Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, March 9, 2025)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday’s service follows the order of service for A Service of the Word (SW 1) from the Anglican Church of Canada’s Eucharistic Prayers, Services of the Word, and Night Prayer Supplementary to The Book of Alternative Services. It conforms closely to the shape of the liturgy of the word in the Eucharist. It is designed for simplicity and minimal preparation. While it is intended for use on Sundays, it may also be used at any weekly gathering of the community of faith. It is particularly suitable for a small congregation meeting in someone’s home or some other non-traditional worship setting.

When two or more people are present, the parts of the service in brackets [ ] are used. Different people may be assigned different parts to read. Prayers and other parts of the service printed in bold are said or sung by all, depending upon the nature of the part.

All music comes from the Anglican Church of Canada’s hymnal, Common Praise (1998), or its supplement, Sing A New Creation (2022).

The topic of this Sunday’s message is temptation.

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Silence

[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all
And also with you.]

[Let us pray.]

We thank you, O God, that you have again brought
us together on the Lord’s Day to praise you for your
goodness and to ask your blessing. Give us grace to
see your hand in the week that is past, and your
purpose in the week to come; through Christ our
Lord.
Amen.

[Dear friends in Christ,
as we turn our hearts and minds
to worship almighty God,
let us confess our sins.]

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 neighbours 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.

Merciful God,
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,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

[The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Those present may greet one another in the name of the Lord.]

Open this link in a new tab to hear John L. Bell’s Kyrie Eleison (Bridget).

Kyrie,
Christe, Christe,
Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie,
Christe, Christe,
Kyrie eleison.

[Let us pray.]

Almighty God,
whose Son fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are but did not sin,
give us grace to discipline ourselves
in submission to your Spirit,
that as you know our weakness,
so we may know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives 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 Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 26:1-11

“After you have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have settled there, each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship. Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘I now acknowledge to the Lord my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us.’

“The priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the Lord's presence you will recite these words: ‘My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation. The Egyptians treated us harshly and forced us to work as slaves. Then we cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and misery. By his great power and strength he rescued us from Egypt. He worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen. He brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land. So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’

“Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there. Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.

[The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.]

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Joncas’ “On Eagle’s Wings” (Psalm 91).

1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, "My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

2 The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear
Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

3 You need not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand

4 For to His angels He's given a command
To guard you in all of your ways
Upon their hands they will bear you up
Lest you dash your foot against a stone

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand
And hold you, hold you in the palm of His hand

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Romans 10:8-13

What it says is this: “God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart”—that is, the message of faith that we preach. If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. The scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”

[The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.]

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear “I Will Arise and Go to Jesus.”

1 Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus;
he will embrace me with his arms;
in the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

2 Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
true belief and true repentance,
every grace that brings you nigh.

I will arise and go to Jesus;
he will embrace me with his arms;
in the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

3 Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him.

I will arise and go to Jesus;
he will embrace me with his arms;
in the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

4 Come ye weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall;
if you tarry till you’re better,
you will never come at all.

I will arise and go to Jesus;
he will embrace me with his arms;
in the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

[The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.]
Luke 4:1-13
[Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]

Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.

The Devil said to him, “If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread.”

But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone.’”

Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. “I will give you all this power and all this wealth,” the Devil told him. “It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me.”

Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, “If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, ‘God will order his angels to take good care of you.’ It also says, ‘They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.’”

But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.

[The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]

Temptation

We learn from this Sunday’s Gospel reading that Jesus, like ourselves, experienced temptation. He was tempted by the Devil after he was led by Holy Spirit into the wilderness and had fasted for forty days. Unlike us, however, as we too often do, Jesus did not surrender to temptation. He resisted the Devil who was tempting him. The Devil would leave him, but it was not the end to his tempting of Jesus.

What is temptation? The Cambridge Dictionary defines temptation as “the desire to have or do something, especially. something wrong, or something that causes this desire….” In this Sunday’s Gospel reading the Devil tries to tempt Jesus into succumbing to his hunger and to transform stones into bread. He then tries to tempt Jesus into worshiping him. He finally tries to tempt Jesus into putting God to the test by throwing himself from the pinnacle of the Temple at Jerusalem. Luke tells us that the Devil tempted Jesus in other ways but does not describe how the Devil went on to tempt Jesus.

