Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 18, 2025)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter, the season, and the Fourth Sunday after Easter, the day. This Sunday’s service is Festal Morning Prayer, using the order for Daily Morning Prayer, Rite Two, from The Book of Common Prayer (1979). When the office is celebrated as the principal service on a Sunday or feast day, it is done differently from the way it might done on an ordinary weekday.

An instrumental prelude may be played before the service, followed by a period of silence. (Unlike previous American Prayer Books, the rubrics of the 1979 Prayer Book make no provision for a hymn before or after the service or before or after the sermon and none was intended.) The invitatory psalm and the canticles after the lessons are sung. Metrical versions of these songs may be used. On special occasions a hymn may be sung in place of a canticle. The variable psalm or psalms are recited or sung. Metrical versions of the psalms may also be used.

The rubrics of the office permit the singing of texts like the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Metrical versions of these texts may be used as well as non-metrical ones.

A hymn or anthem may be sung after the collects, and an offering received and presented at this point in the service.

While a sermon or homily may be preached after this hymn or anthem or after the service, the most appropriate place to preach a sermon or homily is immediately after the last reading.

One of the distinctive features of the Daily Office in the American Prayer Books is that the lesser doxology, Gloria Patri, is said or sung after the variable psalms. This is also the practice in the Daily Office of the Eastern Orthodox Church. When Percy Dearmer, English Anglican priest, liturgical scholar, and hymn composer made a lecture tour in the United States in 1919, he discovered that in the then Protestant Episcopal Church it was a longstanding practice to sing this doxology even when the variable psalms were recited, using both non-metrical and metrical versions of the doxology. In The Art of Public Worship (1920), which contains the lectures that he gave on this tour, he recommends this practice. It enables a congregation to end the psalmody on a note of praise, reminiscent of the laudate psalms which were at one time a fixed element of Lauds, an ancient form of Daily Morning Prayer, and from which Lauds derived its name.

In this Sunday’s message we unpack the new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples on the night of his arrest after Judas had left to betray him.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link to hear Claude Goudimel’s arrangement of GENEVAN PALM 67 for strings and woodwinds

Silence

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

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

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

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

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

Open this link to hear James Quinn’s “Sing All Creation” (Psalm 100).

1 Sing, all creation, sing to God in gladness!
Joyously serve him, singing hymns of homage!
Chanting his praises, come before his presence!
Praise the Almighty!

2 Know that our God is Lord of all the ages!
He is our maker; we are all his creatures,
people he fashioned, sheep he leads to pasture!
Praise the Almighty!

3 Enter his temple, ringing out his praises!
Sing in thanksgiving as you come before him!
Blessing his bounty, glorify his greatness!
Praise the Almighty!

[Instrumental interlude]

4 Great in his goodness is the Lord we worship;
steadfast his kindness, love that knows no ending!
Faithful his word is, changeless, everlasting!
Praise the Almighty!

Open this link in a new tab to hear Raymond Smith’s arrangement of Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Praise the Lord of Heaven (Psalm 148).”

1 Praise the Lord of heaven,
praise him in the height;
praise him, all his angels,
praise him, hosts of light.
Sun and moon together,
shining stars aflame,
planets in their courses,
magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!

2 Earth and ocean praise him;
mountains, hills and trees;
fire and hail and tempest,
wind and storm and seas.
Praise him, fields and forests,
birds on flashing wings,
praise him, beasts and cattle,
all created things.
O magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!

3 Now by prince and people
let his praise be told;
praise him, men and maidens,
praise him, young and old.
He, the Lord of glory!
We his praise proclaim!
High above all heavens
magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!
O magnify his Name!

Open this link in a new tab to hear Randy Ferris’ arrangement of the Gloria Patri.

Glory to the Father!
Glory to the Son!
Glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Lord!
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever,
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever.
Amen!

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Acts 11:1-18

The apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s word. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!”

