Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 22, 2025)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
This evening’s reading is taken from the Gospel according to Luke. In addition to a Gospel, Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which tells the story of the early Church. Luke’s Gospel is sometimes called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit because of the role that the Holy Spirit plays in it. The Holy Spirit also plays a major role in the Acts of the Apostles.
This evening’s message examines that passage to make its meaning clearer and considers how it applies to followers of Jesus and those who are not yet his followers.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Claude Goudimel’s composition, GENEVAN PALM 4.
Silence.
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 Gladdens.
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 in a new tab to hear Karen Young Wimberly’s paraphrase of Psalm 104, “Praise the Lord, All the Earth.”
1 You, O Lord, are clothed in glory
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You have spread the heavens above me
Praise the Lord, all the earth
2 Wings of wind and cloud of chariot
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Flashes of lightning, servants of majesty
Praise the Lord, all the earth
3 You have set the earth’s foundations
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Rushing waters hear your commanding
Praise the Lord, all the earth
4 You make springs flow into valleys
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Birds in their nests, singing your glory
Praise the Lord, all the earth
[Instrumental interlude]
5 Rain on the hills, earth filled with blessing
Praise the Lord, all the earth
Food for our strength, health and happiness
Praise the Lord, all the earth
6 All of these good things you have created
Praise the Lord, all the earth
You give us breath, new life to all
Praise the Lord, all the earth
7 Glory to God forever and ever
Praise the Lord, all the earth
I’ll sing to God, all of my living
Praise the Lord, all the earth
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!
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 5:27-39
Afterward, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed him. Then Levi threw a great banquet for Jesus in his home. A large number of tax collectors and others sat down to eat with them. The Pharisees and their legal experts grumbled against his disciples. They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.”
Some people said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and pray frequently. The disciples of the Pharisees do the same, but your disciples are always eating and drinking.”
Jesus replied, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? The days will come when the groom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.”
Then he told them a parable. “No one tears a patch from a new garment to patch an old garment. Otherwise, the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t match the old garment. Nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. If they did, the new wine would burst the wineskins, the wine would spill, and the wineskins would be ruined. Instead, new wine must be put into new wineskins. No one who drinks a well-aged wine wants new wine, but says, ‘The well-aged wine is better.’”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence.
Of Tax Collectors, Wine Skins, and Patches
During the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry Judaea was a part of the Roman province of Greater Syria and the Roman government taxed its people. The Roman’s method of tax collection that was used in Judaea is known as tax farming. The Roman government granted the right to collect taxes in a specific area or from a particular group to a private individual or group, known as publicani. The government received in return the amount of the tax that had been levied on that area or group.
Those to whom had been granted the right to collect taxes profited from this arrangement by collecting more than the amount of the tax imposed by the government. They were harsh and exploitive in their treatment of the population and had earned an unsavory reputation for themselves. The tax collectors would seize people’s livestock, goods, and even property if they did not have the money that they demanded from them. The tax collectors would also force people to work for them until they had paid off the money that a particular tax collector claimed that they owed him. As a consequence, they were treated as social outcasts as was anyone who associated with them, typically those on the fringes of Judaean society like themselves.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law regarded the tax collectors and others like them with contempt. In the opinion of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law they were beyond redemption. They were so bad that they were incapable of finding favor with God. There was no point in attempting to persuade them to give up their evil ways. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law took a similar dim view of Gentiles, non-Jews.
In the ancient Mid-East accepting someone’s hospitality and eating with them was considered a gesture of friendship and goodwill. The reaction of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law to Jesus’ eating with tax collectors and other sinners was one of disapproval and dismay. Jesus was attracting huge crowds with his teaching and miracles and these crowds were hailing him as a prophet. To the way of thinking of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law a prophet, a man sent by God, would recognize the tax collectors and those who associated with them for what they were—bad people—and would avoid them. Jesus’ response to their grumbling was to point out that it is sick people who need a doctor, not the healthy. He had not come to ask good people to change. He had come to ask sinners to change the way they live.
