Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, March 27, 2025)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

What sets a true disciple of Jesus apart from other people? In this evening’s message we take a look at what Jesus says in the Gospel of John about true discipleship.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Seaman’s arrangement of SLANE for hammered dulcimer, pennywhistle, and alto flute.

Silence

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found, call upon him when he draws near; let the wicked forsake their ways, and the evil ones their thoughts; and let them return to the Lord, and he will have compassion, and to our God, for he will richly pardon. Isaiah 55.6, 7

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbour.

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.

Almighty God have mercy upon us,
pardon and deliver us from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
Hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

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.

Open this link in a new tab to hear William George Storey’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine.”

1 O radiant light, O sun divine,
Of God the Father's deathless face,
O image of the light sublime
That fills the heav'nly dwelling place.

2 O Son of God, the source of life,
Praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteem'd and splendid name.

3 Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
As shine the lights of eventide,
We praise the Father with the Son,
The Spirit blest and with them one.

Open this link to hear It’s About the Word’s adaptation of Psalm 143, “Show Me the Way."

1 O Lord, hear my pray
Listen to my cry for mercy
In your faithfulness
Come to my relief
As your servant Lord
Save me from your judgement
For no one is righteous before you

Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way

2 I consider the past
And the ways you have shown your mercy
I'm amazed most of all
By what your hands have done
In your steadfast Love
You shelter me from evil
For I am here to serve you, Lord

Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way

Silence

Jesus, our companion,
when we are driven to despair,
help us, through the friends and strangers
we encounter on our path,
to know you as our refuge,
our way, our truth and our life.
Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Gospel according to John
John 8:31-47

So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“We are the descendants of Abraham,” they answered, “and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?”

Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever. If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching. I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you.”

They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”

“If you really were Abraham's children,” Jesus replied, “you would do the same things that he did. All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this! 41 You are doing what your father did.”

“God himself is the only Father we have,” they answered, “and we are his true children.”

Jesus said to them, “If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message. You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me. Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me? He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen.”

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Theodore Mueller’s translation of Hermann Bonnus’ metrical paraphrase of the Magnificat, “My Soul Give Glory to the Lord.”

1 My soul gives glory to the Lord,
In God my Savior I rejoice.
My lowliness he did regard.
`Exalting me by his own choice.

2 Now everyone shall call me blest,
For he has done great things for me,
Of all great names his is the best,
For it is holy; strong is he.

3 His mercy goes to all who fear,
From age to age and to all parts.
His arm of strength to all is near;
He scatters those who have proud hearts.

[Instrumental interlude]

4 He casts the mighty from their throne
And raises those of low degree;
He feeds the hungry as his own,
The rich depart in poverty.

5 He raised his servant Israel,
Rememb'ring his eternal grace,
As from of old he did foretell
To Abraham and all his race.

6 O Father, Son and Spirit blest,
In threefold Name are you adored,
To you be ev'ry prayer addressed,
From age to age the only Lord.
From age to age the only Lord.

The True Disciple

What distinguishes someone who is really a disciple of Jesus from someone who is not? In this evening’s reading from the Gospel of John Jesus gives two criteria for distinguishing those who are truly his disciples.

First, they obey Jesus’ teaching. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, Jesus says that those who love him will obey his commandments, that is, what he taught (John 14: 21). True disciples do more than call Jesus “Lord.” They obey him.

Second, God is clearly working in their lives. This is evident because they not only believe that what Jesus says comes from God but also they act on what he says. They live what he taught. They recognize the divine origin and authority of his teaching and live their lives according to it.

It is important to keep these two criteria in mind in a time when a number of individuals who, while they identify themselves as “Christians” and therefore presumably followers of Jesus, are dismissing Jesus’ teaching as “wrongheaded,” not suitable for the times in which we live. Instead of his teaching, they are espousing ideas which are at variance with what Jesus taught and are even antithetical to his teaching.

Jesus warned his disciples about false teachers who would lead his followers astray (Matthew 24:24) and we appear to be living in such a time. The internet and social media have made the spread of false teaching much easier.

We are also living in a time in which it also appears that a sizeable number of those who identify as Christians have been poorly discipled, based upon surveys conducted in recent years. They have not received adequate instruction in what is involved in being a disciple of Jesus. Someone who has been poorly discipled is easily misled.

Researchers, it must be noted, have only been surveying the Christian population of the United States since the twentieth century so what we are now observing may have a long history. It may not be new at all.

To truly follow Jesus, we need to immerse ourselves in his teaching as found in the Gospels and as repeated in the apostles’ writings. We need to make what he taught a part of our own character. To that end we need to cast aside our doubts and believe wholeheartedly that Jesus is whom he claimed to be, that God was in Jesus reconciling humanity to himself.

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
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.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Albert F. Bayly’s “What Does the Lord Require.”

1 What does the Lord require
for praise and offering?
What sacrifice, desire
or tribute did you bring?
Do justly,
love mercy,
walk humbly with your God.

2 Rulers of earth, give ear!
Should you not justice know?
Will God your pleading hear
while crime and cruelty grow?
Do justly,
love mercy,
walk humbly with your God.

3 Still down the ages ring
the prophet's stern commands:
to merchant, worker, king,
he brings God's high commands:
do justly,
love mercy,
walk humbly with your God.

4 How shall our life fulfill
God's law so hard and high?
Let Christ endue our will
with grace to fortify.
Then justly,
in mercy,
we'll humbly walk with God.

[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.]

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

(With confidence and trust let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”)

For the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those preparing for baptism and for their teachers and sponsors, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For peace in the world, that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For grace to amend our lives and to further the reign of God, we pray to you, Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Additional intercessions, petitions, and thanksgivings may be offered silently or aloud.

Father of mercy,
alone we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves.
When we are discouraged by our weakness,
strengthen us to follow Christ,
our pattern and our hope;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

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,
we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine
on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look upon us with favour
and grant us peace. Amen.