Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, December 7, 2023)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

Does being baptized, going to church on Sundays, and reading and studying the Bible make us a Christian? Or is there more to being a Christian—to being a disciple of Christ?

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

A lamp or a candle may be lit.

Great is the Lord,
and most worthy of praise.
Within your holy place, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
You are our God for ever and ever;
You will be our guide even to the end.

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith Duke’s “Sun of Our Night.”

Light of the world in grace and beauty
Mirror of God’s eternal face
Transparent flame of love’s free duty
You bring salvation to our race
Now as we see the lights of evening
We raise our voice in hymns of praise
Worthy are you of endless blessing
Sun of our night, lamp of our day

[Instrumental interlude]

Light of the world in grace and beauty
Mirror of God’s eternal face
Transparent flame of love’s free duty
You bring salvation to our race
Now as we see the lights of evening
We raise our voice in hymns of praise
Worthy are you of endless blessing
Sun of our night, lamp of our day

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

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of light and darkness!
As evening falls, you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
May your word be a lantern to our feet
and a light upon our path,
that we may behold your glory coming among us.
Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness
and free our tongues to sing your praise,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever!

Open this link in a new to hear Timothy Dudley-Smith’s “Come Quickly, Lord (Psalm 141).”

1 Come quickly, Lord, and hear the cries
my heart and hands uplifted raise;
and let my prayer as incense rise,
an evening sacrifice of praise.
Guard now the lips that speak your Name,
lest they, and I, be put to shame.

2 And if my steps should go astray
and from the path of truth I move,
restore me to your narrow way
and in your mercy, Lord, reprove;
from love of self my soul defend,
and wound me as a faithful friend.

*3 When at the last, O Lord our God,
we look to you alone to save,
the plough of judgment breaks the clod,
and bones are scattered from the grave:
our Rock, our Refuge and our Tower,
protect us in the final hour.

4 We fix our eyes upon you, Lord,
and tune our ears to hear your voice;
our hearts by faith receive your word
and in your promises rejoice.
Til morning breaks and night is gone,
in God we trust, and journey on.

*Omitted in the video.

Silence

Lord God, our protector and guide,
who made us knowing both good and evil:
receive our prayer and, by your wisdom,
help us to discern and desire all that is good,
that the offering of our lives may be acceptable to you;
through Jesus Christ,
who suffered the darkness of torment and trial
and now is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Open this link to hear Howard Goodall’s choral arrangement of “The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23).”

The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me besides the still waters

The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me besides the still waters

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil

For you are with me
You will comfort me

You are with me
You will comfort me

Comfort me

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever
Forever
Forever
Forever

Silence

For your Name’s sake, O God,
lead us in the paths of righteousness
and let your mercy follow us
that we may dwell with you for ever. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michae Burkhardt’s choral arrangement of “Creator of the Stars of Night.”

1 Creator of the stars of night,
your people's everlasting light,
O Christ, redeemer of us all,
we pray you, hear us when we call.

2 When this old world drew on toward night,
you came, but not in splendor bright,
not as a monarch, but the child
of Mary, blessed mother mild.

3 At your great name, O Jesus now,
all knees must bend, all hearts must bow:
all things on earth with one accord
Like those in heav’n, shall call you Lord.

4 Come in your holy might, we pray,
Redeem us for eternal day:
Defend us while we dwell below
From all assaults of our dread foe.

5 To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might, and glory be
from age to age eternally. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the New Testament (Romans 13: 8-14)

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Silence

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas’ “Holy Is His Name (Magnificat).”

My soul is filled with joy
as I sing to God my savior;
you have looked upon your servant,
you have visited your people.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

I am lowly as a child,
but I know from this day forward
that my name will be remembered,
for all will call me blessed.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

I proclaim the pow’r of God,
you do marvels for your servants;
though you scatter the proud hearted
and destroy the might of princes.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

To the hungry you give food,
Send the rich away empty;
In your mercy you are mindful
of the people you have chosen.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

In your love you now fulfill
what you promised to your people
I will praise you, Lord my savior
everlasting is your mercy.

And holy is your name.
through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name!

Christ’s People from Head to Foot

In this evening’s reading from his Letter to the Romans the apostle Paul offers guidance to a group of Christians at Rome on how to conduct themselves. What Paul wrote this group of Christians merits our attention too.