Luke does not identify the people who ask Jesus why his followers eat and drink all the time rather than often fast and pray like John’s followers and the followers of the Pharisees. Jesus responds by comparing himself to a bridegroom at a wedding and his followers to the friends of the bridegroom. There was no need for them to be sad and fast while he was with them. One day he would be taken away from them and then his friends would fast. Like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law had expectations of how Jesus should act, they had expectations of how Jesus' followers should act. Jesus goes on to tell them a parable.
If we find ourselves puzzling over the meaning of what Jesus is saying in a parable, we should not be surprised. Jesus often refers to things that were a part of everyday life in the ancient Mid-East but are no longer part of our lives today. Jesus also wants those to whom he is telling the parable to think long and hard about what he is saying. The more we give deep thought to a parable, the more likely we are to internalize it and the more it is likely to influence our thinking.
In first-century Judaea wine skins were made from two goat skins stitched together and then made watertight with tree resin. New wine skins were soft and pliable and were capable of expanding as the new wine fermented. On the other hand, old wine skins were no longer soft and pliable and were no longer capable of expanding. They would burst if they were filled with fermenting new wine. They were only good for storing old wine.
Old garments would have typically been washed and dried several times and would have shrunk from the repeated washing and drying. If the fabric had been dyed, the color would have faded or even changed. Cutting a patch from a new garment would damage the garment, leaving a hole in it. The color of the new garment might also not match that of the new garment.
The patch would shrink when the old garment was washed again, pulling loose the stitching that held the patch to the garment and even tearing the hole wider. For this reason, old garments were patched from old garments, often from a garment that might otherwise not be wearable or from any excess fabric of the old garment, from a place where a patch cut from the fabric would not be visible. It was not uncommon in those days to patch garments or invisibly mend them. The culture was not a consumer, throwaway culture like the culture in the United States has become (albeit that may change if we have a recession). Only the very wealthy could afford a large wardrobe. Most people wore the same clothes day after day.
Anyone who has developed a taste for a robust, well-matured wine will not enjoy a wine that is newly fermented. They will prefer the aged wine to the new.
What then are we to make of what Jesus is saying in this parable? What is the point that he is making? Since he told the parable as a part of his response to those who asked him why his followers were not praying and fasting, we must consider his response to their question in interpreting the parable’s meaning.
An insight from a brief essay titled “Of Ceremonies - Why some be abolished, and some retained,” written by Thomas Cramer, Archbishop of Canterbury, architect of the English Reformation, and martyr; and originally published in the 1549 Prayer Book, the first English Book of Common Prayer, may be helpful. In the essay Cranmer makes this observation, “…some think it a great matter of conscience to depart from a piece of the least of their Ceremonies, they be so addicted to their old customs...” What he is saying is that we can become so accustomed to doing things one particular way that if someone does them differently, we become alarmed, feel threatened or become concerned that something undesirable is going to happen. We are apt to respond negatively.
Jesus recognized this very human tendency. Introducing a different way of doing things in some circumstances can be like pouring new wine into an old wine skin or stitching onto a old garment a patch cut from a new garment. The outcome will not be a good one.
This is not to say that we should not adopt new ways of doing things. However, we should size-up the circumstances, examine them carefully and then decide what we are going to do and how we are going to go about it. For example, it is much easier to introduce new ways of doing things in a newly formed congregation made up of people who have no set ideas of how they should be done than it is in a newly formed congregation composed of people who do have such ideas or an existing congregation that is wed to a particular way of doing things. The new way of doing things may be a better way of doing them or the right way to do them. However, the congregation may be like someone who has acquired a taste for aged wine.
In the 1980s and 1990s I helped to plant and then pioneer a new Episcopal church. While we grew rapidly, we were for a number of years a storefront mission. On one occasion I chatted with an older woman who had been attending our services. She explained to me that while she found the congregation to be a warm and friendly group of people, she missed a number of things that were absent from our services—things like pews, kneelers, stained glass windows, polished brass, organ music, a vested choir, and flickering candles. This was the kind of ambience to which she was accustomed as a lifelong Episcopalian. It was not, however, the kind of ambience that could be replicated in a storefront. We had chosen to tailor how we worshipped to our circumstances. I suggested that she attend services at our mother church which offered the kind of ambience to which she was accustomed. She had acquired what was the equivalent of a taste for aged wine. What we had to offer was new wine.
