Sundays at All Hallows (October 12, 2025)
Maybe you have heard of God-incidences, happenings that exceed happenstance, go beyond chance? Sheer coincidence cannot account for them. Rather God’s hand appears to be behind them. You are left to wonder if God orchestrated these occurrences.
In this Sunday’s message we look at two miracle stories from the Bible and what we can learn from them.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Dan Forest’s arrangement of GOD OF THE DEEP for piano.
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
So let us draw near to God with sincerity and confidence, and humbly confess our sins.
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 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
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 Lloyd Larson’s choral arrangement of “O Come and Sing unto the Lord” (Palm 95) from The Palter 1912.
O come and sing unto the Lord,
to God our voices raise;
Let us in our most joyful song
the Lord our savior, praise!
Before God's presence let us
come with praise and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to God with grace,
with grateful hearts rejoice.
O come, and bowing down to God,
our worship let us bring;
Come, let us kneel before the Lord,
our Maker and our King.
The Lord our God is King of kings,
above all gods enthroned;
the depths of earth and mountains
high by God alone are owned.
To God the spacious sea belongs;
God made its waves and tides.
And by God's hand the rising land
was formed, and still abides.
O come, and bowing down to God,
our worship let us bring;
Come, let us kneel before the Lord,
our Maker and our King,
our Maker and our King, our King.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Dewey Westra and William Helder’s metrical version of Psalm 111, “O Give the Lord Wholehearted Praise!” from the Canadian Reformed Churches’ The Book of Praise.
1 O give the Lord wholehearted praise!
In thankful song my voice I raise
within the righteous congregation.
Great are the doings of the Lord,
and all to whom they joy afford
will study them with dedication.
2 In majesty and glory stand
the works of his almighty hand.
His righteousness endures forever.
He caused his wondrous acts to be
preserved in thought and memory.
His love and mercy will not waver.
3 The Lord gives food with open hand
to all who honour his command;
he keeps his covenant obligations.
His mighty deeds has he made known;
he gave his people, as their own,
the heritage of heathen nations.
4 The wondrous works his hands have done
are just and faithful, everyone;
his precept all will stand unshaken.
They will endure eternally;
secure and firm in all that he
has in uprightness undertaken.
5 To Israel he redemption sent;
eternal is God’s covenant.
his holy name is all-surpassing!
The fear of God is wisdom’s source,
A light to all who walk its course.
His glorious praise is everlasting!
Silence
Gracious God, you are full of compassion;
may we who long for your kingdom to come
rejoice to do your will
and acknowledge your power alone to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Second Book of Kings
2 Kings 5: 1-3, 7-15c
Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease. In one of their raids against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife. One day she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his disease.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and exclaimed, “How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It's plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me!”
When the prophet Elisha heard what had happened, he sent word to the king: “Why are you so upset? Send the man to me, and I'll show him that there is a prophet in Israel!”
So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease. But Naaman left in a rage, saying, “I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Besides, aren't the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!”
His servants went up to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?” So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child. He returned to Elisha with all his men and said, “Now I know that there is no god but the God of Israel; so please, sir, accept a gift from me.”
Silence.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Kenneth Jennings’ choral arrangement of “All You Works of the Lord.”
1 All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
2 You angels of the Lord, bless the
Lord;
You heavens, bless the Lord;
all you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord;
praise God and magnify God forever.
3 You sun and moon, bless the Lord;
you stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
all you showers and dew, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
4 All you winds of God, bless the Lord;
you fire and heat, bless the Lord;
you winter and summer, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
5 You dews and frost, bless the Lord;
you frost and cold, bless the Lord;
you ice and snow, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
6 You nights and days, bless the Lord;
you light and darkness, bless the Lord;
you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever,
praise God and magnify God forever.
Bless the Lord.
7 All the earth, bless the Lord;
you mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
all you green things that grow on the earth, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever
8 You wells and springs, bless the Lord;
you rivers and seas, bless the Lord;
you whales and all who move in the waters, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
9 All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord;
all you children of mortals, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
10 You people of God, bless the Lord;
you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord:
praise God and magnify God forever.
11 You spirits and souls of the righteous,
you pure and humble of heart, bless the Lord;
let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit:
praise God and magnify God forever. Amen
A reading from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy.
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from death, who was a descendant of David, as is taught in the Good News I preach. Because I preach the Good News, I suffer and I am even chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not in chains, and so I endure everything for the sake of God's chosen people, in order that they too may obtain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory. This is a true saying:
“If we have died with him,
we shall also live with him.
If we continue to endure,
we shall also rule with him.
If we deny him,
he also will deny us.
If we are not faithful,
he remains faithful,
because he cannot be false to himself.”
Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God's presence not to fight over words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen. Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” from Marty Haugen’s Beneath the Tree of Life Mass.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
1 Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
2 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, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
3 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.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people, peace to God’s people,
peace to God’s people on earth.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 17: 11-19
As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease. They stood at a distance and shouted, “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!”
