Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 1, 2023)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. All Hallows is an online ministry that posts on Thursdays and Sundays services of public worship in a simple format for Christians who for one reason or another are unable to attend a church in their locality, for Christians who are on vacation or traveling for other reasons, and for individuals who may be interested in the Christian faith and way of life.
Gathering Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear the round, “Come into God’s Presence.”
1 Come into God’s presence singing
“Alleluia,
alleluia,
alleluia.”
*2 Come into God’s presence singing
“Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is Lord.”
*3 Praise the Lord together singing
“Worthy the Lamb,
worthy the Lamb,
worthy the Lamb.”
4 Praise the Lord together singing
“Glory to God,
glory to God,
glory to God.”
*Omitted in the video.
Greeting and Opening Prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Gracious God,
you have given us minds to know you,
hearts to love you, and voices to praise you:
Help us to worship you with understanding,
with reverence, and with joy;
for the glory of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Act of Praise:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Young Wimberly’s May We Rise (Psalms 148, 149, 150)
Alleluia, praise our Maker
Alleluia, one and all
May God fill our lives with pleasures**
May we rise and never fall
Gather round and sing together
All God’s people, where you are
Sun and moon and stars about you
Heaven and earth will praise our God
Alleluia, praise our Maker
Alleluia, one and all
May God fill our lives with pleasures**
May we rise and never fall
Play your pipes and play your whistle
Play your harp and string and drum
Raise your voice with grateful singing
Every breath shall praise our God
Alleluia, praise our Maker
Alleluia, one and all
May God fill our lives with pleasures**
May we rise and never fall
From the depths and from the heavens
Fiery storms and bitter snows
All creation will adore you
You are God forevermore
Alleluia, praise our Maker
Alleluia, one and all
May God fill our lives with pleasures**
May we rise and never fall
Sing a new song with thanksgiving
To the God who’s with us now
Praise our God with joy and dancing
For God loves us, one and all
Alleluia, praise our Maker
Alleluia, one and all
May God fill our lives with pleasures**
May we rise and never fall
May we rise and never fall
**good thoughts or will, desire of goodness
Prayer for Illumination:
Blessed Lord,
open to us your Word, and our hearts to your Word,
that we may know you better and love you more;
for your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear the round “Listen to the Word God Has Spoken.”
Listen to the word that God has spoken,
listen to the One who is close at hand,
listen to the voice which began creation,
listen even if you don't understand.
A reading from the New Testament (John 12:44-50)
Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Jesus spoke the words we read and heard in today’s reading from the Gospel of John some time after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and before his betrayal and arrest. The claims that he makes are not new. Indeed, they comprise the primary focus of John’s Gospel. They form a number of the central tenets of the Christian faith, a number of its core beliefs. These claims are:
A claim that Jesus does not make in his address to the crowds but which he makes elsewhere in John’s narrative is that he and God are one. This is a central tenet of the Christian faith too, a core belief.
All these claims point to the uniqueness of Jesus. While Jesus has a prophetic office, he is not a prophet like Moses of Judaism; Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, of Zoroastrianism; or Mohammed of Islam. He is not an awakened, or enlightened, wandering ascetic and religious teacher like Siddhartha Gautama of Buddhism. He is not the last in a line of divine educators like Bahá’u’lláh of the Bahá’i faith. He is not a demi-god like Herakles of Greek legend. He is not a human god like the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, the Roman Emperors, and the Japanese tennō. He is not a deity in the guise of a human like Zeus of Greek legend. He is not an avatar of the Vishnu, the Supreme God, like Krishna of Hinduism. He is not a philosopher like Kong Qui of Confucianism or Lao Tzu of Taoism.
Jesus is unique in that he is both fully God and fully human. He has both a divine nature and a human nature. He is both perfectly divine and perfectly human.
The Athanasia Creed, a Christian statement of belief which dates from the late fifth or early sixth century AD, explains:
"He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human."
The Athanasian Creed was compiled in response to Arianism, the teaching of a fourth century Alexandrian priest Arius who rejected Jesus’ claims in the New Testament and taught that Jesus was not divine. According to Arius, Jesus was created by God and consequently was not one with God nor was he God. He was just a holy man. While generally associated with religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Unitarians, recent studies of the state of theology in the United States show that this view has a surprising number of adherents in mainline and evangelical churches.
