Religion As Putting Lipstick on a Pig?

14 Pentecost Cycle B proper 17 August 29, 2021
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9Ps. 15
James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Lectionary Link

It seems as though Jesus treated some religious behaviors like the farmer who entered his pig in the wrong contest at the County Fair.  He put some lipstick on the pig and tried entered his porker in the Miss County Fair contest.  But of course, the lipstick could not cover the true identity.

Jesus exposed that  some religious activity was a game played before God and within community.  Religious leaders were stressing the religious purification rituals like liturgical police to prove to God and everyone what good people they were.  It gave them permission to excommunicate those "dirty" people who don't know how and when to wash their hands correctly.

Washing hands is very important and not just for religious show; Joseph Lister ushered in the notion of a sterile field to keep at bay the spreading of those dirty germs which can harm us.

In our spiritual lives we have a much bigger problem than dirty germs; we have to deal with our inward lives which for a good portion of the time are not worthy of publishing to the world at large.

Outward filth is an external problem and certainly germs can become an internal health problem in our bodies.

Jesus was telling the religious people not to mistake physical dirt for the inward cesspools which our interior lives can become.  If we really want to clean up our act, we have to deal with the inner life.

The inner life is the great problem.  St. Paul in his struggles said the things that he did not want to do, he did anyway, and the things he wanted to do, he did not find the power to do.  This is the wretched experience of dealing with uncontrollable and the Pandora's box of our interior lives.

The Psalmist in desperation cried out for a clean heart and a renewed spirit.  Jeremiah said that above all, the heart is exceedingly deceitful, and who can know the depth of such deceit?  Martin Luther expounded upon the perpetuity of human depravity, which co-exists with the needed experience of grace.  Sigmund Freud wrote that the unconscious mind is polymorphously perverse.

Early in life each person has the problem of coherent agreement on all levels of being: in how one feels inside, in how one comports one's body language, and in the words that one uses.

A problem is life is that we only allow babies and young children full honesty.  A young toddler wants something, a baby screams for what is wanted, a baby reaches out to take whatever is wanted.  But such behaviors we only allow for but a short time. What happens when babies have to learn the adult world?

Human adult laws interdict and restrain the child.  Harmful outcomes slowly teach us.  Putting one hand in the fire burns, so one stops doing it.  We also learn adult suppression, like "the customer is always right."  Adult protocols set in which cause internal division, like when a customer is rude, but the clerk has to smile and accept the abuse and suppress feelings disgust.

The law is supposed to teach us to inwardly desire the recommended outcomes of lawful behaviors.  And our interior lives become at odds with the law.  We desire inwardly what the outward law does not permit.  And we either try to be sneaky and not get caught,  or out of fear of punishment we do not do what we want to do and as a result we might live in perpetual resentment of being required to do things that are actually good for us.

Jesus had a high standard for the inward life.  In the beatitudes, he stated that to hate and be angry and to have lust are the same thing as murder or adultery.  And of course, in our jurisprudence and social life, we know this is not practically true, since doing wrong gets us in trouble, not thinking or desiring wrong.

Jesus gave us a vision of perfection which is so high, that we are promised great opportunity to grow in holiness, so that we cannot presume to be those adequate to write other people off and judge them because they are at their own place of spiritual growth.

If we are are honest, we know that our inward life and the objects which we desire wrongly, means that we are always in need of the graceful interdiction of God's words to rearrange our inward lives so that we can see and desire differently and be gradually made more Christian so that our desire is trained to work for us rather than against us.  But this is indeed a lifetime of training.

The writer of James encourages us to be in recovery from our hypocrisy of living "do what I say, don't do as I do," lifestyles.  The entire purpose of the grace of spiritual practice and transformation is to be delivered from the divided lives of hypocrisy and come to inner union and peace so that desire, words and deeds can agree in the unified practice of the love of God and our neighbor.

Even when we think we're making progress, a life incident can trigger the uncontrolled misbehaviors of our inward life.  If you don't think so, just think about the thoughts that you have had about someone who has said or done something you think is really stupid.  And suddenly, one's interior life is all aroused.

Jesus Christ reminds us about how bad we can be but also about how good we can become to show us that we are in this lifetime process of transformation in being made more Christian, more Christ-like.  And we come here today not because we think our church behavior is a lipstick on our horrendous inner lives.  We come here today because, we want to say, "Lord Jesus Christ, I am with you and for you, as you and your words continue to do do an inside job on me as I seek to be made a better Christian.  We come here today, because we are renewed in the grace of Christ which makes up for our lack of yet being finished and perfect beings.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 29, 2021 14 Pentecost, B Proper 17

 Sunday School, August 29, 2021   14 Pentecost, B Proper 17

 

Themes for Sunday School

Hebrew Scriptures

If the reading from Song of Songs is used  the lesson can be about love.  Song of Songs is a love poem and is written about being in love.  The reason it was included in the Bible is because the ancient teachers of Israel believed that the relationship between people and God should be a relationship of love.  If we can speak about how wonderful love is between two people, we can use this model as a way of understanding how wonderful our relationship with God is meant to be.  It is a journey of love.

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” 

Commandments are laws and sometimes we can treat laws as hard things that our parents and teacher want us to do to obey them.  What we need to know is that laws and rules are ways of teaching us.  By following rules and laws, we learn best behaviors and we build our memory of how to perform these best behaviors.

The lesson from the book of Deuteronomy is about why we should remember and not forget the laws and commandments of God.  They are rules for our very best behavior and if we remember and practice them the good behaviors will become easier to perform.

Why should we practice the laws of best behavior?  So that we can be honest about what we believe and what we do.  The writer of the letter of James reminds us that it is not just important to hear God’s word; we also have to do God words.  It does not do us any good to keep hearing not to lie; we have to practice telling the truth.  We have to get our deeds of our body agree with the law of God.

Jesus had an argument with people who made less important rules more important than the most important rules.  Is it more important to wash our hands before our meals or more important that all of the people of the world have clean water?  Washing our hands is very important but if this rule becomes more important than making sure that every person has clean water, then have lost our sense of right value.

All rules are important but Jesus was teaching his friends that the less important rules should not be made into the most important rules or they would miss out on being kind to people, which is the most important rule of all.

 

A sermon

  Laws and rules are very important because we need them for safety in our lives.  But not all rules are as important others.

  Tell which rule is more important.  You shall brush your teeth.  Or You shall not play in the street.

  What about:  Wash your hands before you eat.  Or Don’t play with knives.

  When Jesus came he saw that some people had forgotten about the important rules and they had made the least important rules the important rules.

  Are you supposed to talk in a library?  No, but if there was a fire in the library, would you yell, “Fire?”  You would break the  rule against talking so that you could save lives, right?

  Jesus saw that some people had many rules about many things. They were supposed  to wash their hands before prayer and they were supposed to wash their pots and pans and plates in special ways.  But he also knew that many of his friends were poor and did not have enough water in the places that they lived to store water and so it was very difficult for them to follow all of the washing rules.

 In the church we use a little water for baptism.  Tell me what rule is more important:  Baptizing all of the babies in the world with a little water.  Or Making sure that all of the babies in the world have safe drinking water?  In Holy Eucharist we use just a little piece of bread.  Is it more important that all people receive a little piece of communion bread or that more people have enough to eat?  Baptism and Eucharist important but we can never forget the importance of the laws that need to be followed to help everyone live well.  To live well people need food and water, home and clothes and education.  If we really live and practice the meaning of baptism and Holy Eucharist, it means we are hoping, praying and working for all people in the world to have enough to eat and drink.

   Jesus wants us to learn the value of different laws.  Loving God and our neighbor are the important laws.

  We should respect all of the rules and laws, especially the rules and laws of our parents.  But remember that Jesus told us about the different value of rules and laws.

  If I make up a special game and only I know the rules.  How would you feel if I got mad at you for breaking the rules of my game?

  Well, you wouldn’t want to play with me or you wouldn’t want to play my game, would you?

  Let us remember that all laws are important but the ones that are about the health and safety and happiness of people are the most important laws.  And those are the laws that Jesus wants us to know and practice the best.  Amen.

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

August 29, 2021:  The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: As the Deer, Change My Heart, O Lord, Be Still,  Here in this Place

Song: As the Deer Pants for the Water, (Renew # 9, gray hymnal)

1          As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you; you alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.  Refrain: You alone are my strength, my shield, to you alone may my spirit yield; you alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you!

2          I want you more than gold or silver, only you can satisfy; you alone are the real joy-giver and the apple of my eye.  Refrain.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!" For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 15

LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? * who may abide upon your holy hill?

Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, * who speaks the truth from his heart.

There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; * he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

  

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'  You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

 Liturgist:        The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

 

Song:  Change My Heart, O God   (Renew! # 143, gray hymnal)

Change my heart, O God make it ever true; Change my heart of God, may I be like you.  You are the potter , I am the clay; mold me and make you, this is what I pray.  Change my heart, O God, make it ever true.  Change my heart O, God.  May I be like you.

