Sunday School,
May 10, 2015 6th Sunday of EasterB
Sunday School
Themes
The Theme is
love
We sometime
limit the word love to mean “like”
We may not
like to do lots of things. We might not
like other people as our favorite friends but we still have to love them.
Discuss the
difference between love and like
We can love
someone and like them too
Sometimes we
love someone even when they may not be our favorite person.
The Greek
language had different words for loving and liking.
Sometimes in
the English language we use love for like and like for love.
Love is harder
to do than to like; liking comes easily.
We don’t have to try to like something like when we like ice cream.
Sometimes when
someone mistreats us, we may not “like” them in what they do and we may want to
mistreat them. But we still need to love
them even if it is hard to do.
Jesus
commanded his disciples to love one another.
Jesus would
not have to command his disciples to “like” one another because you don’t have
to be told to do something that is easy to do.
Why does love
sometimes need to be a command? Because
it is sometimes hard to treat others fairly when they are not our friends and
favorite people. Treating people fairly
is called justice. And love is justice
and so the practice of justice is the love which Jesus commands.
Puppet Show:
How is a STOP
Sign the practice of love?
Officer George
and Harry
Harry: Officer, why did you stop me?
Officer
George: Because you drove through a STOP
sign and I am going to give you a ticket.
Harry: But Officer, nobody was coming from the other
direction and I did not feel like stopping at the STOP Sign.
Officer
George: Well, excuse me. Sorry if this STOP sign was inconvenient for
your life. But why is your life more
important than the lives of other.
Harry: What do you mean?
Officer
George: By not stopping at the STOP sign
you are saying that you don’t have to follow the rules which protect the lives
of everyone. And so you are not
practicing the love of other people’s lives.
Harry: Well, that is not what I meant. I just wanted to get to where I was going
faster.
Officer
George: Well, you need to see this STOP
Sign as a LOVE Sign.
Harry: That is silly; how can a STOP Sign be a LOVE
Sign?
Officer
George: This STOP sign is a sign which
shouts out this law: Thou shalt stop
here because we love the lives and safety of all our people. Because we love your lives and safety, thou
shalt STOP!
Now do you see
how this STOP sign is a LOVE Sign?
Harry: I guess I do but I thought love was just
about liking what I want to do. I though
love was liking my favorite people.
Officer
George: To like something, to like
someone, or to like to do something is not the same thing as love. Love is much greater and harder than just
liking. That is why Jesus commanded his
disciples to love each other. He didn’t
command them to like each other.
Harry: So we do not have to like everyone and
everything, but we have to love?
Officer
George: Yes, because the practice of
love is called justice. It is being fair
to everyone even if we don’t like them.
So everyone has to STOP at a STOP sign because we love and care for the
safety of everyone.
Harry: Okay…I get it now. I understand how this STOP sign is a LOVE
sign because it commands me to be careful for the safety of everyone. My bad.
Officer
George: Well, Harry you have learned a
very important lesson.
Harry: Do you think that we should change all of the
STOP signs from being octagons into heart shapes now.
Officer
George: No that won’t necessary
Harry. It is just a STOP Sign not a
Country and Western song. But love is a
command of Jesus because everyone’s life is valuable even if we don’t like
everyone. So you don’t have you like
STOP signs, but you have to love them, or I will give you a ticket. Have a nice day. Bye Bye.
St. John the
Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak
Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family
Service with Holy Eucharist
May 10, 2015:
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Gathering Songs: Sing a New Song, What Wondrous Love, I Love You Lord
Song: Sing a New Song (Renew! # 21)
Refrain: Sing a new song unto the Lord;
let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing Alleluia.
Yahweh’s people dance for joy; O come before the
Lord. And play for him on glad
tambourines, and let your trumpet sound.
Refrain
Rise, O children from you sleep, your savior now has
come. He has turned your sorrow to joy,
and filled your soul with song. Refrain
Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord. The trumpet sound; the dead shall be
raised. I know my Savior lives. Refrain
Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.
People: The Lord is Risen Indeed. Alleluia.
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
O God, you have prepared for those who
love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts
such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
First Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia
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 First Letter of John
Everyone
who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who
loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of
God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this,
that we obey his commandments.
Liturgist:
The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 98
Sing to
the LORD a new song, * for he has done marvelous things.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; * lift up your
voice, rejoice, and sing.
Sing to the LORD with the harp, * with the harp and the
voice of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn * shout with joy
before the King, the LORD.
Birthdays:
Pamela Rhoten, Karen Falxa, Sarah Feret, Carrie Dent, Christie Mendonca, Anne
Dwyer, Jim Lewis, Joyce Nehlsen, Arinze Okafor, Chike Okafor
Anniversaries:
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 John
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said
to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide
in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I
have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these
things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No
one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You
are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any
longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have
called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have
heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed
you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give
you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you
may love one another."
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
Song: Peace Before Us (Wonder,
Love and Praise, # 791)
1 Peace before us. Peace behind us. Peace under our feet. Peace within us. Peace over us. Let all around us be Peace.
2 Love, 3 Light, 4 Christ
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.
Holy Baptism is a 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)
The Celebrant now
praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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. 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: What Wondrous Love (Renew! #
277)
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul. What wondrous love is this O my soul. What wondrous love is this that caused the
Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul. To bear the
dreadful curse for my soul.
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down, when
I was sinking down sinking down. When I
was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ laid aside his crown for
my soul, for my soul, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing. To God and to the lamb I will sing. To God and to the lamb who is the great I
AM—while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing, while millions join
the theme I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing
on. And when from death I’m free, I’ll
sing on; and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through
eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing
on.
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: I
Love You Lord (Renew! # 36)
I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my
soul, rejoice.
Take joy, my King, in what you hear: May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.
Repeat
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Let us go forth in the
Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be
to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!
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