Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, July 6, 2023)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. This evening we continue our series on Jesus’ teaching. Jesus taught a great deal about how his disciples should treat others, enough for more than one homily. This evening we will be taking a look at what the Anglican divines Charles Gibbon and Thomas Jackson referred to as the “Golden Rule,” or “Golden law,” in 1604. They were first to use this term for this particular teaching of Jesus.
1. OPENING The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen
Lord Jesus, you came to call sinners to repentance,
have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus, sent to heal those who are burdened in soul,
have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus, now seated at the Father’s right hand to intercede for us,
have mercy on us.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Glory to God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Praise the Lord!
2. HYMN
Open this link I a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw, Jr.’s “O Light Whose Splendor Thrills and Gladdens.”
1 O Light whose splendor thrills and gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God's unending glory,
O Jesus, blest Anointed One;
2 as twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.
3 In all life's brilliant, timeless moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our Life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.
2. PSALM
Open this link in a new to hear Kiran Young Wimberly’s paraphrase of Psalm 31, “Rock of Refuge.”
Be a rock of refuge for me and a fortress when I’m afraid
Incline your ear unto me and come quickly to my aid
Take me from the net that binds me and deliver me from scorn
I commit my spirit to your hands, please shelter me from harm
Rock of refuge, rock of refuge
Rock of refuge, when I am afraid
Be merciful unto me for my heart is in distress
My eyes are filled with grief and my soul is weighted down
My body’s spent with sorrow and my years with sighing, O
My strength it fails from misery, my bones they waste away
Rock of refuge, rock of refuge
Rock of refuge, when I am afraid
But I trust in you forever, for you are my God
My times are in your hand, let your face shine on me now
I’ll praise you and rejoice in you, please listen to my plea
Be a rock of refuge for me and a fortress when I’m afraid
[Instrumental interlude]
And blessed be the Lord for God’s steadfast love for me
God heard my supplication when I cried out for help
My refuge and my fortress, I will thank God with my song
Be strong all those who wait for God, may courage fill your hearts
Rock of refuge, rock of refuge
Rock of refuge, when I am afraid
Be a rock of refuge for me and a fortress when I’m afraid
Pause for silent prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
when scorn and shame besiege us
and hope is veiled in grief,
hold us in your wounded hands
and make your face shine on us again,
for you are our Lord and God. Amen.
3. HYMN
Open this link in a new tab to hear Thomas Ken’s “Glory to Thee, My God This Night.”
1 Glory to thee my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light ;
Keep me, O keep me, King of Kings,
Under thy own almighty wings.
2 Forgive me Lord, for thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and thee,
I, e'r I sleep, at peace may be.
3 Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Triumphing rise at the last day.
4 O may my soul on thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eye-lids close ;
Sleep that may me more vig'rous make,
To serve my God when I awake.
5 Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him all creatures here below,
Praise him above y' angelic host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
4. READING
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 7:12)
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
Silence
Thanks be to God.
5. HOMILY
How many of us live by what would become known in the seventeenth century as the Golden Rule? How many of us genuinely try to treat others as we would have them treat us? As one article on the internet, on the University of Tennessee at Martin website, asserts, “…the golden rule is no longer taken seriously in practice or even aspiration, but merely paid lip service.” It is rarely given weight in our decisions in everyday life.
We must ask why Jesus taught his disciples to treat others as they would like others to treat them if he did not expect them to do so. He was not someone who made remarks and statements simply to impress people with his eruditeness, his knowledge of what the Scriptures taught. He clearly expected his disciples to follow his teaching and example. “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6: 46 NLT)
Jesus did not enter human history solely to bring about the reconciliation of God and humankind by his suffering and death on the cross, thereby opening to us the way of salvation by faith in him and his one true sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Jesus also came to teach and show us how to live in a way that honors, obeys, and respects God. Jesus expects those who respond to his call to become his disciple to live their lives according to the truths and principles that he taught and modeled. After all, that is what discipleship is about. Disciples not only believe in the ideas and principles of the one whom they acknowledge as their teacher, but they also seek to put those ideas and principles into practice and try to live the way that their teacher did. Not in a monastery. Not in a religious community separate from the world. But in the world. In their everyday life.
Discipleship is not attending a Sunday school class in person or on Zoom. It is not listening to a hymn or worship song in person, during a livestream or cable TV broadcast, or on a video, or an mp3 online. It is not listening to a sermon in one of these ways. Or even reading a sermon.
Thanks be to God.
5. HOMILY
What Jesus Taught about the Way to Treat Others—Part 1
How many of us live by what would become known in the seventeenth century as the Golden Rule? How many of us genuinely try to treat others as we would have them treat us? As one article on the internet, on the University of Tennessee at Martin website, asserts, “…the golden rule is no longer taken seriously in practice or even aspiration, but merely paid lip service.” It is rarely given weight in our decisions in everyday life.
