Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, June 18, 2023)
Give thanks to the Lord for God is good
and God’s steadfast love endures for ever
Almighty and most gracious God,
Maker of the heavens and the earth,
We give thanks and praise that
to show others your goodness,
you called us out of darkness
into your wonderful light.
Enable us by the power of the Holy Spirit
to be faithful witnesses to your Son Jesus Christ,
living lives of love as he did,
following his example.
We make this prayer in his name. Amen.
All glory be to the Father,
all glory be to the Son.
all glory be to the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever. Amen.
2. PSALMS
Open a link in a new tab to hear Dale A. Witte’s arrangement of the Venite, “Come, O Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord Our Savior!”
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord our Savior!
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord!
1 Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.
Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord our Savior!
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord!
2 For the Lord is a great God and great King above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in his hands.
The heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his and formed the dry land.
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord our Savior!
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord!
3 Oh, come let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are his people,
the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord our Savior!
Come, O come, let us sing to the Lord!
Open this link to Karin Young Wimberly’s paraphrase of Psalm 116, “I Love You, Lord.”
I love the Lord, who showed me mercy
Who heard my voice and heard my cry
Long as I live, I will call upon you
Because you’ve listened and saved my life
When the chains of death had tangled round me
When grief and suffering had weighed me down
Distress and sorrow had overcome me
I called my God to save my life
Lord you are gracious, full of compassion
When I was troubled you protected me
My soul may rest now in consolation
Because you’ve listened and turned to me
I love the Lord, who showed me mercy
Who heard my voice and heard my cry
Long as I live, I will call upon you
Because you’ve listened and saved my life
You have delivered me from death’s doorway
My eyes from tears and my heart from pain
You guide my footsteps, my feet from stumbling
I’ll walk beside you, long as I live
What shall I offer for all your goodness?
How shall I thank you for what you’ve done?
I’ll be your servant, I will be faithful
For you have freed me from all my chains
I love the Lord, who showed me mercy
Who heard my voice and heard my cry
Long as I live, I will call upon you
Because you’ve listened and saved my life
3. CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Eric Becker’s responsorial setting of “Daniel 3 - Glory and Praise.”
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord God our Father,
praiseworthy and exalted for ever;
blessed and holy and glorious your name,
exalted for all ages.
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your glory,
praiseworthy, glorious, your name for ever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
above all for ever.
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon cherubim,
praiseworthy, exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
Glory and praise for ever! For ever!
4. HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear James Quinn SJ’s “O God of Light, te Dawning Day.”
O God of light, the dawning day
Gives us new promise of your love.
Each fresh beginning is your gift,
Like gentle dew from heav‘n above.
Your blessings, Father, never fail:
Your Son, who is our daily Bread,
The Holy Spirit of your love,
By whom each day your children are led.
Make us the servant of your peace,
Renew our strength, remove all fear;
Be with us, Lord, throughout this day,
For all is joy if you are near.
To Father, Son and Spirit blest,
One only God, we humbly pray;
Show us the splendor of your light
In death, the dawn of perfect day.
5. READING
A reading from the New Testament (Romans 5:1–8)
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory
6. HOMILY
What Are the Implications of God Meeting Us in Our Brokenness?
“…God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Take a moment to savor these words. “…God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” These words have tremendous implications for us as Christian or would-be Christians.
God does not wait for us to get our act together before meeting us. God meets us where we are—in our brokenness.
God, however, does not leave us in our brokenness. God first works in us the miracle of repentance and faith and then transforms us into the likeness of his Son.
God is like a sculpturer. A sculpturer sees in the stone an image. The sculpturer chips away the stone until it begins to take on the shape of that image. God is also like a potter turning a pot on her wheel. The pot takes form under her hands, becoming what she envisions it to be. Both the sculpturer and the potter see in their mind’s eye and in the stone and the clay the final result of their labors. God also sees in us what he meant us to be, what we can become.
The way God works is not only invisibly in us but also through the people around us, the people whom God places in our lives. In some instances, they may offer us encouragement and guidance. They may serve as our mentors and anamchara, or soul friends. In other instances, they may prove to be the iron which sharpens iron of Proverbs 27: 17. Our interactions with them, while they may not always be pleasant, will help us to learn to be compassionate, forgiving, generous, kind, loving, patient, and selfless. They may serve as foils for our development of these qualities of character.
