Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (May 15, 2025)
The Phos hilaron is one of the oldest Christian hymns and forms the opening hymn in the service of Evening Prayer or its equivalent in a number of denominations. Its singing is often accompanied by the lighting of candles or oil lamps, harkening back to one of the earliest practices of the Christian Church.
In this evening’s message we take a look at what the apostle Paul has to say in his Letter to the Ephesians about praising God with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Fernado Ortega’s arrangement of KINGSFOLD for piano and woodwinds.
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
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.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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 Carl P. Daw Jr.’s paraphrase of the Phos hilaron, “O Light Whose Splendor Thrills and Gladden
1 O Light whose splendor thrills and gladdens
with radiance brighter than the sun,
pure gleam of God's unending glory,
Jesus, blest Anointed One;
2 As twilight hovers near at sunset,
and lamps are lit, and children nod,
in evening hymns we lift our voices
to Father, Spirit, Son: one God.
3 In all life's brilliant, timeless moments,
let faithful voices sing your praise,
O Son of God, our Life-bestower,
whose glory lightens endless days.
Open this link to hear Marty Hauge’s responsorial setting of Psalm 118
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures for ever;
Let the house of Israel say: “His mercy endures for ever.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The hand of the LORD has struck with power, his right hand is exalted,
I shall not die, but live anew, declaring the works of the LORD.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
the LORD of love and mercy has brought wonder to our eyes.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Silence
Saving God,
open the gates of righteousness,
that your pilgrim people may enter
and be built into a living temple
on the cornerstone of our salvation,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from Paul’ Letter to the Ephesians
Ephesians 5:15-20
So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times. Because of this, don’t be ignorant, but understand the Lord’s will. Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence.
Paul on the Worship of God with Song
In this evening’s reading the apostle Paul is not saying that it is wrong to drink an occasional glass of wine with a meal. But he is warning the members of the church at Ephesus against drinking to the point of intoxication where they lose all their inhibitions and do things against their better judgment.
Rather than get drunk on wine (or any other alcoholic beverage) Paul urges the members of the church at Ephesus to “speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….” Paul offers similar encouragement in Colossians 3:16.
By “speak,” Paul means to vocalize the words of the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, sing them aloud so that fellow church members can hear them, join in singing them, and benefit from hearing and singing a particular psalm, hymn, or spiritual song. The thought behind the vocalization of these different kinds of songs is similar to that behind praying in words that everyone will understand, which is what he urged the members of the church at Corinth to do (1 Corinthians 14: 14-19). Those hearing the song would not only be edified but they could also make the song their own.
By “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” Paul is referring to three different kinds of songs.
By “psalms” he means the songs found in the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament.
By “hymns” Paul is referring to what may be described as “a song that gives praise, honor, or thanksgiving to God.” Songs in this category included hymns found outside the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha, what Roman Catholics call the Deuterocanonical books of the Bible, but which Protestants do not consider as divinely inspired. Anglicans and Lutherans, however, do read the books of the Apocrypha for “the examples they provide of heroic lives and faithful conduct.” They do not use these books to establish any doctrine.
Anglican and Lutheran churches do use hymns from the Apocrypha like the Benedictus es, Domine, A Song of Praise, and Benedicite Omnia Opera, A Song of Creation, in their church services. So do a number of other Protestant denominations.
Anglicans and Lutherans call hymns whose words are taken from the Bible and used in church services “canticles.”
Songs in the hymn category include extrabiblical compositions. The term “extrabiblical” means “outside the Bible” or “beyond the Bible.” While these songs may use words, phrases, and images from the Bible and echo the teaching of the Bible, they are considered extrabiblical because their text is not contained within the biblical canon. Gloria in excelsis, Glory to God, which contains language from the Bible is one such hymn.
A third type of song is what Paul refers to as “spiritual songs.” The Got Questions website offers this description of what constitutes a spiritual song.
“The term spiritual songs is more general. Believers are to express their faith in song—but not just any song; Scripture indicates the songs of believers must be ‘spiritual.’ That is, the songs of the church deal with spiritual themes. They might not directly praise God, but they will teach a doctrine, encourage the body, or prompt others toward love and good works. A spiritual song might express the joy of one’s salvation, revel in the grace of Christ, or exalt the greatness and power of God—in short, a spiritual song can communicate a wide variety of sacred themes.”
Praise choruses and worship songs fall into this category. It must be noted however, a number of songs that are sometimes classified as praise choruses and worship songs may also be categorized as hymns or hymns in the making. Hymns have not always been formal in structure or written to a specific poetical meter.
In urging the Ephesians to “…sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts…” Paul appears to be using a parallelism, saying the same thing two different ways. Parallelisms are common in the Bible and are used to emphasize something. Essentially what Paul is saying is to sing praises from your heart, from your inner self. Don’t just mouth the words. As John Wesley put it,
“Sing spiritually – have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.”
Here are some things that you can do to benefit from the songs used on Thursday Evenings at All Hallows and those used on Sundays at All Hallows even when no one else is present.
By “hymns” Paul is referring to what may be described as “a song that gives praise, honor, or thanksgiving to God.” Songs in this category included hymns found outside the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha, what Roman Catholics call the Deuterocanonical books of the Bible, but which Protestants do not consider as divinely inspired. Anglicans and Lutherans, however, do read the books of the Apocrypha for “the examples they provide of heroic lives and faithful conduct.” They do not use these books to establish any doctrine.
Anglican and Lutheran churches do use hymns from the Apocrypha like the Benedictus es, Domine, A Song of Praise, and Benedicite Omnia Opera, A Song of Creation, in their church services. So do a number of other Protestant denominations.