Step-by-step, Peter explained what had happened. “I was in the city of Joppa praying when I had a visionary experience. In my vision, I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came all the way down to me. As I stared at it, wondering what it was, I saw four-legged animals—including wild beasts—as well as reptiles and wild birds. I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ I responded, ‘Absolutely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ The voice from heaven spoke a second time, ‘Never consider unclean what God has made pure.’ This happened three times, then everything was pulled back into heaven. At that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. The Spirit told me to go with them even though they were Gentiles. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered that man’s house. He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. He will tell you how you and your entire household can be saved.’ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as the Spirit fell on us in the beginning. I remembered the Lord’s words: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then who am I? Could I stand in God’s way?”

Once the apostles and other believers heard this, they calmed down. They praised God and concluded, “So then God has enabled Gentiles to change their hearts and lives so that they might have new life.”

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw, Jr.’s “Blessed Be the God of Israel (Benedictus Dominus Deus).”

1 Blessed be the God of Israel
who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us:
a Branch from David's tree.
So have the prophets long declared
that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies
and all who wish us harm.

2 With promised mercy will God still
the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham,
from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear
and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness
to serve God all our days.

3 My child, as prophet of the Lord,
you will prepare the way,
to tell God's people they are saved
from sin's eternal sway.
Then shall God's mercy from on high
shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death
and lead us into peace.

A reading from the Revelation to John.
Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “God of Gods, We Sound His Praises (Te Deum laudamus).”

1 God of gods, we sound his praises,
highest heaven its homage brings;
earth and all creation raises
glory to the King of kings.
Holy, holy, holy name him,
Lord of all his hosts proclaim him;
to the everlasting Father
every tongue in triumph sings.

2 Christians in their hearts enthrone him,
tell his praises wide abroad;
prophets, priests, apostles own him
martyrs' crown and saints' reward.
Three-in-One his glory sharing,
earth and heaven his praise declaring,
praise the high majestic Father,
praise the everlasting Lord!

3 Hail the Christ, the King of glory,
he whose praise the angels cry;
born to share our human story,
love and labour, grieve and die:
by his cross his work completed,
sinners ransomed, death defeated;
in the glory of the Father
Christ ascended reigns on high.

4 Lord, we look for your returning;
teach us so to walk your ways,
hearts and minds your will discerning,
lives alight with joy and praise:
in your love and care enfold us,
by your constancy uphold us;
may your mercy, Lord and Father,
keep us now and all our days.

A reading from the Gospel according to John.
John 13:31-35

When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One[a] has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. Little children, I’m with you for a little while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’

“I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

A New Commandment

Loving one another. Piece of cake, right? We have had plenty of practice loving other like Jesus taught us, loving our neighbors just like we love ourselves, loving our enemies and doing good to them, treating people as we would want them to treat us, forgiving people’s faults and mistakes and not holding their mistakes and faults against them. We are good to go, right?

If only that was true….!! There is a good chance, human nature being what it is, that we have made at best a half-hearted attempt to do any of these things. There is also a good chance that we thought up some reason not to do them. “Jesus could not have meant for us to love those folks. They do not look like us! They do not live like we do! They do not talk like us! They act weird! Spooky!!”

Human beings are very adept at thinking up excuses not to do the right thing. We then convince ourselves that not doing the right thing is the right thing to do!!

It is a lot easier to prepare a meal for strangers or distribute food to strangers than it is to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is nothing wrong with doing these things. We are doing a kind deed, and we can feel good about what we are doing. However, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ is far more difficult than showing kindness to a stranger.

We spend more time with our brothers and sisters in Christ than we do the strangers who receive our generosity. We see them on Sundays and at other times and we interact with them more often than we do strangers. The kind of relationship that we experience with them is different psychologically and emotionally from the kind of relationship that we experience with a stranger.

We do things like transferring the thoughts and feelings we are having about one person onto someone else. We may wrongly imagine that someone else is feeling a particular emotion or desire when in fact it is ourselves who feel this way. We may feel a dislike for someone without them having done anything to trigger our dislike. We may relate to them as we did to someone in our past because we associate them with that person without realizing it.

