Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (October 1, 2026)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
This evening’s first lesson is taken from the Apocrypha, a collection of books and texts annexed to Anglican Bibles, but which Anglicans and other Protestants do not regard as divinely inspired like the Old Testament and the New Testament. According to Philip Edgcumbe Hughes’ A Re-Statement of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, which is “designed simply to clarify the language and meaning of the Articles for the benefit of the modern reader,” Article 6 states, “The books known as the Apocrypha are read by the church as Jerome said, because of the examples they provide of heroic lives and faithful conduct; but the church does not use these books to establish any doctrine.”
Selections from the Apocrypha are found in the Daily Office and Eucharistic Lectionaries used in the various Anglican Churches.
Benedicite Omnia Opera, taken from the Apocrypha’s "Song of the Three Young Men," is one of the canticles of Anglican Morning Prayer and Lutheran Matins. Benedictus Es Domine, also taken from the "Song of the Three Young Men," is another canticle of Anglican Morning Prayer. Benedictus Es Domine and Benedicite Omnia Opera formed together a central feature of the ancient dawn office of Lauds, the forerunner of Anglican Morning Prayer and Lutheran Matins.
In this evening’s message we unpack 1 Peter 4:7-11 and examine what it means to be faithful stewards of God’s grace.
GATHER IN GOD'S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Don Salmon’s arrangement of HERE IS LOVE for mixed instruments.
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 Kiran Young Wimberly’s "Majestic" (Psalm 8).
Majestic is your name O God
Your name in all the earth
Majestic is your name O God
Your name in all the earth
1 When I see the work of your fingers
The moon, the stars, the sun
All things on earth are in their place
Majestic is your name
Majestic is your name O God
Your name in all the earth
Majestic is your name O God
Your name in all the earth
2 Who are mortals that you consider
Or that you think of them
They are underneath the angels
Majestic is your name
Majestic is your name O God
Your name in all the earth
Majestic is your name O God
3 Your name in all the earth
You have placed creation in our care
All that has life and breath
May we show respect and dignity
Majestic is your name
Silence
O God the Word and Son of God,
exalted is your name in all creation,
yet you have stooped to become one with us:
as you have ordained humanity the steward of your creation,
so minister through us the mystery of your salvation;
to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach).
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 38:24-34
The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure;
only the one who has little business can become wise.
How can one become wise who handles the plough,
and who glories in the shaft of a goad,
who drives oxen and is occupied with their work,
and whose talk is about bulls?
He sets his heart on ploughing furrows,
and he is careful about fodder for the heifers.
So it is with every artisan and master artisan
who labours by night as well as by day;
those who cut the signets of seals,
each is diligent in making a great variety;
they set their heart on painting a lifelike image,
and they are careful to finish their work.
So it is with the smith, sitting by the anvil,
intent on his ironwork;
the breath of the fire melts his flesh,
and he struggles with the heat of the furnace;
the sound of the hammer deafens his ears,
and his eyes are on the pattern of the object.
He sets his heart on finishing his handiwork,
and he is careful to complete its decoration.
So it is with is the potter sitting at his work
and turning the wheel with his feet;
he is always deeply concerned over his products,
and he produces them in quantity.
He moulds the clay with his arm
and makes it pliable with his feet;
he sets his heart on finishing the glazing,
and he takes care in firing the kiln.
All these rely on their hands,
and all are skilful in their own work.
Without them no city can be inhabited,
and wherever they live, they will not go hungry.
Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people,
nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly.
They do not sit in the judge’s seat,
nor do they understand the decisions of the courts;
they cannot expound discipline or judgement,
and they are not found among the rulers.
But they maintain the fabric of the world,
and their concern is for the exercise of their trade.
How different the one who devotes himself
to the study of the law of the Most High!
Here ends the lesson.
Silence
Opens this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Tell Out, My Soul” (Magnificat).
1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his Word;
in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.
2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his Word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children's children and forevermore!
A reading from the First Letter of Peter.
1 Peter 4:7-11
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Here ends the lesson.
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.
Stewards of God’s Grace
In this evening’s second lesson, taken from the first letter of the apostle Peter in the New Testament, the principal topic is how Christians, those who belong to Christ, should treat their fellow Christians, their brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Peter who wrote this letter is the Simon Peter of the Gospels, the Simon Peter whom Jesus called from his fishing nets to be a fisher of men, who with Martha of Bethany was first to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, God’s Anointed One, who tried to dissuade Jesus from going to Jerusalem, and who on the night of Jesus’ arrest denied him three times. He is the Simon Peter whom the risen Jesus instructed to feed his sheep.
