Sundays at All Hallows (June 7, 2026)
Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.
This Sunday is the First Sunday after Trinity. Trinitytide, the season of the Church Year in which it falls, begins at sunset on Saturday, May 30, 2026, the first eve of Trinity Sunday, and lasts until sunset on Saturday, November 28, 2026, the eve of Advent Sunday, the beginning of Adventtide. In the northern hemisphere Trinitytide encompasses the summer and fall months. It is the longest season of the Church Year. It is a season in which Christians focus on how they may grow as disciples as Jesus Christ and help others come to know and love him as their Saviour and Lord. The topic of this Sunday’s message is faith.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Barry Hall’s arrangement of Noël Nouvelet for strings and woodwinds.
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Psalm 96.1,6
[Let us worship God.]
Open this link in a new tab to hear “The God of Abraham Praise,”
Thomas Olivers’ paraphrase of Daniel ben Judah’s “Yigdal Elohim Hai,”
1 The God of Abraham praise
Who reigns enthroned above,
Ancient of everlasting days,
And God of love:
To him uplift your voice,
At whose supreme command
From earth we rise and seek the joys
At his right hand.
4 There dwells the Lord our King,
The Lord our Righteousness,
Triumphant o'er the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace:
On Sion's sacred height
His kingdom he maintains,
And glorious with his saints in light
For ever reigns.
6 Before the great Three-One
They all exulting stand,
And tell the wonders he has done
Throughout the land:
The listening spheres attend,
And swell the growing fame,
And sing in songs which never end
The wondrous name.
8 The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high:
'Hail, Father, Son and Holy Ghost'
They ever cry:
Hail, Abraham's God and mine!
(I join the heavenly lays)
All might and majesty are thine,
And endless praise.
[Let us confess our sins to God our Father]
Silence
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear “Glory to God” (Gloria in Excelsis) from Peter Nardone’s Mass of St Cedd.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
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.
receive our prayer.
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. Amen.
[Let us pray.]
Silence
God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you, both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 12: 1-9
Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’*
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak* of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring* I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Haas’ “Lord Let Your Mercy Be on Us” (Psalm 33).
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
1 Upright is the word of God,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
the Lord’s kindness fills the earth
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
2 The eyes of the Lord are upon you,
upon you who hope for his kindness,
to deliver them from death
and to preserve them in spite of famine.
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
3 Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Romans 4: 13-25
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already* as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith* ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Harriet Auber’s “O Praise Our Great and Gracious Lord.”
1 O praise our great and gracious Lord,
And call upon his name,
To strains of joy tune every chord,
His mighty acts proclaim:
Tell how he freed his chosen race
From Pharaoh's heavy hand,
And led them by his sovereign grace
To seek the promised land.
2 He gave the shadowing cloud by day,
The moving fire by night,
To guide his people on their way,
And make their darkness light:
To us, the light of Christ our Lord
Illumines all our ways;
He leads us by his gospel word,
And turns our sighs to praise.
3 We too have manna from on high,
The bread that came from heaven,
And he who brought salvation nigh
Has living water given:
A rock is ours, from whence the spring
In rich abundance flows,
And Christ that rock, our priest and king,
Both life and health bestows.
4 Come, let us prize this heavenly food,
And trust our heavenly guide,
So shall we find death’s fearful flood
Serene as Jordan’s tide;
And safely reach th'eternal shore
No more by ills opprest;
Where saints their Lord and God adore,
And in his glory, rest.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting* with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue* came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
What do Abram, the ruler of the synagogue, and the woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years have in common?
Abram believed what he heard from God and trusted God. The synagogue ruler and the woman not only believed what they had heard about Jesus, but they also trusted in what they heard. Jesus was able to restore the dead to life. He was able to heal the sick.
Like Abram, they possessed both aspects of faith: They believed what they heard and they trusted in what they heard. Their faith caused them to seek the one who could indeed restore the dead to life and heal the sick.
This is how the faith of the synagogue ruler restored his daughter to life and the faith of the woman made her well. It wasn’t the existence of their faith or the measure of their faith that did these things. Rather it was their faith which prompted them to seek the one who was able to do what they themselves were unable to do.
They chose to take the path that Abram had taken. They chose to walk in his footsteps. They chose to walk in the footsteps of faith.
As may be gathered from the Scriptures, faith is a gift of God’s grace. We do not come by it naturally. Rather God works in us, enabling us to believe in God and to trust in God. To paraphrase the Articles of Religion, in its Church of England version and in its Episcopal Church and John Wesley’s adaptations, God’s grace makes it possible for us to have a good will toward God, and works with us, when we have such a good will.
