Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (September 11, 2025)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
A small child sees the world differently from an adult. The same people and things may be a part of their respective worlds, but the small child perceives and understands them differently. Their perceptions and understanding of the world can at times show us how we misperceive and misunderstand God, as well as people and things in the world. In this evening’s message we will take a look at one common misperception and misunderstanding about God and the places where we worship God, which many well-meaning Christians have.GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link to hear Mark Hayes’ arrangement of AS A DEER for piano.
Silence
Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity,
whose name is Holy, "I dwell in the high and holy place and
also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to
revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the
contrite." Isaiah 57:15
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 now confess our sins to almighty God.
Silence
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have left undone what we ought to have done,
and we have done what we ought not to have done.
We have followed our own ways and the desires of our own
hearts.
We have broken your holy laws.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us;
restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared to mankind in Jesus
Christ our Lord.
And grant, merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may live a godly and obedient life,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their
sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open our lips, O Lord;
And we shall declare your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
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 Bernadette Farrell’s “O God, You Search Me (Psalm 139).”
1 O God, you search me and you know me
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze
When I walk or lie down you are before me
Ever the maker and keeper of my days
2 You know my resting and my rising
You discern my purpose from afar
And with love everlasting you besiege me
In every moment of life or death, you are
3 Before a word is on my tongue, Lord
You have known its meaning through and through
You are with me beyond my understanding
God of my present, my past, and future, too
4 Although your Spirit is upon me
Still I search for shelter from your light
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight
5 For you created me and shaped me
Gave me life within my mother’s womb
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new
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 Second Book of Samuel.
2 Samuel 7:1-17
When the king was settled in his palace, and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I’m living in a cedar palace, but God’s chest is housed in a tent!”
Nathan said to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because the Lord is with you.”
But that very night the Lord’s word came to Nathan: Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in. In fact, I haven’t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling. Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel’s tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven’t you built me a cedar temple?
So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. I’ve been with you wherever you’ve gone, and I’ve eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great—like the name of the greatest people on earth. I’m going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier, when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
And the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make a dynasty for you. When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings. But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you. Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me.[ Your throne will be established forever.
Nathan reported all of these words and this entire vision to David.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “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!
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 7:44-53
“The tent of testimony was with our ancestors in the wilderness. Moses built it just as he had been instructed by the one who spoke to him and according to the pattern he had seen. In time, when they had received the tent, our ancestors carried it with them when, under Joshua’s leadership, they took possession of the land from the nations whom God expelled. This tent remained in the land until the time of David. God approved of David, who asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who actually built a house for God. However, the Most High doesn’t live in houses built by human hands. As the prophet says,
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
‘What kind of house will you build for me,’ says the Lord,
‘or where is my resting place?
Didn’t I make all these things with my own hand?’
“You stubborn people! In your thoughts and hearing, you are like those who have had no part in God’s covenant! You continuously set yourself against the Holy Spirit, just like your ancestors did. Was there a single prophet your ancestors didn’t harass? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one, and you’ve betrayed and murdered him! You received the Law given by angels, but you haven’t kept it.”
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear M. D. Ridge’s “Now Let Your Servants, Lord, Depart in Peace.”
1 Now let your servants, Lord, depart in peace,
your words within our hearts to dwell,
for we have seen your saving pow’r, the
glory of your people Israel.
2 What ancient kings and prophets long’d to hear
call us to bring darkness light.
We are your living body, Lord: let
us with living flame dispel the night.
3 Make us apostles; we are yours to send
that all with Simeon’s eyes may see,
and seeing, live your gospel truth like
Anna: wise and joyful, thankful, free.
4 Let all the mighty mountains leap for joy!
Let all the hills resound with song,
boundless in praise, unending love and
faith enduring, deep and true and strong.
5 We sing your praise, O Holy Triune God:
you, our Creator, Mighty One,
forever in the Spirit’s love
united with our saving Lord, your Son.
Out of the Mouth of Babes
When my nieces were little girls, my mother and I began to take them with us to our church. Their previous church experiences had not been good ones, and my mother and I decided that they would have a better church experience at the Episcopal parish church that my family had attended since we moved from the New Orlean’s West Bank to the North Shore.
My grandfather had commuted to work in New Orleans by Greyhound Bus and one of his fellow commuters, a parishioner of the church, had told him about the church and invited him and his family to attend services at the church. My mother would join the choir, and I would be confirmed at the church the year that I went to university.
During my university years and for a number of years afterward my church attendance was spotty. The decision to take the girls to our church and to sit with them during the service as my mother sang in the chancel choir would bring me back into the life, ministry, and worship of the church.
The rector and the parishioners gave the girls a warm, friendly welcome and the church quickly became their church. All three girls would eventually be baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church.
During my university years and for a number of years afterward my church attendance was spotty. The decision to take the girls to our church and to sit with them during the service as my mother sang in the chancel choir would bring me back into the life, ministry, and worship of the church.
