Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, July 20, 2025)

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

More than three decades ago at a Cursillo Weekend I learned how easy it is to form the wrong impression of someone. What we may think that we know about someone may be a product of our own imagination. The human brain is a great storyteller and quite willing to embroider the few things we may think we know about a particular individual.

In this Sunday’s message we meet Martha of Bethany and take a look at what the Scriptures tell us about her.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Hayes’ arrangement of Marty Hugen’s ALL ARE WELCOME for solo piano.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just,
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

Let us confess our sins
against God and our neighbour.

Silence is 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 neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Merciful God,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

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 in a new tab to hear Michael Joncas’ setting of the Invitatory Psalm: Psalm 95.

1 O come and sing to God, the Lord,
To him our voices raise;
Let us in our most joyful songs,
The Lord, our Savior praise.

2 Before his presence let us come
With praise and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to him with joy,
With grateful hearts rejoice.

3 He is a great and mighty king,
Above all gods his throne;
The depths of earth are in his hand,
The mountains are his own.

4 To him the spacious sea belongs,
He made its waves and tides;
And by his hand the rising land
Was formed and still abides.

5 O come, and bowing down to him
Our worship let us bring;
Yes, let us kneel before the Lord,
Our Maker and our King.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Haas’ responsorial setting of “Psalm 15: The One Who Does Justice.”

The one who does justice will live
in the presence of the Lord.
The one who does justice will live
in the presence of the Lord.

1 Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue

The one who does justice will live
in the presence of the Lord.

2 Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes reproach with his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
honoring those who fear the Lord

The one who does justice will live
in the presence of the Lord.

3 Who lends not his money at usury
and takes no bribes with the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed

The one who does justice will live
in the presence of the Lord.

Silence

Lord Jesus,
you first chose to live among us,
and in returning to your Father,
you made an eternal home for us.
Help us to walk blamelessly in your ways
and bring us at last to your holy mountain,
where you live and reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 18:1-10

The Lord appeared to Abraham at the sacred trees of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day, he looked up and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground, he said, “Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to serve you. Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree. I will also bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you.”

They replied, “Thank you; we accept.”

Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, take a sack of your best flour, and bake some bread.” Then he ran to the herd and picked out a calf that was tender and fat, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to get it ready. He took some cream, some milk, and the meat, and set the food before the men. There under the tree he served them himself, and they ate.

Then they asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”

“She is there in the tent,” he answered.

One of them said, “Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God

Silence

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!

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.
Colossians 1: 15-28

Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence. You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of this gospel that I, Paul, became a servant—this gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world.

And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ's sufferings on behalf of his body, the church. And I have been made a servant of the church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message, 26 which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his people. God's plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature individual in union with Christ.

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.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.
Luke 10: 38-42
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching. Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Meet Martha: Sister of Lazarus and Mary, Friend and Disciple of Jesus

We encounter Martha in two gospels, in this Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of Luke but also in John 11:1-12:2. If we relied on what Luke tells us about Martha, we might be left with the impression that Martha, unlike her sister Mary, was more concerned with household chores than she was spiritual matters. John, however, paints a different picture of Martha.

What was the work over which Martha was upset in this Sunday’s reading from Luke’s Gospel. Luke does not tell us. I suspect that it was showing hospitality to guests, something in which the people of the ancient Middle East set great store and in which the people of Middle East still do to this day. This would have included prepare and serving a meal to the guests as Abraham did to the three men in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading. We do find what may be a clue in John 12:1-2.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus.”

The Scriptures do not provide us with every detail of what happened or an explanation of why. What it does tell us is what its writers, led by the Holy Spirit, thought important to write down.

In both Luke and John’s accounts, Martha is plain speaking. She is very direct in her conversations with Jesus. She tells him what she thinks. She does not mince her words. This suggests that Martha had some familiarity with Jesus: he had been to her home before, and he was not a stranger to her. John’ narrative supports that conclusion.

In this Sunday’ reading from Luke’s Gospel Martha demands that Jesus tell her sister to help her. I think “demands” describes the way that Martha was speaking to Jesus rather than “begs.” It fits more with the character of Martha as described in John’s Gospel. She goes out to meet Jesus when she hears that he is finally coming in response to the message she and Mary sent him. She and Jesus have this conversation:

“Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for.’

‘Your brother will rise to life,’ Jesus told her.

‘I know,’ she replied, ‘that he will rise to life on the last day.’

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?’

Yes, Lord!’ she answered. ‘I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’”

In John’s Gospel Martha, a woman, and not Simon Peter, is first to profess that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Anointed.

From John’s Gospel we learn that John and a number of Jesus’ women followers witnessed his crucifixion (John 19: 25-27). One of these followers, Mary Magdalene, would discover the empty tomb and was first to see the risen Jesus (John 20:1-18).

These passages are not the only ones in the Gospels that provide us with tantalizing glimpses of the women who followed Jesus. I leave you to discover those passages on your own. We can greatly benefit from reading and rereading the Gospels. They will help us to come to know Jesus more intimately.

Silence

Let us confess our faith, as we say,

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Shirley Erena Murray’s “Who Is My Mother, Who Is My Brother?”

1 Who is my mother,
who is my brother?
all those who gather round Jesus Christ:
Spirit-blown people
born from the Gospel
sit at the table, round Jesus Christ.

2 Differently abled,
differently labeled,
widen the circle round Jesus Christ,
crutches and stigmas,
culture's enigmas,
all come together round Jesus Christ.

3 Love will relate us --
color or status
can't segregate us, round Jesus Christ:
family failings,
human derailings --
all are accepted, round Jesus Christ.

4 Bound by one vision,
met for one mission
we claim each other, round Jesus Christ:
here is my mother,
here is my brother,
kindred in Spirit, through Jesus Christ.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

Rather than add lists of the people and concerns after one or more of the biddings in this form, it is suggested that such lists be read before the prayers begin as this practice is much less awkward, does not disrupt the flow of the intercessions and thanksgivings, and has the advantage of informing those present about particular needs before they join in the prayers. At the appropriate point in the form those present should be given ample opportunity to add their own petitions and thanksgivings. . 

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbours, and for all those
who are alone.

For this community, our country, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the
needy.

For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For N our bishop, and for all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.

For our own needs and those of others.

Silence. 

The people may add their own petitions.

Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Silence. 

The people may add their own thanksgivings.

We will exalt you, O God our king;
And praise your name for ever and ever.

We pray for all those who have died in the peace of Christ,
and for those whose faith is known to you alone,
that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Silence. 

The people may add their own petitions.

Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.

Gracious God,
you have heard the prayers of your faithful people;
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking.
Grant our requests as may be best for us.
This we ask in the name of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God,
your Son has opened for us
a new and living way into your presence.
Give us pure hearts and constant wills
to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say,

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

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine
on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look upon us with favour
and grant us peace. Amen.