Like all gifts of God’s grace, faith must be appropriated. We must choose to believe God and to trust in God. God does his part. We must do ours. The more we employ the faith God has given us, the more our faith increases and the more we grow in our relationship with God.
When we turn to God in prayer, how much faith we possess will not determine the outcome of our prayer. God does not weigh our faith on a scale and grant what we ask based on which way the beam of the scale dips. God will not say “no” to our prayer because we do not have enough faith, as if a large measure of faith earns us merit with God to the point that God is more likely to say “yes” to what we ask God. Rather those who do possess such a measure of faith are more likely to accept whatever answer God gives to their prayer, trusting wholeheartedly in God’s goodwill toward them.
When Abram set out, he put his whole trust in God and God’s goodwill toward him. He took the first step of faith, a step that God in calling him enabled him to take. He indeed would become the forefather of a great nation as God promised. He would become the forefather of all who believe in God and wholeheartedly trust in God.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Synebsius of Cyrene’s “Lord Jesus, Think on Me.”
1 Lord Jesus, think on me,
and purge away my sin;
From earth-born passions set me free,
and make me pure within.
2 Lord Jesus, think on me,
with care and woe oppress;
let me thy loving servant be,
and taste thy promised rest.
3 Lord Jesus, think on me
amid the battle's strife;
in all my pain and misery
be thou my health and life.
4 Lord Jesus, think on me,
nor let me go astray;
through darkness and perplexity
point thou the heav'nly way.
5 Lord Jesus, think on me,
when flows the tempest high;
when on doth rush the enemy,
O Savior, be thou nigh.
6 Lord Jesus, think on me,
that, when the flood is past,
I may th'eternal brightness see,
and share thy joy at last.
[Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.]
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
[Let us pray for the Church and the world.]
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may
be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal
your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the
ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant
that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he
loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and
bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will
for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Faithful God,
you have promised to hear the prayers
of all who ask in Jesus’ name.
In your mercy, accept our prayers.
Give us what we have asked in faith,
according to your will:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you hearty thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation, 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 may 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 all honour and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
O God,
you have assured the human family of eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour:
deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in him,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
[And now as our Saviour taught us, we pray]
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Cyril Alington’s “Ye That Know the Lord Is Gracious.”
1 Ye that know the Lord is gracious,
Ye for whom a Corner-stone
Stands, of God elect and precious,
Laid that ye may build thereon,
See that on that sure foundation
Ye a living temple raise,
Towers that may tell forth salvation,
Walls that may re-echo praise.
2 Living stones, by God appointed
Each to his allotted place,
Kings and priests, by God anointed,
Shall ye not declare his grace?
Ye, a royal generation,
Tell the tidings of your birth,
Tidings of a new creation
To an old and weary earth.
3 Tell the praise of him who called you
Out of darkness into light,
Broke the fetters that enthralled you,
Gave you freedom, peace and sight:
Tell the tale of sins forgiven,
Strength renewed and hope restored,
Till the earth, in tune with heaven,
Praise and magnify the Lord.
GOING OUT AS GOD’S PEOPLE
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 John A. Behnke’s “Benediction.”
The Lord bless you
The Lord keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious
And be gracious
The Lord look upon you with favor
And give you peace.
The Lord bless you
The Lord keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious
And be gracious
The Lord look upon you with favor
And give you peace.
Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen.
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. Amen.
[Let us pray.]
Silence
God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you, both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 12: 1-9
Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’*
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak* of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring* I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Haas’ “Lord Let Your Mercy Be on Us” (Psalm 33).
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
1 Upright is the word of God,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
the Lord’s kindness fills the earth
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
2 The eyes of the Lord are upon you,
upon you who hope for his kindness,
to deliver them from death
and to preserve them in spite of famine.
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
3 Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
Lord, let your mercy be on us
as we place our trust in you
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Romans 4: 13-25
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already* as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith* ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Harriet Auber’s “O Praise Our Great and Gracious Lord.”
1 O praise our great and gracious Lord,
And call upon his name,
To strains of joy tune every chord,
His mighty acts proclaim:
Tell how he freed his chosen race
From Pharaoh's heavy hand,
And led them by his sovereign grace
To seek the promised land.
2 He gave the shadowing cloud by day,
The moving fire by night,
To guide his people on their way,
And make their darkness light:
To us, the light of Christ our Lord
Illumines all our ways;
He leads us by his gospel word,
And turns our sighs to praise.
3 We too have manna from on high,
The bread that came from heaven,
And he who brought salvation nigh
Has living water given:
A rock is ours, from whence the spring
In rich abundance flows,
And Christ that rock, our priest and king,
Both life and health bestows.
