Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, April 21, 2024)


Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel readings for this Sunday are traditionally taken from the “I am the Good Shepherd” discourse in the Gospel of John. 

Today's message looks at one way that we can search the Scriptures by looking for God's grace in every passage that we read. 

GATHERED IN GOD’S NAME:

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you

Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed!

Open this link in a new tab to hear William Kethe and Alanna Glover’s “All People That on Earth Do Dwell.”

Verse 1:
All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Serve him with joy, his praises tell,
Come now before him and rejoice!


Verse 2:
Know that the Lord is God indeed;
He formed us all without our aid.
We are the flock he comes to feed,
The sheep who by his hand were made.


Refrain:
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name


Verse 3:
O enter then his gates with joy,
Within his courts his praise proclaim.
Let thankful songs your tongues employ,
O bless and magnify his name.


Refrain:
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name


Verse 4:
Because the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure.
His faithfulness at all times stood
And shall from age to age endure.

Refrain:
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name
O let the earth rejoice, lift up your voice
And magnify his holy name


Verse 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.


Return to the Lord, who will have mercy:
to our God, who will richly pardon.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Tim Chester, Liv Chapman, and Alanna Glover’s “Lord, Have Mercy.”

Verse 1
Almighty God of mercy, we’ve strayed like wayward sheep
Our hearts inclined to wander, your laws we’ve failed to keep
We’ve chosen sin and darkness, left acts of love undone
There is no health within us: have mercy through your Son


Verse 2
O good and gracious Father, we ask to be made new
Obedient and righteous, to live afresh for you
As we confess our failings, restore our broken lives
According to your promise, in our Lord Jesus Christ


Chorus
Lord, have mercy and forgive us
Christ, have mercy and deliver us
Lord, have mercy and renew us
We ask with full assurance because of your great love
According to your promise have mercy through your Son


Verse 3
Almighty God and Father, you promise to forgive
We turn to you for pardon, we come that we might live
O grant your Holy Spirit to purify our souls
And bring us home to Jesus, our glory and our goal


Chorus
Lord, have mercy and forgive us
Christ, have mercy and deliver us
Lord, have mercy and renew us
We ask with full assurance because of your great love
According to your promise have mercy through your Son


Lord, have mercy and forgive us
Christ, have mercy and deliver us
Lord, have mercy and renew us
We ask with full assurance because of your great love
According to your promise have mercy through your Son


May the Lord forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are
and direct what we shall be,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Blessed is the Lord:
Who has heard the voice of our prayer.

Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy:
And in our song will we praise our God

Open this link in a new tab to hear Chloe Edmonds, Jonny Riggs and Lucy Grimble’s “Thanks and Praise.”

Verse 1
We are here together
To lift our hearts as one
We’re in our Father’s presence
His spirit is with us


Chorus
It is good to lift the name of the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
For His heart is overflowing with love for us
And His mercy we can never contain


Verse 2
Each and every morning
We’ll tell of His great love
Of His faithful mercies
And all that He has done
For who can match His kindness?
And who can count His works?
Oh let our praise continue
‘Til evening comes in close


Chorus
It is good to lift the name of the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
For His heart is overflowing with love for us
And His mercy we can never contain


It is good to lift the name of the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
For His heart is overflowing with love for us
And His mercy we can never contain


Bridge
Glory, honour, wisdom, power, and strength
To our Saviour, Jesus, worthy of all praise
Glory, honour, wisdom, power, and strength
To our Saviour, Jesus, worthy of all praise


Chorus
It is good to lift the name of the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
For His heart is overflowing with love for us
And His mercy we can never contain


It is good to lift the name of the Lord our God
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
For His heart is overflowing with love for us
And His mercy we can never contain


Outro
It is right to give Him thanks and praise
It is right to give Him thanks and praise


Let us pray

Silence

Good shepherd of the sheep,
by whom the lost are sought
and guided into the fold;
feed us and we shall be satisfied,
heal us and we shall be whole,
and lead us that we may be with you,
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
where you reign one God for ever.
Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the New Testament (1 John 3:16–24)

This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence. If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence. We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

Silence

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Liv Chapman & Alanna Glover’s “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.

Verse 1
The King of love my shepherd is
Whose goodness fails me never
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever
And He is mine forever


Verse 2
Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He purifies
And, where the greenest pastures grow
My aching heart He satisfies
My aching heart He satisfies


Verse 3
So full of sin I often strayed
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me
And home rejoicing brought me


Verse 4
In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With You, my Lord, beside me
Your rod and staff, my comfort still
Your cross before to guide me
Your cross before to guide me


Verse 5
And so through all the length of days
Your goodness fails me never
Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise
Within Your house forever
Within Your house forever
Within Your house forever


A reading from the New Testament (John 10:11-18)

“I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep. When the hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away; so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them. There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

“The Father loves me because I am willing to give up my life, in order that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life away from me. I give it up of my own free will. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it back. This is what my Father has commanded me to do.”

