Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, November 26, 2023)
Stores are stocking their shelves for the Christmas shopping season and families are setting up Christmas trees and decorating them and stringing their houses and yards with Christmas lights. Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year and the real Christmas Season, the Twelve Days of Christmas, begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Twelfth Night.
This Sunday is the last Sunday of what is sometimes called Ordinary Time. However, every Sunday, whether or not it falls on a Church festival, is extraordinary. It is a day to remember everything that God has done for us through Jesus Christ and offer God thanks and praise.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
O shout to the Lord in triumph all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his face with songs of joy. Psalm 100:1
Open our lips, O Lord,
and we shall declare your praise.
This is the day that the Lord has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Open this link in a new tab to hear James Quinn’s “This Day God Gives Me.”
1 This day God gives me
Strength of high heaven,
Sun and moon shining,
Flame in my hearth,
Flashing of lightning,
Wind in its swiftness,
Depths of the ocean,
Firmness of earth.
2 This day God sends me
Strength as my guardian,
Might to uphold me,
Wisdom as guide,
Your eyes are watchful,
Your ears are listening,
Your lips are speaking,
Friend at my side.
[Instrumental interlude]
3 God's way is my way,
God's shield is 'round me,
God's host defends me,
Saving from ill.
Angels of heaven,
Drive from me always
All that would harm me,
Stand by me still.
[Instrumental interlude]
4 Rising I thank you,
Mighty and strong One,
King of creation,
Giver of rest,
Firmly confessing
God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead,
Trinity blest.
Coda:
Firmly confessing
God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead,
Trinity blest.
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.
[Instrumental interlude]
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.
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.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just,
and will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So let us draw near to God with sincerity and confidence,
and pray,
God of all mercy,
we humbly admit that we need your help.
We have wandered from your way.
We have sinned in thought, word, and deed,
and have failed to do what is right.
You alone can save us.
Have mercy on us,
wipe out our sins and teach us to forgive others.
Bring forth in us the fruit of your Spirit
that we may live a new life to your glory.
This we ask in the name of Jesus our Saviour. Amen.
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
to be the perfect offering for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
His steadfast love endures for ever.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lee Ann Vermeulen-Roberts’ “Praise the Lord (Psalm 150).”
1 Praise God, in His holy place,
praise Him for His wondrous ways.
Praise Him under open skies,
praise Him for His power and might.
Praise the Lord of all creation.
2 Praise Him with a trumpet blast,
praise Him with a cymbal crash.
Praise Him with your tambourines,
praise Him, dance with flutes and strings.
Praise the Lord with celebration.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Saviour.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Saviour.
3. Every creature with a voice;
praise the living God, rejoice!
All creation far and near
make a joyful noise and cheer!
Praise the Lord, our God and Saviour.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Savior.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Saviour.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Savior.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Saviour.
[Instrumental interlude]
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Savior.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord our God and Saviour.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Heavenly Father,
give us faith to receive your word,
understanding to know what it means,
and the will to put it into practice,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 25:31–46).
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
In the ancient Mid-East sheep and goats often grazed together. When they were penned for the night, they were separated. Sheep were raised for meat, milk, and wool and goats for their hides, meat, and milk.
To those who first heard Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, the separation of the sheep from the goats would have been a familiar sight. In his teaching Jesus used common occurrences in the daily lives of his disciples and the crowds who flocked to hear him to illustrate what he was saying.
For the Judaeans sheep would have also had a special meaning. The Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, refers to the people of Israel as God’s sheep and God or the Messiah as their shepherd.
For example, Ezekiel 34: 31, “You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Based upon John 10: 1-27, the “I am the Good Shepherd” discourse as it is called, Christians have also come to regard themselves as God’s flock, the sheep of God’s pasture.
Today’s Scripture reading is not the first time that Jesus has said something to his disciples and the crowds along the lines of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. In the Sermon on the Mountain, in Matthew 7: 21-23, he tells them—
Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
In the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke 6: 46-49 Jesus tells his disciples and the crowds—
“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
What Jesus says in these passages and what he says in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats should cause us to stop and think about what he is saying.
Among the implications is that for Jesus to recognize someone as a true disciple and a sheep of his flock, that person must pattern their life upon Jesus’ teaching and example. It is not enough to pray a sinner’s prayer and then get dabbed, dunked, or sprinkled. As Jesus tells Philip and the other disciples in John 14: 21, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
In his teaching Jesus repeatedly emphasize the importance of showing compassion and mercy toward others. He exemplified what he taught. He turned water into wine at a wedding, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, enabled the lame to walk, exorcised demons, raised the dead, and miraculously fed large gatherings of people. He embodied God’s loving kindness and set an example for his followers.