I directed her to where she could find the things that helped her in her worship of God. We were not able to meet her expectations. What we did and how we did it was not what she and become accustomed to and therefore expected.
In this evening’s reading Jesus’ actions and the actions of his followers fall short of the expectations of those who question their actions. As Jesus points to the attention of those questioning the actions how he and his followers are acting is the right way to act under the circumstances. They are doing the right thing. While Jesus does not cite scripture in this passage, the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, backs up what he is saying. God’s call to repentance and God’s willingness to forgive is a recurrent theme throughout the Old Testament and lies at the heart of the message of the prophets.
In the parable Jesus describes two sets of circumstances in which combining the new with the old does not work. Both suffer harm. The old wine skins burst. The new wine spills. The new garment has a patch cut from it, creating a hole in the garment. With washing the patch comes loose and tears a larger hole in the old garment. Jesus’ point is that there are circumstances where combining the new with the old is not a good idea. (Jesus is not saying that we should never put the old and the new together, but we should consider what may happen if and when we do.) Jesus also observes that some people will always prefer the old to the new and that their preference is not necessarily a bad thing.
In this evening’s reading Jesus also sets an important example for his disciples and for ourselves. He went to those who needed him the most. He did not shun them like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. He called one of them, Levi, to be one of his closest disciples.
This evening’s reading also shows us how our expectations of others can have a negative influence upon us, resulting in our raising barriers between others and ourselves, barriers which keep us from sharing our faith with others or becoming followers of Jesus ourselves. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not see the tax collectors and others like them as the right kind of people with whom to associate, much less call to repentance. In the eyes of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law they were “bad to the bone” and were incapable of changing their evil ways. We may be tempted to see particular individuals and groups in the same way.
The people who questioned the conduct of Jesus’ followers had particular expectations of the followers of a religious leader like Jesus. They may have used the conduct of Jesus’ followers to rationalize their own hesitance to become one of his disciples, thinking to themselves that his followers did not behave as they ought to behave. We are quite capable of doing the same thing. We may have unrealistically high expectations of present-day followers of Jesus.
As we learned from this past Sunday’s reading from Luke’s Acts of the Apostles the apostles did at not first grasp the full extent of the mission which Jesus had entrusted to them. It took a vision from God to persuade Peter that their mission extended to the Gentiles, the non-Jews, as well as the Jews. It took Peter’s testimony to convince the church at Jerusalem that God’s grace extended to the Gentiles and salvation through faith in Jesus was for the Gentiles too. From Luke’s narrative this was not the only time that God intervened to show the early Church that the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his followers extended to all people, Jews, Samaritan, and Gentiles. In this evening’s reading Jesus gave his disciples a preview of who the mission that he would entrust to them would be to.
Among the implications of this evening’s reading is that while we are not to be “of the world,” adopting its ways, we are to be “in the world,” interacting with people of all ages from all walks of life. We are not to be like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who turned their backs on people who were not like themselves and wrote them off entirely. We are to share our faith with all people and to invite them to follow Jesus. We are to disciple those who accept that invitation and to maintain a friendly relationship with those who do not. We are also to keep an eye on our expectations and not to let them get in the way.
Jesus told his disciples that they are to be salt, light, and yeast. Salt will not give flavor to a dish unless you add it. A light will not drive away darkness unless it is allowed to shine in a dark place. Yeast will not raise dough unless it is mixed with flour, water, oil, and a little honey or sugar and the resulting dough is kneaded. Let us take that knowledge to heart and become the salt, light, and yeast that Jesus would have us be.
Silence.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul (Magnificat).”
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
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.
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 in a new tab to ear Marty Haugen’s “Healer of Our Every Ill.”
