Sunday School, September 18, 2016 18 Pentecost C proper 20

Sunday School, September 18, 2016    18 Pentecost C proper 20

Theme

You cannot serve God and wealth

What if you are hungry and you make yourself a sandwich to eat, but while you go to get some milk, someone takes your sandwich and eats it, how would you feel?

You might be upset.  Why?  Because you were the maker and the owner of that sandwich and someone took it without your permission and they ate it instead of you.

God made the world and so the world belongs to God.  What if people just take all of the things in this world without asking God, without thanking God and what if people just pretend that everything belongs to them and they ignore, forget or just plain steal from the owner.

You cannot serve God and wealth.  What is the solution to this problem?

You shall serve God with your wealth.  If we come to know that we are God’s sons and daughters and that we have inherited everything from God, then we will use all of our wealth for God’s family business.  What is God’s family business?  It is to make sure that everyone in God’s family is taken care of and so we use our wealth to take care of everyone in God’s family, including our God.

You cannot serve God and wealth.  We can think that this is hard and difficult choice or we can accept God as our Father and the creator and owner of the universe and if we believe this then we can happily use our wealth to serve God.

Think about how you and can use what God has given to us to serve God.

Sermon

What if you let me play with your Legos.  And while I was playing with your Legos, I decided that I would give some of them away to some of my friends.  And when you came to me to get your Legos back, I hand you a few Legos.  And you would ask me where are the rest of my Legos?  And I would say to you: Oh, I gave them to some of my friends.  What would you say, “Why did you do that?  They belonged to me.  You cannot give away something that does not belong to you.”  You would be upset wouldn’t you?

  What if one of you girls let your sisters play with five of your dolls.  And what if your sister decided to give a Barbie doll and a Snow White Doll away to her friends.  So when you came to get your dolls, there was only three dolls left?  How would you feel about your sister giving away two of your dolls?  Not very good.  You would say to your sister, “Why did you give my dolls away.  You had no right to do so.

  So you understand ownership?  When something belongs to you then you are the owner.  And what does it mean to be an owner?  It means that you have control over the things that you own.  It means that if you want to give your things away, you can but since you are the owner, you alone can choose.

  In our Gospel lesson, Jesus reminded his friends that God is the owner of everything.  Everything belongs to God because God made the world.  But God is a good maker.  God shared everything that was made with us. But when God shares everything with us he asks us to remember two things: First, remember that even though I share everything with you, I still am the owner of everything.  Second, since I share everything with you, then you need to share so that everyone has enough.

  That is why Jesus gave us two rules: Love God with all of our hearts.  That is how we recognize God as the owner of everything.  And love our neighbor as ourselves.  That is the rule of sharing.

  So how does God if some people have nothing to eat in this world and other people have so much to eat that they throw away good food?  How does God feel if some people have no home to live in and other people have five homes to live in?  How does God feel if some people have no clothes to wear and other people have a hundred dresses and shirts to wear?

  God the owner of life, who has shared everything with us, must feel very sad when some people have too much and other people have almost nothing.

  How can we correct this problem?  Love God and love our neighbor.  When we do this we remember that God is the owner of all things and we learn to use the good things that God gives us in the right way by learning to share and care for people who do not have enough.

  So today, let us remember that God is the owner of life.  And we need God’s help to know what to do with all of the good things that God shares with us.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 18, 2018: The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Jesus in the Morning, If You’re Happy, Seek Ye First,  Let There Be Peace

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

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

Song: Jesus in the Morning   (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 134)

1. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noon time.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus when the sun goes down.

2. Love Him  3. Serve Him   4. Praise Him

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: 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 to Timothy

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 113

Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants of the LORD; * praise the Name of the LORD.

Let the Name of the LORD be blessed, * from this time forth for evermore.

From the rising of the sun to its going down * let the Name of the LORD be praised.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said to the disciples, "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

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: If You’re Happy  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 124)

1-If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it, then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

2-Make a high five 3-Make a low five  4-Shout Amen!

Children’s Choral Anthem:

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 God.”

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.

(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.

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: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.  And all these things will be added unto you, allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock, and the door shall be opened unto you;  Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain

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: Let There Be Peace On Earth (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 251)

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.  Let there be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be.  With God as our Father, brothers all are we.  Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.  Let peace begin with me let this be the moment now.  With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!