Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, November 7, 2024)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
In this evening’s message we conclude our series on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Both day and night belong to you, O God;
you made the moon and the sun.
You set the boundaries of the earth,
and you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74: 16-17
Let us worship God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Xander Stok’s “You Alone Are Holy” (Revelation 15).
Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations,
of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy
you alone are holy,
you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.
Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations,
of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy
you alone are holy,
you alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Who will not fear you, Lord?
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Who will not fear you, Lord?
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
You alone are holy.
Aaaahh….
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 Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Matt Papa’s “Christus Victor (Amen).”
Verse 1
O Most High, King of the ages
Great I AM, God of wonders
By the blood You have redeemed us
Led us through mighty waters
Our strength, our song, our sure salvation
Chorus 1
Now to the Lamb upon the throne
Be blessing, honor, glory, power
For the battle You have won
Hallelujah! Amen
Verse 2
O Most High, dwelling among us
Son of man sent for sinners
By Your blood You have redeemed us
Spotless Lamb, mighty Savior
Who lived, who died, who rose victorious
Chorus 2, 3
Now to the Lamb upon the throne
Be blessing, honor, glory, power
For the battle You have won
Hallelujah! Amen
With every tribe and every tongue
We join the anthem of the angels
In the triumph of the Son
Hallelujah! Amen
Last Chorus Tag
Sing the victory of the Lamb
Hallelujah! Amen
Verse 3
O Most High, King of the nations
Robed in praise, crowned with splendor
On that day who will not tremble?
When You stand Christ the Victor
Who was, and is, and is forever
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen, amen
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Almighty and eternal God,
you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints:
Grant to us the same faith and power of love,
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs,
we may be sustained by their example and fellowship;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the New Testament: Colossians 4:2-18
Continue to pray seriously. Stay awake, like people who watch carefully. And remember to thank God. Also pray for us. Ask God to make it possible for us to tell people his message. We want people to understand the message about Christ that was a secret before. I am now in a prison because I taught people those things. Pray that I will be able to tell people this message clearly. That is what I should do.
When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things. When you speak to people, always speak kind words. Say things that will help them. Then, when someone asks you a question, you will know how to reply.
Our Christian friend, Tychicus, will tell you all the news about me. He works hard to serve the Lord. Like me, he is the Lord's servant. I want him to tell you what is happening to us, so that you will feel stronger. That is the reason why I am sending him to you. Onesimus will travel with him. As you know, he is one of your own people. He is a good Christian friend who serves Christ well. Onesimus and Tychicus will tell you everything that is happening here.
Aristarchus is also here with me in the prison. He says ‘hello’ to you. Barnabas's cousin, Mark also says ‘hello’ to you. I have already told you about him. So, if he comes to you, be kind to him. Jesus, who is also called Justus, says ‘hello’ to you, too. These three men are the only Jewish believers who are serving God with me. We work together to bring people into the kingdom of God. These men have helped me to be strong.
Epaphras says ‘hello’ to you. He is also one of your people, and he is Jesus Christ's servant. He always prays very strongly for you. He prays that you will continue to grow as believers. He prays that you will completely understand everything that God wants you to do. I can tell you this about Epaphras: He has worked very hard for you, and also for the people at Laodicea and at Hierapolis.
Our good friend Luke, the doctor, says ‘hello’ to you. Demas also says ‘hello’. Say ‘hello’ for me to all the believers at Laodicea. Also say ‘hello’ to Nympha and to the group of believers that meet in her house.
After someone has read this letter to all of you, send it to the believers at Laodicea. Tell them to read it aloud to the church there. You must also read my letter that the believers at Laodicea will send to you.
Say to Archippus, ‘As you serve the Lord, be careful to finish the work that he gave you to do.’
I, Paul, am writing these words at the end of this letter with my own hand. Remember to pray for me while I am in prison. I pray that God will continue to be very kind to you.
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
In this evening’s reading, the closing passages of Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, the apostle offers guidance to the believers at Colossae on how they should conduct themselves when they are around non-believers. He advises them--
“When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things. When you speak to people, always speak kind words. Say things that will help them. Then, when someone asks you a question, you will know how to reply.”
