Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, April 6, 2025)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. In some Anglican and Lutheran churches, it is called Passion Sunday and marks the beginning of a two-week period known as Passiontide. In the north of England and parts of Scotland, it is a tradition to eat carlin peas, a type of dried pea, on this day. In these parts of the British Isles the Fifth Sunday in Lent is known as Carlin or Care Sunday. Carlin peas are cooked and eaten like mushy peas, dried marrowfat peas, soaked overnight, simmered until they are soft, mashed, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and malt vinegar.
In this Sunday’s message we examine Jesus’ attitude toward the poor and how he expects his disciples to treat them.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link to hear Andrew Unsworth’s “Prelude on an English Folk Song (O WALY WALY).”
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.]
Most merciful God,
by the death and resurrection
of your Son Jesus Christ,
you created humanity anew.
May the power of his victorious cross
transform those who turn in faith
to him 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 Isaiah.
Isaiah 43.16–21
Long ago the Lord made a road through the sea,
a path through the swirling waters.
He led a mighty army to destruction,
an army of chariots and horses.
Down they fell, never to rise,
snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!
But the Lord says,
“Do not cling to events of the past
or dwell on what happened long ago.
Watch for the new thing I am going to do.
It is happening already—you can see it now!
I will make a road through the wilderness
and give you streams of water there.
Even the wild animals will honor me;
jackals and ostriches will praise me
when I make rivers flow in the desert
to give water to my chosen people.
They are the people I made for myself,
and they will sing my praises!”
[The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Songs in His Presence’s responsorial setting of Psalm 126, “The Lord Has Done Great Things for Us.”
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter
and our tongue
our tongue
with rejoicing
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
Then they said among the nations,
the Lord has done great things for them.
The Lord has done great things for us:
we are glad indeed
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
Restore our fortunes O Lord,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
in tears
shall reap
shall reap rejoicing
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
Although they go forth weeping,
weeping
carrying the seed to be sown.
They shall come back rejoicing,
rejoicing
carrying their sheaves
The Lord has done great things for us
great things for us
we are filled with joy
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 3.4b–14
I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
[The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Bernadette Farrell’s “Praise to You, O Christ, Our Saviour.”
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
1 You are the Word who calls us out of darkness;
You are the Word who leads us into light;
You are the Word who brings us through the desert:
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
4 You are the Word who binds us and unites us;
You are the Word who calls us to be one;
You are the Word who teaches us forgiveness:
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
[The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John.]
John 12.1–8
[Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot—the one who was going to betray him—said, “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.”
[The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]
It is not uncommon to hear or read Jesus’ words, “you will always have the poor people with you…,” in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 12: 1-8) interpreted in a way that is misleading. They are misinterpreted to give people the wrong idea about what Jesus taught concerning the poor.
What Jesus is telling Judas Iscariot and the others is that they will have plenty of opportunities to help the poor. He, on the other hand, would not be always around.
Jesus is making a pretty straightforward statement. He is not suggesting anything more than what he says. He was not going to be physically always with his disciples. They can help the poor when he is gone.
Jesus is not suggesting that we should make no effort to reduce or eliminate poverty because there will always be poor people. Many of the conditions that cause poverty are remediable. We can do something about these conditions.
If we truly believed what Jesus taught about loving others and doing good to them, we would not be looking for excuses not to do anything.
I worked as a social worker for more than a quarter of a century in the poorer districts of New Orleans and the smaller surrounding communities and I am well-acquainted with the obstacles to a better life, which the urban poor face. I am also familiar with the challenges that the rural poor face.
There is nothing wrong with giving poor people a leg-up when we can.
Taking an attitude of indifference to the plight of the poor or exhibiting hostility to poor people does not square with what Jesus taught or practiced.
Jesus himself knew poverty. For their purification offering Jesus’ parents offered a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, the kind of offering which only poor people made (Luke 2:24). When someone told Jesus that they would follow him wherever he went, Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians reminds us, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor…” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Among the things that Jesus taught his disciples was that they should be unstintingly generous toward others. In his own attitude and the attitude that he instructed his disciples to adopt, Jesus mirrors God’s attitude toward the poor as revealed in numerous passages in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. It is very clear from these passages in the Bible and from Jesus’ own teaching, we have a God-given responsibility to care for those in need.
The apostle James makes an important point in his letter: a living faith manifests itself in acts of compassion, kindness, and generosity.
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well'—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?"