This sort of thing happens when people have regular contact with each other. It is a part of the human experience.

John in his gospel from which is taken today’s reading, John 13: 31-35, tell us that Jesus knew the human heart. John Is not talking about the organ in our chest, which sends blood around our body. He is referring to a person’s character or to the place within a person from where feelings or emotions are considered to come. He is also referring to our innermost self, the self which others usually do not see and which we may even hide from ourselves.

I believe that we can safely assume from what John says, Jesus had more than a passing knowledge of these psychological and emotional transactions between people. It is clear from Jesus’ discourses in John’s gospel that Jesus recognized what was motivating particular individuals and knew what were their real intentions.

When Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment to love one another, he did so with full knowledge of the human heart. He commanded us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ despite the psychological and emotional baggage that we are carrying with us. Whatever we may feel toward a fellow Jesus follower, we are to set our hearts on loving them.

Loving one another is not a feeling or an emotion, which we summon. Rather it is an act of the will. We determine to love our brothers and sisters in Christ whoever they are. We do so out of a desire to obey Jesus and in obeying him show our love for him.

When Jesus told the disciples to love one another, he did not say, “Hey, guys, I’ve got a great suggestion. If you love each other really good, people will know you are my followers.” He gave them a commandment, an order. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel he tells them that those who love him obey his commandments. They keep his words. Their obedience is a measure of their love for him.

We may struggle with loving a particular brother or sister in Christ. For one reason or another we may not find them particularly loveable. They may have triggered negative feelings in us with their words or actions, and we have not fully processed these feelings. While we may need time to work through them to the point that we can let go of them, Jesus would nonetheless have us treat such a brother or sister with grace, kindness, and respect.

This includes interacting with them as we would our other brothers and sisters in Christ and not intentionally avoiding them or refusing to give them any attention. Our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are connected to each other. Behaving toward someone in a pleasant, kind, and respectful manner may help us to process our negative feelings toward them and lead to forgiveness and reconciliation. Loving our fellow Jesus followers is an act of will, an attitude, and a belief, which are expressed in our behavior toward each other.

We do not love our brothers and sisters in Christ solely in our own strength. We have the help of the Holy Spirit, the means of grace, and our fellow Jesus followers. Using this help may be difficult for the more self-reliant of us but one of the lessons that we learn in loving each other is to depend on the help which God gives us, to be open to the grace that God supplies us.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Sylvia Dustan’s metrical paraphrase of the Apostles’ Creed.

1 I believe in God almighty, Author of all things that be,
Maker of the earth and heavens, Keeper of the sky and sea.
I believe in God’s Son, Jesus, now for us both Lord and Christ,
of the Spirit and of Mary born to bring abundant life.

2 I believe that Jesus suffered, scourged and scorned and crucified;
taken from the cross, was buried—true Life there had truly died.
I believe that on the third day Christ was raised up from the grave,
then ascended to God’s right hand. He will come to judge and save.

3 I believe in God’s own Spirit, bonding all the saints within
one church, catholic and holy, where forgiveness frees from sin;
in the body’s resurrection, for the breaking of death’s chain
gives the life that’s everlasting. This the faith that I have claimed.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Carey Landry’s “This Is My Commandment.”

1 This is my commandment,
that you love one another,
as I have loved you,
as I have loved you,
as I have loved you.
This is my commandment,
that you love one another,
as I have loved you.

2 Love your enemies,
do good to those who hurt you
and live I my love
live I my love,
live I my love.
This is my commandment,
that you love one another,
as I have loved you.

3 I have told you this so
that my joy may be in you
and your joy may be full,
that your joy may be full,
that your joy may be full.
This is my commandment,
that you love one another,
as I have loved you.

God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.

[Especially we pray for…]

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

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

[Especially we pray for…]

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances. Relieve them according to their needs.
Give them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions.

[Especially we pray for…]

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

Holy and everliving God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service,
and live each day in love to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
 
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely
more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from
generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus
for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21