Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, November 24, 2024)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, the Sunday before Advent, is designated “Christ the King Sunday” in a number of denominations. On this Sunday Christ’s kingship over all creation is recognized, affirmed, and celebrated. In Anglican churches this Sunday is also known as “Stir-Up Sunday,” so named after the collect appointed for the Sunday before Advent in the older Anglican service books.

"Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord,
the wills of thy faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may of thee be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

In this Sunday’s message we consider the implications of the kingship of Christ.

GATHERED IN GOD’S NAME

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad! Psalm 24:1, Palm 96:11

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Perry’s O God Beyond All Praising.”

1 O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

2 The flower of earthly splendor
in time must surely die,
its fragile bloom surrender
to you the Lord most high;
but hidden from all nature
the eternal seed is sown -
though small in mortal stature,
to heaven's garden grown:
for Christ the Man from heaven
from death has set us free,
and we through him are given
the final victory!

3 Then hear, O gracious Savior,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise,
make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just,
and will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9

Let us confess our sins to God our Father.

Silence

Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. 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 Donald Pearson's setting of the Dignus est, “Splendor and Honor.”

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

For you created everything that is,
and by your will they were created
and have their being;

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

And so, to him who sits upon the throne,
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor,
for ever more and for evermore.

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.
For ever more and for evermore.

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.

Let us pray.

Silence

Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Daniel, chapter 7, beginning at verse 9.

I watched as thrones were put in place
and the Ancient One sat down to judge.
His clothing was as white as snow,
his hair like purest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne
with wheels of blazing fire,
and a river of fire was pouring out,
flowing from his presence.
Millions of angels ministered to him;
many millions stood to attend him.
Then the court began its session,
and the books were opened.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Chris Mulia’s responsorial setting of Psalm 93, “The Lord Is King; He Is Robed in Majesty.”

The Lord is king; The Lord is king;
he is robed in majesty.

The Lord is king; The Lord is king;
he is robed in majesty.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
girt about with strength.

The Lord is king; The Lord is king;
he is robed in majesty.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.

The Lord is king; The Lord is king;
he is robed in majesty.

Your decrees are worthy of trust,
worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.

The Lord is king; The Lord is king;
he is robed in majesty.

A reading from the Revelation to John, chapter 1, beginning at verse 1b.

Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “God of Gods We Sound His Praises.”

1 God of gods, we sound his praises,
highest heaven its homage brings;
earth and all creation raises
glory to the King of kings.
Holy, holy, holy name him,
Lord of all his hosts proclaim him;
to the everlasting Father
every tongue in triumph sings.

2 Christians in their hearts enthrone him,
tell his praises wide abroad;
prophets, priests, apostles own him
martyrs' crown and saints' reward.
Three-in-One his glory sharing,
earth and heaven his praise declaring,
praise the high majestic Father,
praise the everlasting Lord!

3 Hail the Christ, the King of glory,
he whose praise the angels cry;
born to share our human story,
love and labour, grieve and die:
by his cross his work completed,
sinners ransomed, death defeated;
in the glory of the Father
Christ ascended reigns on high.

4 Lord, we look for your returning;
teach us so to walk your ways,
hearts and minds your will discerning,
lives alight with joy and praise:
in your love and care enfold us,
by your constancy uphold us;
may your mercy, Lord and Father,
keep us now and all our days.

A reading from the Gospel according to John, chapter 18, beginning at verse 33.

Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw, Jr.’s “Blessed Be the God of Israel."

1 Blessed be the God of Israel
who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us:
a Branch from David's tree.
So have the prophets long declared
that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies
and all who wish us harm.

2 With promised mercy will God still
the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham,
from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear
and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness
to serve God all our days.

3 My child, as prophet of the Lord,
you will prepare the way,
to tell God's people they are saved
from sin's eternal sway.
Then shall God's mercy from on high
shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death
and lead us into peace.

A King Far Greater than Any Earthly Ruler

The people of Israel with whom God made a covenant under the terms of which God would be their only god and they would be God’s people proved to be a stubborn and rebellious people. They frequently disobeyed God and did what was evil in God’s sight. They worshipped the gods and goddess of their Canaanite neighbors—Asherah, Baal, Chemosh, and Molich—and even sacrificed their own children to these deities. They mistreated the poor, the widow, and the orphan.

