Sundays All Hallows (Sunday, July 2, 2023)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows. On this first weekend in July the southern United States is experiencing a heat wave that already has proven to be deadly. Canada is stricken by out-of-control wildfires that are filling the air with smoke. Let us not only pray for those living in the affected areas but also do what we can to help them. When Jesus talked about loving our neighbors, he was talking about not just having warm fuzzy feelings about the family next door but also giving practical help to others in our community and beyond.

1. INVOCATION

Give thanks to the Lord for God is good
and God’s steadfast love endures for ever

Holy God, holy and might,
holy and immortal,
we give you thanks and praise
as befits the one who gives us life and breath
and shows mercy to all humankind..
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day
may the Holy Spirit deepen our love for you,
our God and Father, and for our neighbors—
kindred, friend, and stranger.
We dedicated this day and every day to your service;
may all our thoughts, words, and actions be well-pleasing to you
and serve the good of our fellow human beings;
through Christ our Lord.
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 this link in a new tab to hear The Psalter, 1912’s metrical paraphrase of the Venite, “O Come and Sing to God the Lord.”

1 O come and sing to God, the Lord,
To him our voices raise;
Let us in our most joyful songs,
The Lord, our Savior praise.

2 Before his presence let us come
With praise and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to him with joy,
With grateful hearts rejoice.

3 He is a great and mighty king,
Above all gods his throne;
The depths of earth are in his hand,
The mountains are his own.

4 To him the spacious sea belongs,
He made its waves and tides;
And by his hand the rising land
Was formed and still abides.

5 O come, and bowing down to him
Our worship let us bring;
Yes, let us kneel before the Lord,
Our Maker and our King.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Lori True’s responsorial setting of the morning psalm, Psalm 63, “In the Morning Let Us Sing.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

1 O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

2 For you love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

3 On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
Your right hand holds me fast.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

In the morning let us sing,
let us sing praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.
Let us sing glad songs of praise to you.

We’ll sing praise to you!

3. OLD TESTAMENT CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Angotti’s setting of the Benedicite, “Canticle of Daniel.”

God is praised and exalted above all for ever.
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.

1 Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord!
you heavens, bless the Lord!
all waters above the heavens, bless the Lord!
all you hosts of the Lord,
sun and moon, stars of heaven,
bless the Lord!
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.

2 Ev’ry shower and dew, bless the Lord!
all wind and heat, bless the Lord!
cold and chill, dew and rain, bless the Lord!
ice and snow,
nights and days,
lights and darkness and clouds
bless the Lord!
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.

3 Mountains and hills, bless the Lord!
ev’rything growing from the earth, bless the Lord!
springs, seas and rivers, bless the Lord!
all water creatures,
all you birds,
all you beasts, sons of man
bless the Lord!
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.

4 O Israel, bless the Lord!
Priests and servants of the Lord, bless the Lord!
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart,
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael,
bless the Lord!
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.
God is praised and exalted above all for ever.

4. HYMN

Open this link in a new tab to hear Jim and Jean Strathdee’s “God, We Praise You for the Morning.”

1 God, we praise you for the morning;
hope springs forth with each new day,
new beginning, prayer and promise,
joy in work and in play.

2 God, we praise you for creation,
mountains, seas and prairie land.
Waking souls find joy and healing
in your bountiful hand.

3 God, we praise you for compassion,
all the loving that you show;
human touching, tears and laughter,
help your children to grow.

4 God, we praise you for your Spirit,
Comforter and daily friend;
restless searcher, gentle teacher,
strength and courage you send.

5 God, we praise you for the Saviour,
come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising,
Christ is Lord of our days.

6 Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Christ is Lord of our days!

5. READING

A reading from the New Testament (Romans 6:12–23)

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Silence

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory

6. HOMILY

A Better Way

Simply put what the apostle Paul is telling the group of Christians at Rome to whom he wrote the letter from which today’s reading is taken is that there is a better way of living than the way that they have been living. They do not have to keep on living that way because God has enabled them to live differently. Although they may not realize it, God has freed them from the grip of their old way of life. It’ll take some effort on their part, but they can live differently. They can live in a way that is more pleasing to God. They can shed their old identity and adopt a new identity in Jesus.

