Sunday School, March 1, 2015 2 Lent B
Sunday School Themes
Who put the “ham” in Abraham. Abraham’s used to be Abram but God added “ham” to his name. This has nothing to do with the pork meat we call ham. “Ham” is a Hebrew suffix meaning many. So Abram who did not have any children was given a promise by God to be the Father of “many.” Abraham and Sarah went on to have a son Isaac who was the father of Jacob, whose name also was Israel, the name of the country and people.
Abraham is called by St. Paul the father of faith. Abraham was born before the nation of Israel and so he was not a Jew. He did not know about Moses and the Law. St. Paul said that Abraham had faith and he obeyed God before there was the Law, and Paul said that Gentile people who accepted Christ received God’s promise even though they did not grow up in families of the Jewish faith.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus tried to tell his disciples that he was going to suffer and die. But his disciples did not think that the Messiah would suffer and die; they thought the Messiah would be a strong king like David. But Jesus wanted to teach his disciples that he would suffer and die. He would be like a king when the power of God brings him back to life and he is taken away to live with God his Father as a heavenly king.
Gospel Puppet Show: What kind of Messiah Is Jesus?
Puppet dialogue between Roary the Lion and Interviewer
Roary the Lion (holding a soccer ball and sobbing): Wah…Wah….Wah….Wah….
Interviewer: What’s wrong Roary, why are you crying? Have you been playing soccer?
Roary the Lion: Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah…
Interviewer: Roary, I think you need a hug… Calm down now and talk to me. Can you tell me what’s wrong? Did you have soccer game?
Roary the Lion: Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah……
Interviewer: Roary, I’m here to help you. Let try to help you. May be I can help you get your happy roar back. Will you let me try?
Roary the Lion: Wah…Wah….okay but I’m not too happy.
Interviewer: What happened to make you so sad? I’ve never heard a lion cry so loudly?
Roary the Lion: Well, I played soccer today and our team lost the game, 4 to zero. And I was the leading scorer.
Interviewer: Well that’s good isn’t it?
Roary the Lion: No..no…no…I scored two goals for the other team. Wah…Wah And I’m so embarrassed. Why did that happen to me? And why did my team lose?
Interviewer: Well, let’s see if we can learn something from you and your soccer game? All of us will be winners if we can learn from you and your soccer game? Will you help us all?
Roary the Lion: Okay but I don’t know how my losing a soccer game can help others.
Interviewer: Was anyone happy after your soccer game ended?
Roary the Lion: The winning team were happy, of course.
Interviewer: When it rains really hard the farmer is happy to get rain for his corn and his wheat. But if the same rain comes in the middle of the baseball game, the teams are sad because they have to stop playing baseball. You see the same rain made some people happy and made some people sad.
Roary the Lion: So that’s like every soccer game; if one team wins the other team loses.
Interviewer: Yes and life is like that some times there are things that make us happy and there are things that make us sad.
Roary the Lion: I don’t like to be sad. What good is sadness?
Interviewer: It is not fun to be sad but being sad can turn out to be good?
Roary the Lion: How can being sad turn out to be good?
Interviewer: Well, let us remember the Gospel story today. Peter was upset at Jesus. Peter only wanted Jesus to be a strong King. Peter did not want Jesus to ever suffer. He did not want Jesus to ever feel sad.
Roary the Lion: That’s right! Jesus told Peter that some very sad things were going to happen to Jesus. He told Peter that he was going to suffer and even die.
Interviewer: And Jesus said that Peter had to understand life better. He said that Peter needed to understand that life is made up of wins and losses. Life is made up of sickness and health. Life is made up of happiness and sadness.
Roary the Lion: So to learn how to live is to learn how to live with both. But I prefer to win. I would rather be happy. I don’t ever want to be sick.
Interviewer: I know Roary, but what good can come from sadness, loss and sickness?
Roary the Lion: I don’t know Interviewer. It would take a great magician to turn sickness into health, happiness into sadness and losing into winning.
Interviewer: Well, Jesus is better than the greatest magician. And he showed us how to do one of his greatest tricks.
Roary the Lion: I like magic. What is the greatest trick?
Interviewer: Roary, the next time you play a soccer game and when you win the game, what are you going to say to the little boy who lost the game to your team?
Roary the Lion: Well, I’m going try to make him feel better. I’m going to tell him that I lost a game too and it was very sad. I going to tell him that he played a good game. And I’m going to tell him that is more important that we have fun playing the game than if we win.
Interviewer: Why would you say those nice things to him Roary?
Roary the Lion: Well, because I know what it is to lose and be sad. So I want to help someone else when they are sad.
Interviewer: And Roary, that is the magic of Jesus. Because you were sad, you knew how to help a boy who also was sad. And that was the message that Jesus was trying to teach Peter.
Roary the Lion: So God can help us better because God gave his Son Jesus to suffer too. And so we can know that God is with us when we are sad.
Interviewer: Bingo! Now do you see how your loss and your sadness can turn out to be winning. You always win when you are able to help others.
Roary the Lion: Interviewer do you think that the boys and girls can learn this too. I’m shy, could you ask them?
Interviewer: Boys and Girls, do you see how Jesus taught us the meaning of suffering and sadness? We can turn our sadness into happiness and winning because what really makes us happy in life is to be able to help someone else. Have you learned the lesson from the Gospel today. Can you say, Amen? Amen. Can you say bye, bye to Roary?
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Holy Eucharist
March 1, 2015: The Second Sunday In Lent
Gathering Songs:
Kyrie Eleison; Precious Lord, Take My Hand; Break Thou the Bread of Life; Lift High the Cross
Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People: God’s mercy endures forever. 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.
Opening Song : Take My Hand Precious Lord, (LEVAS #106)
1. Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.
2. When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near, when my life is almost gone; Hear my cry, hear my call, Hold my hand, lest I fall, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.
Liturgist: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Litany of Praise: Chant: Praise the Lord
O God, you are Great! Praise the Lord
O God, you have made us! Praise the Lord
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Praise the Lord
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Praise the Lord
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Praise the Lord
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Praise the Lord
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Praise the Lord
A Reading from the Book of Genesis
God said to Abram, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous." Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you."
The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 22
Praise the LORD, you that fear him; * stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; *
but when they cry to him he hears them.
My praise is of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him
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.
Then Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon – Father 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.
Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.
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.
Youth 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
Offertory Song: He’s Got the Whole World (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 90)
1 He’s got the whole world; in his hands he’s got the whole wide world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands; he’s got the whole world in his hands.
2 Little tiny babies. 3 Brother and the sisters 4 Mothers and the fathers
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 the celebration of our 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.
(All may gather around the altar)
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.
The Prayer continues with these words
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.
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 by 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: Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore let us keep the feast.
Words of Administration.
Communion Hymn: Break Thou the Bread of Life (LEVAS # 146)
Bread thou the bread of life, dear Lord to me, as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea; beyond the sacred page I seek thee, Lord; my spirit pants for thee, O living word.
(Repeat during communion)
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: Lift High the Cross, (Blue Hymnal # 473)
Refrain: Lift High the cross, the love of Christ proclaim. Till all the world adore, his sacred name.
Led on their way in this triumphant sign, the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine. Refrain
Each newborn servant of the Crucified- bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Refrain
O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee. Refrain
So shall our song of triumph ever be: praise to the crucified for victory. Refrain
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
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