Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (July 16, 2026)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

In this Thursday evening’s message, we examine Jesus’ teaching on the subject of righteousness, anger, reconciliation, and settlement of debts in his Sermon on the Mount.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Seaman’s arrangement of SCHONSTER JESU (Fairest Lord Jesus) for hammered dulcimer.

Silence

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth
stand in awe of him. Psalm 96:9

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and
just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9

Let us now confess our sins to almighty God.

Silence

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much
the devices and the desires of our own hearts.
we have offended against your holy laws,
we have 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 we may be cleansed from all our 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 Christopher Idle’s “Light of Gladness, Lord of Glory.”

1 Light of gladness, Lord of glory,
Jesus Christ our king most holy,
shine among us in your mercy:
earth and heaven join their hymn.

2 Let us sing at sun's descending
as we see the lights of evening,
Father, Son, and Spirit praising
with the holy seraphim.

3 Son of God, through all the ages
worthy of our holiest praises,
yours the life that never ceases,
light which never shall grow dim.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 90 (Domine, refugium) from the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter.

1 Lord, thou hast been our refuge : from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made : thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.

3 Thou turnest man to destruction : again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yester-day : seeing that is past as a watch in the night.

5 As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep : and fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green, and groweth up : but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.

7 For we consume away in thy displeasure : and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.

8 Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee : and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9 For when thou art angry all our days are gone : we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.

10 The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years : yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.

11 But who regardeth the power of thy wrath : for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure.

12 So teach us to number our days : that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

13 Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last : and be gracious unto thy servants.

14 O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon : so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

15 Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us : and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.

16 Shew thy servants thy work : and their children thy glory.

17 And the glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us : prosper thou the work of our hands upon us, O prosper thou our handywork.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 4: 2b-15

Later Eve gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.

Silence

Opens this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul” (Magnificat).

1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his Word;
in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.

2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.

3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his Word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children's children and forevermore!

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew 5: 20-26

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.

Silence

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s "Faithful Vigil Ended" (Nunc dimittis).

1 Faithful vigil ended,
watching, waiting cease
Master, grant your servant
his discharge in peace.

2 All the Spirit promised,
all the Father willed
now these eyes behold it
perfectly fulfilled.

3 This your great deliverance
sets your people free
Christ their light uplifted
all the nations see.

4 Christ, your people's glory!
Watching, doubting cease
grant to us your servants
our discharge in peace.

Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount

Last week we took a look at what the apostle Paul wrote the Christians at Ephesus on the subject of the Christian way of life. We compared two different ways people manage their anger. In the first way they exercised mastery over their anger. In the second way their anger exercised mastery over them. This week we look at what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5: 20-26, on the subject of righteousness, anger, reconciliation, and settlement of debts.

Verse 20. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law went to great lengths to seen by their coreligionists as morally correct and pious. However, their righteousness was not genuine. It was show. It fell short where it mattered such as showing mercy to others. It was motivated not by a desire to please God but by a desire to gain the admiration of their fellow Jews.

What Jesus is telling the disciples that they must pursue a different kind of righteousness, one in which their attitudes, thoughts, and actions are motivated by a desire to please God.

Verses 21-22. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Jesus equates anger with the breach of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder,” the sin Cain committed when he attacked and killed his younger brother Abel because God accepted Abel’s sacrificial offering and not his. Expressions of strong dislike and no respect for others, he tells the disciples, will subject a person to serious consequences, being taken to court and worse, being cut off from God for all eternity. In modern-day English the equivalent of the Aramaic “raca” is “stupid" or “loser.” What Jesus is telling the disciples is a warning to those who are overly fond of expressing their contempt for others with these words. They are doing harm to themselves as well as to those for whom they are expressing contempt, and one day God will require an accounting from them.

Jesus did not contradict himself when he drove the animal vendors and money changers out of the Temple at Jerusalem. The righteous anger that he experienced at the misuse of the Temple differed from the outrage that we may feel over what are often trivial matters. Nor was he setting a precedent for us to follow. 

Jesus also did not contradict himself when he called the Pharisees a “nest of vipers” and “white-washed tombs.” He was speaking metaphorically, using figures of speech. He was not giving us permission to make derogatory comments about others, comments that express our contempt for them.

Verses 23-24. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Jesus goes on to emphasize the importance of reconciliation with those who have something against us. He tells the disciples that reconciliation is so important that it outweighs religious duty.

Jesus, however, is not talking about a partner or spouse returning to a highly toxic situation in which they have been emotionally and psychologically abused and in which they risk injury or death at the hands of the abuser.

Verses 25-26. “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

In those days people could be imprisoned until they paid a debt or sold into slavery to pay a debt. What Jesus is telling his disciples is to settle such matters as unpaid debts out of court. Avoiding assuming more debt than one can pay off is best way to avoid such unpleasantness.

With the Sermon on the Mount and his other teaching Jesus provides us with guidance on how we are live our lives as his disciples. We are put right with God by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. Our justification which is what theologian call being restored to a right relationship with God is just the beginning. For the remainder of our days, God works in us, sanctifying us, enabling us to live as Jesus’ disciples and to become more and more like the one whom we call Redeemer, Lord, and Friend.

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.
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.

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
Pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eternal God, from whom all holy desires, all good purposes,
and all just works proceed: give to your servants that peace
which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to
obey your commandments, and that free from the fear of our
enemies we may pass our time in trust and quietness;
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray: and in your great
mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Christ Be the Lord of All Our Days.”

1 Christ be the Lord of all our days,
the swiftly passing years:
Lord of our unremembered birth,
heirs to the brightness of the earth;
Lord of our griefs and fears.

2 Christ be the source of all our deeds,
the life our living shares;
the fount which flows from worlds above
to never-failing springs of love;
the ground of all our prayers.

3 Christ be the goal of all our hopes,
the end to whom we come;
guide of each pilgrim Christian soul
which seeks, as compass seeks the pole,
our many-mansioned home.

4 Christ be the vision of our lives,
of all we think and are;
to shine upon our spirits' sight
as light of everlasting light,
the bright and morning star.

Silence is kept.

Those present may offer their own prayers and thanksgivings, either silently or aloud.

Gracious God,
you have given us much today;
grant us also a thankful spirit.
Into your hands we commend ourselves
and those we love.
Be with us still, and when we take our rest
renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.

In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear 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.

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 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.