Just as he warned his disciples that in refusing to forgive others’ failings, they were cutting themselves off from God’s forgiveness, Jesus is warning them that, in failing to show compassion and mercy to other people, they are cutting themselves off from God’s compassion and mercy.
The day of judgment will be a rude awakening for those who purport to be Christians but whose lives do not differ greatly from their neighbors who do not make such a claim, who, if they are not openly hostile to those to whom the righteous showed compassion and mercy in the parable, are indifferent and uncaring toward them.
Now I am not suggesting that we are put right with God by good works, by acts of compassion and mercy. Nor am I suggesting that we are saved by a combination of faith and good works.
Based upon John 10: 1-27, the “I am the Good Shepherd” discourse as it is called, Christians have also come to regard themselves as God’s flock, the sheep of God’s pasture.
Today’s Scripture reading is not the first time that Jesus has said something to his disciples and the crowds along the lines of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. In the Sermon on the Mountain, in Matthew 7: 21-23, he tells them—
Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
In the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke 6: 46-49 Jesus tells his disciples and the crowds—
“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
What Jesus says in these passages and what he says in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats should cause us to stop and think about what he is saying.
Among the implications is that for Jesus to recognize someone as a true disciple and a sheep of his flock, that person must pattern their life upon Jesus’ teaching and example. It is not enough to pray a sinner’s prayer and then get dabbed, dunked, or sprinkled. As Jesus tells Philip and the other disciples in John 14: 21, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
In his teaching Jesus repeatedly emphasize the importance of showing compassion and mercy toward others. He exemplified what he taught. He turned water into wine at a wedding, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, enabled the lame to walk, exorcised demons, raised the dead, and miraculously fed large gatherings of people. He embodied God’s loving kindness and set an example for his followers.
Just as he warned his disciples that in refusing to forgive others’ failings, they were cutting themselves off from God’s forgiveness, Jesus is warning them that, in failing to show compassion and mercy to other people, they are cutting themselves off from God’s compassion and mercy.
The day of judgment will be a rude awakening for those who purport to be Christians but whose lives do not differ greatly from their neighbors who do not make such a claim, who, if they are not openly hostile to those to whom the righteous showed compassion and mercy in the parable, are indifferent and uncaring toward them.
Now I am not suggesting that we are put right with God by good works, by acts of compassion and mercy. Nor am I suggesting that we are saved by a combination of faith and good works.
In John 1: 10-13 we are told—
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
In John 3:16-17 we are further told—
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
We are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone. However, a saving faith is an active and living faith, a faith that is demonstrated by how we live and what we do. It is evident from our actions that we truly believe in Jesus and have taken his teaching and example to heart. We have internalized what he taught and did, and it has become a part of our own character.
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
In John 3:16-17 we are further told—
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
We are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone. However, a saving faith is an active and living faith, a faith that is demonstrated by how we live and what we do. It is evident from our actions that we truly believe in Jesus and have taken his teaching and example to heart. We have internalized what he taught and did, and it has become a part of our own character.
As Jesus himself told his disciples and the crowds that flocked to hear him, a tree is known by the fruit that it bears.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. (Matthew 7: 16-18)
What Jesus is saying in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, is that how we treat other people will reveal whether we are truly disciples of Jesus, whether we are truly his sheep who hear his voice and follow him.
This Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. Advent is a season of the Church year in which Christians prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. They also prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. It is a good time of year to examine our lives and ask ourselves whether we are living like true disciples. It is also a good time of the year to identify where we may be falling short and to make a serious commitment to change how we live and how we act.
Let us do so not out of fear but out of a desire to know God better and love God more. In living Jesus’ way and not our own, we will indeed come to know and love God like we have not done before.
Silence.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “God of Gods, We Sound His Praises (Te Deum).”
God of gods, we sound his praises,
highest heaven its homage brings;
earth and all creation raises
glory to the King of kings.
Holy, holy, holy name him,
Lord of all his hosts proclaim him;
to the everlasting Father
every tongue in triumph sings.
Christians in their hearts enthrone him,
tell his praises wide abroad;
prophets, priests, apostles own him
martyrs' crown and saints' reward.
Three-in-One his glory sharing,
earth and heaven his praise declaring,
praise the high majestic Father,
praise the everlasting Lord!
Hail the Christ, the King of glory,
he whose praise the angels cry;
born to share our human story,
love and labour, grieve and die:
by his cross his work completed,
sinners ransomed, death defeated;
in the glory of the Father
Christ ascended reigns on high.
Lord, we look for your returning;
teach us so to walk your ways,
hearts and minds your will discerning,
lives alight with joy and praise:
in your love and care enfold us,
by your constancy uphold us;
may your mercy, Lord and Father,
keep us now and all our days.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Receive now our prayers, Lord God. May it please you to guide
and govern your holy church, fill it with truth and love, and grant it
that unity, which is your will, binding it together with your Spirit.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Enlighten all pastors and other ministers with true knowledge and understanding of your word, so that in their preaching and life they may clearly show it.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. (Matthew 7: 16-18)
What Jesus is saying in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, is that how we treat other people will reveal whether we are truly disciples of Jesus, whether we are truly his sheep who hear his voice and follow him.
This Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. Advent is a season of the Church year in which Christians prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. They also prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. It is a good time of year to examine our lives and ask ourselves whether we are living like true disciples. It is also a good time of the year to identify where we may be falling short and to make a serious commitment to change how we live and how we act.
Let us do so not out of fear but out of a desire to know God better and love God more. In living Jesus’ way and not our own, we will indeed come to know and love God like we have not done before.
Silence.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “God of Gods, We Sound His Praises (Te Deum).”
God of gods, we sound his praises,
highest heaven its homage brings;
earth and all creation raises
glory to the King of kings.
Holy, holy, holy name him,
Lord of all his hosts proclaim him;
to the everlasting Father
every tongue in triumph sings.
Christians in their hearts enthrone him,
tell his praises wide abroad;
prophets, priests, apostles own him
martyrs' crown and saints' reward.
Three-in-One his glory sharing,
earth and heaven his praise declaring,
praise the high majestic Father,
praise the everlasting Lord!
Hail the Christ, the King of glory,
he whose praise the angels cry;
born to share our human story,
love and labour, grieve and die:
by his cross his work completed,
sinners ransomed, death defeated;
in the glory of the Father
Christ ascended reigns on high.
Lord, we look for your returning;
teach us so to walk your ways,
hearts and minds your will discerning,
lives alight with joy and praise:
in your love and care enfold us,
by your constancy uphold us;
may your mercy, Lord and Father,
keep us now and all our days.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Receive now our prayers, Lord God. May it please you to guide
and govern your holy church, fill it with truth and love, and grant it
that unity, which is your will, binding it together with your Spirit.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Enlighten all pastors and other ministers with true knowledge and understanding of your word, so that in their preaching and life they may clearly show it.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Help us to love and revere you, to hear and receive your word, to live by it, and to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived and those who have been tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Strengthen those who stand firm in the faith; encourage the fainthearted; raise up the fallen; and finally beat down Satan under your feet.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Grant wisdom and strength to [here both the leaders of the nation and the locality are named, and] all in authority and grant that they may always seek your honor and glory.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Give grace to the judges and the magistrates to discern the truth and give right judgment.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Protect the earth, grant us plentiful harvests, and make us truly thankful for all you provide.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Come to the help of all who are in danger, or any kind of need, or trouble; protect all who travel by land, air, or water; and take pity on all prisoners and captives.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Strengthen and preserve all expectant mothers, women in childbirth,
and all babies and young children; and comfort the aged and lonely.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Defend and provide for the widowed and the fatherless, the
refugees and the homeless, and all who are desolate and
oppressed.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Heal those who are sick in body or mind; and give skill and
compassion to all who care for them.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers; and turn
their hearts.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Grant us true repentance; forgive our sins, indifference, and
ignorance; and strengthen us by your Holy Spirit to amend
our lives according to your holy word.
Hear us, good and gracious Lord.
Faithful God,
you have promised to hear the prayers
of all who ask in Jesus’ name.
In your mercy, accept, our prayers.
give us what we have asked in faith ,
according to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God,
the Redeemer of all who trust in you;
give heed to the cry of your people,
deliver us from the bondage of sin
that we may serve you in perfect freedom
and rejoice in your unfailing love;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
Let us join together in the prayer which 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.
THE SENDING OUT OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Holy and everliving God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service,
and live each day in love to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jack Copley Winslow’s “Lord of Creation.”
1 Lord of creation, to you be all praise!
Most mighty your working, most wondrous your ways!
Your glory and might are beyond us to tell,
And yet in the heart of the humble you dwell.
2 Lord of all power, I give you my will,
In joyful obedience your tasks to fulfill.
Your bondage is freedom; your service is song;
And held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.
3 Lord of all wisdom, I give you my mind,
Rich truth that surpasses man’s knowledge to find;
What eye has not seen and what ear has not heard
Is taught by your Spirit and shines from your word.
4 Lord of all being, I give you my all,
If I ever disown you, I stumble and fall;
But led in your service your word to obey,
I’ll walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Eric McAllister’s “May the Grace (Benediction).”*
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God the Father
And the Holy Spirit’s presence abide
With you now, and with you forever
With you now, and with you forever
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God the Father
And the Holy Spirit’s presence abide
With you now, and with you forever
With you now, and with you forever
With you now, and with you forever
With you now, and with you forever
Amen
*if two or more people are present, they may wish to extend the palms of their hands toward each other in a gesture of blessing as they sing along with the video.
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