Sundays at All Hallows (March 8, 2026)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.
This Sunday is the Third Sunday in Lent. The topic of this Sunday’s message is Jesus’ teaching about worshiping God. GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Jon Sarta’s arrangement of the traditional English folk tune O WALY WALY 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
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 to James Quinn SJ’s paraphrase of the Jubilate Deo, “Sing All Creation.”
1 Sing, all creation, sing to God in gladness!
Joyously serve him, singing hymns of homage!
Chanting his praises, come before his presence!
Praise the Almighty!
2 Know that our God is Lord of all the ages!
He is our maker; we are all his creatures,
people he fashioned, sheep he leads to pasture!
Praise the Almighty!
3 Enter his temple, ringing out his praises!
Sing in thanksgiving as you come before him!
Blessing his bounty, glorify his greatness!
Praise the Almighty!
[Instrumental interlude]
4 Great in his goodness is the Lord we worship;
steadfast his kindness, love that knows no ending!
Faithful his word is, changeless, everlasting!
Praise the Almighty!
Open this link in a new tab to hear Brian Sauvé’s “O'er the Roaring Seas” (Psalm 93).
The LORD doth reign and clothed is He
He's clothed in majesty (in majesty)
The LORD has girt Himself with might
And clothed in strength is He (in strength is He)
The world is established;
And it shall not be moved
Thy throne is established
Of old—yea, Thou art too
O LORD, the floods have lifted up
The floods have lifted up their voice to Thee
The floods have lifted up their waves
And made a mighty noise—in their roaring
But the LORD, He is mightiеr than the roaring seas
The LORD, Hе is seated on high above the waves
His decrees, they are sure, they are perfect and trustworthy
Thy holiness, oh it becomes Thy dwelling place
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Aye, Amen!
Aye, Amen!
And aye, Amen!
Silence
You have established your throne, O Lord,
above the chaos of this world:
may your truth, which is for everlasting,
be ours, now and for ever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Greg McDonald’s “Sing unto the Lord a New Song” (Psalm 96).
1 Sing unto the Lord a new song
Sing unto the Lord all the earth
Sing to the Lord, bless his name
Tell of his salvation day by day.
2 Majesty and honour are his
Strength and beauty, glory and righteousness
Great is the Lord, and deserving of praise
He is to be feared above all gods.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
3 Let all the creation be glad
The earth and the sea sing for joy
Before the Lord, the judge of the earth
Who judges us in righteousness and truth.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
Silence
Heaven and earth, O Lord, are full of your glory
and all creation resounds with your praise.
As your Son has appeared in the likeness of our flesh
so may all creation share in the beauty of holiness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Exodus.
Exodus 17: 1-7
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Idle’s “Bless the Lord, Our Fathers' God”
Piano accompaniment only (3 verses; no introduction)
1 Bless the Lord, our fathers' God,
bless the name of heaven's king;
bless him in his holy place,
tell his praise, his glories sing.
2 Bless the Lord who reigns on high
throned above the cherubim;
bless the Lord who knows the depths,
show his praise and worship him.
3 Bless the Lord for evermore,
bless the Holy Trinity;
bless the Father, Spirit, Son,
sing his praise eternally!
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Romans 5: 1-11
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Perry’s "O Bless the God of Israel" (Benedictus)
1 O bless the God of Israel,
who comes to set us free,
who visits and redeems us
and grants us liberty.
The prophets spoke of mercy,
of rescue and release,
God shall fulfil his promise
and bring his people peace.
2 He comes! The Child of David,
the Son whom God has given;
he comes to live among us
and raise us up to heaven.
Before him goes his servant,
forerunner in the way,
the prophet of salvation,
the herald of the Day.
3 Where once were fear and darkness
the sun begins to rise-
the dawning of forgiveness
upon the sinner’s eyes.
He guides the feet of pilgrims
along the paths of peace:
O, bless our God and Saviour,
with songs that never cease!
A reading from the Gospel according to John.
John 4: 5-42
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
When we think about worshiping God, what comes to mind? Sunday morning’s “worship set.” The vocalists on a praise band singing a selection of the latest contemporary Christian and praise and worship music hits. Maybe a popular traditional hymn or older praise chorus thrown in for good measure. Maybe a prayer. Most of the congregation listening to the vocalists. A few trying to sing along.
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 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 to James Quinn SJ’s paraphrase of the Jubilate Deo, “Sing All Creation.”
1 Sing, all creation, sing to God in gladness!
Joyously serve him, singing hymns of homage!
