Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 8, 2024)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

In this Sunday’s readings God makes a promise to the people of Israel; the apostle James, the brother of Jesus, instructs the Church on how to treat the poor and how to distinguish a faith that is true and vital from a faith that is dead and useless, and Jesus performs two miracles.

In this Sunday’s message we take a look at what John wrote and how it applies to modern-day Christians.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Tim Chester and Bob Kauflin’s “Come Praise and Glorify”

Verse 1
Come praise and glorify our God
The Father of our Lord
In Christ He has in heav’nly realms
His blessings on us poured
For pure and blameless in His sight
He destined us to be
And now we’ve been adopted through
His Son eternally

Chorus
To the praise of Your glory
To the praise of Your mercy and grace
To the praise of Your glory
You are the God who saves

Verse 2
Come praise and glorify our God
Who gives His grace in Christ
In Him our sins are washed away
Redeemed through sacrifice
In Him God has made known to us
The myst’ry of His will
That Christ should be the head of all
His purpose to fulfill

Chorus
To the praise of Your glory
To the praise of Your mercy and grace
To the praise of Your glory
You are the God who saves

Verse 3
Come praise and glorify our God
For we’ve believed the Word
And through our faith we have a seal
The Spirit of the Lord
The Spirit guarantees our hope
Until redemption’s done
Until we join in endless praise
To God, the Three in One

Final Chorus
To the praise of Your glory
To the praise of Your mercy and grace
To the praise of Your glory
You are the God who saves
To the praise of Your glory
To the praise of Your mercy and grace
To the praise of Your glory
You are the God who saves

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

Hear God’s word to all who turn to Christ:

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life.

God has promised forgiveness
to all who truly repent,
turn to Christ in faith
and are themselves forgiving.

In silence we call to mind our sins.

Silence

Let us confess our sins.

Merciful God,
we have sinned
in what we have thought and said,
in the wrong we have done
and in the good we have not done.
We have sinned in ignorance:
we have sinned in weakness:
we have sinned through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry.
We repent and turn to you.
Forgive us, for our Saviour Christ’s sake,
and renew our lives to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God, who pardons all who truly repent,
forgive our sins, strengthen us by the Holy Spirit,
and keep us in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” from Marty Haugen’s Mass of Creation.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. James 2: 12

Let us pray.

Silence

God the strength of all who believe in you,
increase our faith and trust
in your Son Jesus Christ,
that in him we may live victoriously,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Isaiah (chapter 35, beginning at verse 4).

Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”

And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
and unplug the ears of the deaf.
The lame will leap like a deer,
and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will water the wasteland.
The parched ground will become a pool,
and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
where desert jackals once lived.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to Mark Haas’ responsorial setting of Psalm 146, “Praise the Lord, My Soul.”

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, my soul!

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The God of Jacob keeps faith,
securing justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises those who bow down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, my soul!

The LORD sustains the widow,
but the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, through all generations.

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, my soul!

Silence

A reading from the Letter of James (chapter 2, beginning at verse 1)

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “Word of Truth and Life.”

1 Praise the God of all creation, God of mercy and compassion.
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the word of truth and life!

2 Tree of Life and endless wisdom, be our root, our growth and glory:
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the word of truth and life!

3 Living Water, we are thirsting for the Life that you have promised:
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the word of truth and life!

4 Come, O Spirit, kindle fire in the hearts of all your people:
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the word of truth and life!

5 Praise the God of all creation, God of mercy and compassion.
Alleluia, alleluia, praise the word of truth and life!

The Holy Gospel according to Mark (chapter 7, beginning at verse 24).
Praise and glory to God.

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

“Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

Silence

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ, the Word.

A True and Vital Faith

A Quick Search on the BibleGateway website will produce 203 passages in the Old Testament containing the word “poor.” A number of these passages are instructions to the people of Israel on how they should treat the poor. Here is a sampling of these passages.