The rector and the parishioners gave the girls a warm, friendly welcome and the church quickly became their church. All three girls would eventually be baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church.
The two oldest girls were in elementary school; the youngest was in kindergarten. The church had a fairly traditional building with a bell tower.. Before each service the bell was rung twice—several peals to call people to worship and several more peals to announce the beginning of the service. On one occasion my youngest niece when she heard the bell ringing exclaimed. “They are ringing the bell to wake up God.” When the rector heard what she had said he laughed. It was the kind of thing that small children are apt to say. On a previous occasion she had asked him, “Are you God?”
I suspect my youngest niece may have heard parishioners talking about the church building as “God’s house.” Or her Sunday school teacher had told her that the building was “God’s house.” At home her father woke up early in morning to go to work to the ringing of an alarm clock’s bell. So, she had naturally drawn the conclusion that the church bell was rung for a similar reason--to wake up God.
While many preachers and other Christian are in the habit of describing a church building as “God’s house,” as we learn from this evening’s readings God does not need a house. God is not only everywhere but God also dwells in the hearts of believers, in the very core of the being of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture describes the local church, a particular body of the faithful, as well as individual believers as “God’s temple.”
A more accurate description of the regular meeting place where the congregation of a local church gathers to sing God’s praises, to hear God’ Word, to receive instruction, to pray, and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is “the house of the church.” That meeting place does not have to be a building constructed for that purpose. It can be a school cafeteria, an apartment building’s commons room, a fire station’s community room, a funeral home’s chapel, a storefront, a living room, or even outdoors.
The thing to remember is that God is with us wherever we are, whether we are with the congregation of a local church, with a small group of fellow Christians and seekers, or by ourselves. God exists outside of time and space; God is not subject to our limitations.
God doesn’t need the ringing of bells to wake him up or to get his attention. The peeling of bells, however, is a helpful reminder for us to focus our hearts and minds on God who is present with us always no matter where we go.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come 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.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
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.
Lord, show us your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Keep our nation under your care,
and guide us in justice and truth.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness,
and make your chosen people joyful.
Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
for you are our help and strength.
Create in us dean hearts, O God,
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray
and to give more than either we desire, or deserve:
Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
save through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God, from whom all holy desires, all good purposes,
and all just works proceed: give to your servants that peace
which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to
obey your commandments, and that free from the fear of our
enemies we may pass our time in trust and quietness;
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
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 Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’ “Spirit of God within Me.”
1 Spirit of God within me,
possess my human frame;
fan the dull embers of my heart,
stir up the living flame.
Strive till that image Adam lost,
new minted and restored,
in shining splendour brightly bears
the likeness of the Lord.
2 Spirit of truth within me,
possess my thought and mind;
lighten anew the inward eye
by Satan rendered blind;
shine on the words that wisdom speaks
and grant me power to see
the truth made known to all in Christ,
and in that truth be free.
3 Spirit of love within me,
possess my hands and heart;
break through the bonds of self-concern
that seeks to stand apart:
grant me the love that suffers long,
that hopes, believes and bears,
the love fulfilled in sacrifice,
that cares as Jesus cares.
4 Spirit of life within me,
possess this life of mine;
come as the wind of heaven's breath,
come as the fire divine!
Spirit of Christ, the living Lord,
reign in this house of clay,
till from its dust with Christ I rise
to everlasting day.
[Let us pray for those holding public office.]
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We
commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided
by your providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant
to [here the appropriate public officials are named] and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do you will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful
of their calling to serve this people in reverence and fear before you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[Let us pray for the Church]
Almighty and eternal God, you alone work great marvels:
send down your life-giving Spirit of grace on our bishops and other clergy, and on the congregations which they serve; and, that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Let us pray for all people according to their needs]
If a worship group celebrating the office has a list of people and concerns it is read before this General Intercession. Those present should be given opportunity to add their own petitions at the appropriate points in the General Intercession.
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.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you heart-felt thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation and preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such a sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be truly thankful,
and that we praise you,
not only with our lips but in our lives,
serving you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in your Son’s name: mercifully accept us who
have now made our prayers to you; and grant us those things
which we have asked in faith according to your will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Delores Dufner’s “Go Forth in Peace.”
1 Go forth in peace, for Christ is your peace,
and God gives you peace in Christ.
Go forth in joy, for Christ goes with you;
wherever you go, Christ goes.
Daughters and sons of God in Christ Jesus,
share with the world the gift of God’s peace.
Go forth in peace, for Christ is your peace;
and God gives you peace in Christ.
2 Go forth to love as Christ loved the world,
as God has loved us in Christ.
Love all you meet, for love is of God,
and where love is, there is God.
When on the cross Christ died for all people,
he showed the depth and breadth of God’s love.
Go forth to love as Christ loved the world,
as God has loved us in Christ.