In this evening’s reading Jesus’ actions and the actions of his followers fall short of the expectations of those who question their actions. As Jesus points to the attention of those questioning the actions how he and his followers are acting is the right way to act under the circumstances. They are doing the right thing. While Jesus does not cite scripture in this passage, the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, backs up what he is saying. God’s call to repentance and God’s willingness to forgive is a recurrent theme throughout the Old Testament and lies at the heart of the message of the prophets.
In the parable Jesus describes two sets of circumstances in which combining the new with the old does not work. Both suffer harm. The old wine skins burst. The new wine spills. The new garment has a patch cut from it, creating a hole in the garment. With washing the patch comes loose and tears a larger hole in the old garment. Jesus’ point is that there are circumstances where combining the new with the old is not a good idea. (Jesus is not saying that we should never put the old and the new together, but we should consider what may happen if and when we do.) Jesus also observes that some people will always prefer the old to the new and that their preference is not necessarily a bad thing.
In this evening’s reading Jesus also sets an important example for his disciples and for ourselves. He went to those who needed him the most. He did not shun them like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. He called one of them, Levi, to be one of his closest disciples.
This evening’s reading also shows us how our expectations of others can have a negative influence upon us, resulting in our raising barriers between others and ourselves, barriers which keep us from sharing our faith with others or becoming followers of Jesus ourselves. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not see the tax collectors and others like them as the right kind of people with whom to associate, much less call to repentance. In the eyes of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law they were “bad to the bone” and were incapable of changing their evil ways. We may be tempted to see particular individuals and groups in the same way.
The people who questioned the conduct of Jesus’ followers had particular expectations of the followers of a religious leader like Jesus. They may have used the conduct of Jesus’ followers to rationalize their own hesitance to become one of his disciples, thinking to themselves that his followers did not behave as they ought to behave. We are quite capable of doing the same thing. We may have unrealistically high expectations of present-day followers of Jesus.
As we learned from this past Sunday’s reading from Luke’s Acts of the Apostles the apostles did at not first grasp the full extent of the mission which Jesus had entrusted to them. It took a vision from God to persuade Peter that their mission extended to the Gentiles, the non-Jews, as well as the Jews. It took Peter’s testimony to convince the church at Jerusalem that God’s grace extended to the Gentiles and salvation through faith in Jesus was for the Gentiles too. From Luke’s narrative this was not the only time that God intervened to show the early Church that the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his followers extended to all people, Jews, Samaritan, and Gentiles. In this evening’s reading Jesus gave his disciples a preview of who the mission that he would entrust to them would be to.
Among the implications of this evening’s reading is that while we are not to be “of the world,” adopting its ways, we are to be “in the world,” interacting with people of all ages from all walks of life. We are not to be like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who turned their backs on people who were not like themselves and wrote them off entirely. We are to share our faith with all people and to invite them to follow Jesus. We are to disciple those who accept that invitation and to maintain a friendly relationship with those who do not. We are also to keep an eye on our expectations and not to let them get in the way.
Jesus told his disciples that they are to be salt, light, and yeast. Salt will not give flavor to a dish unless you add it. A light will not drive away darkness unless it is allowed to shine in a dark place. Yeast will not raise dough unless it is mixed with flour, water, oil, and a little honey or sugar and the resulting dough is kneaded. Let us take that knowledge to heart and become the salt, light, and yeast that Jesus would have us be.
Silence.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul (Magnificat).”
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
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.
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 in a new tab to ear Marty Haugen’s “Healer of Our Every Ill.”
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
1 You who know our fears and sadness,
grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
2 In the pain and joy beholding
how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision, God of love.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
3 Give us strength to love each other,
ev’ry sister, ev’ry brother;
Spirit of all kindness, be our guide.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
4 You who know each thought and feeling,
teach us all your way of healing;
Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
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
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
1 You who know our fears and sadness,
grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
2 In the pain and joy beholding
how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision, God of love.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
3 Give us strength to love each other,
ev’ry sister, ev’ry brother;
Spirit of all kindness, be our guide.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
4 You who know each thought and feeling,
teach us all your way of healing;
Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
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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