Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, August 15, 2024)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows

I regularly attended church during my teen years, choosing to stay to hear the sermon when the other young people went to their Sunday school classes. In fact, the only time I stepped into a Sunday school classroom was to teach a group of fourth graders one summer. I read a Bible story to them, then handed out newsprint and crayons to them, and had them draw what they had heard. I then asked each student to explain what they had drawn.

Like many young adults at that time, I drifted away from the church while I was at university, and I did not return until more than a decade later. My nieces who had been attending their aunt’s church had a bad experience at that church and my mother and I decided to take them to our church. I agreed to sit with the girls during the service.

As it turned out, the girls chose to sit with friends that they had made at church and I ended up singing in the choir and serving as a lay reader, reading the lessons, leading the Prayers of the People, and administering the chalice at communion. Two members of the choir invited me to join their intercessory prayer group. These two women who are now with the Lord would have a profound impact upon my spiritual life.

In this evening’ message we take a look at some ways that Christians can help not only their fellow believers grow as disciples of Jesus Christ but also serve as instruments of God’s grace to those exploring the Christian faith and way of life.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Listen, all who serve the Lord,
come and offer praise.
Lift your hands in prayer before the Lord
and raise your voice in praise.

Glory to God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.

A lamp or candle may be lit.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Rufino Zaragoza’s hymn, “Radiant Light Hymn.”

Radiant Light Divine,
shine throughout this night.
Jesus, Holy One,
praise to you our Light.
As the daylight fades,
and come eventide,
dwell among us, Holy Fire.

Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.
Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.

The day is now past and the night is at hand.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence

Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you
as our evening sacrifice; make us light for all the world,
delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness;
through Jesus Christ your So our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Joncas’ “On Eagle’s Wings” (Psalm 91).

1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, "My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

2 The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear
Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

3 You need not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

4 For to His angels He's given a command
To guard you in all of your ways
Upon their hands they will bear you up
Lest you dash your foot against a stone

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand
And hold you, hold you in the palm of His hand

Open this link in a new tab to hear Paul Inwood’s “Holy Is God” (Psalm 117).

Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.
Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.

1 Sing the Lord’s praise, ev’ry nation,
Give him all honor and glory.
Strong is his love for his people,
His faithfulness is eternal.

Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.
(Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.)

2 Praise to the Father almighty,
Praise to his Son, Christ the Lord;
Praise to the life giving Spirit;
Both now and forever, Amen
(Praise to the Father almighty,
Praise to his son, Christ the Lord;
Praise to the life giving Spirit;
Both now and forever, Amen)

Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.
(Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.)
Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.
(Holy is God, holy and strong!
God everliving, alleluia.)

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

Heavenly Father,
Give us wisdom and understanding.
As we listen to your Word,
may we know you better,
love you more,
and learn to please you in all we do;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

A reading from the New Testament: The Letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 1-17

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

Silence

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

Watch Over One Another in Love

In ancient times people rarely traveled any distance by themselves. The roads held too many dangers—robbers, wild beasts, and that sort of thing. People usually traveled in the company of others for safety and companionship. Good companions on a long journey could make the journey more enjoyable.

The life of a Christian can be compared to a journey. It is a journey that we make not by ourselves but with others. It is a journey on which we help each other to stay the course and not to falter.

Among the ways that we help our companions on the journey is to set an example of how to serve God well for them. They can copy our example and serve God well too. We may at times feel weary, but we persevere. When we persevere, we encourage those traveling with us to persevere too.

In this evening’s New Testament reading, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews urges those to whom he is writing to look after each other so no one turns back from the grace of God and not to let anyone “become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison.” He further urges them not to let anyone make the kind of mistake that Esau made. Esau gave up what was really important—his birthright and all that it entailed, in exchange for something that was not important at all—a bowl of lentil stew.

If you are not familiar with Esau, he was Isaac's first son. Isaac was the son which God promised Abraham, to whom his wife Sarah would give birth even though she was old and past the age of childbearing. As the oldest son in the family, Esau was entitled to receive the largest share of his father’s wealth—flocks, herds, farmland, material possessions, when his father died. It was also customary for the father ask God to bless that son and give him good things. However, Esau gave away all these things to his brother, Jacob, in return for a bowl of lentil stew.

We make the same mistake as Esau when we trade something of great value like our salvation for the temporary gratification of our appetite, eternal life with God for a brief physical pleasure.

Implicit in what the author of the letter to the Hebrews is saying is that Christians are responsible for each other. The apostle Paul says the same thing in his letters when he speaking of the members of the Body of Christ building each other up. Loving one another as Jesus commanded the first disciples and every generation of his disciples after them also entails caring for each other’s wellbeing, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

This goes against a common belief in the United States that people are only responsible for themselves and the immediate members of their family and no one else. They have no obligation to help anyone outside this small circle of people. Outsiders must help themselves.

This belief, however, has no basis in Scripture, which teaches that we are love our neighbor as ourselves (Leviticus 19: 18), to be generous and share our food with the poor (Proverbs 22: 9), not to stand idly by when a neighbor’s life is threatened (Leviticus 19: 16), to take care of the widowed and the orphaned (James 1:27), to take strayed livestock back to its owner or to keep the livestock until the owner comes looking for it (Deuteronomy 22: 1-3), to help a neighbor’s ox or donkey get back on its feet when it collapses on the road (Deuteronomy 22:4), to take an enemy’s donkey or ox back to him when it strays (Exodus 23: 4), and to help the donkey of someone who hates us when it falls down under its load (Exodus 23: 5). When Jesus told his disciples to love their enemies and to do good to them, he was making explicit a principle that is implicit in Exodus 23: 1-4.

