Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, January 28, 2024)
Jesus did not promise his disciples that following him would be easy. In fact, he warned them that their faithfuness to him and to his teaching and example might turn others against them. He foresaw that a number of his disciples might fall away, led astray by false prophets and false messiahs and their followers. He did, however, promise that those who persevered would be saved.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter’s setting of the Benedictus Es, “Glory to You, Lord God of Our Fathers.”
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you!
God has promised forgiveness
to all who truly repent,
turn to Christ in faith
and are themselves forgiving.
Let us confess our sins to God our Father.
Silence
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Alanna Glover and Niki Shepherd’s “We Give You Thanks.”
1 Almighty Creator, we give you thanks and praise
For the goodness and kindness that you freely gave
We praise you for your blessings, for mercy and for peace
The love that you have lavished on us; we give you thanks
2 O merciful Saviour, we give you thanks and praise
For welcome and forgiveness and for the means of grace
We praise you for redemption, through Jesus on the cross
All glory everlasting in Christ; we give you thanks
We lift our hearts in thanks and praise for all your gifts to us this day
Hallelujah, Father, Spirit, Son
All the glory, all the fame are yours forever, we proclaim
Hallelujah, Father, Spirit, Son
3 O faithful companion, we give you thanks and praise
For you know us and lead us by your word each day
O may we truly love you and serve you with our lives
Empowered by your Spirit in us; we give you thanks
We lift our hearts in thanks and praise for all your gifts to us this day
Hallelujah, Father, Spirit, Son
All the glory, all the fame are yours forever, we proclaim
Hallelujah, Father, Spirit, Son
4 O God everlasting, we give you thanks and praise
For the tears sown in sorrow, you will wipe away
We’ll sing your endless praises while gathered 'round the throne
The joy of all creation restored; we give you thanks
We give you thanks
Let us pray.
Silence
Creator God,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
We pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 18:15–20)
Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God any more or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’
Silence
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Walker’s adaptation of Psalm 27, “The Lord Is My Light.”
1 The Lord is my light, my help, my salvation.
Why should I fear? With God I fear no one.
God protects me all my life.
With the Lord what should I dread?
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
2 There is one thing I ask, of the Lord that I long for:
All of my days with God to be dwelling.
Gazing with awe at the beauty of God,
And in wonder look on God's house.
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
3 I know I will live to see the Lord's goodness;
Now, in this life, I'm sure I will see it.
Trust in the Lord, be strong and be brave;
Wait in hope for God, our salvation.
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
A reading from the New Testament (Mark 1:21–28)
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil* spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
Silence
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
If we read the New Testament, the Gospels the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles (or Letters) and the Revelation to John, we will learn what Jesus said and did. We will also learn what Jesus did not say and do. Let’s take a look at some of the things Jesus did not say or do.
Jesus did not claim to be the retribution of his followers for any real or imagined wrongs that were done them, to be the one who would punish those toward whom they might harbor ill-will and resentment.
Jesus did not talk about getting even with those who opposed him or who did not support him.
While Jesus may have called the Pharisees a brood of vipers and white-washed tombs filled with corruption, he was not in the habit of addressing people with names that were offensive or deriding or belittling them.
Jesus did not go out of the way to draw attention to himself or to make himself the center of attention.
Jesus did not encourage his followers to arm themselves, to commit acts of violence against those whom they perceived as enemies, or to rebel against Herod or the Romans.
Jesus did not tell lies or half-truths or promote conspiracy theories. He did not play upon his followers’ fears and prejudices.
Jesus did not hold grudges.
Jesus did not play the victim or prey upon the gullibility of others. Jesus did not deny the full humanity of anyone, treat them with cruelty and unkindness, or cause them undue suffering. Jesus did not mistreat others and then attempt to shift the blame for the mistreatment to someone else. He did not try to divert attention away from his action by falsely accusing others of improper conduct. Jesus did not attempt to solicit the sympathy of others in order to get their acquiescence or assistance in his mistreatment of anyone.
Jesus did not say that his followers did not need to follow his teaching when people whom they disliked were involved.
