Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 26, 2025)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
It is officially summer in the northern hemisphere and the days are growing hotter and more humid in western Kentucky. Right now, it is hazy. The neighborhood cats have retreated into the nearest shade. Earlier thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.
In this evening’ message we will be looking at an intriguing passage from Luke’s Gospel.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear May Theresa Luna’ s arrangement of Marty Haugen’s WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS for solo guitar.
Silence
Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep
darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night;
who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon
the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name. Amos 5:8
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 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 Daniel Kallman’s choral arrangement of Jonathan Asprey’s paraphrase of Psalm 84, “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place.”
1 How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
2 Even the sparrow finds a home,
Where he can settle down.
And the swallow she can build a nest,
Where she may lay her young.
Within the court of the Lord of hosts,
My King, my Lord and my God.
And happy are those who are dwelling where
The song of praise is sung.
3 And I’d rather be a door-keeper
And only stay a day,
Than live the life of a sinner
And have to stay away.
For the Lord is shining as the sun,
And the Lord, he’s like a shield;
And no good thing does God withhold
From those who walk the way.
4 How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
My soul is longing and fainting,
The courts of the Lord to see.
My heart and flesh, they are singing,
For joy to the living God.
How lovely is thy dwelling-place,
O Lord of hosts, to me.
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 12:32-40
‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
‘But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he* would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence.
Where Is Your Heart?
When I was a boy, I won a sum of money for an entry I submitted to a painting contest sponsored by the Cobbers Club. I bought a book with a part of the prize money and put the rest in my post office savings account. The book was Collins 1950 reprint of Enid Blyton’s The Treasurer Hunters.
In her review of the book, Judith Heginbotham gives this brief summary:
“The Greyling's Treasure has been lost for many, many years. But Jeffrey, Susan and John Greyling find an old map of where the treasure is hidden, when they are staying with their grandparents. So they decide they must find the hidden treasure and keep it in the family, before their grandparents sell the family home to Mr. Potts, whom the children nickname – Mr. Pots of Money! But Mr. Potts is also interested in finding the Greyling's Treasure, and so it is a race against time of who will find the treasure first. Mr. Pots of Money or the children, who want to save their family home.”
You can read the entire book review at The Enid Blyton Society website at https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=307. At that time in my life reading books was one of my passions and Enid Blyton was one of my favorite authors.
A few years later I would read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and other books about pirates’ treasure, the plunder they had seized on the high seas from the sailing ships they attacked or on shore from the towns they raided, hidden in caves or buried in the ground, treasure which has not been discovered even to this day despite much fruitless searching.
In this evening’s reading Jesus, however, is no talking about that kind of treasure. He is talking about something that has far greater value than gold, silver, and priceless jewels.
Jesus recognized that what we considered to have the greatest value to us, that is where our hearts will be. By heart, he does not mean the organ that pumps blood around our bodies. Rather he is referring to the place within us where our desires and emotions are considered to originate.
When Jesus spoke the words in this evening’s reading, he just finished telling the Parable of the Rich Fool with its warning against putting too much store in an abundance of possessions and laying up treasure for ourselves and not being rich toward God (Luke 12:13-21) and urging his disciples not to be anxious about food and clothing but to seek God’s kingdom (Luke 12:22-31).
What does Jesus mean when he says, “Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” First, it must be recognized that Jesus is speaking figuratively. He is not talking about making a bag to carry money or other things. It is also clear from the second half of this evening’s reading that Jesus is not talking about accumulating merit for ourselves with God through our good works.
What Jesus said earlier about seeking God’s kingdom provides a clue. Jesus is talking about aligning our will with God’s. This entails trusting Jesus’ teaching and example as the revelation of God’s will for humanity and living our lives according to his teaching and example.
Doing God’s will is what we treasure the most and it is where our hearts are. Doing God’s will is loving God with the entirety of our being and loving our neighbor, that is all people, as ourselves. It means treating others as we ourselves would wish to be treated and loving even our enemies and doing good to them. It also means loving one another as Jesus loves us.
What it does not entail is spreading lies and half-truths and fomenting hatred and ill-will; lording it over everyone else and treating our will as if it was God’s will; stoking conflict between Israel and Iran and her other neighbors in an attempt to bring about Armageddon and hasten the Second Coming; and acting unkindly and cruelly toward other people and showing no feeling or sympathy for them.
In the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry wedding banquet began late at night and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. What Jesus is telling his disciples and us is that we should be prepared for his return at any time. Living our lives according to Jesus’ teaching and example is not something that we can do half-heartedly or whenever we feel like it. This Jesus makes clear in the passages that follow this evening’s reading (Luke 12: 41-48). Having entrusted much to us, God expect much from us.