 

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Be Still and Know,   (Renew!

# 10, gray hymnal)

1-Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am God.

2-The Lord almighty is our God.  The Lord Almighty is our god.  The Lord Almighty is our God.

3-The God of Jacob is our rock.  The God of Jacob is our rock.  The God of Jacob is our rock.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Here in this Place, (Renew # 14, gray hymnal)

1- Here in this place a new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away.  See in this place our fears and our dreamings. Brought here to you in the light of this day.  Gather us in the lost and forsaken.  Gather us in the blind and the lame.  Call to us now and we shall awaken.  We shall arise at the sound of our name.

2-We are the young our lives are a mystery.  We are the old who yearn for your face.  We have been sung through all of your history.  Called to be light to the whole human race.  Gather us in the rich and the haughty.  Gather us in the proud and the strong.  Give us a heart so meek and so lowly.  Give us the courage to enter the song.

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God! 

Religion, Faith and Authentic Living

15  Pentecost Cycle B proper 17   September 2, 2018

Song of Solomon 2:8-13 Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10

James 1:17-27  Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Lectionary Link

I might love and appreciate music;  I might even try to participate in it in my amateur ways and yet I am not a musician.  Some people are not only gifted but also they have fully embraced the practice required to be a musician.  I can be a listener and hearer of music, but I cannot do it as well as fully trained and gifted musicians.

I admire people in many other disciplines, scientists, mathematicians, inventors and I can read and hear them, but I cannot do science or math or invention in the same way.

In life, as much competence as we try to attain, we still cannot be omni-competent in all of the disciplines of life.

But that brings us to the life of faith and religion.  Faith and religion is accessible to everyone.  No one has to take special training in faith or religion.

Faith and religion require of us all authentic living.  How do we attain authentic living?  By not only hearing the word of God, but also doing it.

Everyone is required in life to live up to their greatest ideals; no one is exempt.  The word of God and faith is accessible to everyone.  You don't need to go to seminary, you don't need to go to confirmation class, you don't need to go to church; hearing and obeying the word of God is accessible to everyone, everywhere and at all times.

One of the main problems that Jesus had with the religious leaders of his time is that they had put religious rules and rituals in place of the commonsense practice of doing goodness, kindness and justice to everyone.

When we replace being good in word and deed, with simply the ritual practice of religion, we have missed the point of faith, religion, the law, the prophets and the message of Christ.

Why are we tempted to replace being good with religious rituals?  Because being really good and just is much harder work.  It is harder work for our naturally selfish selves.  It is easy to come to church and to Mass while we know outside of our church walls there are many people without enough food, clothing and shelter.  Religious ritual is easy; actually loving our neighbors and doing justice for everyone is really difficult.

The Gospel words of Jesus today remind us about the purpose of religion, faith, the law and the prophets.  The purpose of faith is to grow and learn how to not only hear the word of God but also do the word of God in acts of love, sacrifice and justice.  Jesus did not have many good things to say about the interior life which motivates the bad thoughts and deeds of our life.  He was saying that we can't use religious behavior to be something like lipstick on a pig.  Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit for us to attain the source of a clean heart to motivate us beyond mere self interest and self love, to practice the religion of loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbors.

You and I come to this altar today, not because life is as easy as coming to this altar; we come here because we are desperate for God's help to be authentic people.  We come here to ask for grace to help us not only to hear God's word but also to do God's word in the way in which Jesus Christ lived.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 2, 2018 15 Pentecost, B Proper 17

Sunday School, September 2, 2018   15 Pentecost, B Proper 17

 

Themes for Sunday School

Hebrew Scriptures

If the reading from Song of Songs is used  the lesson can be about love.  Song of Songs is a love poem and is written about being in love.  The reason it was included in the Bible is because the ancient teachers of Israel believed that the relationship between people and God should be a relationship of love.  If we can speak about how wonderful love is between two people, we can use this model as a way of understanding how wonderful our relationship with God is meant to be.  It is a journey of love.

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” 

Commandments are laws and sometimes we can treat laws as hard things that our parents and teacher want us to do to obey them.  What we need to know is that laws and rules are ways of teaching us.  By following rules and laws, we learn best behaviors and we build our memory of how to perform these best behaviors.

The lesson from the book of Deuteronomy is about why we should remember and not forget the laws and commandments of God.  They are rules for our very best behavior and if we remember and practice them the good behaviors will become easier to perform.

Why should we practice the laws of best behavior?  So that we can be honest about what we believe and what we do.  The writer of the letter of James reminds us that it is not just important to hear God’s word; we also have to do God words.  It does not do us any good to keep hearing not to lie; we have to practice telling the truth.  We have to get our deeds of our body agree with the law of God.

Jesus had an argument with people who made less important rules more important than the most important rules.  Is it more important to wash our hands before our meals or more important that all of the people of the world have clean water?  Washing our hands is very important but if this rule becomes more important than making sure that every person has clean water, then have lost our sense of right value.

All rules are important but Jesus was teaching his friends that the less important rules should not be made into the most important rules or they would miss out on being kind to people, which is the most important rule of all.

 

A sermon

  Laws and rules are very important because we need them for safety in our lives.  But not all rules are as important others.

  Tell which rule is more important.  You shall brush your teeth.  Or You shall not play in the street.

  What about:  Wash your hands before you eat.  Or Don’t play with knives.

  When Jesus came he saw that some people had forgotten about the important rules and they had made the least important rules the important rules.

  Are you supposed to talk in a library?  No, but if there was a fire in the library, would you yell, “Fire?”  You would break the  rule against talking so that you could save lives, right?

  Jesus saw that some people had many rules about many things. They were supposed  to wash their hands before prayer and they were supposed to wash their pots and pans and plates in special ways.  But he also knew that many of his friends were poor and did not have enough water in the places that they lived to store water and so it was very difficult for them to follow all of the washing rules.

 In the church we use a little water for baptism.  Tell me what rule is more important:  Baptizing all of the babies in the world with a little water.  Or Making sure that all of the babies in the world have safe drinking water?  In Holy Eucharist we use just a little piece of bread.  Is it more important that all people receive a little piece of communion bread or that more people have enough to eat?  Baptism and Eucharist important but we can never forget the importance of the laws that need to be followed to help everyone live well.  To live well people need food and water, home and clothes and education.  If we really live and practice the meaning of baptism and Holy Eucharist, it means we are hoping, praying and working for all people in the world to have enough to eat and drink.

   Jesus wants us to learn the value of different laws.  Loving God and our neighbor are the important laws.

  We should respect all of the rules and laws, especially the rules and laws of our parents.  But remember that Jesus told us about the different value of rules and laws.

  If I make up a special game and only I know the rules.  How would you feel if I got mad at you for breaking the rules of my game?

  Well, you wouldn’t want to play with me or you wouldn’t want to play my game, would you?

  Let us remember that all laws are important but the ones that are about the health and safety and happiness of people are the most important laws.  And those are the laws that Jesus wants us to know and practice the best.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 2, 2018:  The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: As the Deer, Change My Heart, O Lord, Be Still,  Here in this Place

Song: As the Deer Pants for the Water, (Renew # 9, gray hymnal)

1          As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you; you alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.  Refrain: You alone are my strength, my shield, to you alone may my spirit yield; you alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you!

2          I want you more than gold or silver, only you can satisfy; you alone are the real joy-giver and the apple of my eye.  Refrain.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!" For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 15

LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? * who may abide upon your holy hill?

Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, * who speaks the truth from his heart.

There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; * he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

  

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'  You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

 Liturgist:        The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

 

Song:  Change My Heart, O God   (Renew! # 143, gray hymnal)

Change my heart, O God make it ever true; Change my heart of God, may I be like you.  You are the potter , I am the clay; mold me and make you, this is what I pray.  Change my heart, O God, make it ever true.  Change my heart O, God.  May I be like you.

 

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Be Still and Know,   (Renew!

# 10, gray hymnal)

1-Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am God.

2-The Lord almighty is our God.  The Lord Almighty is our god.  The Lord Almighty is our God.

3-The God of Jacob is our rock.  The God of Jacob is our rock.  The God of Jacob is our rock.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Here in this Place, (Renew # 14, gray hymnal)

1- Here in this place a new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away.  See in this place our fears and our dreamings. Brought here to you in the light of this day.  Gather us in the lost and forsaken.  Gather us in the blind and the lame.  Call to us now and we shall awaken.  We shall arise at the sound of our name.

2-We are the young our lives are a mystery.  We are the old who yearn for your face.  We have been sung through all of your history.  Called to be light to the whole human race.  Gather us in the rich and the haughty.  Gather us in the proud and the strong.  Give us a heart so meek and so lowly.  Give us the courage to enter the song.

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God!