not mean. He is not talking about making specific predictions about people or events in the future. He is also not talking about special revelations from God, which contradict what God has revealed in the Scriptures. He is not talking about new teachings that conflict with the instructions that God has already given. One of the tests of whether a word of prophecy has come from God is to try it against what is clearly said in Scripture and certainly not some obscure passage of Scripture. Elsewhere in his writings Paul warns that the words of a prophet are subject to the spirit of the prophet. In other words, they may come from the prophet’s imagination and not from God. Paul is also not talking about what an particular individual claims is a message from God urging believers to harm others, to engage in what Scripture tells us are evil deeds, stealing from others, lying to them, deceiving them, cheating them, exploiting them, mistreating them, and the like.
Genuine words of prophesy generally take the form of words of encouragement. They may also take the form of words of warning or correction. They build up those to whom they are addressed and do not tear them down. Just as the Holy Spirit nudges us as individual believers to practice godliness and pursue holiness, they urge us collectively, as a congregation of the faithful, to do the same. They may remind us of the guidance and direction that our Lord has given in regards to how live our lives and to treat others and which are recorded in the Gospels. They may draw our attention to what is good, true, and beautiful, those things which Paul urges those to whom he wrote his letters to think about. They will extol and magnify Jesus, his work in creation and salvation, his message, his teaching, his character, and his example. They will not point to the person giving them utterance but past that person to Jesus. They may give us courage in a difficult time.
A second thing that we can take away from this evening’s Scripture reading is the importance of using language in our teaching and preaching which those whom we are teaching or to whom we are preaching can clearly understand. If we use a particular term, we should not assume that they understand what we are saying, and we should take the time to explain to them what the term means. In this way we will help them to better understand what we are saying. It includes using a translation of the Bible that is easy to understand and which does not contain archaic language and unfamiliar words and phrases.
We should avoid using what is called “Christianese” or “the language of Zion,” insider jargon, words and expressions which we may use and understand as believers but which those who may be visiting our church service, Sunday school class, or small group and who do not move in Christian circles do not use or understand.
As Paul wrote, it is better to “speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.” We want them to come to know, love, and follow Jesus.
A time of silence is kept, and then this hymn is sung.
Hymn of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Scott Wesley Brown and David Hampton’s “We Are the Body of Christ.” [TFWS #2227]
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
And to this
we give our lives
to see you glorified.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
One goal, vision:
To see you exalted.
We are the Body of Christ.
And to this
we give our lives
to see you glorified.
One heart, one Spirit,
one voice to praise you,
we are the Body of Christ.
We are the Body of Christ.
Concerns and Prayers:
The following is prayed, during which any person may offer a brief prayer of intercession or petition.
After each prayer, the leader may conclude: God of mercy and all may respond: Hear our prayer.
Together, let us pray
for the people of this congregation...
for those who suffer and those in trouble...
for the concerns of this local community...
for the world, its peoples, and its leaders...
for the earth you have given to our care…
for the Church universal—its leaders, its members, and its mission...
in communion with the saints...
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught
us to 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 Hymn:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Rusty Edward’s “We All Are One in Mission.” [TFWS #2243]
1 We all are one in mission,
We all are one in call,
Our varied gifts united
By Christ, the Lord of all.
A single, great commission
Compels us from above
To plan and work together
That all may know Christ's love.
2 We all are called for service
To witness in God's name.
Our ministries are diff'rent,
Our purpose is the same:
To touch the lives of others
By God's surprising grace
So ev'ry folk and nation
May feel God's warm embrace.
3 Now let us be united
And let our song be heard.
Now let us be a vessel
For God's redeeming Word.
We all are one in mission,
We all are one in call,
Our varied gifts united
By Christ, the Lord of all.
May God bless and keep us. Amen.
May God’s face ever shine upon us. Amen.
May God grant us peace for all our days. Amen.
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