Jesus saw them and said to them, “Go and let the priests examine you.”
On the way they were made clean. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. Jesus spoke up, “There were ten who were healed; where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?” And Jesus said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”
Silence
The God Who Is With Us
In this Sunday’s Old Testament and Gospel readings we have two accounts of how men suffering from a dreaded skin disease were miraculously cured by God.
Why are these accounts important?
For one thing they show that God’s grace is not confined to the people of Israel but is extended to the entire human family. Naaman in the Old Testament reading was a Syrian and one of the ten sufferers in the Gospel reading who shouted to Jesus for help was a Samaritan. Jesus made this point when he addressed the synagogue congregation in his hometown of Nazareth ( Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30). The congregation was so enraged by his words that they tried to kill him, to throw him off the brow of the hill on which the town stood. However, he walked through the angry mob and departed from Nazareth as it was not his time to die.
As important as this truth is, these accounts of God’ miraculous healing of men suffering from a dreaded skin disease point to something else: God is present and active in our world. God is working in our lives and the lives of other people, those living near at hand and those living far away.
The little Israelite girl, Naaman’s wife’ maid, remembers that Samaria has a prophet, believes that the prophet can heal Naaman, and tells her mistress. All coincidence? Or did God bring Elisha to her mind, encourage her to care about her master’s suffering, and consequently to tell her mistress about where he could get help? Did God enable Naaman to believe what the maid had told his wife and prompt the king of Syria to give Naaman leave to seek the prophet’s help? How did Elisha know what to tell Naaman to do, the circumstances under which God was going to heal Naaman? Did he conjure the idea out of thin air or did God instruct him in what to tell Naaman? What prompted Naaman’s servants to urge him to reconsider his decision not to follow Elisha’s instructions? What prompted Naaman to change his mind?
While it was not unusual for those suffering with a dreaded skin disease to be found on the outskirts of a town or village, we must ask how did the ten men knew what road Jesus would be taking and would pass by them? What prompted them to shout for help? What prompted the Samaritan to be the only one to came back upon discovering that he was healed, praising God in a loud voice, to throw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thank him?
While the two narratives do not answer these questions, we know from what else is revealed in the Bible that God was working behind the scenes to bring about the particular outcome of each story. As the apostle Paul wrote the church at Philippi, God works among us to want and to actually live out his good purposes (Philippian 2:13). God does not pull our strings like a puppeteer. Rather God gently nudges us in various ways to do what is pleasing to him. For example, God may draw to our attention someone in need and then quietly urge us to meet that need. God may show us where we can find the resources to meet the need. God is not only present and active in the world, but also small miracles are happening all the time. God often works those miracles through us. We may not recognize them for what they are, but they are miracles. A kind word. A helping hand. They are God at work in the world.
Larger miracles happen too. A member of my weeknight Bible study group was about to undergo surgery to remove a growth on her thyroid. The night before the surgery we laid hands on her and prayed for her healing. When the hospital X-rayed her thyroid before the surgery, the growth had gone. For a number of years an elderly African American raised a large amount of money every year to buy toys for disadvantaged children for Christmas. He never took credit for raising the money, recognizing that it was God working through him.
Take time this week to ask God to show you where he is working in the lives of those around you. Ask him to open your eyes and to open your ears. Ask him to show you how you can join him in what he is doing.
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.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always uphold and encourage
us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the author and lover of peace, in knowledge of whom
stands our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom;
defend us your servants in all assaults of our enemies,
that, surely trusting in your defense, we may not fear the power
of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “Healer of Our Every Ill.”
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
1 You who know our fears and sadness,
grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
2 In the pain and joy beholding
how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision, God of love.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
3 Give us strength to love each other,
ev’ry sister, ev’ry brother;
Spirit of all kindness, be our guide.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
4 You who know each thought and feeling,
teach us all your way of healing;
Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.
Healer of our ev’ry ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.
[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, in order 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]
God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.
We pray for the welfare of your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern it 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.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances (especially…). Relieve them according to their needs, giving them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
[Let us pray for ourselves and others.]
Silence
Those present may offer their own prayers and thanksgivings, either silently or aloud.
Eternal God,
grant to us this day and every day
such readiness and delight in following Christ,
that whether our lives are short or long
we shall have lived abundantly. 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 Shirley Erena Murray’s “Go Gently, Go Lightly.”
1 Go gently, go lightly,
go safe in the Spirit,
live simply, don't carry
much more than you need:
go trusting God's goodness,
go spreading God's kindness,
stay centered on Jesus
and where he will lead.
2 Go singing, go bringing
the gifts of the Spirit,
go hopefully searching
for things that are true:
in living, in loving,
whatever befalls you,
God keep you, God bless you
in all that you do.
[Instrumental interlude]
3 Go gently, go lightly,
go safe in the Spirit,
live simply, don't carry
much more than you need:
go trusting God's goodness,
go spreading God's kindness,
stay centered on Jesus
and where he will lead.
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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