Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (August 6, 2026)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
On this day, August 6, in 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The loss of life from both atomic bombings was horrific. Roughly 80,000 people were killed immediately or shortly afterwards at Hiroshima. By the end of 1945 the total number of dead had risen above 140,000 due to serious injuries and radiation sickness. A further 74,000 died at Nagasaki. Of the dead, an estimated 38,000 were children.
Kokura had been the intended target of the second atomic bomb but heavy cloud cover over that Japanese city caused the bomber’s commander to switch to the alternative target, Nagasaki. The two atomic bombings ushered in a new age in warfare, the nuclear age in which a single bomb could destroy a city and a war fought with nuclear weapons could wipe out not only human civilization but also all life on earth.
This knowledge, however, has not deterred nations from seeking to possess nuclear weapons and from developing nuclear weapons far more destructive than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world now lives in fear of such weapons falling into the wrong hands, the hands of someone who feels no moral restraint or any other compunction against using them.
This evening’s message is a reflection on an ancient prophesy in the Book of Isaiah and how Jesus fulfills that prophesy.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Michio Mamiya’s arrangement of Studio Ghibli’s GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES for solo piano.
Silence
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw
like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm
nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. Isaiah 65: 25
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 to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Safe in the Shadow of the Lord (Psalm 91)
1 Safe in the shadow of the Lord
beneath his hand and power,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
my fortress and my tower.
2 My hope is set on God alone
though Satan spreads his snare;
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
to keep me in his care.
3 From fears and phantoms of the night,
from foes about my way,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
by darkness as by day.
4 His holy angels keep my feet
secure from every stone;
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and unafraid go on.
5 Strong in the everlasting Name,
and in my Father's care,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
who hears and answers prayer.
6 Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
possessed by love divine,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and meet his love with mine.
Silence
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
and, as you have bound us to yourself in love,
leave us not who call upon your name
and grant us your salvation,
made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 2: 1- 5
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
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 Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 2:1-10
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
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.
This evening’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah 2: 1- 5, is first of three passages in the Book of Isaiah that foresee a time when all armed conflict ceases and all creation, not just humanity lives in harmony and peace.
The second of these passages is Isaiah 11: 1-9.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Christians identify the shoot that comes from the stump of Jesse with Jesus. Jesse was the father of David, Israel’s second and most famous king.
The third passage is Isaiah 65:17-25.
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
“Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
The time of harmony and peace that these three passages foresee has been dubbed the “peaceable kingdom” and has been the subject of art and poetry. Many Christians associate it with Jesus’ reign on earth, which they believe he will inaugurate when he comes again glory. It represents for many their deepest yearnings in this conflict-torn world, an end to the violence and bloodshed, the cruel and wanton taking of life.
In this evening’s New Testament reading, 1 Timothy 2:1-10, we are urged to pray for all people, for the leaders of the nations and those in authority, so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is the right thing to as the apostle Paul points to our attention. It is also pleasing to God who, Paul tells us, wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
No where in the New Testament does Jesus or the apostles urge us to pray for the destruction of our enemies or for victory in battle. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that the peacemakers, not the warmongers, are blessed and that they will be called children of God (Matthew 5: 9). He further teaches us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us that we may be children of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5: 43-48). .
But in Matthew 10:34 didn’t Jesus say that he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Yes, he did. However, what he said must be understood in the light of what he says elsewhere and not interpreted in such a way that it contradicts what else he said. With these words Jesus is acknowledging that he will cause division in families. He is not promoting armed conflict or the taking of human life. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus equates being angry with someone else and saying unkind things to that person with breaking the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.” (Matthew 5: 21-22). Jesus also places above religious duty reconciliation with someone who has something against us (Matthew 5: 23-24).
This does not keep some folks from looking for ways to justify at least to their own satisfaction ignoring what Jesus taught, for example, the whip Jesus made from cords. The whip is not evidence that Jesus was contradicting his own teaching nor is it license for us to resort to violence. Either interpretation is a misreading of the passage. The whip was to drive the livestock from the Temple (John 2:13-17). The narrative contains nothing that even remotely suggests that he struck anyone with the whip. Even his overturning of the money changer’s tables cannot be construed to infer that we are free to take similar action in different circumstances. According to John, what Jesus did was the fulfillment of Scripture. The description of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple was not included in all four Gospels to set an example for us to copy or to establish a precedent for us to follow.
Some folks are not happy with Jesus as the Prince of Peace foretold in Isaiah 9:6, Israel’s true King, enrobed in human flesh, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a humble beast of burden ridden not by the elites of that time but by the common people, who suffered and died on a cross, condemned by the very same crowd who had cheered his entrance into the city. No, they would change the narrative.
They would clad Jesus in armor, gird him with a sword, mount him on a war horse, and place him at the head of an army, an army of themselves and people like themselves, people of the same mindset, and make Jesus the standard bearer for whatever cause they espouse.
Their Jesus, however, is not the Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Galilee, Samaria, and Judaea, who preached good news to the poor, who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, cleansed the leprous, drove out demons, and raised the dead. Their Jesus is not the Jesus in whom God was, reconciling the world to himself, “not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19); the Jesus who, while he was in very nature God, made himself nothing, who took the very nature of a servant and became a human being, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8) No, their Jesus is an idol of their own making, an idol made in their own image!
Just as he on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee commanded the wind and the waves, “Peace! Be still!” Jesus one day will command humankind, all the peoples of the Earth, “Peace! Be still!” He will take away our hatred and ill-will toward others and cure us of our warring madness. “Peace! Be still!”
He will usher in the peaceable kingdom, new heavens and a new earth, all creation renewed. Gone will be the horrors of war. Gone forever.
No more cities will disappear in a blaze of light brighter than the sun as did Hiroshima did, early in the morning, 81 years ago on this day. No more young men will be sent to their deaths on a foreign battlefield to gratify the territorial ambitions of their nation’s leader. Only peace, God’s shalom, the peace that the angels proclaimed on the night of our Savior’s birth.
Until that day comes, let us pray for peaceful, quiet lives and opportunities to share the good news with both neighbor and stranger and to serve God in our lifetime, to be instruments of God’s peace, of his grace and love, to the world.
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.
Grant us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always such
things as are right, that we who cannot do anything that is good
without you, may in your strength be able to live according to your
will; 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 K. Lee Scott’s choral anthem, “Servants of Peace,” text by James Quinn based on a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make us servants of your peace:
where there is hate, may we sow love;
where there is hurt, may we forgive;
where there is strife, may we make one.
Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
where all is night, may we sow light;
where all is tears, may we sow joy.
Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
to be consoled, but to console,
nor look to understanding hearts,
but look for hearts to understand.
May we not look for love's return,
but seek to love unselfishly.
For in our giving we receive,
and in forgiving are forgiv'n.
Dying, we live, and are reborn
through death's dark night to endless day.
Lord, make us servants of your peace,
to wake at last in heaven's light.
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 to hear Jantz A. Black’s arrangement of Carl P. Daw Jr.’s
“O Day of Peace that Dimly Shines” for SATB Choir, Piano, and Optional Violin.
O day of peace that dimly shines
through all our hopes and prayers and dreams,
guide us to justice, truth, and love,
delivered from our selfish schemes.
May swords of hate fall from our hands,
our hearts from envy find release,
till by God's grace our warring world
shall see Christ's promised reign of peace.
Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb,
nor shall the fierce devour the small;
as beasts and cattle calmly graze,
a little child shall lead them all.
Then enemies shall learn to love,
all creatures find their true accord;
the hope of peace shall be fulfilled,
for all the earth shall know 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 L. Bell’s arrangement of Christine Carson’s translation of the Guatemalan traditional blessing, “The Peace of the Earth.”
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
(God’s peace growing in you.)
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
(God’s peace growing in you.)
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 to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Safe in the Shadow of the Lord (Psalm 91)
1 Safe in the shadow of the Lord
beneath his hand and power,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
my fortress and my tower.
2 My hope is set on God alone
though Satan spreads his snare;
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
to keep me in his care.
3 From fears and phantoms of the night,
from foes about my way,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
by darkness as by day.
4 His holy angels keep my feet
secure from every stone;
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and unafraid go on.
5 Strong in the everlasting Name,
and in my Father's care,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
who hears and answers prayer.
6 Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
possessed by love divine,
I trust in him,
I trust in him,
and meet his love with mine.
Silence
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
and, as you have bound us to yourself in love,
leave us not who call upon your name
and grant us your salvation,
made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 2: 1- 5
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
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 Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 2:1-10
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
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.
The Peaceable Kingdom
This evening’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah 2: 1- 5, is first of three passages in the Book of Isaiah that foresee a time when all armed conflict ceases and all creation, not just humanity lives in harmony and peace.
The second of these passages is Isaiah 11: 1-9.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Christians identify the shoot that comes from the stump of Jesse with Jesus. Jesse was the father of David, Israel’s second and most famous king.
The third passage is Isaiah 65:17-25.
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
“Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
The time of harmony and peace that these three passages foresee has been dubbed the “peaceable kingdom” and has been the subject of art and poetry. Many Christians associate it with Jesus’ reign on earth, which they believe he will inaugurate when he comes again glory. It represents for many their deepest yearnings in this conflict-torn world, an end to the violence and bloodshed, the cruel and wanton taking of life.
In this evening’s New Testament reading, 1 Timothy 2:1-10, we are urged to pray for all people, for the leaders of the nations and those in authority, so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is the right thing to as the apostle Paul points to our attention. It is also pleasing to God who, Paul tells us, wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
No where in the New Testament does Jesus or the apostles urge us to pray for the destruction of our enemies or for victory in battle. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that the peacemakers, not the warmongers, are blessed and that they will be called children of God (Matthew 5: 9). He further teaches us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us that we may be children of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5: 43-48). .