It is advice that many internet users who identify themselves as Christians would do well to heed rather than trolling non-believers and believers who do not share their views on social media. They seem to forget that as believers, they are Jesus’ ambassadors, his representatives. “Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to deliberately upset others.” You can learn more about trolling at https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/trolling. They do not take advantage of every opportunity to do good to others and they are not kind or helpful in what they write. Rather they appear intent on starting arguments or causing trouble.
John Wesley echoes the apostle Paul in his first two of the three general rules that he drew up for the early Methodist Societies. Th first general rule is to do no harm and to avoid all kinds of evil. The second general rule is to do good to others whenever the opportunity came up.
What we say and how we act are an important part of our witness to Jesus. We demonstrate that Jesus is a profound influence our lives and show to the world that we are indeed Jesus’ disciples. Through our words and our actions we can leave non-believers with a positive impression not only of ourselves but also of the Christian faith and way of life. We also increase the likelihood that they will be open to accepting a invitation to church or having a spiritual conversation with us.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Justice Snoke’s metrical version of the Apostles Creed, “I Believe in God the Father.”
1 I believe in God the Father,
maker of all heav’n and earth.
And in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
God’s own Son of matchless worth;
By the Spirit was conceived,
of the virgin, Mary born,
He in whom I have believed,
God almighty, three in one.
2 Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
crucified for me he died.
Laid within the grave so silent,
gates of hell he opened wide;
For the stone-sealed tomb was empty;
on the third day he arose;
Into heaven made his entry,
mighty conquer’r of his foes.
3 At God’s right hand he is seated,
till his coming as he said;
Final judgment will be meted
to the living and the dead;
I confess the Holy Spirit,
who was sent through Christ the Son
To apply salvation’s merit:
God the Spirit Three in One.
4 I believe the church of Jesus,
universal e’er remains;
We are one through all the ages
In communion of the saints.
I believe sins are forgiven,
that our bodies will be raised
To eternal life in glory,
ever let his name be praised.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this annual conference/diocese/synod …
bless .... our bishop, and ... our pastor, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [Canada Charles our King and all in authority]
[USA our President, .... .... and all in authority].
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
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 Andy Weeks and Matt Clarks’ “Alpha and Omega.”
Verse 1
You are the Alpha and the Omega,
beginning and the end;
Lord God Almighty, King of the ages,
worthy of all praise.
Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Verse 2
You came from heaven, suffered to save us,
the sinless lamb of God;
now you are risen, you are exalted
and crowned the Lord of lords.
Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Verse 3
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Final Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Lord of heav’n and earth.
THE SENDING OUT OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Almighty God,
we thank you for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light to our paths,
and strength to our lives.
Take and use us
to love and serve all people
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord,
And in your great mercy defend us
From all perils and dangers of this night;
For the love of your only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
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 the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
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.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the New Testament: Colossians 4:2-18
Continue to pray seriously. Stay awake, like people who watch carefully. And remember to thank God. Also pray for us. Ask God to make it possible for us to tell people his message. We want people to understand the message about Christ that was a secret before. I am now in a prison because I taught people those things. Pray that I will be able to tell people this message clearly. That is what I should do.
When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things. When you speak to people, always speak kind words. Say things that will help them. Then, when someone asks you a question, you will know how to reply.
Our Christian friend, Tychicus, will tell you all the news about me. He works hard to serve the Lord. Like me, he is the Lord's servant. I want him to tell you what is happening to us, so that you will feel stronger. That is the reason why I am sending him to you. Onesimus will travel with him. As you know, he is one of your own people. He is a good Christian friend who serves Christ well. Onesimus and Tychicus will tell you everything that is happening here.
Aristarchus is also here with me in the prison. He says ‘hello’ to you. Barnabas's cousin, Mark also says ‘hello’ to you. I have already told you about him. So, if he comes to you, be kind to him. Jesus, who is also called Justus, says ‘hello’ to you, too. These three men are the only Jewish believers who are serving God with me. We work together to bring people into the kingdom of God. These men have helped me to be strong.
Epaphras says ‘hello’ to you. He is also one of your people, and he is Jesus Christ's servant. He always prays very strongly for you. He prays that you will continue to grow as believers. He prays that you will completely understand everything that God wants you to do. I can tell you this about Epaphras: He has worked very hard for you, and also for the people at Laodicea and at Hierapolis.