We live in a time when individuals who profess to be Christians see no wrong in forms of behavior that Jesus regarded as wrongful and against which he spoke. They treat as acceptable behavior unfaithfulness to one’s spouse, belittling, maligning, and ridiculing others; cheating and defrauding them, telling lies and half-truths, threatening people and manipulating others into carrying out their threats. None of this behavior is consonant with what Jesus identified as the second greatest commandment. Rather it is condemned in a number of places in the Bible.

Condoning such behavior or failing to take issue with it is completely unacceptable for anyone who has made a serious commitment to follow Jesus. There is no justification for tolerating it.

As Paul points to the attention of the Christians in Rome to whom he is writing, love does no wrong to others. Love hurts nobody.

If you are acquainted with John Wesley’s three general rules for Methodist societies, you will recognize this evening’s reading as one of the passages of Scripture on which he based the first general rule—do no harm and avoid all forms of evil. One of the best ways of not harming others and avoiding all forms of evil is to do good to others.

Paul in his letters urges those to whom he is writing to do good at every opportunity. Paul may have intuited that when a Christian is doing good, the Christian is going to have little or no time to harm others and to do evil. If we want to rid ourselves of a bad habit, psychologists recommend that we replace it with a good habit. We do something good in its place.

Wesley’s second general rule is unsurprisingly to do good to all people.

Wesley, when he drew up his three general rules for Methodist Societies, was mindful of what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3: 5 in which he warned his protege Timothy about those who have the form of godliness but who deny its power. For this reason, Wesley was insistent that any outward transformation of an individual must also be accompanied by an inward transformation-- a change of heart, a shift in attitude and way of thinking toward God and toward others. Without the inward transformation, the outward transformation would not last.

To experience both an outward transformation and an inward transformation we must do what Paul urges the Christians at Rome to do and, to borrow a phrase from J. B. Philips, to be Christ’s people from head to foot, giving no opportunity to evil thoughts and desires. Or as the Scottish hymn writer, James Quinn, wrote in his adaptation of St. Patrick’s Breastplate—

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.

Silence

Open this link to hear Ryan Flannigan’s setting of our Lord’s Summary of the Law, “Jesus Creed.”

Jesus said
The first commandment is this:
Hear O Israel
The Lord our God is the only Lord.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

One or more persons may lead the prayers, using the following form.

Let us join in prayer with God’s faithful people throughout the world, saying “God of mercy: hear our prayer.”

We pray for the unity of your church, that our life may reflect the love you have shown us.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We ask your grace for all pastors, elders, and deacons and for all who minister in word and in deed, that we may bear faithful witness to your good news.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We seek your justice and peace in our world, our country, and our community, that the needy may never be forgotten.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We ask your blessing on our homes, our friends and family, and on those who live alone, that we may know your presence ever near us.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We name before you all whom you have given us to pray for [especially….], knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can ask or imagine.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We commend to you all who have died [especially….], that our trust in you may deepen, knowing that you are a just and merciful God.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We offer our thanks and praise for all you have done for us, rejoicing in the knowledge that you are with us always.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

We look for your purposes to be accomplished and ask you to fill us with the strength and vision to carry out your will.
God of mercy: Hear our prayer.

Additional intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings may be offered in silence or aloud.

Lord, you have taught us
that all our works without love are worth nothing.
Send your Holy Spirit,
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord,
and in your great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Joining our prayers with those of Christians everywhere,
let us pray

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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Open this link in a new tab to hear Percy Dearmer’s “God Is Love: His the Care.”

God is love: his the care,
tending each, everywhere.
God is love, all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
that we all might know him.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

None can see God above;
humankind we can love;
thus may we Godward move,
finding God in others,
sisters all, and brothers:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

Jesus shared all our pain:
strove and died, rose again,
rules our hearts now as then;
for he came to save us
by the truth he gave us:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

To our Lord praise we sing,
light and life, friend and king,
coming down love to bring,
pattern for our duty,
showing God in beauty:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

Open this link in a new tab to hear Margaret Rizza’s “A Blessing.”

May the Lord bless you
May the Lord protect you and guide you
May his strength uphold you
His light shine upon you
His peace surround you
His love enfold you

[Instrumental interlude]

May the Lord bless you
May the Lord protect you and guide you
May his strength uphold you
His light shine upon you
His peace surround you
His love enfold you

Ah….

May the Lord bless you
The Lord bless you
The Lord bless you

God will speak peace to his people,
to those who turn to him in their hearts.

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

Those present may share a sign of peace.