When Jesus says, those who see him, see God, he is not suggesting that God has a physical body. According to John’s Gospel, Jesus taught that God is spirit. During his time here on earth Jesus, however, exhibited those qualities that characterize God and in this manner revealed God to humankind. Jesus showed us what God was like In character—compassionate, forgiving, generous, kind, patient, selfless, and trustworthy. This is not the only reason that God in the person of the Son, in the person of Jesus, became a human being and dwelt among us, but it is an important one. Jesus makes an invisible God visible. Jesus not only teaches us about God’s character, but he also demonstrates God’s character for us.
While we may not completely understand how Jesus can be both fully God and fully human, our limited understanding is not reason to dismiss Jesus’ claim. The truth of something is not tied to the extent of our understanding of it. Something can be true regardless of whether we understand it.
Near the end of The Last Battle, the final book in C. S, Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, there is a scene in which a rich feast is set before a group of Dwarves who are locked in a stable. The Dwarves refuse to believe that what they are being offered is anything other than what one would usually find in a stable—straw, stagnant water, old carrots, that sort of thing. We can be like the Dwarves and refuse to believe that the rich feast set before us is nothing more than straw, stagnant water, and old carrots. We can settle for the limits of our minds. Or we can trust Jesus, believe that he is who he claims to be, and share in the feast of life. God gives us that choice and enables us to make it.
Silence
Song of Response:
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
There Is No One Else Like Jesus
Jesus spoke the words we read and heard in today’s reading from the Gospel of John some time after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and before his betrayal and arrest. The claims that he makes are not new. Indeed, they comprise the primary focus of John’s Gospel. They form a number of the central tenets of the Christian faith, a number of its core beliefs. These claims are:
- Those who trust Jesus, trust God who sent him.
- Those who see Jesus, see God who sent him.
- Jesus came to save the world, not to judge it.
- Those who reject Jesus and his message, however, will be judged on the day of judgment on the basis of their response to Jesus and that message.
- Jesus’ words are not his own words. They are God’s words, what God has commanded Jesus to say. They not only have the authority of God behind them, but they also lead to eternal life.
A claim that Jesus does not make in his address to the crowds but which he makes elsewhere in John’s narrative is that he and God are one. This is a central tenet of the Christian faith too, a core belief.
All these claims point to the uniqueness of Jesus. While Jesus has a prophetic office, he is not a prophet like Moses of Judaism; Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, of Zoroastrianism; or Mohammed of Islam. He is not an awakened, or enlightened, wandering ascetic and religious teacher like Siddhartha Gautama of Buddhism. He is not the last in a line of divine educators like Bahá’u’lláh of the Bahá’i faith. He is not a demi-god like Herakles of Greek legend. He is not a human god like the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, the Roman Emperors, and the Japanese tennō. He is not a deity in the guise of a human like Zeus of Greek legend. He is not an avatar of the Vishnu, the Supreme God, like Krishna of Hinduism. He is not a philosopher like Kong Qui of Confucianism or Lao Tzu of Taoism.
Jesus is unique in that he is both fully God and fully human. He has both a divine nature and a human nature. He is both perfectly divine and perfectly human.
The Athanasia Creed, a Christian statement of belief which dates from the late fifth or early sixth century AD, explains:
"He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human."
The Athanasian Creed was compiled in response to Arianism, the teaching of a fourth century Alexandrian priest Arius who rejected Jesus’ claims in the New Testament and taught that Jesus was not divine. According to Arius, Jesus was created by God and consequently was not one with God nor was he God. He was just a holy man. While generally associated with religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Unitarians, recent studies of the state of theology in the United States show that this view has a surprising number of adherents in mainline and evangelical churches.
When Jesus says, those who see him, see God, he is not suggesting that God has a physical body. According to John’s Gospel, Jesus taught that God is spirit. During his time here on earth Jesus, however, exhibited those qualities that characterize God and in this manner revealed God to humankind. Jesus showed us what God was like In character—compassionate, forgiving, generous, kind, patient, selfless, and trustworthy. This is not the only reason that God in the person of the Son, in the person of Jesus, became a human being and dwelt among us, but it is an important one. Jesus makes an invisible God visible. Jesus not only teaches us about God’s character, but he also demonstrates God’s character for us.
