Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, October 12, 2023)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

Jesus left his disciples with these words, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT) These words were not just meant for those who had followed Jesus during his earthly ministry but for all his followers in every generation. As a witness to Jesus, it is not enough that we tell others about Jesus, our way of life must also reflect Jesus’ message and his teaching. Both our words and actions must point to Jesus.

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

A lamp or a candle may be lit.

God is our light and our salvation,
Our refuge and our stronghold.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
we praise your name, O God.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.

As this evening hymn is sung, more lamps and candles may be lit.

Open this link to hear Carl P. Schalk’s choral arrangement “Joyous Light of Glory.”

Joyous light ,
joyous light, of glory
of the immortal Father,
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God,
we sing to God,
we sing to God,
we sing to God
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You, you are worthy of being praised,
of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God,
O Son of God
O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory.

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe!
Your word brings on the dusk of evening,
your wisdom creates both night and day.
You determine the cycles of time,
arrange the succession of the seasons,
and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.
Lord of the starry hosts is your name.
Living and eternal God,
rule over us always.
Blessed be the Lord,
whose word makes evening fall.
Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Andrea Sandefur’s setting of Psalm 134, “Come, All Your Servants of the Lord.”

Come all you servants of the Lord (bless the Lord)
Who stand by night in the house of the Lord
Come all you servants of the Lord (bless the Lord)
Who stand by night in the house of the Lord

Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord, bless the Lord

May the Lord bless you from Zion
He who made heaven and earth (heaven and earth)
May the Lord bless you from Zion
He who made heaven and earth (heaven and earth)

Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord
Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord

Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord

Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
Lift up your hands, and bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Silence

Guard all your household, Lord,
through the dark night of faith,
and purify the hearts of those who wait on you,
until your kingdom dawns with the
rising of your Son,
Christ, the morning star. Amen.

Open this link to hear It’s About the Word’s adaptation of Psalm 143, “Show Me the Way."

O Lord, hear my pray
Listen to my cry for mercy
In your faithfulness
Come to my relief
As your servant Lord
Save me from your judgement
For no one is righteous before you

Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way

I consider the past
And the ways you have shown your mercy
I'm amazed most of all
By what your hands have done
In your steadfast Love
You shelter me from evil
For I am here to serve you, Lord

Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way

Silence

Jesus, our companion,
when we are driven to despair,
help us, through the friends and strangers
we encounter on our path,
to know you as our refuge,
our way, our truth and our life. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Thomas Ken’s “Glory Be 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,
Beneath thine 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, ere 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
Rise glorious at the awful day.

4 O may my soul on thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
Sleep that shall me more vigorous 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, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 23: 1-12)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Silence

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

Silence

The Genuine Article

This evening’s reading is the first of what are sometimes described as the “seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees.” In the reading Jesus criticizes the religious leaders of Judaea for parading their piety before their fellow Jews and warns the crowds and his disciples against imitating them. While they may have appeared to be very religious and devote, their actions were not a reflection of their real character and attitude toward God and other people. Their actions were done for appearances and were not really sincere or real. They were intended to attract attention or admiration. In today’s parlance, the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law were fakes. They were not what they pretended to be.

Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about letting people call them “Rabbi,” an Aramaic word meaning “teacher” or “master.” He also warns them about addressing anyone as “Father” or allowing anyone to call them “Teacher.” These are all titles by which the religious leaders of Judaea liked to be addressed. He points to their attention that they have only one spiritual father, God, and only one spiritual teacher, the Messiah.

While it has become customary in some Christians traditions to address priests and monks as “Father,” a case can be made that this practice is not consistent with what Jesus taught. The argument made in support of this practice, that is, Paul saw himself as a father in relationship to his young protégé, Timothy, does not really justify ignoring what Jesus told his disciples. It may be a custom that has been established for a long time, but this fact does not really change anything. Because a practice is very old and widespread does not somehow make it the right thing to do. Jesus discouraged the practice.

Jesus recognized that in permitting people to address them with special titles, his disciples could fall into the same trap that the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law had fallen. The title would go to their heads. Rather than seeking to please God, they would succumb to the kind of mentality to which the religious leaders of Judaea had fallen prey. They would become preoccupied with how others saw them and receiving approval and praise from others.

At issue is not so much the title itself as how a title can influence our perceptions of ourselves and our expectations of others. A particular title can be viewed as conferring status on those who possess the title and elevating them above their fellows.

Jesus emphasizes that the greatest among his disciples will be the servant of all. Those who try to exalt themselves, put themselves in a situation in which they were praised highly, would be humiliated. Those who humbled themselves, who did not think better of themselves than what they were and acted that way, would be exalted. This is something to think about, living as we do in a time in which some preachers and worship leaders have gained celebrity status and are renowned for their preaching or their worship leadership. It may be tempting to follow in their footsteps. A question we need to ask ourselves is, “What motivates us? It is the desire to please God or the desire to win the plaudits of our fellow Christians?”