Chanting his praises, come before his presence!
Praise the Almighty!
2 Know that our God is Lord of all the ages!
He is our maker; we are all his creatures,
people he fashioned, sheep he leads to pasture!
Praise the Almighty!
3 Enter his temple, ringing out his praises!
Sing in thanksgiving as you come before him!
Blessing his bounty, glorify his greatness!
Praise the Almighty!
[Instrumental interlude]
4 Great in his goodness is the Lord we worship;
steadfast his kindness, love that knows no ending!
Faithful his word is, changeless, everlasting!
Praise the Almighty!
Open this link in a new tab to hear Brian Sauvé’s “O'er the Roaring Seas” (Psalm 93).
The LORD doth reign and clothed is He
He's clothed in majesty (in majesty)
The LORD has girt Himself with might
And clothed in strength is He (in strength is He)
The world is established;
And it shall not be moved
Thy throne is established
Of old—yea, Thou art too
O LORD, the floods have lifted up
The floods have lifted up their voice to Thee
The floods have lifted up their waves
And made a mighty noise—in their roaring
But the LORD, He is mightiеr than the roaring seas
The LORD, Hе is seated on high above the waves
His decrees, they are sure, they are perfect and trustworthy
Thy holiness, oh it becomes Thy dwelling place
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Forever and evermore, ever and aye! Amen!
Aye, Amen!
Aye, Amen!
And aye, Amen!
Silence
You have established your throne, O Lord,
above the chaos of this world:
may your truth, which is for everlasting,
be ours, now and for ever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Greg McDonald’s “Sing unto the Lord a New Song” (Psalm 96).
1 Sing unto the Lord a new song
Sing unto the Lord all the earth
Sing to the Lord, bless his name
Tell of his salvation day by day.
2 Majesty and honour are his
Strength and beauty, glory and righteousness
Great is the Lord, and deserving of praise
He is to be feared above all gods.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
3 Let all the creation be glad
The earth and the sea sing for joy
Before the Lord, the judge of the earth
Who judges us in righteousness and truth.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
Worship the Lord in holy array
Tremble before him all the earth
Our God reigns.
Silence
Heaven and earth, O Lord, are full of your glory
and all creation resounds with your praise.
As your Son has appeared in the likeness of our flesh
so may all creation share in the beauty of holiness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Exodus.
Exodus 17: 1-7
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Idle’s “Bless the Lord, Our Fathers' God”
Piano accompaniment only (3 verses; no introduction)
1 Bless the Lord, our fathers' God,
bless the name of heaven's king;
bless him in his holy place,
tell his praise, his glories sing.
2 Bless the Lord who reigns on high
throned above the cherubim;
bless the Lord who knows the depths,
show his praise and worship him.
3 Bless the Lord for evermore,
bless the Holy Trinity;
bless the Father, Spirit, Son,
sing his praise eternally!
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Romans 5: 1-11
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael Perry’s "O Bless the God of Israel" (Benedictus)
1 O bless the God of Israel,
who comes to set us free,
who visits and redeems us
and grants us liberty.
The prophets spoke of mercy,
of rescue and release,
God shall fulfil his promise
and bring his people peace.
2 He comes! The Child of David,
the Son whom God has given;
he comes to live among us
and raise us up to heaven.
Before him goes his servant,
forerunner in the way,
the prophet of salvation,
the herald of the Day.
3 Where once were fear and darkness
the sun begins to rise-
the dawning of forgiveness
upon the sinner’s eyes.
He guides the feet of pilgrims
along the paths of peace:
O, bless our God and Saviour,
with songs that never cease!
A reading from the Gospel according to John.
John 4: 5-42
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
What Did Jesus Teach about Worshiping God?
When we think about worshiping God, what comes to mind? Sunday morning’s “worship set.” The vocalists on a praise band singing a selection of the latest contemporary Christian and praise and worship music hits. Maybe a popular traditional hymn or older praise chorus thrown in for good measure. Maybe a prayer. Most of the congregation listening to the vocalists. A few trying to sing along.
Maybe we attend a more traditional service. Three hymns and an anthem or a solo. Perhaps a choral call to worship or dismissal.
Let’s eavesdrop for a moment on Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob.
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
When Jesus spoke these words, he was not talking about what happens in a church service. Jesus was talking about the disposition of our hearts and how we live our lives and the part that the Holy Spirit plays both in the way our hearts incline and in the way we live. By our hearts I am referring to our innermost inclinations, those which form our character and influence how we live our lives.
