Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, March 30, 2023)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings 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
Opening Song:
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.
Anthem:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Kallman’s choral arrangement of Jonathan Asprey’s paraphrase of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place.”
How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
Where he can settle down.
And the swallow she can build a nest,
Where she may lay her young.
Within the court of the Lord of hosts,
My King, my Lord and my God.
And happy are those who are dwelling where
The song of praise is sung.
And I’d rather be a door-keeper
And only stay a day,
Than live the life of a sinner
And have to stay away.
For the Lord is shining as the sun,
And the Lord, he’s like a shield;
And no good thing does God withhold
From those who walk the way.
How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to 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.
Kyrie:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ed Bolduc’s Mass of St. Ann setting of the Kyrie.
Kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Kyre eleison
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
We thank you, heavenly Father,
that you have delivered us from the powers of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
we pray that
as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his presence abiding I us he may raise us
to joys eternal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Hebrews 12: 14-29)
Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison. Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the older son. Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive his father's blessing; but he was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.
You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, because they could not bear the order which said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling and afraid!”
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands of angels. You have come to the joyful gathering of God's first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people made perfect. You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.
Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven! His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe; because our God is indeed a destroying fire.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
If this evening’s reading could be described in few words, it is a call to listen to God in the person of the Son, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As Jesus himself claimed, he was fulfilling God’s promise to come to his people and teach them himself and make them his disciples. His words were not his own but those which the Father had given him. As the apostle Paul wrote, God was present in Jesus, reconciling humanity to himself. As the author of Hebrews points to the attention of those to whom he was writing, until the birth of Jesus God had spoken indirectly to the people of Israel through Moses and the other Old Testament prophets. After Jesus reached manhood and began his ministry, God had spoken to them directly through the Son who was one with the Father and therefore God. Jesus’ words carry far greater weight than Moses’ words or those of the other prophets. They and we ourselves do well to heed what Jesus said and the example that he set.
Among the things that Jesus taught his disciples is that not should they be compassionate and merciful like God, they should also be holy like God. Jesus told a parable about how a king instructed his servants to invite people from all walks of life to a wedding feast. However, when he sees one of guests has come to the feast not wearing a garment appropriate for the occasion, he orders that the guest be ejected from the feast. Jesus warns his disciples that, while many will be called, few will be chosen.”
The garment to which Jesus appears to be alluding in the parable is what the author of Hebrews calls “a holy life.” Living a holy life does not require separating ourselves from the world but it does entail separating ourselves from the way the world thinks, speaks, and acts. It means that we should be intentional in living a life distinct from the lives of those who do not know Jesus, do not know the Son. Our attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior should be noticeably different from theirs. Jesus, his message, and his teaching should clearly be the dominant influence in our lives. The truths and principles that Jesus taught should guide how we think, speak, and act.
Note that author of Hebrews urges those to whom he has written to guard against turning back from the grace of God. We turn back from God’s grace when we turn back from following Jesus. It is God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, that enables us to believe in Jesus, to respond to his call to discipleship, and to walk with him all the days of our life, patterning our lives on his teaching and example.
A Lifeway Research article I read this week drew to its readers’ attention that religious experience of recent generations is different from that of prior generations. People are less likely to base their spiritual beliefs on an external source of truth. The expectation of the culture in which we live, in Canada as well as the United States, is that we not only define ourselves by looking within ourselves but also that expressing this definition of ourselves becomes our life. Once we have defined ourselves, we are expected “to express, defend, find people who celebrate that definition, and reject those who disagree.”
Jesus’ teaching is counter-cultural because Jesus invites us to find who we are in our walk with him. Rather than look within ourselves, Jesus invites us to look to him, to his message, to his teaching, to his example. Jesus’ teaching is also countercultural in that Jesus does not expect us to reject those who do not agree with us but rather treat them as we would wish to be treated, with compassion, forgiveness, generosity, kindness, and patience. We are expected to extend Jesus’ invitation to discipleship to all people no matter who they are and from what walk of life they come. We are expected to be instruments of God’s hesed, God's goodness, God's lovingkindness, to all humanity.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Michael Talbot’s “Father Make Me Holy.”
1 Father make me holy,
Jesus make me holy,
Spirit make me holy,
Holy One.
2 The Father will cherish me.
Jesus will cherish me.
The Spirit will cherish me,
Kindly One
3 The Three aid my hope,
The Three aid my love
The Three aid my eyes
and my knee from stumbling
4 In the name of the Father,
In the name of the Son,
In the name of the Spirit,
Three in One.
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 in 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 Rebecca Hincke's setting of the traditioal Irish hymn, “Christ Be Near at Either Hand.”
1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where'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.
3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Guide and shepherd to the end.
