Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (September 10, 2026)

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

While the dog days of summer, the hottest, most humid time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, traditionally run from July 3 through August 11, the time of the year when Sirius, the Dog Star, appears near the sun, causing the ancients to associate the summer heat with their nearness, the hottest days in western Kentucky have so far been in the last few days, late August and early September. The heat is attributable to climate change caused by human activity and not to any star. Climate change has been a factor in several natural disasters that have occurred this year, including wildfires, landslides, and floods. Natural disasters are not the only cause of human suffering. Human beings are adept at inflicting suffering on each other. If we pulled back the curtain that conceals them from our eyes, we would also discover that spiritual forces exist in this world which also contribute to human suffering. Like climate change, we may not wish to admit their existence, much less how they influence us. In this evening’s message we look at some of the ways that these spiritual forces do influence us and why we should be on guard against their influence.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Robert James Lamb’s Prelude on ABERYSTWYTH for handbells.

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 Emma Turl’s “How Delightful Is Your Dwelling” (Psalm 84).

1 How delightful is your dwelling,
O Almighty Sovereign Lord -
place of peace, where all my longings
are fulfilled, my soul restored.
Every fibre of my being
living God, calls out to you:
come revive me with your presence
and with hope my life renew!

2 This is where the tiny sparrow
near your altar finds her rest;
in a corner here the swallow
for her young prepares a nest.
So with all who find contentment
in your house, my God, my King,
may I also know your favour
and your praise for ever sing.

3 Blessed are all the pilgrim-hearted,
strengthened, so that as they go
arid land becomes a garden
where refreshing rivers flow.
On from strength to strength they journey
and at last arrive in heaven:
as we follow in their footsteps,
may your grace to us be given.

4 One day in your house is better
than a thousand spent elsewhere -
earth can offer no attraction
like the joy of serving there.
Sun to guide and shield to guard us
where your blessing is assured:
by your mercy keep us faithful
as we trust in you, O Lord!

Silence

Lord God,
sustain us in this vale of tears
with the vision of your grace and glory;
that as we journey towards your presence
we may go from strength to strength
in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 18: 9-22

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practises divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practise sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire any more, or we will die.’

The Lord said to me: ‘What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.’

You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

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 Letter to the Galatians
Galatians 5: 13-26

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

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.

No, It’s Not the Wizard of Oz Behind the Curtain!

Observers report not only a greater openness to Christianity among young people in the United Kingdom but also a growing interest in what is described as “alternative spirituality”—astrology, channeling, crystals, mediums, Ouija boards, psychics, tarot, witchcraft, and other occult practices.

Recent studies show that US churchgoers suffer from what is described as a “discipleship deficit.” They were rated in eight key areas: “Bible engagement, obeying God and denying self, serving God and others, sharing Christ, exercising faith, seeking God, building relationships and living unashamed.” It has been observed that many US churchgoers are indistinguishable from the non-churchgoing population except for their church attendance. It has also been observed many of them not only do not subscribe to long-accepted core beliefs of the Christian faith but also mix churchgoing with alternative spirituality practices.

African pastors report the growing influence of traditional African religion among the younger generations. For those who are not familiar with traditional African religion, its practices include the worship of ancestral spirits and fetishes, animal sacrifices, and witchcraft.This development has become a cause for concern in a number of African nations along with the spread of the prosperity gospel and the exploitation of the gullible and the superstitious by unscrupulous pastors.

One explanation is that we are seeing the effects of a changing world upon its human population. Those who favor this explanation point to various cultural, political, and socio-economic factors.

Another explanation, as a study of the history of revival shows, is that wherever and whenever the stirrings of revival occur, they are accompanied by the manifestation of the demonic, of those spiritual forces opposed to God. These malevolent spiritual forces seek to undo the work of the Holy Spirit and to lead people away from God, away from the light and back into the darkness.

I am personally inclined to see truth in both views. The disruptive effects of cultural, political, and socio-economic change can make people more vulnerable to the spiritual forces that oppose God. These malevolent spiritual forces may contribute to adverse effects of such changes. They not only work against God but also work against human wellbeing. They may delude us into accepting as harmless what is actually harmful to our wellbeing. When our own desires tempt us, they will egg us along, urging us to gratify these desires and damage our relationship to God. We may not see the damage right away, but we will come to both recognize and regret it over time. Some of us may never recognize and regret what we did or failed to do, much less repent of our wrongdoing or omission, and will be in a far worse state spiritually than those who do.

Even when we repent, turn away from our misdeeds and omissions, the spiritual forces opposing God will seek to convince us that our repentance is not enough and that we still have a damaged relationship with God. They study our vulnerabilities and exploit them. They are always nudging us onto destructive paths that lead away from God and spurring us along those paths once our feet are upon them. They encourage us to indulge ourselves in what the apostle Paul describes as “the acts of the flesh.”

The spiritual forces that oppose God are equally happy if we don’t believe in their existence or develop a morbid fascination with them. Either of these attitudes toward them serve their evil purposes.

Dabbling in occult practices, such as reading tarot cards, using a Ouija board, going to seances, consulting an astrologer or psychic, casting the bones, runes, or I-Ching sticks, making magic charms and casting magic spells even for a short time, acts an invention to these malevolent spiritual forces to take a greater interest in our lives. They may manifest themselves as spirits of the dead or enlightened beings from a past age, or benevolent spirits. They may perform false miracles. The purpose of such events is not to help us but to exert greater influence over us and to turn us away from God.