We can regularly attend a church service and participate in various church activities and still be far from God in our relationship with God. In everyday life we may display negligible respect for God. Our motives for attending the service and participating in these activities may be to feel good about ourselves, gain acceptance and approval from others, to maintain a particular social standing, or to obtain some other advantage for ourselves. Superstition and magical thinking may also motivate us such as the belief that bad things will happen to us if we don’t go to church.
True worshipers, the kind of worshipers about which Jesus was talking, on the other hand, are motivated by a deep respect for God. This respect for God reflects the disposition of their hearts and characterizes how they live their lives. They not only aspire to honor God in thought, word, and deed but also make a concerted effort to achieve that to which they aspire.
What is their secret? The supernatural agency of the Holy Spirit living in them. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that has wrought a change in the disposition of their hearts and a change in how they live their lives. They have experienced the new birth.
When we view the worship of God in this light, we realize that worshiping God is not something that we do for an hour on Sundays. Rather it is what we do every day, every minute of the day, when we believe God, trust God, and obey God, enabled by God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working our lives. This is what means to worship God in the Spirit and in truth.
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.
We beseech you, almighty God, look on the heartfelt
Let’s eavesdrop for a moment on Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob.
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
When Jesus spoke these words, he was not talking about what happens in a church service. Jesus was talking about the disposition of our hearts and how we live our lives and the part that the Holy Spirit plays both in the way our hearts incline and in the way we live. By our hearts I am referring to our innermost inclinations, those which form our character and influence how we live our lives.
We can regularly attend a church service and participate in various church activities and still be far from God in our relationship with God. In everyday life we may display negligible respect for God. Our motives for attending the service and participating in these activities may be to feel good about ourselves, gain acceptance and approval from others, to maintain a particular social standing, or to obtain some other advantage for ourselves. Superstition and magical thinking may also motivate us such as the belief that bad things will happen to us if we don’t go to church.
True worshipers, the kind of worshipers about which Jesus was talking, on the other hand, are motivated by a deep respect for God. This respect for God reflects the disposition of their hearts and characterizes how they live their lives. They not only aspire to honor God in thought, word, and deed but also make a concerted effort to achieve that to which they aspire.
What is their secret? The supernatural agency of the Holy Spirit living in them. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that has wrought a change in the disposition of their hearts and a change in how they live their lives. They have experienced the new birth.
When we view the worship of God in this light, we realize that worshiping God is not something that we do for an hour on Sundays. Rather it is what we do every day, every minute of the day, when we believe God, trust God, and obey God, enabled by God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working our lives. This is what means to worship God in the Spirit and in truth.
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.
We beseech you, almighty God, look on the heartfelt
desires of your servants, and stretch forth the right hand
of your power to be our defence against all our enemies;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
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 Isaac Watts’ My God, My Portion, and My Love.”
My God, my portion, and my love,
My everlasting All,
I've none but thee in heaven above,
Or on this earthly ball.
What empty things are all the skies,
And this inferior clod!
There's nothing here deserves my joys,
There's nothing like my God.
In vain the bright, the burning sun
Scatters his feeble light;
'Tis thy sweet beams create my noon;
If thou withdraw 'tis night.
Were I possessor of the earth,
And called the stars my own,
Without thy graces and thyself,
I were a wretch undone.
Let others stretch their arms like seas,
And grasp in all the shore;
Grant me the visits of thy grace,
And I desire no more.
[Let us pray for all in civil authority.]
Almighty God, you rule over the kingdoms of the world: We
commend to your merciful care the people of this land, that,
being guided by your providence, they may dwell secure in
your peace. Grant to [here the appropriate persons in government
are named] and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know
and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness,
that they may serve your people faithfully to your honour and glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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, 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 Charles Wesley’s "Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim."
1 Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,
And publish abroad his wonderful name:
The name all-victorious of Jesus extol:
His kingdom is glorious, and rules over all.
2 God ruleth on high, almighty to save;
And still he is nigh, his presence we have:
The great congregation his triumph shall sing,
Ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.
3 Salvation to God who sits on the throne!
Let all cry aloud, and honour the Son:
The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
Fall down on their faces, and worship the Lamb.
4 Then let us adore, and give him his right:
All glory and power, all wisdom and might,
All honour and blessing, with angels above,
And thanks never-ceasing, and infinite love.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear St. Aidan’s Community’s "The Grace" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God our Father,
and the fellowship, the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with us
for evermore and evermore and evermore. Amen.
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