Jesus neither said nor did any of these things.
What Jesus did say and do was—
Love your enemies. Pray for them. Do good to them. Bless them when they curse you.
Do not retaliate when someone wrongs you. Turn the other cheek.
Treat others as you would be treated by them.
Pursue reconciliation with those with whom you have experienced a rift in your relationship with them.
Imitate God’s mercy, that is, God’s kindness and forgiveness.
Place no limit on the number of times you forgive others.
Do not even harbor murderous thoughts, much less act on them. Those who think about killing someone are imitating the devil who was murderer from the beginning.
Tell the truth. Those who tell lies are also imitating the devil who is the father of lies. Those who imitate the devil show themselves to be the children of the devil and not the children of God. The children of God imitate God.
True disciples of Jesus follow Jesus’ teaching and example. They do not try to twist his teaching or misinterpret his example to justify saying and doing things that are not in line with what Jesus taught or exemplified. Jesus went about doing good and encouraged his disciples to likewise do good. He did not urge them to do evil, misrepresenting it as good.
We show ourselves as Jesus’ true disciples when we not only immerse ourselves in the study of his teaching and example but also put into practice in our daily lives what we have learned, embodying our Lord’s words and actions so that others do not hear and see us. They only hear and see Jesus!
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear James McDonald, Philip Percival, and Alanna Glover’s “Lead Us in Your Truth.”
1 God of earth and heaven, Maker of mankind
You spoke creation into life
Your word at the beginning, breaking through the dark
You wrote your law upon our hearts
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true,
Help us live for you
2 Came to dwell among us, from the Father’s side
The glory of our Saviour Christ
Author of salvation, full of truth and grace
You speak the words of lasting life
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true,
Help us live for you
O glory and praise to you
O glory and praise to you
O glory and praise
3 The grass will fade and wither, flowers wilt and fall
Your word endures forevermore
Your promises unchanging, your wisdom never fails
Calling us to stand by faith
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true
Help us live for you
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true
Help us live for you
Help us live for you
Let us affirm with Christians across the ages what we believe about God
and his love for us.
We believe in one God,
who made us and loves all that is.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was born, lived, died and rose again,
and is coming to call all to account.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who calls, equips and sends out God’s people,
and brings all things to their true end.
This is our faith, the faith of the Church:
We believe in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church
that we all may be one.
Grant that every member of your Church may truly and humbly serve you:
that your name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all ministers of the Church
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world
that there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake
that your glory may be proclaimed through our lives.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble
that they may be delivered from their distress.
We praise you for your saints who have entered their eternal joy
may we also come to share in the fulness of your kingdom.
We pray for our own needs and for those of others:
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Gracious God, grant that the desires of your people’s hearts
may find favour in your sight,
through the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught 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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen
THE SENDING FORTH 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.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us
now and forever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith Duke’s “Christ Before Me.”
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
1 The Lord is my light, my help, my salvation.
Why should I fear? With God I fear no one.
God protects me all my life.
With the Lord what should I dread?
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
2 There is one thing I ask, of the Lord that I long for:
All of my days with God to be dwelling.
Gazing with awe at the beauty of God,
And in wonder look on God's house.
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
3 I know I will live to see the Lord's goodness;
Now, in this life, I'm sure I will see it.
Trust in the Lord, be strong and be brave;
Wait in hope for God, our salvation.
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help,
The Lord is my salvation.
A reading from the New Testament (Mark 1:21–28)
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil* spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
Silence
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
What Jesus Did Not Say and Do
If we read the New Testament, the Gospels the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles (or Letters) and the Revelation to John, we will learn what Jesus said and did. We will also learn what Jesus did not say and do. Let’s take a look at some of the things Jesus did not say or do.
Jesus did not claim to be the retribution of his followers for any real or imagined wrongs that were done them, to be the one who would punish those toward whom they might harbor ill-will and resentment.
Jesus did not talk about getting even with those who opposed him or who did not support him.
While Jesus may have called the Pharisees a brood of vipers and white-washed tombs filled with corruption, he was not in the habit of addressing people with names that were offensive or deriding or belittling them.