One criticism leveled at Christians in North America is that we are hypocrites. We say one thing and do something else. There is degree of validity to this criticism. It is not entirely a stereotype. We may not be aware of our hypocrisy. It may be one of our blind spots. However, the younger generations see it for what it is. For a number of them it can be a significant obstacle for them when it comes to hearing the gospel and responding to Jesus’ call to faith and discipleship.

We can dismiss this criticism, telling ourselves that we are not perfect. Or they are not one of God’s elect, his chosen few. Or some other rationale we may think up for dismissing it. But the reality is that we are not representing Jesus very well. And the younger generations can see that we aren’t. We may be putting on a show for our fellow Christians and they recognize what we are doing for what it is—a show.

Being a disciple of Jesus is not just about attending a worship service on a Sunday, singing a few hymns or worship songs, listening to a sermon, saying a prayer or two, and receiving communion. It is a way of life, a way of life at the center of which is Jesus. As well as believing in Jesus, trusting in him for their salvation, to be put right with God, disciples of Jesus live their lives according to his teaching and example. The way they live their lives is testimony to their faith in him and their love for him. It prompts others to say, “Wow, there must be something to being a disciple of Jesus!”

The way they live also lends credence to what they are saying when they share their faith with others. Those to whom they are talking can see that Jesus has made a difference in their lives and it is a positive difference.

Disciples of Jesus are authentic. I am not referring to the kind of in-your face attitude which social media encourages people to adopt and in which they behave in a way that is unusual or shocking and do not care about what others think of them. They are urged to be their “real selves,” which often boils down to putting the worst side of their character on display. Rather than having a positive effect on others as the memes promoting this kind of attitude claim, it can have the opposite effect.

Most people also are not ready to lower their guard and reveal their private selves to others. For some people the prospect of dropping their persona, the social image of themselves that they present to others, and letting others see them as they really are, can be very threatening.

Authentic disciples of Jesus are the genuine article. They have internalized the teaching and example of Jesus, and they embody what he taught and exemplified. They may not be a perfect embodiment of Jesus, but Jesus’ influence is evident in their lives. As they grow and mature as disciples, they will embody Jesus more. There is consistency between their words and actions.

At the heart of the mission that Jesus entrusted to his disciples was for them and future generations of his disciples to be stand-ins for him. A stand-in is a person who takes someone else’s place or does someone else’s job because they are sick or away. We are to carry on Jesus’ mission until he comes again in glory. We cannot fulfill that role unless make his teaching a part of ourselves, we follow his example, and we share his message.

James Quinn’s hymn, “Christ Beside Me,” based on St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” puts it this way.

"Christ be in all hearts thinking about me,
Christ be on all tongues telling of me.
Christ be the vision in eyes that see me,
in ears that hear me Christ ever be."

Let us make it our daily prayer. Let us also make it our daily pursuit.

Silence

WE RESPOND

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s paraphrase of the Magnificat, My Soul Proclaims with Wonder."

My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.

For God has looked with favor,
on one the world thought frail;
and blessings through the ages will echo
the angel's first "All hail."

My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.

God's mercy shields the faithful
and gives them safe retreat
to arms that turns to scatter
the proud in their conceit.

My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.

The mighty have been vanquished;
the lowly lifted up.
The hungry find abundance;
the rich, an empty cup.

My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.

To Abraham's descendants
the Lord will steadfast prove,
for God has made with Israel
a covenant of love.

My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.

WE PRAY FOR GOD’S WORLD

For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this dwelling (house, apartment, condo, common room, etc.), and for all who offer here their worship and praise.
Lord, have mercy.

For the health of the creation, for abundant harvests that all may share,
and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For public servants, for government, and those who protect us;
for those who work to bring peace, justice, healing and protection
in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who travel, for those who are sick and suffering,
and for those who are in captivity, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For deliverance in times of affliction, wrath, danger, and need,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For …… and all servants of the church, for this gathering,
and for all people who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Other petitions may be added.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Silence

Giving thanks for all who have gone before us and are at rest, rejoicing in the communion of …… and all the saints, we commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to you. Through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.

Almighty God,
you have built your Church
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Join us together in unity of spirit by their teaching,
that we may become a holy temple, acceptable to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us join together in the prayer Jesus gave us.

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.

WE GO FORTH TO SERVE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Hoy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear James Quinn’s “Christ Be Beside Me.”

Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,"
Christ be behind me, king of my heart.
Christ be within me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me, never to part.

Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me, shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising, light of my heart.

Christ be in all hearts thinking about me,
Christ be on all tongues telling of me.
Christ be the vision in eyes that see me,
in ears that hear me Christ ever be.

Those present may exchange a sign of peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.