Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, July 31, 2025)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

We live in what may be described as troubled times. Droughts and famine plague some parts of our world. Other parts are experiencing volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and flooding. The war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, and fighting has flared up between Cambodia and Thailand, each side blaming the other for starting it. There are reports of fresh and ongoing violence from other spots around the world. Parts of the United States and Europe are suffering under an oppressive heat wave. Are we living in the end times is the question on the minds of some Christians?

In this evening’s message we take a look what Jesus instructed his disciples to do as they awaited his return.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Proulx’s arrangement of PHOS HILARON for flute and piano.

Silence

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

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 Lord,
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. Amen.

O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
Hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as
incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.

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 Robert Seymour Bridges’ translation of Phos hilaron, “O Gladsome Light, O Grace.”

1 O gladsome Light, O Grace
of God the Father’s face,
The eternal splendour wearing;
celestial, holy, blest,
our Saviour Jesus Christ,
joyful in Thine appearing.

2 Now, ere day fadeth quite,
we see the evening light,
our wonted hymn outpouring;
Father of might unknown,
Thee, His incarnate Son,
and Holy Ghost adoring.

3 To Thee of right belongs
all praise of holy songs,
O Son of God, Lifegiver;
Thee, therefore, O Most High,
the world doth glorify,
and shall exalt for ever.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Haas’ “Psalm 138: Lord, Your Love is Eternal.”

Lord, your love is eternal.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Lord, your love is eternal.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

1 I will give thanks to you with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in your presence I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple

Lord, your love is eternal.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

2 I will give thanks to your name.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

Lord, your love is eternal.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

3 The Lord is exalted, the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

Lord, your love is eternal.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Silence.

Lord God,
You keep the proud at a distance
and look upon the lowly with favour.
Stretch out your hand to us in our suffering,
perfect us in the work of your love,
and bring us to life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.
Luke 21: 5-38
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God. Jesus said, “All this you see—the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down.”

“Teacher,” they asked, “when will this be? And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?”

Jesus said, “Watch out; don't be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time has come!’ But don't follow them. Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near.”

He went on to say, “Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky. Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake. This will be your chance to tell the Good News. Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a single hair from your heads will be lost. Stand firm, and you will save yourselves.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city. For those will be ‘The Days of Punishment,’ to make come true all that the Scriptures say. How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people. Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up.

“There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.

“Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives. Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to him.

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

Silence

Open the link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s paraphrase of the Magnificat, “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!

The Six Tasks of a True Disciple

On the Internet I sometimes run across articles and videos about Christians, usually described as “evangelicals,” who are taking various steps that they believe will hasten Jesus’ return. Some appear to be motivated by a desire to see their Lord face to face; others, however, are apparently motivated by how they believe that they will benefit from Jesus’ return: they will rule with him in a kingdom that they believe he will establish on earth. In my own mind I wonder whether these folks in their eagerness for Jesus’ return are really prepared for our Lord’s coming again. Do they really understand what must happen before he does return?

While Jesus described a number of things will happen before he comes again, he himself did not know when he would return. His return would be sudden like a thief in the night and would catch everyone by surprise. Jesus stipulated that before he came again, one condition must be met: the gospel must be proclaimed to the farthest corners of the earth. His followers must not only watch and pray but also go about the tasks that their master had given them before he went away as good servants would. They were not to do what bad servants do and give themselves over to dissipation in their master’s absence and neglect the tasks that their master had given them to do. Indeed, the master upon returning should find the household operating as if he had not left, each servant going about the tasks that they had been given as if he had been with them all of the time.

What then are the tasks that Jesus has given his followers? Six tasks come to mind:

First, to firmly place our faith in Jesus, what he said, and what he did, and keep it there, maintaining our trust and confidence in him through thick and thin, never faltering in our loyalty to our Lord, persevering despite opposition and persecution, pressing on even though other Jesus followers who were close to us and who shared faith’s journey with us may succumb to the enticements of the world or the worries of this life and fall away.

Second, to borrow a phrase from the late Peter Toon, an Anglican priest, theologian, professor, and author, to “frame and fashion” our lives according to Jesus’ teaching and example. This means not just studying what he taught and did but internalizing his teaching and following the examples he set which he clearly intended for his disciples to follow.

One of the dangers that Christians face today is the temptation to replace Jesus’ teaching and example with what the apostle Paul described as “human wisdom” and to dismiss them as weak and inadequate for the times, or to twist Jesus’ words to fit with such wisdom. Those who succumb to this temptation are like students to whom their teacher has given an important assignment upon which their final grade in the course depends but rather than do what the teacher assigned them to do choose to do whatever pleases them. What these “Christians” are ultimately doing, whatever they may convince themselves in their own minds, is denying Jesus’ divine authority. Jesus himself pointedly asked his disciples, “Why do you call me Lord, when you do not do what I tell you?”

Third, to spread Jesus’ message throughout the world, wherever God has placed us, whatever our circumstances, by every means possible, calling our fellow human beings to repentance and faith, sharing our Lord’s offer of salvation with people everywhere, not confining this offer to our own generation or our own people but making it to every generation and all people until our Lord returns.

Fourth, to make disciples of every people group, “the nations,” people from every tribe, every race, every ethnic group, every linguistic group, every walk of life, all the peoples on the face of the planet Earth. We are to baptize them and instruct them in what our Lord has commanded.

Fifth, to genuinely represent Jesus in the world to the world. This means living Jesus’ teaching before the eyes of the world. The strongest testimony that we can make to our faith is for people to see for themselves the difference it is making in our lives. We are to be living advertisements for Jesus.

Sixth, to show compassion, generosity, and kindness to our fellow human beings, lending a helping hand or giving a leg up to those who need one, seeing Jesus in them and serving him.

Accomplishing these tasks may seem like a tall order. However, God provides us with grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, to enable us to do them. It is the faithful undertaking of these tasks, even though they may be imperfectly done, that sets a true disciple apart from those who, while they call themselves “Christians,” show by their words and actions that they follow a different lord.

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, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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 Bernadette Farrell’s “Christ Be Our Light.”

1 Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

2 Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

3 Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

4 Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

5 Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

If a worshiping group celebrating this office has one or more lists of people and concerns for which it desires prayer, it is strongly recommended that such lists be read before the prayers begin as this practice has the advantage of informing those present about particular needs before they join in the prayers. At the appropriate point in this form those present should be given ample opportunity to add their own petitions.

Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church
that we all may be one.

Grant that every member of your Church may truly and humbly serve you:
that your name may be glorified by all people.

We pray for our bishop N, for all bishops, our pastor N, and all other ministers
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and sacraments.

We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world
that there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake
that your glory may be proclaimed through our lives.

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble
that they may be delivered from their distress.

We praise you for your saints who have entered their eternal joy
may we also come to share in the fulness of your kingdom.

We pray for our own needs and for those of others:

Silence.

The people may add their own petitions.

Gracious God, grant that the desires of your people’s hearts
may find favour in your sight,
through the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

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 OUT 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.

Image Credit: The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova