Sundays at All Hallows (October 11, 2026)

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, October 11, 2026, is the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. It is also the feast day of Saint Philip the Deacon. Philip was one of seven men who were chosen to relieve the apostles of the task of caring for the poorer members of the church at Jerusalem. However, Philip is better described as Philip the Evangelist as it is in the role of an evangelist that we read about him in the Acts of the Apostles, Luke’s account of the New Testament Church, preaching the gospel in Samaria and baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, a minister of the Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia.

In this Sunday’s message we will be unpacking Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet and address a ticklish subject for some Christians—what is the nature of the wedding clothes mentioned in the parable and why one of the guests who was not wearing such clothes was tied hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness.

Just a reminder. The MP3s of the simple piano accompaniment for the metrical versions of the Benedictus and the Te Deum for the remaining Sunday for Trinitytide, the Season after Trinity, contains no vocals, just the tune played on the piano. Each accompaniment begins with a brief introduction. The tunes, KINGSFOLD and TALLIS’ CANON(EIGTH TUNE), were picked for their wide use in hymnals and other collections of sacred music and the greater likelihood of familiarity to the singer.

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

Open this link in a new tab to hear Mark Hayes’ arrangement of TWO OAKS (All Are Welcome) for solo piano.

Silence

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
Psalm 130: 3-4

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

Let us draw near to God with sincerity and confidence,
and humbly confess our sins.

Silence

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much
the devices and the desires of our own hearts.
we have offended against your holy laws,
we have left undone what we ought to have done,
and we have done what we ought not to have done.
Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us;
restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grant, most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober lives,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their
sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open our lips, O Lord;
And we shall declare your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Come Let Us Praise the Lord (Psalm 95).”

1 Come, let us praise the Lord,
with joy our God acclaim,
his greatness tell abroad
and bless his saving Name.
Lift high your songs
before his throne
to whom alone
all praise belongs.

2 Our God of matchless worth,
our King beyond compare,
the deepest bounds of earth,
the hills, are in his care.
He all decrees,
who by his hand
prepared the land
and formed the seas.

3 In worship bow the knee,
our glorious God confess;
the great Creator, he,
the Lord our Righteousness.
He reigns unseen:
his flock he feeds
and gently leads
in pastures green.

4 Come, hear his voice today,
receive what love imparts;
his holy will obey
and harden not your hearts.
His ways are best;
and lead at last,
all troubles past,
to perfect rest.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Michael’s Joncas’ setting of Psalm 146, “I Will Praise the Lord.”

I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live,
make music to my God while I live.

1 Put no trust in the powerful,
mere mortals in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay,
and their plans that day come to nothing.
They are happy who are helped by Jacob’s God,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.

I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live,
make music to my God while I live.

2 It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to the oppressed.
It is God who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets the prisoners free.
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord who protects the stranger,
and upholds the widow and the orphan.

I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live,
make music to my God while I live.

3 It is the Lord who loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion’s God from age to age.

I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live,
make music to my God while I live.

Silence

Lord God, creator of all things,
who in your loving-kindness and care
meet our human needs:
with the dawn of each day
help us to set our hearts and hope upon you,
that we may show you in the world
as the universal and eternal king;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Sarah Quartel’s choral arrangement of Timothy Dudley Smith’ “Fill You Heart with Joy and Gladness” (Psalm 147).

1 Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
sing and praise your God and mine!
Great the Lord in love and wisdom,
might and majesty divine!
He who framed the starry heavens
knows and names them as they shine!

2 Praise the Lord, his people, praise him!
Wounded souls his comfort know;
those who fear him find his mercies,
peace for pain and joy for woe;
humble hearts are high exalted,
human pride and power laid low.

3 Praise the Lord for times and seasons,
cloud and sunshine, wind and rain;
spring to melt the snows of winter
till the waters flow again;
grass upon the mountain pastures,
golden valleys thick with grain.

4 Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
peace and plenty crown your days;
love his laws, declare his judgments,
walk in all his words and ways;
he the Lord and we his children:
praise the Lord, all people, praise!

Silence

King of the Universe,
whose wisdom gives order and fruitfulness to the earth:
help us to respond trustfully to your call,
that being drawn into the unity of your kingdom
we may continually praise you
for your providential care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

A reading from the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 25: 1-9

Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,
the fortified town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will honour you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine –
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death for ever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

In that day they will say,

‘Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’

Silence

Open this link to hear a simple piano accompaniment of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ KINGSFOLD, the setting for Ruth Duck’s “Now Bless the God of Israel (Benedictus).

1 Now bless the God of Israel who comes in love and power,
who raises from the royal house deliv’rance in this hour.
Through holy prophets God has sworn to free us from alarm,
to save us from the heavy hand of all who wish us harm.