In this evening’s second lesson Peter instructs those to whom he is writing to do four things. In the instructions he gives, he echoes Jesus. The first is to be awake and watchful, devoted to prayer and prepared for their Lord’s return. The second is to love one another deeply. The third is not to begrudge showing hospitality to each other, treating each other as they would wish themselves to be treated. And the fourth is to be faithful stewards of God’s grace, using the gifts bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others. Peter then gives two examples of the way they should use these gifts.
In Peter’s time the position of a steward was one of great responsibility. A steward was a servant who oversaw his master’s estate and household, acting as a deputy to his master. He also managed his master’s affairs in his absence. In everything he did, he was expected to exercise diligence, putting care and effort into his work and doing all in his power to serve his master’s best interests.
In this evening’s second lesson Peter instructs those to whom he is writing to do four things. In the instructions he gives, he echoes Jesus. The first is to be awake and watchful, devoted to prayer and prepared for their Lord’s return. The second is to love one another deeply. The third is not to begrudge showing hospitality to each other, treating each other as they would wish themselves to be treated. And the fourth is to be faithful stewards of God’s grace, using the gifts bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others. Peter then gives two examples of the way they should use these gifts.
In Peter’s time the position of a steward was one of great responsibility. A steward was a servant who oversaw his master’s estate and household, acting as a deputy to his master. He also managed his master’s affairs in his absence. In everything he did, he was expected to exercise diligence, putting care and effort into his work and doing all in his power to serve his master’s best interests.
Those to whom Peter had written would have understood from what Peter had written that in bestowing the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon them, God had entrusted them with a great responsibility too. They were expected to exercise these gifts with the same kind of diligence as a good steward would manage his master’s affairs while his master was away. Indeed, with even greater diligence as they were gifts of God’s grace, of God’s goodwill and favour, manifestation of God’s presence and power, indwelling his people.
Peter’s words are relevant for Christians today as they were for Jesus’s disciples in Peter’s time. God still bestows gifts of the Holy Spirit upon those who hear Jesus’s call to follow him, turn from what impairs their relationship with God, and turn in faith to Jesus. With the bestowal of these gifts comes the expectation that we use them to serve others and not ourselves and that we in our walk with Christ, in our ongoing relationship and our daily fellowship with Jesus, are also faithful stewards of God’s grace.
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.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always uphold and encourage
us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; 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 William Watkins Reid, Jr.’s “Help Us, O Lord, to Learn.”
1 Help us, O Lord, to learn
the truths thy word imparts;
to study, that thy laws may be
inscribed upon our hearts.
2 Help us, O Lord, to live
the faith which we proclaim,
that all our thoughts and words and deeds
may glorify thy name.
3 Help us, O Lord, to teach
the beauty of thy ways,
that yearning souls may find the Christ
and sing aloud his praise.
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 Washington Gladden’s “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee.”
1 O Master, let me walk with thee
in lowly paths of service free;
tell me thy secret; help me bear
the strain of toil, the fret of care.
2 Help me the slow of heart to move
by some clear, winning word of love;
teach me the wayward feet to stay,
and guide them in the homeward way.
3 Teach me thy patience; still with thee
in closer, dearer company,
in work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
in trust that triumphs over wrong,
4 In hope that sends a shining ray
far down the future's broadening way,
in peace that only thou canst give,
with thee, O Master, let me live.
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.
Peter’s words are relevant for Christians today as they were for Jesus’s disciples in Peter’s time. God still bestows gifts of the Holy Spirit upon those who hear Jesus’s call to follow him, turn from what impairs their relationship with God, and turn in faith to Jesus. With the bestowal of these gifts comes the expectation that we use them to serve others and not ourselves and that we in our walk with Christ, in our ongoing relationship and our daily fellowship with Jesus, are also faithful stewards of God’s grace.
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.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always uphold and encourage
us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; 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 William Watkins Reid, Jr.’s “Help Us, O Lord, to Learn.”
1 Help us, O Lord, to learn
the truths thy word imparts;
to study, that thy laws may be
inscribed upon our hearts.
2 Help us, O Lord, to live
the faith which we proclaim,
that all our thoughts and words and deeds
may glorify thy name.
3 Help us, O Lord, to teach
the beauty of thy ways,
that yearning souls may find the Christ
and sing aloud his praise.
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 Washington Gladden’s “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee.”
1 O Master, let me walk with thee
in lowly paths of service free;
tell me thy secret; help me bear
the strain of toil, the fret of care.
2 Help me the slow of heart to move
by some clear, winning word of love;
teach me the wayward feet to stay,
and guide them in the homeward way.
3 Teach me thy patience; still with thee
in closer, dearer company,
in work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
in trust that triumphs over wrong,
4 In hope that sends a shining ray
far down the future's broadening way,
in peace that only thou canst give,
with thee, O Master, let me live.
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.
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