These are just a sampling of the passages of Scripture whose underlying principle is that we are responsible for health, safety, and wellbeing of others beside ourselves and the members of our immediate family.

John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman, a leading figure of the eighteenth century Evangelical Revival, and the founder of the Methodist Movement, recognized the important contribution that Christians could make to each other’s spiritual growth and established a system of small groups, known as “classes,” in the early Methodists societies. The success of the Methodist Movement has been attributed to these small groups. It was in the class meeting that the early Methodists were most effective at achieving the purposes for which the early Methodist societies had been formed—"to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation."

In his book, The Radical Wesley, Howard A. Snyder tells us:

“The classes normally met one evening each week for an hour or so. Each person reported on his or her spiritual progress, or on particular needs or problems, and received the support and prayers of the others . . . According to one author it was, in fact, in the class meeting where the great majority of conversions occurred.”

A modern-day adaptation of the class is the “Covenant Discipleship group.” “A Covenant Discipleship group is 5-7 persons who meet together for one hour each week to hold one another mutually accountable for their discipleship. Groups tend to form based on the day and time people are available for a weekly meeting.” You can learn more about Covenant Discipleship groups on the United Methodist Church’s Discipleship Ministries website: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/covenant-discipleship-groups-an-introduction.

Covenant Discipleship groups usually meet in person. However, they can also meet online, using the Zoom or some other video conferencing platform. They can also meet by a conference call, or teleconference. A conference call is a telephone call involving multiple participants. The people invited to the meeting join by dialing a number which will connect them to a conference bridge. The conference bridge acts as a virtual room that allows several people to host a meeting or join one. Some churches have such a number which enables homebound members who do not have internet but have a telephone to meet by telephone. These churches also have a coordinator who facilitates these meetings.

Among the other ways that Christians can contribute to the spiritual growth of fellow Christians who are homebound is to regularly visit them or telephone them. Regular visits and telephone calls help to overcome the sense of isolation and the feelings of loneliness that homebound Christians may experience. Homebound Christians can also telephone each other.

Christians who are unable to attend a local church for some other reason and those who are exploring the Christian faith and way of life but are not ready to attend a local church can also benefit from participating in small groups that meet on the internet or by telephone.

One of the oldest ways that Christians who were not able to meet together offered each other encouragement and guidance was to write letters to each other. While people do not write each other as much as they use to do, a thoughtful letter is still a way to help a fellow Christian on the journey of faith.

In what other ways do you think Christians can build up fellow Christians and inquirers, those wishing to learn more about the Christian faith and way of life?

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Chris de Silva’s “Love, Burn Bright.”

Christ our Light, illuminate every path that leads to you.
Give us grace, Lord, guide our way: Love, burn bright.
In your light, Lord, every day, every way, we follow you.
Grant us peace to journey through: Love, burn bright.

1 From the shadows of the night, to your holiness and light:
May your love burn bright within our heart.
From the hatred born of fear, to your love that holds us near:
May your love burn bright within our heart.

Christ our Light, illuminate every path that leads to you.
Give us grace, Lord, guide our way: Love, burn bright.
In your light, Lord, every day, every way, we follow you.
Grant us peace to journey through: Love, burn bright.

2 In our words that tear apart, place a reconciling heart:
May your love burn bright within our heart.
In our wounds of war and strife, place your promise of new life:
May your love burn bright within our heart.

Christ our Light, illuminate every path that leads to you.
Give us grace, Lord, guide our way: Love, burn bright.
In your light, Lord, every day, every way, we follow you.
Grant us peace to journey through: Love, burn bright.

3 Where there’s doubt, uncertainty, let us witness faithfully:
May your love burn bright within our heart.
Where there’s sadness, poverty, let us reach out willingly:
May your love burn bright within our heart.

Christ our Light, illuminate every path that leads to you.
Give us grace, Lord, guide our way: Love, burn bright.
In your light, Lord, every day, every way, we follow you.
Grant us peace to journey through: Love, burn bright.
Love, burn bright. Love, burn bright.

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

During the course of the silence after each petition, those present may offer their own prayers silently or aloud.

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

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

Silence

God of love: Hear our prayer.

We ask your grace for N our pastor and for all who
minister in word and in action, that we may bear faithful witness
to your good news.

Silence

God of love: Hear our prayer.

We seek your peace and justice in our world, our country, and our
community, that the needy may never be forgotten.

Silence

God of love: 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.

Silence

God of love: 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.

Silence

God of love: Hear our prayer.

We commend to you all who have died [especially….], that our
trust in you may deepen as you keep them safe in your care.

Silence

God of love: 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.

Silence

God of love: Hear our prayer.

We look for your purposes to be accomplished and ask you to fill
us with the strength and vision to further your reign.

Silence

God of love: Hear our prayer.

Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to 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 John Fennelly’s “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.

[Instrumental music, humming]

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

[Instrumental music, humming]

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

[Instrumental music, humming]

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.

Those present may extend their palms toward each other in a gesture of blessing.

May God, Creator, bless us and keep us,
may Christ be ever light for our lives,
may the Spirit of Love be our guide and path,
for all our days. 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.