2 Remembering the covenant, God rescues us from fear,
that we might serve in holiness and peace from year to year.
And you, my child, shall go before, to preach, to prophesy,
that all may know the tender love, the grace of God most high.

3 In tender mercy, God will send the dayspring from on high,
our rising sun, the light of life for those who sit and sigh.
God comes to guide our way to peace, that death shall reign no more.
Sing praises to the Holy One, O worship and adore.

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 4: 1-9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Silence

Open this link to hear a simple piano accompaniment of Thomas Tallis’TALLIS’ CANON (EIGHTH TUNE), the setting of David Mowbray’s“Great Is the Lord We Now Acclaim” (Te Deum).

1 Great is the Lord we now acclaim
God everlasting is his name:
let heaven and earth with music ring,
and 'Holy, holy, holy' sing!

2 Let prophets and apostles join
with martyrs in triumphant line
to echo the angelic cry
and celebrate God's mystery.

3 We praise God's true and only Son,
for ever with the Father one;
we praise the Spirit at their side,
the Church's advocate and guide.

4 When once the time had fully come
Christ did not scorn the Virgin's womb;
our Lord the sting of death defied
and flung the gate of heaven wide!

5 He shed his blood to pay sin's price,
the full and perfect sacrifice;
as Saviour, reigns eternally,
as Judge of all, presides on high.

6 Lord God, protect us all from sin,
our hearts to love and goodness win;
that we yet firm in faith, shall stay
unshaken in the last great day.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew 22: 1-14

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

‘Then he sent some more servants and said, “Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”

‘But they paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

‘Then he said to his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” The man was speechless.

‘Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’

Silence

What! No Wedding Clothes!

The parable of the wedding banquet, I suspect, is one of Jesus’ parables which elicited mixed response from his listeners. Some may have experienced anger as they saw themselves in the guests that the king had originally invited; others may have experienced dread as saw themselves in the man who was not wearing wedding garments and who was tied hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness. I cannot imagine anyone left without experiencing a reaction of some kind to the parable. Even those who dismissed what Jesus had said were reacting to the parable.

We are likely thinking to ourselves why was dressing for the occasion so important. We live in the world where people will show up to special events looking like they have just fallen out of bed. I recall a young woman who came to work in public agency dressed in a terrycloth bath robe and fluffy bedroom slippers. It was not special event, just a normal workday. Even so, she was not appropriately dressed for the type of work that she did.

In the parable of the wedding banquet, the banquet is generally recognized to represent salvation and the original guests whom the king invited to represent the Jews. As Bishop J. C. Ryle points to our attention in his commentary, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew, they also represent all others whom Christ calls and who ignore or otherwise reject his call. Christ graciously offers salvation to them, but they pay no attention to his extended hand or brush it away. They turn down his offer. They may go as far as mistreat or kill the individual through whom Christ made the offer.

The widening of the king’s invitation to all and sundry, the good and the bad, foreshadows what the apostles came to realize in days after Jesus’ resurrection and his appearance to them and to other witnesses that the good news was not for the Jews alone but for the Samarians and the Gentiles too, for all of humanity.

What then do the wedding clothes in the parable represent and why was the man who was not wearing them tied hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness? In this parable Jesus is not teaching that everyone will be saved regardless of what they believe or how they behave. This he makes clear at the conclusion of the parable.

Two explanations of what the wedding clothes represent in the parable go hand in hand. One is offered by Bishop J. C. Ryle in his Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew; the other, by John Wesley in his Sermon 120, “On the Wedding Garment.” The first explanation is that the wedding clothes represent right belief. The second explanation is that they represent personal holiness.

By right belief Bishop Ryle is referring to the Christ in whom we put our faith. Do we put our faith in Jesus of Nazareth, the Father’s only begotten Son of the New Testament, the Jesus who suffered and died on the cross for our redemption and was raised to new life? Or do we put our faith in a Christ of our own invention, a Christ who shares our worldview and mindset, a Christ who is reflection of ourselves? Jesús warned his disciples against false Christs. Our world has its share. We also live in an age of what Bishop Ryle calls “spurious Christianity,” systems of false beliefs about God and about Christ.

Bishop Ryle further points to our attention that whether we respond to Christ’s call is our choice. God’s grace gives us the desire to make that choice and the ability to make it, but making it falls to us.

In his sermon John Wesley argues against a common interpretation of the wedding clothes in the parable in his day, maintaining that they represent an individual’s personal holiness. Wesley understood that we are justified, that is, put right with God by Jesus’ righteousness, his merits, and not our own. Jesus’ righteousness is credited to us as a result of our faith in him, which is a gift from God. He also understood that our justification was the initial step in the order of salvation that includes a separate process which theologians call sanctification in which God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, enables us to grow in godliness and holiness and transforms us into Jesus’ likeness in character and obedience to God. Our sanctification requires our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Our growth in godliness and holiness and our transformation into Jesus’ likeness are continuing evidence of our repentance from sin and our faith in Jesus.

