Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, February 16, 2025)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows
The Bible is filled with imagery taken from nature. In a number of places in the Bible this imagery is used to describe our relationship with God. In this Sunday’s message we consider one such image.GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Stephen Wake’s arrangement of THE WATER IS WIDE (O WALY WALY) for harp and violin.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Liv Chapman and Philip Percival’s arrangement of Walter C. Smith’s “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”
Verse 1
Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise
Verse 2
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love
Verse 3
To all life thou givest, to both great and small
Creator, sustainer, the true life of all
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish; but naught changeth thee
Verse 4
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight
And so in thy mercy, Almighty, impart
Through Christ our redeemer, thy grace to our hearts
Coda
And so in thy mercy, Almighty, impart
Through Christ our redeemer, thy grace to our hearts
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.
Jesus said, "The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel:
The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment
greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear “Lord, Have Mercy” (Kyrie) from Marty Haugen’s Mass of Creation.
Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
God of all creation, earth and sea and sky,
God of all eternity: hear us, hear us.
Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy,
(Kyrie, eleison, Christe, eleison,
Lord, have mercy.
Kyrie, eleison, Kyrie, Christe.)
[Instrumental interlude]
Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy,
(Kyrie, eleison, Christe, eleison,
Lord, have mercy.
Kyrie, eleison, Kyrie, Christe.)
God of our salvation, God of grace and peace,
God of wisdom and of love: hear us, hear us.
Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy,
(Kyrie, eleison, Christe, eleison,
Lord, have mercy.
Kyrie, eleison, Kyrie, Christe.)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Silence
O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness
we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your
grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please
you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 17:5-10
The Lord says,
“I will condemn those
who turn away from me
and put their trust in human beings,
in the strength of mortals.
He is like a bush in the desert,
which grows in the dry wasteland,
on salty ground where nothing else grows.
Nothing good ever happens to him.
“But I will bless the person
who puts his trust in me.
He is like a tree growing near a stream
and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes,
because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain;
it keeps on bearing fruit.
“Who can understand the human heart?
There is nothing else so deceitful;
it is too sick to be healed.
I, the Lord, search the minds
and test the hearts of people.
I treat each of them according to the way they live,
according to what they do.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’ “Like a Tree” (from Psalm 1).
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 1:
Blessed, blessed are we to abide in God’s Word,
Nourished through every season; blessed are we.
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 2:
Planted, planted by grace, we are rooted in God’s design
Freely, freely abiding, planted by grace
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 3:
Trusting, trusting our lives to the holy way of God,
We will, we will surrender, trusting our lives.
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Coda:
Connected to the source of life.
A reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.
But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
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 of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Luke 6: 17-26
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon; they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.
Jesus looked at his disciples and said,
“Happy are you poor;
the Kingdom of God is yours!
“Happy are you who are hungry now;
you will be filled!
“Happy are you who weep now;
you will laugh!
“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.
“But how terrible for you who are rich now;
you have had your easy life!
“How terrible for you who are full now;
you will go hungry!
“How terrible for you who laugh now;
you will mourn and weep!
“How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Silence
Essential to being a disciple of Jesus is trusting in Jesus and in what he taught and did as revealed to us in the Gospels. This includes trusting in his rising from the dead as Paul wrote the church at Corinth in this Sunday’s epistle reading. Trusting in Jesus is trusting in God.
As we learn from this Sunday’s Old Testament reading, God will bless the person who trusts in God. Those who trust in God are like trees growing by a stream. They flourish in the driest of seasons. We further learn that God searches people’s minds and tests their hearts, that God treats each of us according to the way we live, according to what we do.
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading Jesus offers his disciples a number of assurances. The assurance which is the most important for us in our troubled times is this one:
“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.”
What Jesus is telling his disciples is that they will be rewarded for their faithfulness to him. They may suffer persecution because they choose to live their lives according to his teaching and example but in doing so, they are being faithful to him. It was this knowledge that sustained the early Christians in the face of persecution from the religious authorities of Judaea and from the civil authorities of the Roman Empire.
A time will come--and for a number of Christians may have already arrived --when their faithfulness to Jesus will be put to the test. This is why it is important that every Christian have a clear understanding of who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and what he taught and represented.
We live in an age where there are many false ideas masquerading as “Christianity,” but are at odds with Jesus’ message and teaching. For example, Jesus did not promise his disciples wealth and material possessions. Rather he told them to amass treasures in heaven. In other words, do what was pleasing to God. Nor did he promise them political power. Jesus told is disciples that the greatest among them would not lord it over others like the rulers of the Gentiles but would be the servant of all. He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, a beast of burden of the poor.
When we trust in Jesus as revealed in the Gospels, we will flourish like trees growing by a stream, even in the most difficult times. As Richard Bruxvoort Colligan puts it in his adaptation of Psalm 1, we will “be connected to the source of life.” It is a connection which nothing can break, cemented by God’s great love for us, shown us in Jesus..
Silence
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may
be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal
your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the
ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant
that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he
loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and
bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will
for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in
the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we
pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our
sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Katie Wilkison’s “ May the Mind of Christ My Saviour.”
