Sundays at All Hallow (Sunday, August 10, 2025)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday’s order of service follows that of A Service of the Word found in The Church of Ireland’s The Book of Common Prayer (2004). It is a pattern of worship included in a number of more recent Anglican service books. It provides congregations with a third option when the services of Holy Communion, Morning Prayer, and Evening Prayer do not meet their needs.

Th topic of this Sunday’s message is faith.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Anne Crosby Gaudet’ arrangement of the American folk hymn tune NETTLETON for solo harp.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth. John 4:24

Open this link in a new tab to hear a selection of verses from Thomas Olivers’ paraphrase of Daniel ben Judah's “The God of Abraham Praise (Yigdal Elohim Hai).”

1 The God of Abraham praise
Who reigns enthroned above,
Ancient of everlasting days,
And God of love:
To him uplift your voice,
At whose supreme command
From earth we rise and seek the joys
At his right hand.

4 There dwells the Lord our King,
The Lord our Righteousness,
Triumphant o'er the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace:
On Sion's sacred height
His kingdom he maintains,
And glorious with his saints in light
For ever reigns.

6 Before the great Three-One
They all exulting stand,
And tell the wonders he has done
Throughout the land:
The listening spheres attend,
And swell the growing fame,
And sing in songs which never end
The wondrous name.

8 The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high:
'Hail, Father, Son and Holy Ghost'
They ever cry:
Hail, Abraham's God and mine!
(I join the heavenly lays)
All might and majesty are thine,
And endless praise.

[When two or more people are gathered to worship, the leader of the worship group may introduce the service in these or other suitable words:

Beloved in Christ,
we come together to offer to Almighty God
our worship and praise and thanksgiving,
to confess our sins and to receive God’s forgiveness,
to hear his holy word proclaimed,
to bring before him our needs and the needs of the world,
and to pray that in the power of his Spirit
we may serve him and know the greatness of his love.]

Let us confess our sins to God our Father.

Silence is kept.

Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
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.

Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” from Marty Haugen’s Mass of Creation.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Let us pray.

Silence is kept.

O God,
you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
Mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 15: 1-6

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudly-Smith’s “Lord, For the Years.”

1 Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

2 Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive Your people's praise.

3 *Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

4 Lord, for our world when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

5 Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us -
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

*Omitted on the video.

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.
Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear the gospel acclamation from Marty Haugen’s Mass of Creation.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

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.’

Silence

Faith

When I was a boy living in rural Suffolk, I met a boy from a different village at the village school that I attended. This boy invited me to his home, and I accepted the invitation. I don’t recall if the boy attended the same village school as I did. He may have just been hanging around the school playground.

As a boy I was naive and trusting. I was also open to making new friends.

On the way to his house the boy persuaded me to make a prank telephone call to 999, the emergency telephone number in the United Kingdom, from the telephone box in front of the row of houses where he lived. He told me to report that there was a fire and when the dispatcher asked me where, I was to say, “in the grate,” and hang up the phone.

I did what he persuaded me to do, not thinking about what I was doing. As soon as I had made the prank call, the local police constable rode up on his bicycle. The boy saw the constable before I did and fled to the safety of his house, leaving me to face the constable alone.

The constable questioned me and then gave me a good talking-to. He told me that the local fire brigade might have responded to my prank call when they were needed elsewhere and someone could have lost their house and have been injured or killed in the fire.

I gathered from what he said that he had caught the boy making prank calls from the same telephone box in the past and was patrolling the area for that reason. I suspect that the boy had known this and that is why he had gotten me to make the prank call.

The boy was about my age but even at that young age he had learned to deceive and mislead others. I rode home on my bicycle thoroughly ashamed of myself. I learned that day that not everyone can be trusted. I never saw that boy again.

Trust is something that we learn as children from our experiences with those around us—family, other relations, teachers, schoolmates, and friends. How much we trust others can affect how much we trust God. If we experience difficulty in trusting others, we are likely to experience difficulty in trusting God.