Jesus did not go out of the way to draw attention to himself or to make himself the center of attention.
Jesus did not encourage his followers to arm themselves, to commit acts of violence against those whom they perceived as enemies, or to rebel against Herod or the Romans.
Jesus did not tell lies or half-truths or promote conspiracy theories. He did not play upon his followers’ fears and prejudices.
Jesus did not hold grudges.
Jesus did not play the victim or prey upon the gullibility of others. Jesus did not deny the full humanity of anyone, treat them with cruelty and unkindness, or cause them undue suffering. Jesus did not mistreat others and then attempt to shift the blame for the mistreatment to someone else. He did not try to divert attention away from his action by falsely accusing others of improper conduct. Jesus did not attempt to solicit the sympathy of others in order to get their acquiescence or assistance in his mistreatment of anyone.
Jesus did not say that his followers did not need to follow his teaching when people whom they disliked were involved.
Jesus neither said nor did any of these things.
What Jesus did say and do was—
Love your enemies. Pray for them. Do good to them. Bless them when they curse you.
Do not retaliate when someone wrongs you. Turn the other cheek.
Treat others as you would be treated by them.
Pursue reconciliation with those with whom you have experienced a rift in your relationship with them.
Imitate God’s mercy, that is, God’s kindness and forgiveness.
Place no limit on the number of times you forgive others.
Do not even harbor murderous thoughts, much less act on them. Those who think about killing someone are imitating the devil who was murderer from the beginning.
Tell the truth. Those who tell lies are also imitating the devil who is the father of lies. Those who imitate the devil show themselves to be the children of the devil and not the children of God. The children of God imitate God.
True disciples of Jesus follow Jesus’ teaching and example. They do not try to twist his teaching or misinterpret his example to justify saying and doing things that are not in line with what Jesus taught or exemplified. Jesus went about doing good and encouraged his disciples to likewise do good. He did not urge them to do evil, misrepresenting it as good.
We show ourselves as Jesus’ true disciples when we not only immerse ourselves in the study of his teaching and example but also put into practice in our daily lives what we have learned, embodying our Lord’s words and actions so that others do not hear and see us. They only hear and see Jesus!
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear James McDonald, Philip Percival, and Alanna Glover’s “Lead Us in Your Truth.”
1 God of earth and heaven, Maker of mankind
You spoke creation into life
Your word at the beginning, breaking through the dark
You wrote your law upon our hearts
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true,
Help us live for you
2 Came to dwell among us, from the Father’s side
The glory of our Saviour Christ
Author of salvation, full of truth and grace
You speak the words of lasting life
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true,
Help us live for you
O glory and praise to you
O glory and praise to you
O glory and praise
3 The grass will fade and wither, flowers wilt and fall
Your word endures forevermore
Your promises unchanging, your wisdom never fails
Calling us to stand by faith
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true
Help us live for you
Lead us in your truth, God, teach us of your grace
Change us by your Spirit to live for you
Fill us with your love, Lord, guide us in your ways
The words you speak are faithful and ever true
Help us live for you
Help us live for you
Let us affirm with Christians across the ages what we believe about God
and his love for us.
We believe in one God,
who made us and loves all that is.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was born, lived, died and rose again,
and is coming to call all to account.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who calls, equips and sends out God’s people,
and brings all things to their true end.
This is our faith, the faith of the Church:
We believe in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church
that we all may be one.
Grant that every member of your Church may truly and humbly serve you:
that your name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all ministers of the Church
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world
that there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake
that your glory may be proclaimed through our lives.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble
that they may be delivered from their distress.
We praise you for your saints who have entered their eternal joy
may we also come to share in the fulness of your kingdom.
We pray for our own needs and for those of others:
Silence.
The people may add their own petitions.
Gracious God, grant that the desires of your people’s hearts
may find favour in your sight,
through the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught 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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen
THE SENDING FORTH 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.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us
now and forever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith Duke’s “Christ Before Me.”
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
And Christ to right
Christ within
Both day and night
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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