"So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2: 14-17)
As well as supporting our own church’s efforts to alleviate poverty in our community, we also should support with our tax dollars local, state, and federal government programs to help those who lack the resources for reasonably comfortable living. This includes supporting programs which have proven their effectiveness such as Head Start, WICK, and SNAP (food stamps). It also includes supporting programs that train the unemployed, equip them with works skills that they may lack such getting along with supervisors and coworkers, and place them in jobs; reduce teenage and adult illiteracy; provide affordable housing; subsidize childcare, energy bills, and rent; offer medical assistance and affordable health insurance, and expand public transportation.
Local churches by themselves cannot address the needs of the poor in their communities. They can do much to help the poor, but they cannot carry the entire burden of helping those in need.
While the economies of some communities are thriving, the economies of other communities are moribund. Not everyone may be in a situation where they have access to employment by which they can support themselves and their families, in which they are employable, and in which they have all the supports in place, which they need to work.
Among the factors that affect the rural poor, for example, is few employment opportunities where they live, no grocery stores and supermarkets, hospitals or medical clinics near to where they live, and no means of transportation to communities where employment opportunities and these resources are available. They are not only living in what is described as a food desert but also an employment and medical care desert. They may have no access to the internet, which is becoming increasingly indispensable nowadays and may live in a cellular phone “dead zone.”
We may not entirely be able to eliminate poverty, but we can certainly take steps to reduce it. What is interesting is that in the Old Testament God promises the people of Israel that there will be no poor among them if they obey the commands God gives them (Deuteronomy 15: 4-5). Jesus in today’s reading is not contradicting what God says in this passage in the Book of Deuteronomy. He is acknowledging Israel’s failure to do what God commanded and thereby to secure this blessing.
If we think about, if more people genuinely accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord and lived their lives according to his teachings and example, showing the kind of generosity toward each other, which Jesus taught his disciples to show to all people, there might be far less poverty in this country than there is and there might even be no poor among us.
Loving others goes well beyond just taking care of our own. It means showing all people grace and kindness, showing them the same kind of unearned, unmerited goodwill and favor that God shows us and treating them with the same gentleness, caring, and helpfulness that God treats us. It is a high standard to attain and keep but God gives us the will and the power to do so, enabling us to imitate him as beloved children.
Something that we should always bear in mind is that when we minister to the poor, we are not just ministering to other human beings like ourselves. We are ministering to Jesus (Matthew 25: 31-46). The compassion and mercy that we show them, we are showing to Jesus. Whenever we help someone in need, directly or indirectly, we are helping Jesus.
We do not show that we love Jesus by gathering in large crowds and listening to celebratory preachers and praise bands. We show that we love him by doing what he taught us to do and by following his example. We are mindful of the words of the apostle John, “…if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see…” (1 John 4: 20). Loving those that we can see and caring for them as we would care for those close to us, we demonstrate our love for God whom we cannot see.
Even a small congregation can do that. It may not have a lot in terms of money and material resources, but it does have its members. They are the most important resource of all.
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 Shirley Erena Murray’s “Through All the World.”
1 Through all the world, a hungry Christ
must scavenge for his daily bread,
must beg the rich for crumb and crust --
we are the rich, the daily fed.
2 Beyond the Church, a leper Christ
takes the untouchable by hand,
gives hope to those who have no trust,
whose stigma is our social brand.
3 In torture cell, a prisoner Christ
for justice and for truth must cry
to free the innocent oppressed
while we at liberty pass by.
4 We do not know you, beggar Christ,
we do not recognize your sores,
we do not see, for we are blind:
forgive us, touch us, make us yours.
[If a collection is taken, it is presented with these words and placed I 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 SEENDING 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.
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
1 You are the Word who calls us out of darkness;
You are the Word who leads us into light;
You are the Word who brings us through the desert:
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
4 You are the Word who binds us and unites us;
You are the Word who calls us to be one;
You are the Word who teaches us forgiveness:
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
[The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John.]
John 12.1–8
[Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot—the one who was going to betray him—said, “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.”
[The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.]
The Most Important Resource of All
It is not uncommon to hear or read Jesus’ words, “you will always have the poor people with you…,” in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 12: 1-8) interpreted in a way that is misleading. They are misinterpreted to give people the wrong idea about what Jesus taught concerning the poor.
What Jesus is telling Judas Iscariot and the others is that they will have plenty of opportunities to help the poor. He, on the other hand, would not be always around.
Jesus is making a pretty straightforward statement. He is not suggesting anything more than what he says. He was not going to be physically always with his disciples. They can help the poor when he is gone.
Jesus is not suggesting that we should make no effort to reduce or eliminate poverty because there will always be poor people. Many of the conditions that cause poverty are remediable. We can do something about these conditions.
If we truly believed what Jesus taught about loving others and doing good to them, we would not be looking for excuses not to do anything.