We must ask why Jesus taught his disciples to treat others as they would like others to treat them if he did not expect them to do so. He was not someone who made remarks and statements simply to impress people with his eruditeness, his knowledge of what the Scriptures taught. He clearly expected his disciples to follow his teaching and example. “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6: 46 NLT)
Jesus did not enter human history solely to bring about the reconciliation of God and humankind by his suffering and death on the cross, thereby opening to us the way of salvation by faith in him and his one true sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Jesus also came to teach and show us how to live in a way that honors, obeys, and respects God. Jesus expects those who respond to his call to become his disciple to live their lives according to the truths and principles that he taught and modeled. After all, that is what discipleship is about. Disciples not only believe in the ideas and principles of the one whom they acknowledge as their teacher, but they also seek to put those ideas and principles into practice and try to live the way that their teacher did. Not in a monastery. Not in a religious community separate from the world. But in the world. In their everyday life.
Discipleship is not attending a Sunday school class in person or on Zoom. It is not listening to a hymn or worship song in person, during a livestream or cable TV broadcast, or on a video, or an mp3 online. It is not listening to a sermon in one of these ways. Or even reading a sermon.
This is not to say that these activities do not help to form us as disciples. We cannot claim to be a disciple of Jesus if we know little or nothing about him, about his life and ministry, his character, his suffering and death, his resurrection, the truths and principles he taught, and the example he set. However, it is not enough to be studiers of Jesus. True disciples of Jesus fashion their lives on what Jesus said and did. They live the truths and principles he taught and follow the example he set.
What did Jesus have in mind when he told his disciples to treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated? Did he believe that if they showed kindness and respect to others, those who whom they treated with kindness and respect would in turn treat them in the same fashion that those whom they treated as they themselves wished to be treated would reciprocate?
Two things convince me that Jesus did not expect those who his disciples treated as they wished to be treated would reciprocate their treatment. First, Jesus knew the human heart. He could see past the persona that people maintain in public and could discern their real character. He was under no illusions that kindness and respect would be met with kindness and respect. Compassion and forgiveness with compassion and forgiveness, generosity and patience with generosity and patience. When we consider what else he taught and the example he himself set, it is quite evident that Jesus expected his disciples to occupy the moral high ground and to treat others with compassion, forgives, generosity, kindness, patience, and respect regardless how others treated them. They were to go the extra mile. To give their shirt as well as the cloak. To loan money and not expect repayment. To bless their enemies, not curse them. To be the one to pursue reconciliation with someone who had something against them. To not judge others too severely, to make allowances for them, and to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Jesus understood if the desire for reciprocity was the motivation for someone’s actions and the desired, reciprocity was not forthcoming, then that person could be expected to cease treating others the way the person wished to be treated by them. Jesus’ instruction to his disciples to treat others as they would wish to be treated is akin to instruction to them to be merciful as God was merciful. They were to emulate God and to show themselves to truly be God’s children.
Jesus in instructing his disciples to do to others whatever they would like others to do to them is providing his disciples with a way of judging how they should treat others. They should treat them as they themselves would wish to be treated.
How then can we put this teaching into practice? We can make it our habit to consider how we would like to be treated in that particular set of circumstances when a situation arises and then treat the other person as we would like to be treated.
While it is sometimes argued that it is far better to treat that person as they would like to be treated, we may not know them well enough to treat them that way. On the other hand, we are likely to have some knowledge of ourselves and treating the person as we would like to be treated would be a better course of action than guessing at how that person would like to be treated and getting it wrong. Doing to others as we would like to have done to us also recognize that self-interest is a stronger motivator for human beings than the interests of others. We are more likely to think to ourselves, “Would I like that happening to me?” than we are “Would they like that happening to them?”
Jesus understood how people thought and what motivated them. He was mindful of our weaknesses.
Good habits take time to form. They require that we be very intentional from the beginning, repeating the new way of thinking and acting frequently and with regularity until we are doing it without realizing it. As for the best time to begin to form a new habit, there is no better time than right now. As believers we do have one thing going for us that others may not have going for them. We have God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, working in us, enabling us to will and do what is pleasing to God. And following Jesus’ teaching and example is pleasing to God.
6. PRAYERS
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley-Smith’s setting of A Collect for Aid against Perils, “Lighten Our Darkness Now e Day Is Ended.”
1 Lighten our darkness now the day is ended:
Father in mercy, guard your children sleeping;
from every evil, every harm defended,
safe in your keeping;
2 To that last hour, when heaven's day is dawning,
far spent the night that knows no earthly waking;
keep us as watchmen, longing for the morning,
till that day's breaking.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s setting of a prayer by St. Augustine, “Watch, O Lord.”
