Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, March 19, 2023)

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows. The best description of All Hallows Murray is an online gathering place for Christians and those exploring the Christian faith. The services of praise, proclamation, and prayer that are offered on this blogsite are not intended to replace those of a local church but are offered for the benefit of those who are unable to attend a local church for any reason, who may be traveling, or who wish to test the water before taking the plunge, or who otherwise may benefit from them.

DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

‘I am the light of the world,’ says the Lord; ‘those who follow me will have the light of life.’ John 8:12

Gathering Songs:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Dan Schutte’s “Glory and Praise to Our God.”

Glory and praise to our God
Who alone gives light to our days
Many are the blessings He bears
To those who trust in His ways

1 We the daughters and sons of Him
Who built the valleys and plains
Praise the wonders our God has done
In every heart that sings

Glory and praise to our God
Who alone gives light to our days
Many are the blessings He bears
To those who trust in His ways

2 In His wisdom He strengthens us
Like gold that's tested in fire
Though the power of sin prevails
Our God is there to save

Glory and praise to our God
Who alone gives light to our days
Many are the blessings He bears
To those who trust in His ways

3 God has watered our barren land
And spent His merciful rain
Now our rivers of life run full
For anyone to drink

Glory and praise to our God
Who alone gives light to our days
Many are the blessings He bears
To those who trust in His ways

Open this link in a new tab to hear Isaac Watts’ “Jesus, the Shepherd of My Soul (Psalm 23)”

1 Jesus, the shepherd of my soul, all of my needs supplies
By living waters gives me rest, keeping me by His side
Bringing my wandering spirit back when I forsake His ways
Leading me for His mercy’s sake in paths of truth and grace

2 Jesus, the shepherd of my soul when in the valley deep
Death like a shadow hides my way, still You are leading me
I will not fear the darkest hour, faithful You will remain
Comforting with Your rod and staff, driving my fears away

3 Jesus, the shepherd of my soul, keeping me from all harm
Ever until He leads me home, safely into His arms
When I behold Him face to face, then I will look and see
Goodness and mercy from His hand surely have followed me

Coda:
When I behold Him face to face, then I will look and see
Goodness and mercy from His hand surely have followed me
Surely have followed me

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

Silence

O God, our Father, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; we have not love you with all our heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, Have mercy upon us, we beseech you; cleanse us from our sins; and help us to overcome our faults; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Merciful God, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

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

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

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

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

Let us pray.

Silence

God of unchangeable power,
when you fashioned the world
the morning stars sang together
and the host of heaven shouted for joy;
open our eyes to the wonders of creation
and teach us to see all things for good,
to the honor of your glorious name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

HEARING GOD’S WORD

Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (Ephesians 5:8–14)

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Silence

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Believe, Follow, Share—The Life of Discipleship

In the early days of the Christian Church the season of Lent was a season in which new believers were prepared for baptism on the morning of the Feast of the Resurrection, the morning of Easter Sunday. They were instructed in the beliefs and practices of the Christian faith and way of life. This instruction did not end with their baptism. They continued to be given instruction after they were baptized. In this way they were formed into disciples of Jesus and readied for the life of discipleship to which Jesus had called them.

Jesus calls us to the same life of discipleship. He does not call us to attend a church service, listen to worship songs, a Scripture reading, and a sermon, and to receive communion. He does not call to us to attend a Sunday school class and listen to a Sunday school lesson. He does not call us to participate in a small group. Jesus calls us to follow him, to be one of his disciples. All of the things I have described are a part of discipleship, but they are far from the entirety of discipleship. They are important means of grace and new believers do need instruction in employing them rightly and to the best advantage. New believers also need instruction in the various spiritual disciplines. Most importantly, however, new believers need instruction in what Jesus taught his followers and the example he set for them.