While we may not completely understand how Jesus can be both fully God and fully human, our limited understanding is not reason to dismiss Jesus’ claim. The truth of something is not tied to the extent of our understanding of it. Something can be true regardless of whether we understand it.
Near the end of The Last Battle, the final book in C. S, Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, there is a scene in which a rich feast is set before a group of Dwarves who are locked in a stable. The Dwarves refuse to believe that what they are being offered is anything other than what one would usually find in a stable—straw, stagnant water, old carrots, that sort of thing. We can be like the Dwarves and refuse to believe that the rich feast set before us is nothing more than straw, stagnant water, and old carrots. We can settle for the limits of our minds. Or we can trust Jesus, believe that he is who he claims to be, and share in the feast of life. God gives us that choice and enables us to make it.
Silence
Song of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Alanna Glover, Liv Chapman, and Philip Percival’s arrangement of John Newton’ “How Sweet the Name.”
1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In the believer’s ear
It soothes our sorrows heals our wounds
And drives away our fear
2 So weak the effort of my heart
And cold my warmest thought
But when I see you as you are
I’ll praise you as I ought
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
3 Till then I would your love proclaim
With every fleeting breath
And may the music of your name
Refresh my soul in death
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
Bridge
My prophet my priest my brother and friend
My Lord my life my way and my end
My prophet my priest my brother and friend
My Lord my life my way and my end
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
Concerns and Prayers:
In peace we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors,
and for all those who are alone.
For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
For N. our pastor, and for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and other ministers;
For all who serve God in the Church.
For our own needs and those of others.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Hear us, Lord.
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence.
The people may add their own thanksgivings.
We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.
We pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
And now, as our Savior Christ has 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.
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’ “O Christ, Surround Me.”
1 God be the love to search and keep me
God be the prayer to move my voice
God be the strength to now uphold me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
2 Bind to myself the name of Holy
Great cloud of witnesses enfold
Prophets, apostles, angels witness
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
3 Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight
Flashing of lightning, strength of wind
Depth of the sea to soil of planet
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
4 Walking behind to hem my journey
Going ahead to light my way
And from beneath, above, and all ways
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
[Instrumental interlude]
5 Christ in the eyes of all who see me
Christ in the ears that hear my voice
Christ in the hearts of all who know me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
Doxology:
Glory to God
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen
May the God of hope
fill us with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Choral Benediction:
Open this link to hear Roger Noble’s arrangement of “May the Lord, Mighty God.”
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever,
grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor.
Lift your eyes and see God's face, source of grace forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In the believer’s ear
It soothes our sorrows heals our wounds
And drives away our fear
2 So weak the effort of my heart
And cold my warmest thought
But when I see you as you are
I’ll praise you as I ought
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
3 Till then I would your love proclaim
With every fleeting breath
And may the music of your name
Refresh my soul in death
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
Bridge
My prophet my priest my brother and friend
My Lord my life my way and my end
My prophet my priest my brother and friend
My Lord my life my way and my end
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
The rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place with treasure filled
The endless source of grace
My shepherd and my king be ever praised
Concerns and Prayers:
In peace we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors,
and for all those who are alone.
For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
For N. our pastor, and for all ordained elders and licensed local pastors and other ministers;
For all who serve God in the Church.
For our own needs and those of others.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Hear us, Lord.
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence.
The people may add their own thanksgivings.
We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.
We pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
And now, as our Savior Christ has 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.
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’ “O Christ, Surround Me.”
1 God be the love to search and keep me
God be the prayer to move my voice
God be the strength to now uphold me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
2 Bind to myself the name of Holy
Great cloud of witnesses enfold
Prophets, apostles, angels witness
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
3 Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight
Flashing of lightning, strength of wind
Depth of the sea to soil of planet
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
4 Walking behind to hem my journey
Going ahead to light my way
And from beneath, above, and all ways
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
[Instrumental interlude]
5 Christ in the eyes of all who see me
Christ in the ears that hear my voice
Christ in the hearts of all who know me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me
Doxology:
Glory to God
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen
May the God of hope
fill us with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Choral Benediction:
Open this link to hear Roger Noble’s arrangement of “May the Lord, Mighty God.”
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever,
grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor.
Lift your eyes and see God's face, source of grace forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
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