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
1 Tend your ailing ones: in your love, Lord;
Rest your weary ones: in your love, Lord;
Bless your dying ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
2 Soothe your suff’ring ones: in your love, Lord;
Heal afflicted ones: in your love, Lord;
Shield your joyous ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
3 Hold your grieving ones: in your love, Lord;
Raise your fallen ones: in your love, Lord;
Mend your broke ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
4 Guard your little ones: in your love, Lord;
Guide your searching ones: in your love, Lord;
Grant us all your peace: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
(Silence may be kept, and free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.)
7. 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.
8. GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Gerhard M. Cartford’s “At Last, Lord.”
At last, Lord, your word of promise fulfilling,
you let your servant go forth in freedom and peace.
With my own eyes I have seen the salvation
you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light that will reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
9. BENEDICTION
Let us praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
let us praise and magnify him for ever.
The almighty and merciful God preserve us and give us his blessing. Amen.
What did Jesus have in mind when he told his disciples to treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated? Did he believe that if they showed kindness and respect to others, those who whom they treated with kindness and respect would in turn treat them in the same fashion that those whom they treated as they themselves wished to be treated would reciprocate?
Two things convince me that Jesus did not expect those who his disciples treated as they wished to be treated would reciprocate their treatment. First, Jesus knew the human heart. He could see past the persona that people maintain in public and could discern their real character. He was under no illusions that kindness and respect would be met with kindness and respect. Compassion and forgiveness with compassion and forgiveness, generosity and patience with generosity and patience. When we consider what else he taught and the example he himself set, it is quite evident that Jesus expected his disciples to occupy the moral high ground and to treat others with compassion, forgives, generosity, kindness, patience, and respect regardless how others treated them. They were to go the extra mile. To give their shirt as well as the cloak. To loan money and not expect repayment. To bless their enemies, not curse them. To be the one to pursue reconciliation with someone who had something against them. To not judge others too severely, to make allowances for them, and to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Jesus understood if the desire for reciprocity was the motivation for someone’s actions and the desired, reciprocity was not forthcoming, then that person could be expected to cease treating others the way the person wished to be treated by them. Jesus’ instruction to his disciples to treat others as they would wish to be treated is akin to instruction to them to be merciful as God was merciful. They were to emulate God and to show themselves to truly be God’s children.
Jesus in instructing his disciples to do to others whatever they would like others to do to them is providing his disciples with a way of judging how they should treat others. They should treat them as they themselves would wish to be treated.
How then can we put this teaching into practice? We can make it our habit to consider how we would like to be treated in that particular set of circumstances when a situation arises and then treat the other person as we would like to be treated.
While it is sometimes argued that it is far better to treat that person as they would like to be treated, we may not know them well enough to treat them that way. On the other hand, we are likely to have some knowledge of ourselves and treating the person as we would like to be treated would be a better course of action than guessing at how that person would like to be treated and getting it wrong. Doing to others as we would like to have done to us also recognize that self-interest is a stronger motivator for human beings than the interests of others. We are more likely to think to ourselves, “Would I like that happening to me?” than we are “Would they like that happening to them?”
Jesus understood how people thought and what motivated them. He was mindful of our weaknesses.
Good habits take time to form. They require that we be very intentional from the beginning, repeating the new way of thinking and acting frequently and with regularity until we are doing it without realizing it. As for the best time to begin to form a new habit, there is no better time than right now. As believers we do have one thing going for us that others may not have going for them. We have God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, working in us, enabling us to will and do what is pleasing to God. And following Jesus’ teaching and example is pleasing to God.
6. PRAYERS
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley-Smith’s setting of A Collect for Aid against Perils, “Lighten Our Darkness Now e Day Is Ended.”
1 Lighten our darkness now the day is ended:
Father in mercy, guard your children sleeping;
from every evil, every harm defended,
safe in your keeping;
2 To that last hour, when heaven's day is dawning,
far spent the night that knows no earthly waking;
keep us as watchmen, longing for the morning,
till that day's breaking.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s setting of a prayer by St. Augustine, “Watch, O Lord.”
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
1 Tend your ailing ones: in your love, Lord;
Rest your weary ones: in your love, Lord;
Bless your dying ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
2 Soothe your suff’ring ones: in your love, Lord;
Heal afflicted ones: in your love, Lord;
Shield your joyous ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
3 Hold your grieving ones: in your love, Lord;
Raise your fallen ones: in your love, Lord;
Mend your broke ones: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
4 Guard your little ones: in your love, Lord;
Guide your searching ones: in your love, Lord;
Grant us all your peace: in your love, Lord of all.
Watch, O Lord, with all those awake this night,
Watch O Lord with all those who weep;
Give your angels and saints charge over all who sleep.
(Silence may be kept, and free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.)
7. 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.
8. GOSPEL CANTICLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Gerhard M. Cartford’s “At Last, Lord.”
At last, Lord, your word of promise fulfilling,
you let your servant go forth in freedom and peace.
With my own eyes I have seen the salvation
you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light that will reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
9. BENEDICTION
Let us praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
let us praise and magnify him for ever.
The almighty and merciful God preserve us and give us his blessing. Amen.
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