Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, August 22, 2024)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows

Faith is like a seed planted in the earth. If it is watered, it will grow. Seeds which do not receive enough water may grow into a plant. But the plant may be stunted and may not flower and produce more seeds. While God works directly in an individual to arouse and strengthen faith, God also works through the people in the individual's life. God may use them to prepare the ground, to plant the seed, and to water it. 

In the message we look at what the apostle Paul has to say about getting ready for Jesus’ return.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Our help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear F. Bland Tucker’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light.”

1 O Gracious Light, Lord Jesus Christ,
In you the Father’s glory shone.
Immortal, holy, blest is he,
And blest are you, his holy Son.

2 Now sunset comes, but light shines forth,
the lamps are lit to pierce the night.
Praise Father, Son, and Spirit: God
Who dwells in the eternal light.

3 Worthy are you of endless praise,
O Son of God, Life-giving Lord;
Wherefore you are through all the earth
And in the highest heaven adored.

Coda
O Gracious Light!

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 Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Safe in the Shadow of the Lord” (Psalm 91).

1 Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
beneath his hand and power,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
my fortress and my tower.

2 My hope is set on God alone,
though Satan spreads his snare,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
to keep me in his care.

3 From fears and phantoms of the night,
from foes about my way,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
by darkness as by day.

4 His holy angels keep my feet
secure from every stone;
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and unafraid go on.

5 Strong in the everlasting Name,
and in my Father's care,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
who hears and answers prayer.

6 Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
possessed by love divine,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and meet his love with mine.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s arrangement of Herbert O'Driscoll’s “Come and Journey with a Saviour.”

1 Come and journey with a Saviour
who has called us from our birth,
who has washed us in the waters,
and who loved us on the earth.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

2 Come and journey, journey inward,
come and seek him deep within,
where he meets us in our living,
in our striving and our sin.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

*3 Come and journey, journey outward,
telling others of his name,
telling others of his glory,
of his cross and of the shame.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

*4 Come and journey, journey outward,
where that cross calls us to care,
where injustice and where hunger
and the poor call us to share.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

5 Come and journey, journey upward.
Sing his praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness
find his presence everywhere.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

6 Come and journey, journey onward;
all our gifts we now shall bring
to the building of a city that is holy,
Christ its King.

Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one,
in the Spirit we are one.

*Omitted in the sound file.

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: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety’, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Silence

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

Getting Ready for Jesus’ Return

Jesus’ return is an article of the Christian faith, a core belief. Both Jesus himself and his apostles taught that he would return one day. When Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed on Sundays and other occasions, they affirm this belief, publicly show their support for it.

According to Jesus and his apostles, his coming again would be sudden and unexpected like a thief breaking into someone’s home and it would take most people by surprise, except for his disciples who like faithful servants would be ready for his return. They would be going about the tasks that their master had given them, They would be putting their trust in him and his words, following his teaching and example in their daily lives, doing as much good as they were able to, avoiding doing evil, and making more disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them what he instructed his disciples to teach them.

While we may hear or read about some Christians trying to determine the day and time of his return or even to influence the course of events to speed his return, they are not doing what Jesus told his disciples to do. Neither are those who identify themselves as Christians but do not pay attention to what Jesus said and do what pleases them. Jesus left his disciples with clear instructions when he ascended into heaven and expected his disciples to obey what he commanded. Indeed, he made obedience to his commands the measure of his disciples’ love for him.

In the reading from the New Testament, from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, after reminding them of this article of the Christian faith and how they are different from other people, the apostle Paul urges the Christians at Thessalonica, what was once the second wealthiest and largest city in the eastern half of the Roman Empire, in the province of Macedon in northern Greece, to put on love and faith as a soldier would put on armour. He also urged them to don the hope of salvation as a soldier would don a helmet. What he had in mind was the lorica, the mail shirt or segmented armour or scale armour, and the galea, the leather or iron helmet, that Roman soldiers wore. The modern-day equivalent would be the body armour and helmets worn by soldiers and police to protect them from bullets and other projectiles, shrapnel, and blows to the body and the head.

Paul points to the attention of the Thessalonian Christians that God did not choose them as his people so that he could be angry with them. God chose them to save them because of what Jesus as done. Jesus died on their behalf so that they could live with him. It did not matter whether they were dead or alive when he returned. They would go to live with Jesus.

Paul goes on to urge them to keep on doing what they are already doing, encouraging each other and helping each other become stronger in their faith.

In a sermon I heard this past Sunday, the preacher draw attention to the fact that whether we may realize it, the people with whom we spend most of our time influence us. They influence our attitudes, our ways of thinking, and our behavior. They can influence what we believe and what we value. For this reason, Christians need to be aware of how the people in our environment are influencing us. We need to discern whether they are a positive influence upon us or a negative one. For the same reason those who are exploring the Christian faith and way of life also need to be mindful of how the people with whom they interact in their daily lives are influencing them.

Paul recognized how the people in our environment influence us. By doing what they were doing, the Christians at Thessalonica were creating and maintaining the right kind of environment to reinforce and strengthen their faith, one in which they were exerting a positive influence on each other. It is something that we can learn from Paul and the church at Thessalonica. Indeed, it is a responsibility that all Christians share—to build up each other’s faith, and to that end create and maintain an environment in their church that supports the growth of everyone’s faith and makes it more likely to happen.

One way that we can encourage each other and help each other to become stronger in our faith is to be physically present at gatherings of the church on Sundays and other occasions. Another way is to become a part of a Covenant Discipleship group about which I talked in a previous message.

When circumstances prevent a fellow Christian or someone who is exploring the Christian faith and way of life from being physically present at such gatherings, we can establish and maintain regular contact with them. We can visit them and telephone them. If they have access to the internet, we can invite them to join a online small group that meets by way of Zoom or some other video conferencing platform. The important thing to remember is that building up each other’s faith is a responsibility that all Christians share. It is not just the responsibility of pastors, elders, deacons, and friendly visitors.

The Christian faith and way of life is not something that s practiced alone and in isolation from others. God has not only given us fellow pilgrims and companions to accompany us on faith’s journey but also called us to be a fellow pilgrim and companion to them. Jesus is not only present to us in them, he is present to them in us.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’s “O Christ, Surround Me.”

1 God be the love to search and keep me
God be the prayer to move my voice
God be the strength to now uphold me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

2 Bind to myself the name of Holy
Great cloud of witnesses enfold
Prophets, apostles, angels witness
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

3 Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight
Flashing of lightning, strength of wind
Depth of the sea to soil of planet
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

4 Walking behind to hem my journey
Going ahead to light my way
And from beneath, above, and all ways
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

[Instrumental interlude]

5 Christ in the eyes of all who see me
Christ in the ears who hear my voice
Christ in the hearts of all who know me
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

Coda
O Christ, surround me
O Christ, surround me

Let us confess our faith, as we say:

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

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 Fran McKendree’s adaptation of “Lord, It Is Night” from A New Zealand Prayer Book.

Lord,
it is night.

The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be,
let it be.

The night it is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness,
our fears of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.

The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
and all who are dear to us,
and all who have no peace,
no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly
to a new day,
new joy,
new possibility.

In your name we pray.
your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen,

[Instrumental interlude]

In your name we pray.
In your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

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.