This may be disconcerting to those who have been led to believe that all they need to do is walk to the front of a church sanctuary, pray a sinner’s prayer, and undergo baptism and they are “in.” However, to be a citizen in God’s kingdom, an individual must actually live like a citizen of God’s kingdom, like someone who has put on Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit is renovating their life.

It is equally true for those who were baptized as infants. The late Peter Green put it this way. Infant baptism is like being given the deed to a house. Unless we occupy the house, take up residence in it, the deed is just a piece of paper. To benefit from the grace of the sacrament, we must repent and believe and undertake a life that is an embodiment of our repentance and faith.

What else can we learn from the parable of the wedding banquet? Bad decisions have unpleasant consequences for one thing. The original guests mistreated and killed the king’s servants were the first to learn this. They themselves were killed and their city was destroyed. They were not spared the king’s wrath.

The man who did not wear wedding clothes to the banquet also learned it. He was tied hand and foot and thrown into the outer darkness, a place “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” one of the ways that Jesus describes hell.

This observation may make some Christians uncomfortable. It does not fit with how they see God and Jesus. What Jesus is telling his listeners is that what the man did was no small thing, something that could be easily shrugged off. It was something that they needed to take to heart. It is something that we need to take seriously too.

Jesus told his disciples that their righteousness was to exceed that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law. He also told them no one could make themselves righteous in God’s eyes by their own efforts, not even a rich man. But what was impossible for a human being was not impossible for God. The Father not only imputes to us the righteousness of the Son when we turn in faith to Jesus, itself God’s gift, but also we have been given the Holy Spirit with whose help we can clothe ourselves with the beauty of holiness in which to worship God in this life and in the life to come, and without which no one can see the Lord. They are something worth celebrating every day with joyful thanksgiving and praise, with lives that honor God in every way.

Silence

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Lord, show us your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Keep our nation under your care,
and guide us in justice and truth.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness,
and make your chosen people joyful.
Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
for you are our help and strength.
Create in us dean hearts, O God,
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.

Lord God, without you we are not able to please you; mercifully
grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our
hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

O God, the author and lover of peace, in knowledge of whom
stands our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom;
defend us your servants in all assaults of our enemies,
that, surely trusting in your defense, we may not fear the power
of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and
by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by
your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and
live every day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Sondra K. Tucker’s arrangement of
Cecil Frances Alexander’s “Jesus Calls Us O'er the Tumult” for SATB and Keyboard, with optional Flute and Drum.

[Instrumental prelude]

Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
of our life's wild restless sea,
day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
saying, "Christian, follow me";
Long ago apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home, and toil, and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

[Instrumental interlude]

Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world's golden store;
from each idol that would keep us,
saying, "Christian, love me more."
In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
"Christian, love me more than these."

[Instrumental interlude]

Jesus calls us! By your mercies,
Savior, may we hear your call,
give our hearts to you obedience,
serve and love you best of all,
serve and love you best of all.

[Instrumental postlude]

[Let us pray for all in civil authority.]

Almighty God, you rule over the kingdoms of the world: We
commend to your merciful care the people of this land, that,
being guided by your providence, they may dwell secure in
your peace. Grant to [here the appropriate persons in government
are named] and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know
and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness,
that they may serve your people faithfully to your honour and glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Let us pray for the Church]

Almighty and eternal God, you alone work great marvels:
send down your life-giving Spirit of grace on our bishops and other clergy, and on the congregations which they serve; and, in order that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

[Let us pray for all people according to their needs]

God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.
We pray for the welfare of your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern it by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances (especially…). Relieve them according to their needs, giving them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

[Let us pray for ourselves and others.]

Silence

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

May our God and Father himself , and our Lord Jesus, direct our ways; and the Lord make us increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all humankind, to the end that he may establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with the holy angels and all the redeemed. Amen.

[Let us give thanks to God for his goodness.]

Almighty God and merciful Father,
we give you heart-felt thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness to us
and to all people.
We bless you for our creation and preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such a sense of all your mercies,
that our hearts may be truly thankful,
and that we praise you,
not only with our lips but in our lives,
serving you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in your Son’s name: mercifully accept us who
have now made our prayers to you; and grant us those things
which we have asked in faith according to your will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Bell’s “The Summons.”

1 Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my Name be known?
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2 Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3 Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoner free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen?
And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

[Instrumental interlude]

4 Will you love the 'You' you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5 Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show,
thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me!

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 the parting benediction, “May the Lord, Mighty God.”

1 May the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever;
grant you peace, perfect peace,
courage in every endeavor.

2 Lift up your eyes and see God's face,
full of grace forever;
may the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever.

3 May the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever;
grant you peace, perfect peace,
courage in every endeavor.