Christians have historically recognized three different principal sources of temptation for disciples of Jesus, in the words of the classical Anglican Book of Common Prayer, “the devil, the world, and the flesh.”

“The devil” refers not just to Satan, the “Accuser,” as the Devil, is called in the Bible but also the spiritual forces of wickedness that are his servants. They are spiritual beings who joined in Satan’s rebellion against God and are variously described as demons or evil spirits in the Bible. Satan is not omnipresent, and he does not give his personal attention to everyone. However, his servants carry out his designs, seeking to turn people away from God and to inflict misery and suffering upon them.

Like the Devil did Jesus, the spiritual forces of wickedness seek to exploit our weakesses. They encourage us to worship other things beside God, not to trust God's faithfuness, and to put God's to the test. , 

In a broad sense, the spiritual forces of wickedness can be said to include those human beings who do great evil in the world and whose attitudes, ways of thinking, words, and actions align them with Satan. What Jesus said about false prophets, about recognizing them by their fruits, applies to these evil doers. They do harm to others in a multitude of ways. They not only do evil themselves but also they encourage others to do evil.

“The world” refers to things in this life which influence us and which we value but which oppose God’s will, things like “wealth, fame, power, and the pursuit of pleasure.”

“The flesh” refers to our natural inclination to evil. Even those who have been “born again” are not entirely free from this inclination. It wars in us against the Holy Spirit and encourages us to gratify our desires, even those desires that we know are wrong.

While God may at times test us, God does not tempt us. The apostle James draws this truth to our attention.

"Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:12-15

It is our own evil desires that tempt us, that try to make us do what we know is wrong.

God does not leave us to struggle with temptation alone. God provides us with his help in the form of grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and the means of grace, the various ways God gives fresh strength and vigor to our faith, such as prayer; reading, studying and meditating upon Scripture; Holy Communion; and spiritual conversations with other Christians. The One through whom we pray and in whose name we pray, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, know what we are going through, and intercedes for us at the Father’s side.

One thing that we can do this Lent, a new habit that we can acquire, is to pray for God’s help not only for ourselves in our struggles with temptation but also for our fellow Christians. To our surprise we may discover that in praying for them God may show us how we can overcome the temptations in our own lives and enable us to do so. Regardless of the outcome for ourselves praying for others is one of the ways that we can show our love for our fellow Christians and for others who need our prayers and be a instrument of God’s grace to them.

Silence

[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.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
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

In peace we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbours,
and for all those who are alone.

For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and needy.

For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For N. our bishop, and for all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in the Church.

For our own needs and those of others.

Silence.

Those present may add their own petitions.

Hear us, Lord.
For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Silence.

Those present may add their own thanksgivings.

We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.

We pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Silence.

Those present may add their own petitions.

Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.

Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Herman Stuempfle, Jr.’s “Jesus, Tempted in the Desert.”

1 Jesus, tempted in the desert,
lonely, hungry, filled with dread:
‘Use your power,’ the tempter tells him;
‘turn these barren rocks to bread!’
‘Not alone by bread,’ he answers,
‘can the human heart be filled.
Only by the Word that calls us
is our deepest hunger stilled!’

2 Jesus, tempted, at the temple,
high above its ancient wall:
‘Throw yourself from lofty turret;
angels wait to break you fall!’
Jesus shuns such empty marvels,
feats that fickle crowds request:
‘God, whose grace protects, preserves us,
we must never vainly test.

3 Jesus, tempted on the mountain
by the lure of vast domain:
‘Fall before me! Be my servant!
Glory, fame, you're sure to gain!’
Jesus sees the dazzling vision,
turns his eyes another way:
‘God alone deserves our homage!
God alone will I obey!’

4 When we face temptation's power,
lonely, struggling, filled with dread,
Christ, who knew the tempter's hour,
come and be our living bread.
By your grace, protect, preserve us
lest we fall, your trust betray.
Yours, above all other voices,
be the Word we hear, obey.

[If a collection is taken, it is presented with these words and placed in a suitable place.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness,
the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.]

[And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say,]

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 SENDING OUT OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Glory to God
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.

May the God of hope
fill us with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.