4 Come, let us prize this heavenly food,
And trust our heavenly guide,
So shall we find death’s fearful flood
Serene as Jordan’s tide;
And safely reach th'eternal shore
No more by ills opprest;
Where saints their Lord and God adore,
And in his glory, rest.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting* with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue* came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
[May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.]
Silence
The Footsteps of Faith
What do Abram, the ruler of the synagogue, and the woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years have in common?
Abram believed what he heard from God and trusted God. The synagogue ruler and the woman not only believed what they had heard about Jesus, but they also trusted in what they heard. Jesus was able to restore the dead to life. He was able to heal the sick.
Like Abram, they possessed both aspects of faith: They believed what they heard and they trusted in what they heard. Their faith caused them to seek the one who could indeed restore the dead to life and heal the sick.
This is how the faith of the synagogue ruler restored his daughter to life and the faith of the woman made her well. It wasn’t the existence of their faith or the measure of their faith that did these things. Rather it was their faith which prompted them to seek the one who was able to do what they themselves were unable to do.
They chose to take the path that Abram had taken. They chose to walk in his footsteps. They chose to walk in the footsteps of faith.
As may be gathered from the Scriptures, faith is a gift of God’s grace. We do not come by it naturally. Rather God works in us, enabling us to believe in God and to trust in God. To paraphrase the Articles of Religion, in its Church of England version and in its Episcopal Church and John Wesley’s adaptations, God’s grace makes it possible for us to have a good will toward God, and works with us, when we have such a good will.
Like all gifts of God’s grace, faith must be appropriated. We must choose to believe God and to trust in God. God does his part. We must do ours. The more we employ the faith God has given us, the more our faith increases and the more we grow in our relationship with God.
When we turn to God in prayer, how much faith we possess will not determine the outcome of our prayer. God does not weigh our faith on a scale and grant what we ask based on which way the beam of the scale dips. God will not say “no” to our prayer because we do not have enough faith, as if a large measure of faith earns us merit with God to the point that God is more likely to say “yes” to what we ask God. Rather those who do possess such a measure of faith are more likely to accept whatever answer God gives to their prayer, trusting wholeheartedly in God’s goodwill toward them.
When Abram set out, he put his whole trust in God and God’s goodwill toward him. He took the first step of faith, a step that God in calling him enabled him to take. He indeed would become the forefather of a great nation as God promised. He would become the forefather of all who believe in God and wholeheartedly trust in God.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Synebsius of Cyrene’s “Lord Jesus, Think on Me.”
1 Lord Jesus, think on me,
and purge away my sin;
From earth-born passions set me free,
and make me pure within.
2 Lord Jesus, think on me,
with care and woe oppress;
let me thy loving servant be,
and taste thy promised rest.
3 Lord Jesus, think on me
amid the battle's strife;
in all my pain and misery
be thou my health and life.
4 Lord Jesus, think on me,
nor let me go astray;
through darkness and perplexity
point thou the heav'nly way.
5 Lord Jesus, think on me,
when flows the tempest high;
when on doth rush the enemy,
O Savior, be thou nigh.
6 Lord Jesus, think on me,
that, when the flood is past,
I may th'eternal brightness see,
and share thy joy at last.
[Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.]
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
[Let us pray for the Church and the world.]
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may
be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal
your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the
ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant
that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he
loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and
bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will
for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Faithful God,
you have promised to hear the prayers
of all who ask in Jesus’ name.
In your mercy, accept our prayers.
Give us what we have asked in faith,
according to your will:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]
Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you hearty thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation, 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 may 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 all honour and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
O God,
you have assured the human family of eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour:
deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in him,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
[And now as our Saviour taught us, we pray]
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Cyril Alington’s “Ye That Know the Lord Is Gracious.”
1 Ye that know the Lord is gracious,
Ye for whom a Corner-stone
Stands, of God elect and precious,
Laid that ye may build thereon,
See that on that sure foundation
Ye a living temple raise,
Towers that may tell forth salvation,
Walls that may re-echo praise.
2 Living stones, by God appointed
Each to his allotted place,
Kings and priests, by God anointed,
Shall ye not declare his grace?
Ye, a royal generation,
Tell the tidings of your birth,
Tidings of a new creation
To an old and weary earth.
3 Tell the praise of him who called you
Out of darkness into light,
Broke the fetters that enthralled you,
Gave you freedom, peace and sight:
Tell the tale of sins forgiven,
Strength renewed and hope restored,
Till the earth, in tune with heaven,
Praise and magnify the Lord.
GOING OUT AS GOD’S PEOPLE
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 John A. Behnke’s “Benediction.”
The Lord bless you
The Lord keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious
And be gracious
The Lord look upon you with favor
And give you peace.
The Lord bless you
The Lord keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious
And be gracious
The Lord look upon you with favor
And give you peace.
Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen.
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