Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (September 18, 2025)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
God is at work in our world. Wherever compassion is shown, forgiveness given, grudges let go of and forgotten, kind words spoken, a helpful hand extended, God is at work. While we may not understand why bad things happen, of one thing we can be assured, God is present and active in the world. God is not “watching us from a distance,” as the song “From a Distance,” composed by Judith Gold in 1987 and popularized by Bette Midler in 1990, would have us believe. God is with us, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times when things are going well and in times when they are going badly. God is with us!
In this evening’s message we consider the meaning of Proverbs 27:2 and its implications for us.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Johannah Miller’ arrangement of Ira Sankey’s SIMPLY TRUSTING.
Silence
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth. John 4:24
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 followed too much
the devices and the desires of our own hearts.
we have offended against your holy laws,
we have offended against your holy laws,
we have left undone what we ought to have done,
and we have done what we ought not to have done.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us;
restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared
and we have done what we ought not to have done.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us;
restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grant, most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober lives,
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]
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 to hear It’s About the Word’s adaptation of Psalm 143, “Show Me the Way."
1 O Lord, hear my pray
Listen to my cry for mercy
In your faithfulness
Come to my relief
As your servant Lord
Save me from your judgement
For no one is righteous before you
Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way
2 I consider the past
And the ways you have shown your mercy
I'm amazed most of all
By what your hands have done
In your steadfast Love
You shelter me from evil
For I am here to serve you, Lord
Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way
Silence
Jesus, our companion,
when we are driven to despair,
help us, through the friends and strangers
we encounter on our path,
to know you as our refuge,
our way, our truth and our life.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 27:1-22
Don’t brag about tomorrow,
for you don’t know what a day will bring.
Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy and sand weighs much,
but the nuisance of fools is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood,
but who can withstand jealousy?
A public correction is better than hidden love.
Trustworthy are the bruises of a friend;
excessive are the kisses of an enemy.
Someone who is full refuses honey,
but anything bitter tastes sweet to a hungry person.
Like a bird wandering from its nest,
so is one who wanders from home.
Oil and incense make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of friends comes from their advice.
Don’t desert your friend or a friend of your family;
don’t go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes.
Better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
so I can answer those who insult me.
Prudent people see evil and hide;
the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.
Take the garment of the person who secures a loan for a stranger;
take his pledge for a foreigner.
Greeting a neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning
will be viewed as a curse.
The constant dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious woman are alike;
anyone who can control her
can control the wind
or pick up oil in his hand.
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens a friend.
Those who tend a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and those who look after their master will be honored.
As water reflects the face,
so the heart reflects one person to another.
The grave and the underworld are never satisfied;
and people’s eyes are never satisfied.
A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold;
so are people in the presence of someone who praises them.
Even if you grind fools in a mortar,
even grinding them along with the grain,
their folly won’t be driven from them.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
Silence
When you were at school was one of the kids always boasting about the expensive car his father drove, the big house in which he lived, the house with a swimming pool, the wonderful vacations he went on, all the great things that he had done? While the other kids gathered around him on the playground, eating up every word he said, you hung back.
You lived not that far from where he lived, on a gravel road, in a shabby rented trailer home. His Mom was divorced and worked two part-time jobs, the only jobs she could find. His Dad was a deadbeat. In and out of jail. Always late in paying the child support if he paid it at all. The only pool his family had was his little sister’s wading pool. Everything he said was lies and fabrications. He just wanted to look big in his peers’ eyes.
You were in the same class as he was, a desk or two from his. You noticed how his face lit up when the teacher complimented a picture he had drawn, or class work he had done. He beamed with happiness. Those compliments meant a lot to him.
The boy’s tale telling, you learned later in life, was his way of coping with the unpleasant reality of his world. The danger lay in that he would come to believe his own lies and fabrication. Or the other kids eventually would see through them, and he would become the centre of their ridicule. They would bully or ostracize him.
What he was hungry for was affirmation and acceptance.
While boasting about ourselves and our actions, patting ourselves on the back and congratulating ourselves for qualities we claim to possess and things we claim to have done may be evidence of an overinflated ego and too much pride in ourselves and our actions or a form of self-promotion, they may also be a way of hiding the fact that we do not think very highly of ourselves. We may be embarrassed by or even ashamed of our circumstances.
The proverb, “Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” rings true today as did when you were in grade school and as it did when it was first written down centuries ago.
The sincere compliment, a word of praise or encouragement or appreciation, from someone who has no ulterior motives for saying nice things to a particular individual can make a tremendous difference to that individual. It can be life-altering. It is one of the many ways God is working in the world.
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!
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 God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
Help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 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 Ginny Wilder’s arrangement of John Williamson’s prayer, “Lord, It Is Night,” from A New Zealand Prayer Book.
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be,
let it be.
The night it is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness,
our fears of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all who are dear to us,
all who have no peace,
no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly
to a new day,
new joy,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen,
[Instrumental interlude]
In your name we pray.
In your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Silence may be kept.
Free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Colin Buchanan’s “The Night Song.”