Our good friend Luke, the doctor, says ‘hello’ to you. Demas also says ‘hello’. Say ‘hello’ for me to all the believers at Laodicea. Also say ‘hello’ to Nympha and to the group of believers that meet in her house.
After someone has read this letter to all of you, send it to the believers at Laodicea. Tell them to read it aloud to the church there. You must also read my letter that the believers at Laodicea will send to you.
Say to Archippus, ‘As you serve the Lord, be careful to finish the work that he gave you to do.’
I, Paul, am writing these words at the end of this letter with my own hand. Remember to pray for me while I am in prison. I pray that God will continue to be very kind to you.
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
How Christians Live and What They Say Matters
In this evening’s reading, the closing passages of Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, the apostle offers guidance to the believers at Colossae on how they should conduct themselves when they are around non-believers. He advises them--
“When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things. When you speak to people, always speak kind words. Say things that will help them. Then, when someone asks you a question, you will know how to reply.”
It is advice that many internet users who identify themselves as Christians would do well to heed rather than trolling non-believers and believers who do not share their views on social media. They seem to forget that as believers, they are Jesus’ ambassadors, his representatives. “Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to deliberately upset others.” You can learn more about trolling at https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/trolling. They do not take advantage of every opportunity to do good to others and they are not kind or helpful in what they write. Rather they appear intent on starting arguments or causing trouble.
John Wesley echoes the apostle Paul in his first two of the three general rules that he drew up for the early Methodist Societies. Th first general rule is to do no harm and to avoid all kinds of evil. The second general rule is to do good to others whenever the opportunity came up.
What we say and how we act are an important part of our witness to Jesus. We demonstrate that Jesus is a profound influence our lives and show to the world that we are indeed Jesus’ disciples. Through our words and our actions we can leave non-believers with a positive impression not only of ourselves but also of the Christian faith and way of life. We also increase the likelihood that they will be open to accepting a invitation to church or having a spiritual conversation with us.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Daniel Justice Snoke’s metrical version of the Apostles Creed, “I Believe in God the Father.”
1 I believe in God the Father,
maker of all heav’n and earth.
And in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
God’s own Son of matchless worth;
By the Spirit was conceived,
of the virgin, Mary born,
He in whom I have believed,
God almighty, three in one.
2 Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
crucified for me he died.
Laid within the grave so silent,
gates of hell he opened wide;
For the stone-sealed tomb was empty;
on the third day he arose;
Into heaven made his entry,
mighty conquer’r of his foes.
3 At God’s right hand he is seated,
till his coming as he said;
Final judgment will be meted
to the living and the dead;
I confess the Holy Spirit,
who was sent through Christ the Son
To apply salvation’s merit:
God the Spirit Three in One.
4 I believe the church of Jesus,
universal e’er remains;
We are one through all the ages
In communion of the saints.
I believe sins are forgiven,
that our bodies will be raised
To eternal life in glory,
ever let his name be praised.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this annual conference/diocese/synod …
bless .... our bishop, and ... our pastor, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [Canada Charles our King and all in authority]
[USA our President, .... .... and all in authority].
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
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 Andy Weeks and Matt Clarks’ “Alpha and Omega.”
Verse 1
You are the Alpha and the Omega,
beginning and the end;
Lord God Almighty, King of the ages,
worthy of all praise.
Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Verse 2
You came from heaven, suffered to save us,
the sinless lamb of God;
now you are risen, you are exalted
and crowned the Lord of lords.
Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Verse 3
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be to our God forever.
Heaven rejoices and angels bow down:
praise to our God forever.
Final Chorus
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, Faithful and True, you are holy,
there is no-one like you,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Jesus, worthy of honour and glory,
King of love and mercy,
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Lord of heav’n and earth.
Lord of heav’n and earth.
THE SENDING OUT OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Almighty God,
we thank you for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light to our paths,
and strength to our lives.
Take and use us
to love and serve all people
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord,
And in your great mercy defend us
From all perils and dangers of this night;
For the love of your only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
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 the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
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.
Comments
Post a Comment