Trusting God, however, is not entirely our doing. It is God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, working in our lives, that enables us to trust God. Without God’s help we would not be able to trust God at all.

The common theme of faith, of trusting God, runs through all three of this Sunday’ readings. In the first reading from the Book of Genesis God promises to give Abraham an heir who is own child and Abraham trusts God to keep his promise. Because of this God “reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Abraham had done what was right and good in God’s eyes and which was pleasing and acceptable to God.

In the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews the author of Hebrews provides us with a definition of faith and several examples. Faith, he points to the attention of those to whom the letter is addressed, makes real the things that they hope for. It is proof of what they cannot see. God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago and had this kind of faith: they had great trust and confidence in God.

The first part of the third reading comes at the conclusion of a passage in the gospel according to Luke in which Jesus encourages the disciples to trust God and not to worry about food and clothing and things like that.

Implicit in all three readings is that God is trustworthy and dependable. God keeps his promises. God is unchanging and steadfast is his loving kindness’ toward humanity.

These characteristics are what set the one true God apart from the pagan gods of the Greeks, the Romans, and the other peoples of the ancient Mediterranean world. They were capricious and petulant. Those who worshipped them could not count on them for their goodwill and favor. They were forced to bribe their gods with sacrificial offerings and even then they had no assurance that their gods would be kind and helpful to them.

Indeed, these three readings are about God’s trustworthiness and dependability as they are about our trusting God. We can trust God because God can be trusted. We can depend upon God because God can be depended upon.

What in your life is keeping you from trusting God fully? Ask God to help you to recognize what it is and to overcome it so that you may grow deeper your faith in God. The deeper we grow In our faith in God, the closer we grow in our relationship with God. Faith is not only necessary to b put right with God but also to grow as disciples of Jesus, to become more like our Lord and to live the kind of life that we are meant to live as God’ beloved children.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “Where Your Treasure Is.”

Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

1 What do you gain from all your worry,
What you should eat or what to wear?
There is no peace in stress or hurry.
Do you not know that you are held within God's care?

Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

2 Look at the ravens high above you.
They do not work their whole life through.
And yet God feeds them and protects them.
So how much more will God protect and care for you?

Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

3 Behold the lilies in their splendor.
In grace and beauty are they dressed,
And yet so soon their bloom is faded.
So how much more will those who look to God be blessed?

Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

Coda
Do not fear, little flock,
for God delights to give you the blessed reign of God.
Give your possessions to the needy;
gain a treasure that will not fade.

Final Refrain
Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.
Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.

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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.

Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this diocese (annual conference, etc.)…
bless .... our bishop, and build us up in faith and love.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and direct our nation’s leaders and all in authority
on the path of righteousness and of truth.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.

Almighty God, we praise you for the blessings brought to the world
through your Church. We bless you for the grace of the sacraments, for our fellowship in Christ with you and with each other, for the teaching of the Scriptures, and for the preaching of your word. We thank you for the holy example of your saints, for your faithful servants departed this life, and for the memory and example of all that has been true and good in their lives. Number us with them in the company of the redeemed in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Merciful Father,
accept these our prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty and merciful God,
it is by your grace that we live as your people
who offer acceptable service.
Grant that we may walk by faith, and not by sight,
in the way that leads to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Sydney Carter’s “One More Step along the World I Go.”

1 One more step along the world I go,
one more step along the world I go,
from the old things to the new,
keep me traveling a long with you:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

2 Round the corner of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn;
all the new things that I see,
you'll be looking at along with me:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

3 As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me traveling the way I should;
Where I see no way to go
you'll be telling me the way I know:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

4 Give me courage when the world is rough,
keep me loving though the world is tough,
leap and sing in all I do,
keep me traveling along with you:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

5 You are older than the world can be,
you are younger than the life in me,
ever old and ever new,
keep me traveling along with you:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and
by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by
your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and
live every day in love to one another and to you; 

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

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.