“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly. Leviticus 19: 15

“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you. Leviticus 25:35

“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Deuteronomy 15: 7

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. Deuteronomy 15: 10-11

“Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin. Deuteronomy 24: 14-15

The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.” It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor. Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him. Proverbs 14:20-21; 31

Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. Proverbs 17:5

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you! Proverbs 19: 17

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. Proverbs 21: 13

Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. Proverbs 22:9

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. Proverbs 28: 27

The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all. Proverbs 29:7

I do not believe that we would be wrong in concluding that the apostle James, the brother of Jesus, was thinking about these passages and similar passages in the Old Testament, when he penned the New Testament reading appointed for this Sunday in the lectionary.

How different is the attitude toward the poor expressed in these passages, by James in his letter, and by Jesus in the gospels to that we encounter in our society in the United States. What we encounter is not just indifference to the poor but hostility. To make matters worse this attitude is found in that segment of the population which identifies itself as Christian.

This hostility may not always be open, put into words, but it is evident from people’s actions. On several consecutive Sundays two woman visited a former church of mine. From speaking with them, I learned that one of them had heard the pastor speak at another church. She had persuaded a friend to accompany her to his church, moved by what he had said in his talk. The regular attendees of the church gave them the cold-shoulder and after two or three visits they stopped coming. The attitude of the regular attendees toward these two women was not typically of how they acted toward visitors. They were usually friendly. While the two women were wearing what they considered their Sunday best, they were not as smartly dressed as those who regularly attended the church. They were from a lower social class. The behavior of the regular attendees toward these two women pointed to prejudices against people of their social class.

Social class prejudice in the local church is not a new phenomenon. One of the reasons that John Wesley began field preaching was to reach the working classes and the poor with the gospel. In the eighteenth century social class divisions that separated the different segments of the English population were very evident in the parish church. The wealthier classes occupied the pews which they owned or rented, and the working classes and poor who wished to attend church were forced to stand in the aisles. As a consequence, they rarely attended church if they attended church at all.

Jesus not only instructed his disciples to show mercy to others, imitating God’s mercifulness, God’s willingness to be kind to and forgive people, but also demonstrated God’s mercifulness for them, In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, he delivers the young daughter of a Gentile woman from an evil spirit and heals a deaf man with a speech impediment. With this second act of mercy Jesus keeps the promise that God made to the people of Israel in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading. The crowd who witnessed the healing were so amazed that they could not stop telling people about it even though he repeatedly asked them not to.

A key point that James makes in this Sunday’s New Testament reading is that faith which is not shown by our actions is dead and useless. It cannot save. What James is saying is that it is not enough to state that we believe in Jesus. We must show by our actions that we put our full confidence and trust in him, which includes obeying his teaching and following his example. We must show others the merciful kindness which God has shown us in Jesus. It is through our actions that we demonstrate that we have experienced a genuine change of heart and the new birth. We have turned away from sin in repentance and turned to Jesus in faith and have been born again by the Holy Spirit. A living faith is evidenced by the transformation of our character and a life of love and forgiveness.

What James is not saying is that we are saved by faith and works. Rather the good deeds, the acts of mercy, that the believing Christian does in Christ and for Christ’s sake are “the evidence of a vital faith, just as a tree is recognized by its fruit.”

A true and vital faith may be compared to an apple seed planted in an orchard which germinates and sends up a shoot to the surface of the earth, which grows into a sapling, which in turn grows into a mature apple tree that keeps flowering and producing fruit throughout its life. When it flowers in the spring and then produces a new crop of juicy apples, it shows that it is not only alive but also is producing good fruit. On the other hand, a dead faith is like an apple seed that never germinates after is planted and never pokes its head above the ground, much less grows from a sapling to a fruit-bearing apple tree. It never sees the light of day, much less yields even one crop of apples.