Jesus may not come again in our lifetime. Regardless we should be prepared for his return. We should be faithfully carrying out God’s will as God made know through Jesus, showing that it is with God where our hearts are.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical paraphrase of the Magnificat.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
1 For God has looked with favor,
on one the world thought frail;
and blessings through the ages will echo
the angel's first "All hail."
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
2 God's mercy shields the faithful
and gives them safe retreat
to arms that turns to scatter
the proud in their conceit.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
3 The mighty have been vanquished;
the lowly lifted up.
The hungry find abundance;
the rich, an empty cup.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
4 To Abraham's descendants
the Lord will steadfast prove,
for God has made with Israel
a covenant of love.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
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 Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your
holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom
you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and 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.
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray, 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 Kathy Sherman’s song, “Wherever Your Treasure Lies.”
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
[Instrumental interlude]
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
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
“The Greyling's Treasure has been lost for many, many years. But Jeffrey, Susan and John Greyling find an old map of where the treasure is hidden, when they are staying with their grandparents. So they decide they must find the hidden treasure and keep it in the family, before their grandparents sell the family home to Mr. Potts, whom the children nickname – Mr. Pots of Money! But Mr. Potts is also interested in finding the Greyling's Treasure, and so it is a race against time of who will find the treasure first. Mr. Pots of Money or the children, who want to save their family home.”
You can read the entire book review at The Enid Blyton Society website at https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=307. At that time in my life reading books was one of my passions and Enid Blyton was one of my favorite authors.
A few years later I would read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and other books about pirates’ treasure, the plunder they had seized on the high seas from the sailing ships they attacked or on shore from the towns they raided, hidden in caves or buried in the ground, treasure which has not been discovered even to this day despite much fruitless searching.
In this evening’s reading Jesus, however, is no talking about that kind of treasure. He is talking about something that has far greater value than gold, silver, and priceless jewels.
Jesus recognized that what we considered to have the greatest value to us, that is where our hearts will be. By heart, he does not mean the organ that pumps blood around our bodies. Rather he is referring to the place within us where our desires and emotions are considered to originate.
When Jesus spoke the words in this evening’s reading, he just finished telling the Parable of the Rich Fool with its warning against putting too much store in an abundance of possessions and laying up treasure for ourselves and not being rich toward God (Luke 12:13-21) and urging his disciples not to be anxious about food and clothing but to seek God’s kingdom (Luke 12:22-31).
What does Jesus mean when he says, “Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” First, it must be recognized that Jesus is speaking figuratively. He is not talking about making a bag to carry money or other things. It is also clear from the second half of this evening’s reading that Jesus is not talking about accumulating merit for ourselves with God through our good works.
What Jesus said earlier about seeking God’s kingdom provides a clue. Jesus is talking about aligning our will with God’s. This entails trusting Jesus’ teaching and example as the revelation of God’s will for humanity and living our lives according to his teaching and example.
Doing God’s will is what we treasure the most and it is where our hearts are. Doing God’s will is loving God with the entirety of our being and loving our neighbor, that is all people, as ourselves. It means treating others as we ourselves would wish to be treated and loving even our enemies and doing good to them. It also means loving one another as Jesus loves us.
What it does not entail is spreading lies and half-truths and fomenting hatred and ill-will; lording it over everyone else and treating our will as if it was God’s will; stoking conflict between Israel and Iran and her other neighbors in an attempt to bring about Armageddon and hasten the Second Coming; and acting unkindly and cruelly toward other people and showing no feeling or sympathy for them.
In the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry wedding banquet began late at night and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. What Jesus is telling his disciples and us is that we should be prepared for his return at any time. Living our lives according to Jesus’ teaching and example is not something that we can do half-heartedly or whenever we feel like it. This Jesus makes clear in the passages that follow this evening’s reading (Luke 12: 41-48). Having entrusted much to us, God expect much from us.
Jesus may not come again in our lifetime. Regardless we should be prepared for his return. We should be faithfully carrying out God’s will as God made know through Jesus, showing that it is with God where our hearts are.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carl P. Daw Jr.’s metrical paraphrase of the Magnificat.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
1 For God has looked with favor,
on one the world thought frail;
and blessings through the ages will echo
the angel's first "All hail."
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
2 God's mercy shields the faithful
and gives them safe retreat
to arms that turns to scatter
the proud in their conceit.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
3 The mighty have been vanquished;
the lowly lifted up.
The hungry find abundance;
the rich, an empty cup.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
4 To Abraham's descendants
the Lord will steadfast prove,
for God has made with Israel
a covenant of love.
My soul proclaims with wonder
the greatness of the Lord;
rejoicing in God's goodness,
my spirit is restored.
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 Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your
holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom
you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and 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.
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray, 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 Kathy Sherman’s song, “Wherever Your Treasure Lies.”
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
[Instrumental interlude]
Wherever your treasure lies,
there will you find your heart.
There will you find your heart.
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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