But in Matthew 10:34 didn’t Jesus say that he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Yes, he did. However, what he said must be understood in the light of what he says elsewhere and not interpreted in such a way that it contradicts what else he said. With these words Jesus is acknowledging that he will cause division in families. He is not promoting armed conflict or the taking of human life. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus equates being angry with someone else and saying unkind things to that person with breaking the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.” (Matthew 5: 21-22). Jesus also places above religious duty reconciliation with someone who has something against us (Matthew 5: 23-24).
This does not keep some folks from looking for ways to justify at least to their own satisfaction ignoring what Jesus taught, for example, the whip Jesus made from cords. The whip is not evidence that Jesus was contradicting his own teaching nor is it license for us to resort to violence. Either interpretation is a misreading of the passage. The whip was to drive the livestock from the Temple (John 2:13-17). The narrative contains nothing that even remotely suggests that he struck anyone with the whip. Even his overturning of the money changer’s tables cannot be construed to infer that we are free to take similar action in different circumstances. According to John, what Jesus did was the fulfillment of Scripture. The description of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple was not included in all four Gospels to set an example for us to copy or to establish a precedent for us to follow.
Some folks are not happy with Jesus as the Prince of Peace foretold in Isaiah 9:6, Israel’s true King, enrobed in human flesh, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a humble beast of burden ridden not by the elites of that time but by the common people, who suffered and died on a cross, condemned by the very same crowd who had cheered his entrance into the city. No, they would change the narrative.
They would clad Jesus in armor, gird him with a sword, mount him on a war horse, and place him at the head of an army, an army of themselves and people like themselves, people of the same mindset, and make Jesus the standard bearer for whatever cause they espouse.
Their Jesus, however, is not the Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Galilee, Samaria, and Judaea, who preached good news to the poor, who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, cleansed the leprous, drove out demons, and raised the dead. Their Jesus is not the Jesus in whom God was, reconciling the world to himself, “not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19); the Jesus who, while he was in very nature God, made himself nothing, who took the very nature of a servant and became a human being, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8) No, their Jesus is an idol of their own making, an idol made in their own image!
Just as he on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee commanded the wind and the waves, “Peace! Be still!” Jesus one day will command humankind, all the peoples of the Earth, “Peace! Be still!” He will take away our hatred and ill-will toward others and cure us of our warring madness. “Peace! Be still!”
He will usher in the peaceable kingdom, new heavens and a new earth, all creation renewed. Gone will be the horrors of war. Gone forever.
No more cities will disappear in a blaze of light brighter than the sun as did Hiroshima did, early in the morning, 81 years ago on this day. No more young men will be sent to their deaths on a foreign battlefield to gratify the territorial ambitions of their nation’s leader. Only peace, God’s shalom, the peace that the angels proclaimed on the night of our Savior’s birth.
Until that day comes, let us pray for peaceful, quiet lives and opportunities to share the good news with both neighbor and stranger and to serve God in our lifetime, to be instruments of God’s peace, of his grace and love, to the world.
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.
Grant us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always such
things as are right, that we who cannot do anything that is good
without you, may in your strength be able to live according to your
will; 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 K. Lee Scott’s choral anthem, “Servants of Peace,” text by James Quinn based on a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make us servants of your peace:
where there is hate, may we sow love;
where there is hurt, may we forgive;
where there is strife, may we make one.
Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
where all is night, may we sow light;
where all is tears, may we sow joy.
Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
to be consoled, but to console,
nor look to understanding hearts,
but look for hearts to understand.
May we not look for love's return,
but seek to love unselfishly.
For in our giving we receive,
and in forgiving are forgiv'n.
Dying, we live, and are reborn
through death's dark night to endless day.
Lord, make us servants of your peace,
to wake at last in heaven's light.
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 to hear Jantz A. Black’s arrangement of Carl P. Daw Jr.’s
“O Day of Peace that Dimly Shines” for SATB Choir, Piano, and Optional Violin.
O day of peace that dimly shines
through all our hopes and prayers and dreams,
guide us to justice, truth, and love,
delivered from our selfish schemes.
May swords of hate fall from our hands,
our hearts from envy find release,
till by God's grace our warring world
shall see Christ's promised reign of peace.
Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb,
nor shall the fierce devour the small;
as beasts and cattle calmly graze,
a little child shall lead them all.
Then enemies shall learn to love,
all creatures find their true accord;
the hope of peace shall be fulfilled,
for all the earth shall know 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 L. Bell’s arrangement of Christine Carson’s translation of the Guatemalan traditional blessing, “The Peace of the Earth.”
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
(God’s peace growing in you.)
The peace of the earth be with you,
the peace of the heavens too;
the peace of the rivers be with you,
the peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God’s peace growing in you.
(God’s peace growing in you.)
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