Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, December 29, 2024)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday is the First Sunday after Christmas, the last Sunday of the old civil year. Next Sunday will be the Second Sunday after Christmas. It will also be Twelfth Night and will bring the Christmas Season to a close. Monday, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany.

In this Sunday’s message we take a look at what the apostle Paul taught was the most important part of a Christian’s new life.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Roger Jones’ arrangement of LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS for piano and strings.

Silence

Behold, the dwelling of God is with mankind. He will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will
be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in
eternal life. Amen.

Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Joncas’ metrical setting of the Invitatory Psalm: Psalm 95.

1 O come and sing to God, the Lord,
To him our voices raise;
Let us in our most joyful songs,
The Lord, our Savior praise.

2 Before his presence let us come
With praise and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to him with joy,
With grateful hearts rejoice.

3 He is a great and mighty king,
Above all gods his throne;
The depths of earth are in his hand,
The mountains are his own.

4 To him the spacious sea belongs,
He made its waves and tides;
And by his hand the rising land
Was formed and still abides.

5 O come, and bowing down to him
Our worship let us bring;
Yes, let us kneel before the Lord,
Our Maker and our King.

Open this link in a new tab to play Jane Terwilliger’s responsorial setting of Psalm 148.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;
You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and all maidens,
old men and boys.
Praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted his horn above the people.

Let all praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.

Open this link in a new tab to play the audio file of the piano accompaniment to James Quinn S.J.’s metrical paraphrase of Psalm 150, “Bless’d Be the Lord Our God.”

1 Bless’d be the Lord our God!
With joy let heaven ring;
Before His presence let all earth
Its songs of homage bring!

2 His mighty deeds be told;
His majesty be praised;
To God, enthroned in heav’nly light,
Let every voice be raised!

3 All that has life and breath,
Give thanks with heartfelt songs!
To Him let all creation sing
To Whom all praise belongs!

4 Acclaim the Father’s love,
Who gave us God, His Son;
Praise too the Spirit, giv’n by both,
With both for ever one!

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the First Book of the Prophet Samuel
1 Samuel 2: 18-21

Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, ‘May the Lord repay* you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord’; and then they would return to their home.

And the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blest Be the Lord, the God of Israel.”

1 Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
who raises up a mighty Saviour from the earth,
of David's line, a son of royal birth.

2 The prophets tell a story just begun
of vanquished foe and glorious vict'ry won,
of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God's faithful love and mercy will abide.

3 This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
all shall be free to dwell upon the land,
free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor's rod,
holy and righteous in the sight of God.

4 And you, my child, this day you shall be called
the promised one, the prophet of our God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
and shepherd all into the light of day.

5 The tender love God promised from our birth
is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
to shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.

6 All glory be to God, Creator blest,
to Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
and to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
all glory be, both now and ever more.

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
Colossians 3: 12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Idle’s metrical paraphrase of Te Deum laudamus, “God, We Praise You! God, We Bless You!”

1 God, we praise you! God, we bless you!
God, we name you sovereign Lord!
Mighty King whom angels worship,
Father, by your church adored:
all creation shows your glory,
heaven and earth draw near your throne
singing 'Holy, holy, holy,
Lord of hosts, and God alone!'

2 True apostles, faithful prophets,
saints who set their world ablaze,
martyrs, once unknown, unheeded,
join one growing song of praise,
while your church on earth confesses
one majestic Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God, our hope eternally.

3 Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
everlasting Son of God,
humble was your virgin mother,
hard the lonely path you trod:
by your cross is sin defeated,
hell confronted face to face,
heaven opened to believers,
sinners justified by grace.

4 Christ, at God's right hand victorious,
you will judge the world you made;
Lord, in mercy help your servants
for whose freedom you have paid:
raise us up from dust to glory,
guard us from all sin today;
King enthroned above all praises,
save your people, God, we pray.

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke
Luke 2: 41-52

Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents* saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

The Most Important Part of a Christian’s New Life

In this Sunday’s first New Testament reading, taken from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, the apostle gives a set of instructions to the members of the church at Corinth about how they should live their new life as Christians, as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) puts it this way.

“Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful.

“Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.”

If you are not familiar with The Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy-to-Read_Version And here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Easy-to-Read-Version-ERV.html

Note the emphasis that Paul places upon loving one another, echoing Jesus’ commandment.

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you.” John 13:34

This reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians brings to mind what the apostle wrote to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 13, how he instructed the members of that church to let love be their guide.

“I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

“Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.”

What Paul is talking about in these passages and Jesus in his commandment to love one another is not a feeling. They are talking about a attitude, a way of thinking, and words and actions to which this attitude and this way of thinking gives rise. It is this attitude and this way of thinking and the words and actions rising from them that Jesus taught were to set his followers apart from the rest of the world.

As Christians we may want to ask ourselves on this last Sunday of the old civil year how well we are doing in this regard? How might we do better? How well are we loving not just our fellow Christians but also our neighbors, the stranger in our midst, and our enemies?

Take time this Sunday and in the coming weeks to reread and reflect upon the Scripture passages in this Sunday’s message and humbly ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you need to change in your life, what you need to stop doing, what you need to do better and then humbly ask God to grant you grace to accomplish these changes.

Silence

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,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he 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

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Let us 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.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of
the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this
day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week
to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Bernadette Farrell's "Love Goes On."

1 Love is patient, love is kind,
never ending, never ending;
slow to anger, rich in mercy,
love goes on beyond all time.

2 Love is faithful, love is true,
ever joyful and forgiving;
love endures when life is over,
love is old and love is new.

3 Love alone has shaped our soul,
and our hearts are always restless
until love becomes our purpose,
new creation to unfold.

4 Love our journey, love our goal.
Though our faith may move mountains,
love alone can heal the broken;
only love will make us whole.

5 Love, our Savior’s one command:
“Love the way
that I have loved you,”
with a towel and a basin,
washing feet with servant hands.

6 There are three gifts that remain
when all other things have perished.
Only faith, hope, love enduring,
and the greatest gift is love.

[Let us pray for all people.]

God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, 

your saving power among all nations.

[Especially we pray for…]

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, 

in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.

[Especially we pray for…]

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.


We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed 

in mind, body, or circumstances. Relieve them according to their needs. 

Give them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions.

[Especially we pray for…]

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Draw your Church together, O Lord, into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving him in his mission to the world, and together witnessing to his love on every continent and island. We ask this in his name and for his sake. Amen.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious to us. Amen.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace. Amen.