3 Go forth to serve as Christ served the world,
as God has served us in Christ.
Not to be served but to serve,
Christ came to teach us God’s way of life.
On that last night, with basin and towel,
Jesus knelt down and washed his friends’ feet.
Go forth to serve as Christ served the world,
as God has served us in Christ.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13.14
I suspect my youngest niece may have heard parishioners talking about the church building as “God’s house.” Or her Sunday school teacher had told her that the building was “God’s house.” At home her father woke up early in morning to go to work to the ringing of an alarm clock’s bell. So, she had naturally drawn the conclusion that the church bell was rung for a similar reason--to wake up God.
While many preachers and other Christian are in the habit of describing a church building as “God’s house,” as we learn from this evening’s readings God does not need a house. God is not only everywhere but God also dwells in the hearts of believers, in the very core of the being of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture describes the local church, a particular body of the faithful, as well as individual believers as “God’s temple.”
A more accurate description of the regular meeting place where the congregation of a local church gathers to sing God’s praises, to hear God’ Word, to receive instruction, to pray, and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is “the house of the church.” That meeting place does not have to be a building constructed for that purpose. It can be a school cafeteria, an apartment building’s commons room, a fire station’s community room, a funeral home’s chapel, a storefront, a living room, or even outdoors.
The thing to remember is that God is with us wherever we are, whether we are with the congregation of a local church, with a small group of fellow Christians and seekers, or by ourselves. God exists outside of time and space; God is not subject to our limitations.
God doesn’t need the ringing of bells to wake him up or to get his attention. The peeling of bells, however, is a helpful reminder for us to focus our hearts and minds on God who is present with us always no matter where we go.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come 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.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
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.
Lord, show us your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Keep our nation under your care,
and guide us in justice and truth.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness,
and make your chosen people joyful.
Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
for you are our help and strength.
Create in us dean hearts, O God,
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray
and to give more than either we desire, or deserve:
Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
save through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God, from whom all holy desires, all good purposes,
and all just works proceed: give to your servants that peace
which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to
obey your commandments, and that free from the fear of our
enemies we may pass our time in trust and quietness;
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
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 Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’ “Spirit of God within Me.”
1 Spirit of God within me,
possess my human frame;
fan the dull embers of my heart,
stir up the living flame.
Strive till that image Adam lost,
new minted and restored,
in shining splendour brightly bears
the likeness of the Lord.
2 Spirit of truth within me,
possess my thought and mind;
lighten anew the inward eye
by Satan rendered blind;
shine on the words that wisdom speaks
and grant me power to see
the truth made known to all in Christ,
and in that truth be free.
3 Spirit of love within me,
possess my hands and heart;
break through the bonds of self-concern
that seeks to stand apart:
grant me the love that suffers long,
that hopes, believes and bears,
the love fulfilled in sacrifice,
that cares as Jesus cares.
4 Spirit of life within me,
possess this life of mine;
come as the wind of heaven's breath,
come as the fire divine!
Spirit of Christ, the living Lord,
reign in this house of clay,
till from its dust with Christ I rise
to everlasting day.
[Let us pray for those holding public office.]
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We
commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided
by your providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant
to [here the appropriate public officials are named] and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do you will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful
of their calling to serve this people in reverence and fear before you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[Let us pray for the Church]
Almighty and eternal God, you alone work great marvels:
send down your life-giving Spirit of grace on our bishops and other clergy, and on the congregations which they serve; and, that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Let us pray for all people according to their needs]
If a worship group celebrating the office has a list of people and concerns it is read before this General Intercession. Those present should be given opportunity to add their own petitions at the appropriate points in the General Intercession.
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.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you heart-felt thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation and preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such a sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be truly thankful,
and that we praise you,
not only with our lips but in our lives,
serving you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in your Son’s name: mercifully accept us who
have now made our prayers to you; and grant us those things
which we have asked in faith according to your will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Delores Dufner’s “Go Forth in Peace.”
1 Go forth in peace, for Christ is your peace,
and God gives you peace in Christ.
Go forth in joy, for Christ goes with you;
wherever you go, Christ goes.
Daughters and sons of God in Christ Jesus,
share with the world the gift of God’s peace.
Go forth in peace, for Christ is your peace;
and God gives you peace in Christ.
2 Go forth to love as Christ loved the world,
as God has loved us in Christ.
Love all you meet, for love is of God,
and where love is, there is God.
When on the cross Christ died for all people,
he showed the depth and breadth of God’s love.
Go forth to love as Christ loved the world,
as God has loved us in Christ.
3 Go forth to serve as Christ served the world,
as God has served us in Christ.
Not to be served but to serve,
Christ came to teach us God’s way of life.
On that last night, with basin and towel,
Jesus knelt down and washed his friends’ feet.
Go forth to serve as Christ served the world,
as God has served us in Christ.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13.14
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