Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 27, 2024)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

Living a life that embodies Jesus’ teaching is one of the marks of a true disciple of Jesus. This evening’s message looks at what Jesus said about it.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

O Lord, accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Let us confess our sins to God our Father

Silence

Almighty and merciful God
we have sinned against you,
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with all our heart.
We have not loved others as our Saviour Christ loves us.
We are truly sorry.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. 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 David Sims’ arrangement of Sylvia Dunstan’s “O Laughing Light.”

1 O laughing light, O First-born of creation,
Radiance of glory, light from light begotten,
God self-revealing, holy, bright and blessed:
You shine upon us.

2 Day’s light is fleeting; your light is eternal.
We look to you, our light within the shadow.
We sing to you, Creator, Christ, and Spirit;
You shine before us.

3 Light of the world, O Jesus Christ, we bless you!
Giver of life and Child of God, we praise you!
Hear as the universe proclaims your glory!
You shine among us.
You shine among us.

Let us pray

Silence

O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
Increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal
that we finally lose not the things eternal:
Grant this, heavenly Father,
for Jesus Christ’s sake, our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

Open this link in a new tab to hear Songs in Presence’s responsorial setting of Psalm 97, "The Lord Is King, the Most High over All the Earth.”

The Lord is king,
the most high over all the earth.

The Lord is king,
the most high over all the earth.

The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

The Lord is king,
the most high over all the earth.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.

The Lord is king (the Lord is king),
the most high over all the earth.

Because you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.

The Lord is king (the Lord is king),
the most high over all the earth.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 21-29

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’

“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

Now when Jesus had finished saying these words, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes.

Silence

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

Open this ink in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul.”

1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Savior shall my heart rejoice

2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age to same;
His holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One

3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high

4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore!

On What Foundation Are You Building?

This evening’s reading contains the concluding words of what has been described as “the most famous sermon Jesus ever gave,” the Sermon on the Mount. It is the largest, continuous body of Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew’s Gospel.

The website Got Questions: Your Questions, Biblical Answers offers this one-sentence summary of the Sermon on the Mount: “How to live a life that is dedicated to and pleasing to God, free from hypocrisy, full of love and grace, full of wisdom and discernment.” It is to the principles that he taught in this sermon to which he is referring when he says, “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”

I believe that we can safely assume from what Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels that what he says about those who hear his words and act on them also applies to all his teaching, not just to the Sermon on the Mount. Those who hear his teaching and act on the principles that he taught are like a wise man building a house on rock. They are building on a solid foundation.

Accepting and practicing what Jesus taught is inseparably tied to being a disciple of Jesus. No one can claim to be his disciple and at the same time ignore what he taught. Turning away from sin in repentance and turning to Jesus in faith are just the first step in becoming a disciple. To fully follow Jesus, we must embrace all that he taught and make it an integral part of our lives.

Jesus fulfills a number of prophesies found in the Old Testament. One of these prophesies is that God will teach his own people: “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). Jesus himself refers to this prophesy: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God’” (John 6:45).

The principles that Jesus has give his disciples for living a life devoted and pleasing to God is an expression of God’s grace, his love, goodwill, and favor. With Jesus’ own example, they are meant to shape our attitudes, and guide our thinking and actions.

A life lived according to these principles cannot put us right with God. Only repentance and faith can do that. Like good works, the good deeds that we do, living such a life is the result of being put right with God through repentance and faith. It is also one of the means by which we grow more like Jesus and his character is reproduced in us. It demonstrates that the Holy Spirit has come to live in us and is prompting us to live in a way that glorifies God.

Jesus does not promise us that the life of a disciple will be an easy one. But he does imply that those who hear his words and act on them will be able to weather the storms of this life just as the wise man’s house withstood the rain, the floods, and the wind. It was built on rock. They have built on a stronger foundation. They have built on the rock of salvation—on God himself.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Dean McIntyre’s “How Shall I Come Before the Lord?”

How shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself with heart our poured?
And shall I come with offerings?
What shall I give? What shall I bring?

Will finest gifts bring God's delight?
Will wealth bring favor in God's sight?
What must we be? What must we do?
What does the Lord require of you?

Let justice shine in all your ways.
Let loving-kindness rule your days,
that, as this earthly path you trod,
you shall walk humbly with your God.

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.

Almighty and everliving God,
hear the prayers which we offer in faith and love:

For peace, and for your salvation to be known throughout the world …
For the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church
and for the unity of all Christian people …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all who serve and lead in your Church,
for bishops, elders, deacons and licensed local pastors …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all your people, growing in the faith of Christ,
and passing it on to generations yet to come …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all who live and work in this community …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For families, and for those who live alone …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all who are sick in body or in mind,
and for those who care for them …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all in authority,
and especially for our President …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For all who have been entrusted with the responsibility of government …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

For those who work for peace, justice and righteousness throughout the
world …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of your holy apostles and martyrs, and of all
your servants departed this life in your faith and fear, we commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to you, Lord God; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As our Savior 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 Rebecca Hincke's setting of the traditional Irish hymn, “Christ Be Near at Either Hand.”

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where'er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne'er depart.

3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Guide and shepherd to the end.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

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 bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.

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

Those present may exchange a gesture of peace with these or similar words:
Peace be with you.