Anglicans and Lutherans call hymns whose words are taken from the Bible and used in church services “canticles.”
Songs in the hymn category include extrabiblical compositions. The term “extrabiblical” means “outside the Bible” or “beyond the Bible.” While these songs may use words, phrases, and images from the Bible and echo the teaching of the Bible, they are considered extrabiblical because their text is not contained within the biblical canon. Gloria in excelsis, Glory to God, which contains language from the Bible is one such hymn.
A third type of song is what Paul refers to as “spiritual songs.” The Got Questions website offers this description of what constitutes a spiritual song.
“The term spiritual songs is more general. Believers are to express their faith in song—but not just any song; Scripture indicates the songs of believers must be ‘spiritual.’ That is, the songs of the church deal with spiritual themes. They might not directly praise God, but they will teach a doctrine, encourage the body, or prompt others toward love and good works. A spiritual song might express the joy of one’s salvation, revel in the grace of Christ, or exalt the greatness and power of God—in short, a spiritual song can communicate a wide variety of sacred themes.”
Praise choruses and worship songs fall into this category. It must be noted however, a number of songs that are sometimes classified as praise choruses and worship songs may also be categorized as hymns or hymns in the making. Hymns have not always been formal in structure or written to a specific poetical meter.
In urging the Ephesians to “…sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts…” Paul appears to be using a parallelism, saying the same thing two different ways. Parallelisms are common in the Bible and are used to emphasize something. Essentially what Paul is saying is to sing praises from your heart, from your inner self. Don’t just mouth the words. As John Wesley put it,
“Sing spiritually – have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.”
Here are some things that you can do to benefit from the songs used on Thursday Evenings at All Hallows and those used on Sundays at All Hallows even when no one else is present.
If you know the song and the tune, sing along with the video. If you don’t know the tune, hum along with the video while reading the lyrics. This will help you to learn the tune. After the service play back the unfamiliar songs and as you listen to the song. This will help you to learn the lyrics and to put them together with the tune. Then practice the song for a few times, singing along with the video until you are comfortable singing the song.
Words that are meant to be sung are printed in bold. In some cases, it will be just a chorus or refrain or a single verse. Words that are meant just to be listened to are printed in regular or plain print. The text is provided in case you have difficulty hearing or understanding the words.
If you catch yourself humming a tune or singing a snatch of a song, stick with it. It shows that you are assimilating the tune or song as your own. It can also serve as a springboard to spontaneous praise.
When we sing, our brains produce the happy hormone, oxytocin, which not only elevates our mood but also strengthens our bonds with others. This is one of the reasons that singing with others can be a positive experience. Even when we are singing by ourselves, it can have the same effect. Maybe you have heard someone humming or singing and your reaction was, “They must be in a good mood.” In all likelihood you were not wrong.
If you are a part of a small group that meets to worship God, using the videos and other resources posted on this website, take some time before or after each service to learn and master the songs. Add your voices to the generations of Christians who testified to their faith in joyful praise to God.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul.”
1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Savior shall my heart rejoice
2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age to same;
His holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One
3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high
4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore!
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
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
If you catch yourself humming a tune or singing a snatch of a song, stick with it. It shows that you are assimilating the tune or song as your own. It can also serve as a springboard to spontaneous praise.
When we sing, our brains produce the happy hormone, oxytocin, which not only elevates our mood but also strengthens our bonds with others. This is one of the reasons that singing with others can be a positive experience. Even when we are singing by ourselves, it can have the same effect. Maybe you have heard someone humming or singing and your reaction was, “They must be in a good mood.” In all likelihood you were not wrong.
If you are a part of a small group that meets to worship God, using the videos and other resources posted on this website, take some time before or after each service to learn and master the songs. Add your voices to the generations of Christians who testified to their faith in joyful praise to God.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul.”
1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Savior shall my heart rejoice
2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age to same;
His holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One
3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high
4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore!
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
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
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people;
Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who
calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with
you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love
of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Open this link to hear Shirley Erena Murray’s “As the Wind Song Through the Trees.”
1 As the wind song through the trees,
as the stirring of the breeze,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the heart made strangely warm,
as the voice within the storm,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
Never seen, ever known
where this wind has blown
bringing life, bringing power to the world,
as the dancing tongues of fire,
as the soul's most deep desire,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
2 As the rainbow after rain,
as the hope that's born again,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the green in the spring,
as a kite on a string,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
making worlds that are new,
making peace come true,
bringing gifts, bringing love to the world,
as the rising of the yeast,
as the wine at the feast,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
[Let us pray for all people.]
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.
Gracious God,
you have given us much today;
grant us also a thankful spirit.
Into your hands we commend ourselves
and those we love.
Be with us still, and when we take our rest
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
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
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
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people;
Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who
calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with
you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love
of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Open this link to hear Shirley Erena Murray’s “As the Wind Song Through the Trees.”
1 As the wind song through the trees,
as the stirring of the breeze,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the heart made strangely warm,
as the voice within the storm,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
Never seen, ever known
where this wind has blown
bringing life, bringing power to the world,
as the dancing tongues of fire,
as the soul's most deep desire,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
2 As the rainbow after rain,
as the hope that's born again,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
as the green in the spring,
as a kite on a string,
so it is with the Spirit of God,
making worlds that are new,
making peace come true,
bringing gifts, bringing love to the world,
as the rising of the yeast,
as the wine at the feast,
so it is with the Spirit of God.
[Let us pray for all people.]
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.
Gracious God,
you have given us much today;
grant us also a thankful spirit.
Into your hands we commend ourselves
and those we love.
Be with us still, and when we take our rest
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
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
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