The challenge that this group of Christians at Rome faced is a challenge that all Christians face, longtime disciples of Jesus as well as new believers. When Jesus calls us to follow him, he calls us to a new life, a new life in which we not only accept Jesus as the lord of our lives but also willingly surrender to God’s rule over our minds and bodies, our entire selves. We hold nothing back.

We do not say to God, “You can have this part of my life. But this part of my life I am keeping for myself.” Our submission to God’s authority is unreserved. It is total.

Unless we are experiencing a crisis, we generally do not find making changes in our lives to be easy. We may struggle with what we experience as a loss of identity as we have become attached to particular attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior. We have internalized them.

Even in a crisis, we may make only temporary changes, settle for short-lived changes that restore our equilibrium.

The changes that Jesus calls us to make in our lives as his disciples, however, are long-lasting changes, permanent changes. This is one of the reasons why he told would be disciples to first count the cost before they decided to follow him. As his disciples Jesus expects us to embody what he taught and what he practiced. This entails changing our attitudes, way of thinking, and behavior.

Jesus does not leave us to struggle to make these changes the best we can. Jesus supplies us with grace to enable us to conform more closely to his teaching and example, to grow in our obedience to God and our respect for God and in a life free from our old attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior.

We can expect to encounter obstacles. We may face internal obstacles, obstacles from within us. Old attitudes and ways of thinking that keep surfacing and old patters of behavior that do not go away. Or if they do, they do not stay gone. The negative self-talk. The distorted thinking. The cruel lies that we tell ourselves. Our own tempting desires.

We may face external obstacles, obstacles from outside ourselves. Our circle of friends and acquaintances. The people with whom we work or attend school. Peer pressure is not something that only teenagers experience. If we have become a part of a particular group or subculture, its members will continue to exercise influence upon us as long as we are part of that group or subculture. Even if we separate ourselves from that group or subculture, individual members will seek to draw us back into the group or subculture. They will encourage us to live by its norms and values. This includes groups and subcultures that are found online as well as in the community.

With the help of the grace that Jesus supplies, we, however, can surmount these obstacles. We can overcome them. They may not disappear entirely, but we are able to reduce them to a level where we can deal with them with a degree of success.

One of the ways Jesus extends grace to us is through a supportive community of faith, a community of faith that will meet us where we are but will encourage us in our efforts to become a new person in Jesus. A community of faith that will share our struggles with us. A community of faith that will pray with us and pray for us. A community of faith that will be honest with us. A community of faith that when we stumble and fall will help us stand back up again. True companions on the way. Friends to our souls.

We as members of such a community of faith can be friends to the souls of others. While their struggles may be different from ours, we can offer them our prayers, our encouragement, ad our guidance. When they stumble ad fall, we can help them back up again. We can show them compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and caring. Most of all we can offer them hope. We may discover to our own surprise that we are farther along in living that better way than we may have imagined.

7. GOSPEL CANTICLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw, Jr.’s paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus (Luke 1: 68-79), “Blessed Be the God of Israel.”

1 Blessed be the God of Israel
who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us:
a Branch from David's tree.
So have the prophets long declared
that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies
and all who wish us harm.

2 With promised mercy will God still
the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham,
from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear
and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness
to serve God all our days.

3 My child, as prophet of the Lord,
you will prepare the way,
to tell God's people they are saved
from sin's eternal sway.
Then shall God's mercy from on high
shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death
and lead us into peace.

8. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Together let us pray for the people of this gathering…

(Any person may offer a brief spoken prayer of intercession or petition.)

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for those who suffer and those in trouble…

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for the concerns of this local community…

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for the world, its people, and its leaders…

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for the church universal—its leaders, its members, and its mission…

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for the communion of saints…

Lord, in your mercy,
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 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.

11. HYMN

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

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.