Such dabbling can also act like a gateway drug, leading to more serious involvement in the occult.

God warned the people of Israel again the religion and the occult practices of the Canaanites because God knew how spiritually harmful that they were. As the history of the Israelites would show, this would indeed prove to be the case. The warning that God gave to the people of Israel is a warning that we do well to heed ourselves.

As Jesus drew to the attention of the disciples, a servant cannot serve two masters. The servant will love one and hate the other. We cannot divide our attention between following Christ and obeying his teachings and pursuing more than a casual interest in alternative spiritual practices. Sooner or later one or the other will become the greater influence in our lives. I have seen this happen.

I attended university for the first time in the late1960s and early 1970s. University students were not only experimenting with psychedelic drugs like LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin but also exploring New Age spirituality and dabbling in the occult. As a result of my own experiences and those of friends and acquaintances, I became convinced of the dangers of such dabbling. One young woman was a member of a small cult that was compiling the sacred writings of Atlantis which they were obtaining by channeling what they believed were ancient Atlanteans. She was deeply depressed and I suspect that she may also have been suicidal. Her depression evaporated when friends persuaded her to sever her ties with the cult and took her into their home.

Transcendental Meditation was gaining in popularity and several of my friends became practitioners. This practice involved the silent recitation of a mantra, typically an invocation of a Hindu diety twice a day for twenty minutes. All kinds of benefits were claimed for the practice. What I observed, whatever inward effects on a person the practice had, it had no outward effects on that person. They reported feeling calmer, but their behavior did not change. If they were selfish individuals, they kept on being selfish individuals. If they had felt guilty about being selfish, they did experience less guilt. The practice apparently reduced the scruples against selfishness they had.

I personally tried tarot card reading. My readings became increasingly and uncannily accurate. At the same time, I experienced a growing sense that what I was doing was wrong and had nothing to do with some arcane ability that I possessed. Rather I was being misled in a direction that would be spiritually harmful to others and myself. I would renounce and repudiate any and all involvement in fortune telling and other occult practices.

Tarot card decks, Ouija boards, automatic writing planchettes, and psychic pendulums are not parlor games, harmless forms of entertainment. Rather they are convenient tools which the spiritual forces opposed to God can exploit to gain a foothold in our lives. We may not like hearing it, but experience has shown this to be the case.

Consider the churchgoer who regularly and without fail consults their horoscope every day. They plan their lives around auspicious days, so-called “lucky days.” They avoid doing anything at all, much less anything important, on inauspicious days, so-called “unlucky days.” They may even consult a professional astrologer and have the astrologer cast a personalized horoscope for them. To whom are they devoting themselves, in whom are they putting their trust, God or the deities whom the ancients believed controlled the movements of the stars and our lives and destinies? They may not be wittingly doing the latter but that is what they are doing.

One thing that I need to make clear. Whatever may influence our actions or our failure to act, a particular set of circumstances, the particular group of people with whom we associate, or any malicious spiritual forces operating in our life, we are still responsible for what we do and don’t do, and one day we will be required to give an account of ourselves to God. We may be tempted to shift responsibility from ourselves to someone else or something else and may convince ourselves that we are not to blame. God, however, has an intimate knowledge of our individual lives: God knows all our secrets, not only the ones we hide from others but also those we hide from ourselves. We may deceive others and ourselves, but we cannot deceive God. We can, however, take comfort from the knowledge that God will be well-acquainted with any extenuating circumstances if any such circumstances exist. God is also both just and merciful.

To those who believe in Jesus and trust in him is given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s indwelling presence. It is the Holy Spirit which produces in us those qualities of character that the apostle Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit also acts as a guide to us, showing us how we should live our lives as disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will not encourage us to do anything evil or neglect to do anything good. Neither will the Holy Spirit forces us to do what serves God’s good purposes. The Holy Spirit produces in us the desire and the ability to do what pleases God, but as Paul points to the attention of the Christian community in Galatia and to ourselves, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to walk in step with the Spirit. God provides us with a guide, himself, but we must choose to follow that guide, to heed the Holy Spirit’s promptings and to act upon them. God will show us the right path to take in this life, give us the desire and the ability to walk it, but God leaves to us the decision to walk it and having begun to walk it to stay on it. God will not choose for us.

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.

Almighty and eternal God, grant that we may grow in faith, 

hope, and love; and that we may obtain what you promised, 

make us love what you command; 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 Isaac Williams’ “Be Thou my Guardian and my Guide.”

1 Be thou my guardian and my guide,
and hear me when I call;
let not my slippery footsteps slide,
and hold me lest I fall.

2 The world, the flesh, and Satan dwell
around the path I tread;
O save me from the snares of hell,
thou quickener of the dead.

3 And if I tempted am to sin,
and outward things are strong,
do thou, O Lord, keep watch within,
and save my soul from wrong.

4 Still let me ever watch and pray,
and feel that I am frail;
that if the tempter cross my way,
yet he may not prevail.

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 William Williams’ "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer."

1 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,

Feed me till I want no more,
Feed me till I want no more.

2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong Deliverer, Strong Deliverer,
Be thou still my strength and shield,

Be thou still my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's Destruction
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.

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.