1 In the darkness God will keep me
He will stay and never sleep
In the darkness God is brighter
Though the night is long and deep
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
2 In the shadows You are with me
And you know my every fear
In the shadows none can harm me
For the mighty King is here
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
3 So I find my rest in Jesus
He who came to rescue me
Jesus saved me from the darkness
I will rise to life with him
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
You will hold me through the night
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
Grant, most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober lives,
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]
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 to hear It’s About the Word’s adaptation of Psalm 143, “Show Me the Way."
1 O Lord, hear my pray
Listen to my cry for mercy
In your faithfulness
Come to my relief
As your servant Lord
Save me from your judgement
For no one is righteous before you
Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way
2 I consider the past
And the ways you have shown your mercy
I'm amazed most of all
By what your hands have done
In your steadfast Love
You shelter me from evil
For I am here to serve you, Lord
Show me the way that I should go
Only to you I lift my soul
Your unfailing Love and mercy fill my days
Teach me to do your will much more
Than I ever have before
Let me hide myself in you
For your name sake
Show me the way
Silence
Jesus, our companion,
when we are driven to despair,
help us, through the friends and strangers
we encounter on our path,
to know you as our refuge,
our way, our truth and our life.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 27:1-22
Don’t brag about tomorrow,
for you don’t know what a day will bring.
Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy and sand weighs much,
but the nuisance of fools is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood,
but who can withstand jealousy?
A public correction is better than hidden love.
Trustworthy are the bruises of a friend;
excessive are the kisses of an enemy.
Someone who is full refuses honey,
but anything bitter tastes sweet to a hungry person.
Like a bird wandering from its nest,
so is one who wanders from home.
Oil and incense make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of friends comes from their advice.
Don’t desert your friend or a friend of your family;
don’t go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes.
Better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
so I can answer those who insult me.
Prudent people see evil and hide;
the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.
Take the garment of the person who secures a loan for a stranger;
take his pledge for a foreigner.
Greeting a neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning
will be viewed as a curse.
The constant dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious woman are alike;
anyone who can control her
can control the wind
or pick up oil in his hand.
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens a friend.
Those who tend a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and those who look after their master will be honored.
As water reflects the face,
so the heart reflects one person to another.
The grave and the underworld are never satisfied;
and people’s eyes are never satisfied.
A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold;
so are people in the presence of someone who praises them.
Even if you grind fools in a mortar,
even grinding them along with the grain,
their folly won’t be driven from them.
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
Silence
An Ancient Truth from the Book of Proverbs
When you were at school was one of the kids always boasting about the expensive car his father drove, the big house in which he lived, the house with a swimming pool, the wonderful vacations he went on, all the great things that he had done? While the other kids gathered around him on the playground, eating up every word he said, you hung back.
You lived not that far from where he lived, on a gravel road, in a shabby rented trailer home. His Mom was divorced and worked two part-time jobs, the only jobs she could find. His Dad was a deadbeat. In and out of jail. Always late in paying the child support if he paid it at all. The only pool his family had was his little sister’s wading pool. Everything he said was lies and fabrications. He just wanted to look big in his peers’ eyes.
You were in the same class as he was, a desk or two from his. You noticed how his face lit up when the teacher complimented a picture he had drawn, or class work he had done. He beamed with happiness. Those compliments meant a lot to him.
The boy’s tale telling, you learned later in life, was his way of coping with the unpleasant reality of his world. The danger lay in that he would come to believe his own lies and fabrication. Or the other kids eventually would see through them, and he would become the centre of their ridicule. They would bully or ostracize him.
What he was hungry for was affirmation and acceptance.
While boasting about ourselves and our actions, patting ourselves on the back and congratulating ourselves for qualities we claim to possess and things we claim to have done may be evidence of an overinflated ego and too much pride in ourselves and our actions or a form of self-promotion, they may also be a way of hiding the fact that we do not think very highly of ourselves. We may be embarrassed by or even ashamed of our circumstances.
The proverb, “Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” rings true today as did when you were in grade school and as it did when it was first written down centuries ago.
The sincere compliment, a word of praise or encouragement or appreciation, from someone who has no ulterior motives for saying nice things to a particular individual can make a tremendous difference to that individual. It can be life-altering. It is one of the many ways God is working in the world.
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!
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 God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
Help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 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 Ginny Wilder’s arrangement of John Williamson’s prayer, “Lord, It Is Night,” from A New Zealand Prayer Book.
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be,
let it be.
The night it is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness,
our fears of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all who are dear to us,
all who have no peace,
no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly
to a new day,
new joy,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen,
[Instrumental interlude]
In your name we pray.
In your name we pray.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Silence may be kept.
Free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Colin Buchanan’s “The Night Song.”
1 In the darkness God will keep me
He will stay and never sleep
In the darkness God is brighter
Though the night is long and deep
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
2 In the shadows You are with me
And you know my every fear
In the shadows none can harm me
For the mighty King is here
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
3 So I find my rest in Jesus
He who came to rescue me
Jesus saved me from the darkness
I will rise to life with him
All this day Your hand has held me
God of Heaven, by my side
Thank you, Father, for Your goodness
You will hold me through the night
You will hold me through the night
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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