I worked as a social worker for more than a quarter of a century in the poorer districts of New Orleans and the smaller surrounding communities and I am well-acquainted with the obstacles to a better life, which the urban poor face. I am also familiar with the challenges that the rural poor face.
There is nothing wrong with giving poor people a leg-up when we can.
Taking an attitude of indifference to the plight of the poor or exhibiting hostility to poor people does not square with what Jesus taught or practiced.
Jesus himself knew poverty. For their purification offering Jesus’ parents offered a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, the kind of offering which only poor people made (Luke 2:24). When someone told Jesus that they would follow him wherever he went, Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians reminds us, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor…” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Among the things that Jesus taught his disciples was that they should be unstintingly generous toward others. In his own attitude and the attitude that he instructed his disciples to adopt, Jesus mirrors God’s attitude toward the poor as revealed in numerous passages in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. It is very clear from these passages in the Bible and from Jesus’ own teaching, we have a God-given responsibility to care for those in need.
The apostle James makes an important point in his letter: a living faith manifests itself in acts of compassion, kindness, and generosity.
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well'—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?"
"So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2: 14-17)
As well as supporting our own church’s efforts to alleviate poverty in our community, we also should support with our tax dollars local, state, and federal government programs to help those who lack the resources for reasonably comfortable living. This includes supporting programs which have proven their effectiveness such as Head Start, WICK, and SNAP (food stamps). It also includes supporting programs that train the unemployed, equip them with works skills that they may lack such getting along with supervisors and coworkers, and place them in jobs; reduce teenage and adult illiteracy; provide affordable housing; subsidize childcare, energy bills, and rent; offer medical assistance and affordable health insurance, and expand public transportation.
Local churches by themselves cannot address the needs of the poor in their communities. They can do much to help the poor, but they cannot carry the entire burden of helping those in need.
While the economies of some communities are thriving, the economies of other communities are moribund. Not everyone may be in a situation where they have access to employment by which they can support themselves and their families, in which they are employable, and in which they have all the supports in place, which they need to work.
Among the factors that affect the rural poor, for example, is few employment opportunities where they live, no grocery stores and supermarkets, hospitals or medical clinics near to where they live, and no means of transportation to communities where employment opportunities and these resources are available. They are not only living in what is described as a food desert but also an employment and medical care desert. They may have no access to the internet, which is becoming increasingly indispensable nowadays and may live in a cellular phone “dead zone.”
We may not entirely be able to eliminate poverty, but we can certainly take steps to reduce it. What is interesting is that in the Old Testament God promises the people of Israel that there will be no poor among them if they obey the commands God gives them (Deuteronomy 15: 4-5). Jesus in today’s reading is not contradicting what God says in this passage in the Book of Deuteronomy. He is acknowledging Israel’s failure to do what God commanded and thereby to secure this blessing.
If we think about, if more people genuinely accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord and lived their lives according to his teachings and example, showing the kind of generosity toward each other, which Jesus taught his disciples to show to all people, there might be far less poverty in this country than there is and there might even be no poor among us.
Loving others goes well beyond just taking care of our own. It means showing all people grace and kindness, showing them the same kind of unearned, unmerited goodwill and favor that God shows us and treating them with the same gentleness, caring, and helpfulness that God treats us. It is a high standard to attain and keep but God gives us the will and the power to do so, enabling us to imitate him as beloved children.
Something that we should always bear in mind is that when we minister to the poor, we are not just ministering to other human beings like ourselves. We are ministering to Jesus (Matthew 25: 31-46). The compassion and mercy that we show them, we are showing to Jesus. Whenever we help someone in need, directly or indirectly, we are helping Jesus.
We do not show that we love Jesus by gathering in large crowds and listening to celebratory preachers and praise bands. We show that we love him by doing what he taught us to do and by following his example. We are mindful of the words of the apostle John, “…if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see…” (1 John 4: 20). Loving those that we can see and caring for them as we would care for those close to us, we demonstrate our love for God whom we cannot see.
Even a small congregation can do that. It may not have a lot in terms of money and material resources, but it does have its members. They are the most important resource of all.
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 Shirley Erena Murray’s “Through All the World.”
1 Through all the world, a hungry Christ
must scavenge for his daily bread,
must beg the rich for crumb and crust --
we are the rich, the daily fed.
2 Beyond the Church, a leper Christ
takes the untouchable by hand,
gives hope to those who have no trust,
whose stigma is our social brand.
3 In torture cell, a prisoner Christ
for justice and for truth must cry
to free the innocent oppressed
while we at liberty pass by.
4 We do not know you, beggar Christ,
we do not recognize your sores,
we do not see, for we are blind:
forgive us, touch us, make us yours.
[If a collection is taken, it is presented with these words and placed I 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 SEENDING 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.
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