A word of caution is in order. I have heard it said that everything in the Bible is Jesus’ teaching. While Jesus himself affirmed a large portion of what is taught in the Bible, Jesus also gave his own interpretation to what the Bible says and emphasized some teachings of the Bible over other teachings. We cannot cherry-pick a passage from the Bible and claim that it is what Jesus taught without considering what the New Testament identifies as Jesus’ teaching. Jesus essentially provided his disciples with a lens through which they should view the teaching of the Bible. We cannot take a passage which contradicts or conflicts with what is identified as Jesus’ teaching and claim that it is what Jesus taught. As Jesus’ disciples we must interpret the passage in the light of what Jesus said and did.

Central to forming new believers as disciples of Jesus is teaching them how to apply in their own lives the truths and principles Jesus taught. As the apostle Paul puts it in today’s New Testament reading—

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Jesus has provided his disciples with light. This light comes from his teaching and example. It ultimately comes from God: Jesus claimed that his words were not his own but those of the Father who sent him. He himself lived what he taught. For example, he showed mercy toward others as well as taught his disciples to show mercy toward them.

Let us take a brief look at how a number of leading dictionaries define the term, “disciple.” First, Merriam-Webster: “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” In this definition doctrine is used in the sense of teachings or instructions. Next Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: “a person who believes in and follows the teachings of a religious or political leader.” Third, Cambridge Dictionary: “a person who believes in the ideas and principles of someone famous and tries to live the way that person does or did.” Finally, Collins: “If you are someone's disciple, you are influenced by their teachings and try to follow their example; a pupil or follower of any teacher or school of religion, learning, art, etc.”

Based upon these four definitions a disciple of Jesus is someone who –

Believes and accepts what Jesus taught.

Follows Jesus’ teachings and example.

Spreads Jesus’ teachings.

A disciple does more than intellectually assent to what Jesus taught. They wholeheartedly believe that Jeus’ teachings are true. Not fabricated. Not partly true. But to borrow Paul’s words “good and right and true.” Now they may not come to this conclusion right away. But as time passes they will become convinced of the truthfulness and trustworthiness of Jesus’ teachings. God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, will work within them to put their faith, trust, and confidence in Jesus and his teachings.

A disciple patterns their lives on what Jesus said and did. At least once I the Gospels Jesus rather pointedly asks, “Why do you call me Lord when you do not do what I tell you.” A disciple not only call Jesus Lord but treats him as Lord. They obey his instructions. They act in the ways that he instructed his first disciples to act. They show their love for him by obeying his commandments. God’s grace also works within them to that end.

Telling people about Jesus and what he said and did and what it means for them may be the hardest thing for us to do in our day and time. But doing that is an integral part of being a disciple of Jesus. 

Equipping new believers with the skills and tools to share the message and teachings of Jesus is a necessary and important part of forming them as disciples of Jesus. This includes how to build relationships with other people, how to actively listen to them, how to recognize their spiritual address—what unmet needs may need to be met for them to hear and receive the good news, and how to initiate spiritual conversations. They need to know what they need to do if a person with whom they have been having spiritual conversations comes to faith. 

This is not only an essential part of the formation of a new believer into a disciple of Jesus, but it is also an area of the Christian faith and way of life in which the formation of longtime believers has been neglected.

I recently participated in a Church Answers webinar in which 70% or thereabouts of the participants who were polled in an informal survey reported that their churches were doing an inadequate job of telling unchurched and spiritually disconnected people about Jesus. None of the respondents thought that their church was doing a stellar job in evangelizing this segment of the population. The findings of this poll corresponded with Church Answers’ own research findings. A lion’s share of North American churches is doing little or nothing to evangelize those whom Jesus came to seek and save. These churches are not carrying out the mission that our Lord entrusted to his disciples, not just to the twelve apostles but to succeeding generations of his disciples until his return.

While it is tempting to blame the waning influence of Christianity in North America and the declining attendance in North American churches on secularism, the unpleasant truth is that the primary reason for these developments is a lack of faithfulness in obeying the command of the Great Commission. A sad fact that one survey revealed is that a significant number of North American Christians have never heard of the Great Commission!

A major reason for this state of affairs is that local churches are not training and equipping believers to share their faith with others. Reaching and engaging the unreached and unengaged is not a number one priority. 