Silence

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Looking for Grace in All the Right Places

One way of “searching the Scriptures” as John Wesley described the practice of reading, studying, and meditating upon Scripture is to look for God’s grace in a passage of Scripture. In his sermon, “The Means of Grace,” Wesley identifies searching the Scriptures as one of three most important means of grace. The other two are prayer and the Lord’s Supper.

The means of grace are the usual or ordinary ways through which God’s grace is extended to us to achieve God’s purposes. Through these means God not only meets us but also works in us.

We can think of grace In two different ways. One is that it is a particular disposition of God’s nature to treat people better than they deserve. The other is “the action or the power or the influence or the force of this disposition, which produces real, practical outcomes in people’s lives….” For example, grace awakens and arouses faith in people, enabling them to believe in Jesus. Grace makes it possible for people to perform good deeds and to persevere in adverse circumstances. God is not only inclined to treat us better than we deserve but also he gives or offers us practical help.

Where then do we find grace in today’s readings? In the first reading, a passage from the First Letter of John, we find grace in what it tells us about Christ’s love for us. We find grace in the instructions it gives us about how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. We also find grace in what it tells us about our union with God. The passage is filled with what can be described as good news.

From the second reading, a passage from the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus is the good shepherd who, unlike a hired man, was willing to die for the sheep in his care. Jesus’ sheep know him, and he knows them. In an earlier passage he talks about how his sheep recognize him as their shepherd and follow him. We learn that Jesus has "other sheep" beside those in “this sheep pen,” a reference to the people of Israel. The other sheep also recognize him as their shepherd. This appears to be a reference to non-Israelites, peoples with whom God had not made a covenant, according to the Old Testament. We further learn that Jesus’s suffering and death would be by his own volition. It would be his own decision, not something that was forced upon him against his will.

All these things may be viewed as outworkings of God’s favor and goodwill toward not just the people of Israel but all humankind, in other words, God’s grace. This knowledge itself is an expression of that grace.

The good news of this passage is that Jesus is the good shepherd of all humanity and that his sheep, Israelite and non-Israelite, will be gathered into one flock under his care. Jesus is not just the saviour of the people of Israel. He is the saviour of all peoples, the saviour of the world.

Silence

Let us affirm with Christians across the ages what we believe about God
and his love for us.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

Open this link in a new tab to hear Greg Cooper and Adrew Judd’s “Hear Our Prayer.”

Verse 1
Hear our prayer, God above
As we come to you and seek your patient love
Hear our hearts, hear our minds
Hear the echoes of the words we cannot find

Verse 2
Be our hope, be our guide
In our wanderings of weakness break our pride
Not for ease shall we pray
But for strength that we may walk with you this day


Chorus

So we pray in faith, your will be done
As we long to see your kingdom come
We ask with one voice
Through Jesus Christ our Lord


Verse 3
Hear our prayer, faithful one
Shape our yearnings to the gospel of your Son
Free our hearts, free our minds
From the war that sin will wage till you arrive


Chorus
So we pray in faith, your will be done
As we long to see your kingdom come
We ask with one voice
Through Jesus Christ our Lord


Verse 4
Be our joy, be our stay
Give us eyes to see you answer prayer this day
Hear us praise all you’ve done
We rejoice as we receive the victory won


Final Chorus
So we pray in faith, your will be done
As we long to see your kingdom come
We ask with one voice
We ask with one voice
We ask with one voice
Through Jesus Christ our Lord


Let us pray for the Church and the world, and give thanks
for God’s goodness.

God, most gracious and most holy, grant us the help of your Spirit
as we pray for the Church and the world.

We pray for the Church in every land . . . for this church and for other local churches . . . that we may worship and serve you with reverence and joy.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for the peoples of the world . . . and for the leaders of the nations . . . that all may work together for justice and peace.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for those who are ill or distressed . . . for the lonely and the bereaved . . . and for those in any other need or trouble . . . that they may be comforted and sustained.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Additional petitions may be offered.

Silence

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Father, we remember before you
all your servants who have died in the faith of Christ . . .
We pray that we too may lead faithful and godly lives in this world,
and finally share with all the saints in everlasting joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As our Saviour taught his disciples, we 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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Alanna Glover and Niki Shepherd’s “We Give You Thanks.”

Verse 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


Verse 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


Chorus
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


Verse 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


Chorus
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


Verse 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


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.

Open this link to hear Lee Fisher’s Go in Peace, Go in Love.”

Go in peace, go in love
May the Lord be at your side
Go in peace, go in love
May he ever be your guide
May his grace overflow
And his mercy be upon you
Go in peace, go in love
Now and evermore


Go in peace, go in love
May the Lord be at your side
Go in peace, go in love
May he ever be your guide
May his grace overflow
And his mercy be upon you
Go in peace, go in love
Now and evermore


Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen


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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