Among the ways that they rebelled against God was to reject God’s kingship over them and demand a human king like the other nations of the ancient Mediterranean world. God warned them through the prophet Samuel how a king would treat them if they had a king. They refused to listen to God’s warning and continued to clamor for a king. God would instruct Samuel to anoint a king for them.

The people of Israel’s first three kings were Saul, David, and Solomon. You can read about these kings in the Old Testament, how the Kingdom of Israel became divided into two kingdoms after the death of Solomon, the reigns of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel (later know as Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah, the prophets that God sent to them, how the northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians and the southern kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians. You can also read about a prophesy that God would once more give the people of Israel a king like the celebrated King David.

At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the people of Israel no longer ruled themselves. They were governed by foreign rulers, clients of the Roman Empire. Jerusalem, which was the capital of Judah and the site of the Temple, had a Roman governor, an appointee of the Roman Emperor, and a garrison of Roman soldiers. The people of Israel were expecting God to send them a great military leader who drive out the foreigners and restore the kingdom as it was in the days of David and Solomon.

Instead, they got Jesus. A King far greater than any earthly ruler, a King who was God himself robed in human flesh, their true King, a King who by his very essence and his very nature has dominion, or control, over all creation. A King to whom every human being owed their obeisance irrespective of their station in life. A King who was born in humble surroundings and rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. A King for whose death they clamored. A King who suffered and died on a cross, bearing in himself the sins of the whole world. A King who conquered death and rose victorious from the grave. A King to everyone who believes in him gives eternal life.

To this King all who profess to be Christians owe their loyalty, their firm and unchanging devotion, not to a president, king, or dictator; not to a political party or movement; not to a cause or an ideology; not to a nation, but to the Lord of heaven and earth!

Idolatry is more than making a graven image and worshiping it. Christians commit idolatry when we elevate somebody or something to that place which Jesus should rightly occupy in our lives.

As Jesus drew to the attention of his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). They will hate one and love the other; they will be devoted to one and despise the other. What Jesus said applies to anyone or anything that we value more than God, more than Jesus.

Being loyal to Jesus means being faithful to his teaching and example. We cannot pick and choose among his commandments, selecting those which appeal to us and rejecting the others. We must frame and fashion our lives according to everything that he taught and all that he exemplified.

Throughout our lives our loyalty to Jesus, our devotion and faithfulness to him, will be tested over and over again. We will be urged to make decisions, say words, and take actions that conflict with his teaching and example, which even repudiate what he said and did. Let us keep to the path Jesus has shown us, trusting in him not only to save us but also to make us like himself, glorifying God in all that we say and do. 

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Caroline M. Noel’s “At the Name of Jesus.”

1 At the Name of Jesus
Ev'ry knee shall bow,
Ev'ry tongue confess him
King of glory now.
’Tis the Father’s pleasure
We should call him Lord,
Who from the beginning
Was the mighty Word.

2 Humbled for a season,
To receive a Name
From the lips of sinners,
Unto whom he came,
Faithfully he bore it
Spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious,
When through death he passed.

3 Bore it up triumphant
With its human light,
Through all ranks of creatures,
To the central height,
To the throne of Godhead,
To the Father’s breast;
Filled it with the glory
Of that perfect rest.

4 In your hearts enthrone him;
There let him subdue
All that is not holy,
All that is not true:
Crown him as your Captain
In temptation's hour;
Let his will enfold you
In its light and power.

5 Jesus, Lord and Savior,
Shall return again,
With his Father's glory
O'er the earth to reign;
For all wreaths of empire
Meet upon his brow,
And our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

For all wreaths of empire
Meet upon his brow,
And our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

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

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 …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

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 [Canada Charles our King ][USA our President] …

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

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

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 Percy Dearmer’s “God Is Love: His the Care.”

1 God is love: his the care,
tending each, everywhere.
God is love, all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
that we all might know him.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

2 None can see God above;
humankind we can love;
thus may we Godward move,
finding God in others,
sisters all, and brothers.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

3 Jesus shared all our pain:
strove and died, rose again,
rules our hearts now as then;
for he came to save us
by the truth he gave us.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

4 To our Lord praise we sing,
light and life, friend and king,
coming down love to bring,
pattern for our duty,
showing God in beauty.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud, loud, loud!
God is good!
God is truth! God is beauty!
Praise him!

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.

Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep you this day and for evermore. 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.