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.
Anthem:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Kallman’s choral arrangement of Jonathan Asprey’s paraphrase of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place.”
How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
Where he can settle down.
And the swallow she can build a nest,
Where she may lay her young.
Within the court of the Lord of hosts,
My King, my Lord and my God.
And happy are those who are dwelling where
The song of praise is sung.
And I’d rather be a door-keeper
And only stay a day,
Than live the life of a sinner
And have to stay away.
For the Lord is shining as the sun,
And the Lord, he’s like a shield;
And no good thing does God withhold
From those who walk the way.
How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to 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.
Kyrie:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ed Bolduc’s Mass of St. Ann setting of the Kyrie.
Kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Kyre eleison
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
We thank you, heavenly Father,
that you have delivered us from the powers of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
we pray that
as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his presence abiding I us he may raise us
to joys eternal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Hebrews 12: 14-29)
Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison. Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the older son. Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive his father's blessing; but he was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.
You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, because they could not bear the order which said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling and afraid!”
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands of angels. You have come to the joyful gathering of God's first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people made perfect. You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.
Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven! His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe; because our God is indeed a destroying fire.
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
A Call to Listen to God
If this evening’s reading could be described in few words, it is a call to listen to God in the person of the Son, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As Jesus himself claimed, he was fulfilling God’s promise to come to his people and teach them himself and make them his disciples. His words were not his own but those which the Father had given him. As the apostle Paul wrote, God was present in Jesus, reconciling humanity to himself. As the author of Hebrews points to the attention of those to whom he was writing, until the birth of Jesus God had spoken indirectly to the people of Israel through Moses and the other Old Testament prophets. After Jesus reached manhood and began his ministry, God had spoken to them directly through the Son who was one with the Father and therefore God. Jesus’ words carry far greater weight than Moses’ words or those of the other prophets. They and we ourselves do well to heed what Jesus said and the example that he set.
Among the things that Jesus taught his disciples is that not should they be compassionate and merciful like God, they should also be holy like God. Jesus told a parable about how a king instructed his servants to invite people from all walks of life to a wedding feast. However, when he sees one of guests has come to the feast not wearing a garment appropriate for the occasion, he orders that the guest be ejected from the feast. Jesus warns his disciples that, while many will be called, few will be chosen.”
The garment to which Jesus appears to be alluding in the parable is what the author of Hebrews calls “a holy life.” Living a holy life does not require separating ourselves from the world but it does entail separating ourselves from the way the world thinks, speaks, and acts. It means that we should be intentional in living a life distinct from the lives of those who do not know Jesus, do not know the Son. Our attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior should be noticeably different from theirs. Jesus, his message, and his teaching should clearly be the dominant influence in our lives. The truths and principles that Jesus taught should guide how we think, speak, and act.
Note that author of Hebrews urges those to whom he has written to guard against turning back from the grace of God. We turn back from God’s grace when we turn back from following Jesus. It is God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, that enables us to believe in Jesus, to respond to his call to discipleship, and to walk with him all the days of our life, patterning our lives on his teaching and example.
A Lifeway Research article I read this week drew to its readers’ attention that religious experience of recent generations is different from that of prior generations. People are less likely to base their spiritual beliefs on an external source of truth. The expectation of the culture in which we live, in Canada as well as the United States, is that we not only define ourselves by looking within ourselves but also that expressing this definition of ourselves becomes our life. Once we have defined ourselves, we are expected “to express, defend, find people who celebrate that definition, and reject those who disagree.”
Jesus’ teaching is counter-cultural because Jesus invites us to find who we are in our walk with him. Rather than look within ourselves, Jesus invites us to look to him, to his message, to his teaching, to his example. Jesus’ teaching is also countercultural in that Jesus does not expect us to reject those who do not agree with us but rather treat them as we would wish to be treated, with compassion, forgiveness, generosity, kindness, and patience. We are expected to extend Jesus’ invitation to discipleship to all people no matter who they are and from what walk of life they come. We are expected to be instruments of God’s hesed, God's goodness, God's lovingkindness, to all humanity.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Michael Talbot’s “Father Make Me Holy.”
1 Father make me holy,
Jesus make me holy,
Spirit make me holy,
Holy One.
2 The Father will cherish me.
Jesus will cherish me.
The Spirit will cherish me,
Kindly One
3 The Three aid my hope,
The Three aid my love
The Three aid my eyes
and my knee from stumbling
4 In the name of the Father,
In the name of the Son,
In the name of the Spirit,
Three in One.
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 in 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 Rebecca Hincke's setting of the traditioal Irish hymn, “Christ Be Near at Either Hand.”
1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where'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.
3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Guide and shepherd to the end.
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.
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