This is not just something about which church leaders should be concerned. It something about which we all should be concerned. Jesus calls us to a life of discipleship and a part of that life is to tell others about him. He has not tasked us with persuading others to become disciples of Jesus. He has, however, tasked us with planting, watering, and reaping. We are expected to plant seeds, to water the ones that we see growing, and to gather the fruit of those who have grown to maturity and yielded fruit. God’s grace works within us and through us and within those whom we are interacting. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that causes the seeds to grow and eventually reach maturity and bear fruit. Seeds are planted when we have spiritual conversations with others. Watering and reaping happen in the same fashion.

Our actions also play a part. When we live the life of a genuine disciple of Jesus in front of others, the Holy Spirit will use our actions to accomplish God’s purposes. Through our deeds of compassion, kindness, generosity, and forgiveness God can work in the innermost thoughts and feelings of the unbelieving.

The United Methodist Church adopted as its mission making disciples for the transformation of the world. Think about that for a moment. It is God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, that brings about real transformation, changed hearts and changed lives. For our part we serve as instruments of God’s grace. Through our words and actions God touches hearts and lives. In the process we are also transformed. We grow in our love of God and our maturity of character. When we and those whose hearts and lives are touched by God through us are transformed, the world is also transformed. We and they become better people and the world becomes a better place. Living as people of light, we lead others to the unfading Light who will change their hearts and lives for ever.

Silence

Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “Awake, O Sleeper.”

Awake, O sleeper, arise from death,
abandon the shadows of night;
the wind of the spirit shall be your breath,
and Christ will fill you with light.

Once you were darkness,
once you were lost in the shadows.
Once you were darkness,
now you are children of light.

Awake, O sleeper, arise from death,
abandon the shadows of night;
the wind of the spirit shall be your breath,
and Christ will fill you with light.

Live as God's people,
live as God's justice and mercy,
filled with compassion,
filled with the power of love.

Awake, O sleeper, arise from death,
abandon the shadows of night;
the wind of the spirit shall be your breath,
and Christ will fill you with light.

Shine out with the splendour of love,
shine with justice and righteousness.
Sing the music your spirit has heard,
the songs of glory and light.

PRAYING FOR GOD’S WORLD

Concerns and Prayers:
A short pause for silent prayer may be made after each response. The bidding in brackets [ ] may be omitted.

Let us implore the all-holy and ever-blessed Trinity to show mercy and grace to us and to all people.

O God the Father, have mercy upon us:
O God the Father, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, have mercy upon us:
O God the Son, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us:
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.

Stretch forth your hand upon us, O Lord, and save us; raise us up and defend us.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for the peace of the whole world, and for the welfare and unity of the Church of God.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for the conversion of those who do not yet believe or have fallen into error.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for our country, for this place [or city], for this district, and for all that live in it.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for all Christian people throughout the world.

Lord, have mercy.

[Let us pray for all Christian princes and governors, especially our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.]

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for all in authority in this land, especially those in this county [or city or place].

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for all who minister in Christ's Church, especially for N. our pastor.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for all who are traveling by land, sea, or air.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for steadfastness in the faith for our brothers and sisters in other lands.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for all who are sick or suffering, in mind, body, or state of life.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for quiet, peaceful lives, free from temptation and sin, and for a joyful reunion with all our loved ones in heaven at life’s end.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray that we may faithfully represent Christ in the world and to the world.

Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray for the faithful departed.

Lord, have mercy.

(Other biddings may be added here.)

Lord, you have given us grace to agree in these prayers, and you have promised that when two or three ask together i your name you will grant their requests. Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us. Grant us in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:

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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

GOING OUT TO SERVE

Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Kathleen Thomerson’s “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.”

I want to walk as a child of the light
I want to follow Jesus
God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus

In Him, there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

I want to see the brightness of God
I want to look at Jesus
Clear sun of righteousness, shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father

In Him, there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

I'm looking for the coming of Christ
I want to be with Jesus
When we have run with patience the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus

In Him, there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

Benediction:
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.