These words not only have implications for our own personal spiritual growth, but they also have implications for how we should relate to the people outside the church, the Sunday school class, and the small group in which we are involved. In meeting us in our brokenness God sets an example for us. If God meets us in our brokenness, then we must likewise meet others in their brokenness. We cannot expect them to adopt our way of life, to speak like us, to dress like us, to embrace our values before welcoming them into the fellowship of our church, Sunday school class, or small group. We meet them where they are. We invite them to take part in the life, worship, and ministry of our church, Sunday school class, or small group. After they have had an opportunity to become familiar with what we believe and value, we challenge them to become fully committed disciples of Jesus themselves.
This means that our church, Sunday school class, or small group will always be a mixed group, with its participants at different stages in their spiritual journey and different phases in their spiritual formation. Whatever the nature of a particular group—church, Sunday school class, or small group, we will want to make two things our priority. One is to create transformative environments that foster spiritual growth and the other is to equip people with the tools they need for their spiritual development.
This entails more than gathering on a Sunday or some other day to sing hymns and worship songs, to read and study the Scriptures, to pray, and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, as important as these means of grace are. It involves being faithful witnesses to our Lord in our community or neighborhood and in the larger world and serving Christ in our fellow human beings. It also entails as John Wesley rightly concluded doing no harm and avoiding all forms of evil and doing as much good as we can. It means being both salt and light and having a transformative effect upon the society surrounding us.
The same God who sent Christ to die for us while we were still sinners provides us with ample grace to meet this challenge. God does not leave us entirely to our own devices. God is present with us always, giving us the will and the power to accomplish what is his good purpose.
7. CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Vinnie Zarletti, Ellington Porter, and Jeff Deyo’s arrangement of Psalm 100, “Shout for Joy to the Lord.”
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us.
And we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
2 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever.
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Bridge 1
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever.
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever.
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever.
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever.
Bridge 2
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever
Shout for joy to the Lord.
His love endures forever
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
8. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Let us pray for all people and the Church throughout the world.
Let us pray for peace in the life of the world, let us pray for God’s peace:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all who suffer injury, sickness, and loss…, let us pray for all the afflicted:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for peace in the life of the world, let us pray for God’s peace:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all who suffer injury, sickness, and loss…, let us pray for all the afflicted:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all who are struggling to meet their basic needs, let us pray for all who are seeking to help them.
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let pray for all who wield authority and influence, let us pray for all who exercise power:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all whom we have wronged, let us pray for all who hate us:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and for all who serve Christ in his church, let us pray for all God’s people:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for ourselves and each other, our families, those with whom we work or learn, our neighbors, and our friends , let us pray for all whom God has placed in our lives:
Let pray for all who wield authority and influence, let us pray for all who exercise power:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all whom we have wronged, let us pray for all who hate us:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and for all who serve Christ in his church, let us pray for all God’s people:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for ourselves and each other, our families, those with whom we work or learn, our neighbors, and our friends , let us pray for all whom God has placed in our lives:
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Intercessions may be offered by anyone present.
Let us pray for….
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us give thanks for all in whom Christ has been honored,
(especially….)
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Intercessions may be offered by anyone present.
Let us pray for….
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
Let us give thanks for all in whom Christ has been honored,
(especially….)
(pause) we bring our prayer to you.
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
9. THE LORD’S PRAYER
All these mercies we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who taught us to pray with the confidence of children.
We therefore dare 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.
10. BENEDICTION
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
Amen.
11. HYMN
Good and gracious God, hear our prayer.
9. THE LORD’S PRAYER
All these mercies we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who taught us to pray with the confidence of children.
We therefore dare 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.
10. BENEDICTION
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
Amen.
11. HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carey Landry’s “Abba Father.”
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Mold us, mold us and fashion us
Into the image of Jesus Your Son,
of Jesus your Son.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Father, may we be one in You,
May we be one in You,
as He is in You and You are in Him.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Abba, Abba, Abba, Abba!
Glory, glory and praise to You,
Glory and praise to You,
forever, amen, forever, amen.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands,
the work of Your hands.
Abba…
12. PEACE
Those present may exchange a sign of peace with these words.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Mold us, mold us and fashion us
Into the image of Jesus Your Son,
of Jesus your Son.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Father, may we be one in You,
May we be one in You,
as He is in You and You are in Him.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
Abba, Abba, Abba, Abba!
Glory, glory and praise to You,
Glory and praise to You,
forever, amen, forever, amen.
Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands,
the work of Your hands.
Abba…
12. PEACE
Those present may exchange a sign of peace with these words.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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