Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, August 7, 2025)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

This evening’s service has two readings—one from the First Book of Samuel and the other from the Gospel according to Luke. The evening’s message explains how these two readings are linked to each other and examines the implications for those who call themselves Christians.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Claude Goudimel’s GENEVAN 4.

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 Calvin Seerveld and Lee Ann Vermeulen-Roberts’s “You servants of the Lord our God (Psalm 134).”

1 You servants of the Lord our God,
who work and pray both day and night.
In God's own house, lift up your hands,
and praise the Lord with all your might.

2 Lift up your hands in holiness,
come, bless the Lord and give Him praise.
Kneel down before the Lord our God,
and worship Him in all your ways.

[Instrumental interlude]

3 The Lord God bless you from His throne,
shine down upon you with His face.
He who created heaven and earth,
redeem you with His love and grace.
Redeem you with His love and grace.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Haas’ “Psalm 18: I Love You Lord, My Strength.”

I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my deliverer.

I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.

I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.

3 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my Savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.

I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength.

Silence

From your royal throne, O God,
you sent your living Word
to pierce the gloom of oppression;
so, in our souls’ night,
come with your saving help
and penetrate our darkness with the
rays of your glory
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the First Book of Samuel.
1 Samuel 12:1-25

Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me* and I will restore it to you.’ They said, ‘You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone.’ He said to them, ‘The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ And they said, ‘He is witness.’

Samuel said to the people, ‘The Lord is witness, who* appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore take your stand, so that I may enter into judgement with you before the Lord, and I will declare to you* all the saving deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your ancestors. When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them,* then your ancestors cried to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. Then they cried to the Lord, and said, “We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.” And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak,* and Jephthah, and Samson,* and rescued you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety. But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, “No, but a king shall reign over us”, though the Lord your God was your king. See, here is the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; see, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well; but if you will not heed the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.* Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the Lord is great in demanding a king for yourselves.’ So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

All the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves.’ And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.’

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter’s setting of the Benedictus Es, “Glory to You, Lord God of Our Fathers.”

1 Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

2 Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

3 Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

4 Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

5 Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

6 Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you!

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.
Luke 22:47-62
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.

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

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Donald Pearson's setting of the Dignus est, “Splendor and Honor.”

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

1 For you created everything that is,
and by your will they were created
and have their being;

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

2 And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God.

The Only One True King

At first glance we may be prompted to ask what do this evening’s readings have in common? Here is where familiarity with the whole story of the Bible is helpful. While the Bible is a collection of writings from different times rather than a one book, it comprises a single narrative. The central character of that narrative is God. As the narrative unfolds, we learn more about God, God’s attributes, God’s character, God’s relationship with a particular people, the people of Israel, and ultimately God’s relationship with all humanity, including ourselves.

In the first reading the people of Israel acknowledge their sinfulness for having demanded a king for themselves. In making this demand, they have rejected their true King—God. Samuel who was God’s prophet and who had served as a judge over Israel responded with these words:

“‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.’”

Even though the people of Israel have rejected God, Samuel assures them, God will not abandon them. At the same time, he warns them against persisting in their rejection of God. As we read further on in the Bible, we learn that it is a warning that they do not heed. Israel is a single kingdom, only during the lifetimes of its first three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon. It is divided into two kingdoms after Solomon’s death, one in the north and the other in the south, Israel with its capital at the city of Samaria and Judah with its capital at Jerusalem. Both kingdoms would be overrun by foreign invaders and would be swept away with their kings. First Israel would fall to the Assyrians, and then Judah would fall to the Babylonians. The Bible attributes their destruction to their persistent rejection of God.

While the Judaeans are eventually freed from captivity in Babylon, and they are permitted to return home and to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, they would be ruled by a succession of foreign kings.

The second reading is Luke’s account of Jesus’ arrest. At that time Herod Antipas was the Idumean- Nabataean ruler of Galilee and Peraea and Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judaea, Samaria and Idumaea.

Based upon Old Testament prophesies, the Judaeans (and the Samaritans) believed that God would one day raise up a king for them like David who would restore the Kingdom of Israel as it was in the time of King Solomon. This was the Messiah whose coming they were eagerly awaiting.

Instead of a great warrior who would throw off the foreign yoke, they got Jesus, God himself in the person of the Son, the people of Israel’s true King, come as the promised Messiah, fulfilling the prophesy that one day God himself would teach his people. Jesus not only failed to live up to their expectations, but he revealed a face of God which some of them could not accept, a God who was merciful—forgiving and kind, a God who did not care about the things that they cared about. Jesus’ teachings and his actions and the crowds that he attracted infuriated the religious leaders of the day. The people were listening to him and not to them. They plotted his death.

The second reading tells us how Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and how Simon Peter denied Jesus three times as Jesus had foretold. Both Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter were members of the inner circle of Jesus disciples, the Twelve. Both had walked the dusty roads of Gailee, Samaria, and Judaea with Jesus. Both had listened to his teachings and had witnessed the miracles that he performed. Yet one betrayed him and the other denied him. They rejected the people of Israel’s true King.

The Bible does not tell us how Judas Iscariot became a disciple of Jesus. It does tell us that he was a thief, he kept the common purse of the disciples, and he helped himself to its contents. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. On the night of the betrayal the devil possessed Judas, and Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins.

The Bible also tells us that Judas was overcome by remorse at the immensity of what he had done and hung himself. That is the extent of Judas’ story as told in the Bible. From there on we must leave him in the hands of a merciful God.

Simon Peter’s story does not end with his denial of Jesus. The risen Jesus would forgive Simon Peter and restore him as one of his disciples. The rest of Simon Peter’s story is told in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. What Simon Peter believed and taught are found in two letters in the New Testament, 1 Peter and 2 Peter.

Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus, the arrest of Jesus, and Simon Peter’s denial of Jesus are the prelude to Jesus’ trial by the Judaean religious leaders and Pontius Pilate. Pilate would condemn Jesus to death after the crowd, stirred up by the Judaean religious leaders, called for Jesus’ crucifixion. Both the Judaean religious leaders and the crowd, like the people of Israel in Samuel’s time, would commit the sin of rejecting their true King.

What we further learn from the Bible is that Jesus is not only the people of Israel’s true King, but Jesus is also all of humanity’s true King. Indeed, Jesus is the Lord of all creation, what was, what is, and what will be.

We hear and read about and even personally know people who, while they are ostensibly Christian, like the people of Israel in Samuel’s time, turn to a human leader, a pastor or a politician, putting their trust in that individual rather than in Jesus. They may convince themselves that the person in question has a special anointing although the words and actions of that person do not support this belief. They may like the religious leaders of Judaea in the time of Jesus ´earthly ministry reject the teaching and example of Jesus because they do not like the face of God that Jesus revealed. By putting their trust in someone other than Jesus and criticizing and disapproving of Jesus teaching and example, they are essentially rejecting Jesus. ´They may not realize it but that is what they are doing.

What Samuel told the people of Israel is something that we need to heed in our time.

¨…do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless.¨

Believing in Jesus and obeying him go hand and hand. By obeying Jesus, we show that we genuinely have trust and confidence in him, in what he said, and in what he did. We recognize Jesus for who he is—the Lord of all, our only one true King.

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 The Riverside’s arrangement of the eighth century anonymous Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” translated by Mary Byrne and versified by Eleanor Hull.

1 Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

2 Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

3 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
Oh King of glory, my treasure Thou art

[Instrumental interlude]

4 High King of heaven, the victory won
Rule and reign in me till Thy will be done
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Coda
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

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.

Those present 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.