1 May the mind of Christ my Saviour
live in me from day to day,
by his love and power controlling
all I do and say.
2 May the word of God enrich me
with his truth, from hour to hour;
so that all may see I triumph
only through his power.
3 May the peace of God my Father
in my life for ever reign,
that I may be calm to comfort
those in grief and pain.
4 May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea,
him exalting, self abasing
this is victory!
5 May his beauty rest upon me
as I seek to make him known;
so that all may look to Jesus,
seeing him alone.
6 May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
[Let us pray in the words our Savior Christ has taught us.]
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.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us. Amen.
or
The peace of the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
All greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness
we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your
grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please
you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 17:5-10
The Lord says,
“I will condemn those
who turn away from me
and put their trust in human beings,
in the strength of mortals.
He is like a bush in the desert,
which grows in the dry wasteland,
on salty ground where nothing else grows.
Nothing good ever happens to him.
“But I will bless the person
who puts his trust in me.
He is like a tree growing near a stream
and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes,
because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain;
it keeps on bearing fruit.
“Who can understand the human heart?
There is nothing else so deceitful;
it is too sick to be healed.
I, the Lord, search the minds
and test the hearts of people.
I treat each of them according to the way they live,
according to what they do.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’ “Like a Tree” (from Psalm 1).
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 1:
Blessed, blessed are we to abide in God’s Word,
Nourished through every season; blessed are we.
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 2:
Planted, planted by grace, we are rooted in God’s design
Freely, freely abiding, planted by grace
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Verse 3:
Trusting, trusting our lives to the holy way of God,
We will, we will surrender, trusting our lives.
Refrain:
Like a tree by the flowing water,
growing deeper, stretching high
Like a tree by the flowing water,
connected to the source of life
Coda:
Connected to the source of life.
A reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.
But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
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 of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Luke 6: 17-26
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon; they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.
Jesus looked at his disciples and said,
“Happy are you poor;
the Kingdom of God is yours!
“Happy are you who are hungry now;
you will be filled!
“Happy are you who weep now;
you will laugh!
“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.
“But how terrible for you who are rich now;
you have had your easy life!
“How terrible for you who are full now;
you will go hungry!
“How terrible for you who laugh now;
you will mourn and weep!
“How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Silence
Trees Growing by a Stream
Essential to being a disciple of Jesus is trusting in Jesus and in what he taught and did as revealed to us in the Gospels. This includes trusting in his rising from the dead as Paul wrote the church at Corinth in this Sunday’s epistle reading. Trusting in Jesus is trusting in God.
As we learn from this Sunday’s Old Testament reading, God will bless the person who trusts in God. Those who trust in God are like trees growing by a stream. They flourish in the driest of seasons. We further learn that God searches people’s minds and tests their hearts, that God treats each of us according to the way we live, according to what we do.
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading Jesus offers his disciples a number of assurances. The assurance which is the most important for us in our troubled times is this one:
“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.”
What Jesus is telling his disciples is that they will be rewarded for their faithfulness to him. They may suffer persecution because they choose to live their lives according to his teaching and example but in doing so, they are being faithful to him. It was this knowledge that sustained the early Christians in the face of persecution from the religious authorities of Judaea and from the civil authorities of the Roman Empire.
A time will come--and for a number of Christians may have already arrived --when their faithfulness to Jesus will be put to the test. This is why it is important that every Christian have a clear understanding of who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and what he taught and represented.
We live in an age where there are many false ideas masquerading as “Christianity,” but are at odds with Jesus’ message and teaching. For example, Jesus did not promise his disciples wealth and material possessions. Rather he told them to amass treasures in heaven. In other words, do what was pleasing to God. Nor did he promise them political power. Jesus told is disciples that the greatest among them would not lord it over others like the rulers of the Gentiles but would be the servant of all. He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, a beast of burden of the poor.
When we trust in Jesus as revealed in the Gospels, we will flourish like trees growing by a stream, even in the most difficult times. As Richard Bruxvoort Colligan puts it in his adaptation of Psalm 1, we will “be connected to the source of life.” It is a connection which nothing can break, cemented by God’s great love for us, shown us in Jesus..
Silence
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may
be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal
your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the
ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant
that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he
loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and
bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will
for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in
the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we
pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our
sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Open this link in a new tab to hear Katie Wilkison’s “ May the Mind of Christ My Saviour.”
1 May the mind of Christ my Saviour
live in me from day to day,
by his love and power controlling
all I do and say.
2 May the word of God enrich me
with his truth, from hour to hour;
so that all may see I triumph
only through his power.
3 May the peace of God my Father
in my life for ever reign,
that I may be calm to comfort
those in grief and pain.
4 May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea,
him exalting, self abasing
this is victory!
5 May his beauty rest upon me
as I seek to make him known;
so that all may look to Jesus,
seeing him alone.
6 May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
[Let us pray in the words our Savior Christ has taught us.]
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.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us. Amen.
or
The peace of the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
All greet one another in the name of the Lord.
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