Let us not lose heart if we do not see much fruit in our lives. Some trees are slower to produce fruit than others. God like the gardener in the Parable of the Fig Tree will dig around our roots and fertilize the ground in which we are growing. Let us take courage from the advice that Peter Bohler gave John Wesley, ““Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.” We may be doubtful that we have faith, but we may not be seeing the fruits of faith in our life because we are letting our doubts hold us back. Our faith, even though it may be weak, has a way of growing if we act upon what we have. The more we open our hearts and minds to God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, the more God’s grace will fill our lives.

Persevere also in prayer. Be single-minded in one’s appeals to God. God will not withhold from his children the good things for which they ask, and which align with his will. This is Jesus' promise to his disciples and Jesus keeps his promises. 

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Christ Be My Leader.”

1 Christ be my leader by night as by day;
safe through the darkness, for he is the Way.
Gladly I follow, my future his care,
darkness is daylight when Jesus is there.

2 Christ be my teacher in age as in youth,
drifting or doubting, for he is the Truth.
Grant me to trust him; though shifting as sand,
doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand.

3 Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife;
death cannot hold me for he is the Life.
darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain
can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.

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, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,tnt
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again 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

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

God of heaven and earth, through Jesus Christ you promise to hear
us when we pray to you in faith with thanksgiving.

We pray for one another, for our families and friends, through
whom we learn to love and to be loved. Thank you for all who care
for us. Give us grace to serve Christ by serving our neighbours and
our community, loving others as he loves us.

Silence

God of love
grant our prayer.

We thank you for the unfailing love you hold out to everyone in
Jesus Christ. Comfort and heal those in sorrow, need, sickness or
any other trouble. Give them courage and hope in their distress,
and bless those who minister to them.

Silence

God of love
grant our prayer.

We remember with gratitude your many gifts to us in creation and
the rich heritage of this land. Help us and people everywhere
to share with justice and peace the resources of the earth. Give
wisdom to those in authority among us and to all leaders of the
nations.

Silence

God of love
grant our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world, thanking you for
all who serve Christ and his kingdom. By your Spirit strengthen
your people for their work and witness in the world. Unite us in
your truth and love, that we who confess your name may also
reflect your glory.

Silence

God of love
grant our prayer.

We remember with thanksgiving all who have died in Christ, and
we rejoice at the faithful witness of your saints in every age,
praying that we may enter with them into the unending joy of your
heavenly kingdom.

Silence

God of love
grant our prayer.

Merciful God, you look with compassion on all who turn to you.
Hear the prayers of your people.
Grant that what we have asked in faith
we may by your grace receive;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we can ask or conceive,
by the power which is at work among us,
be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all ages.
Amen.

As our Saviour Christ has taught us, 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 Alan Dale and Hubert Richard’s “God’s Spirit Is in My Heart” (“Go Tell Everyone”).

Verse 1

God's Spirit is in my heart,
He has called me and set me apart.
This is what I have to do,
what I have to do.

Chorus
He sent me to give the Good News to the poor,
Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more,
Tell blind people that they can see,
And set the downtrodden free
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come,
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come.

Verse 2
Just as the Father sent me,
So I'm sending you out to be
My witnesses throughout the world,
The whole of the world.

Chorus
He sent me to give the Good News to the poor,
Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more,
Tell blind people that they can see,
And set the downtrodden free
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come,
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come.

Verse 3

Don’t carry a load in your pack,
you don’t need two shirts on your back.
A workman can earn his own keep,
earn his own keep.

Chorus
He sent me to give the Good News to the poor,
Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more,
Tell blind people that they can see,
And set the downtrodden free
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come,
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come.

Verse 4

Don't worry what you have to say,
Don't worry because on that day
God's Spirit will speak in your heart,
Will speak in your heart.

Chorus
He sent me to give the Good News to the poor,
Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more,
Tell blind people that they can see,
And set the downtrodden free
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come,
And go tell everyone the news that the Kingdom of God has come.

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.

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.