Sunday School, October 29, 2017 21 Pentecost, A proper 25

Sunday School, October 29, 2017               21 Pentecost, A proper 25

Theme:

The Law

Have your class do a comparison of laws and rules.

We have rules of health.  Brushing our teeth and washing our hands.

We have rules of courtesy.  Raising our hands, using polite words like please, thank you and you’re welcome.

We have rules of safety.  Wear a seat belt.  Wear a helmet.  Do play with matches or knives.

We have club rules or family rules.  Like, you have to wear a team uniform.

There are many, many rules.  So many that we don’t always know if we are keeping all of the rules.

We need to know the most important rules.

We need to know how to live well even if we don’t know all the rules.

We need to know how to answer this question all of the time:  How should I live and what should I do?

Jesus provided us a simply way to know what to do all of the time.

He simplified the law to help us to know what to do.

There were 613 laws in the Torah.  Some of the laws were very important and others not as important.  Is more important that we not mix wearing clothes made of wool and linen at the same time or that we not kill, or steal or lie?

When we think about the law, we usually think about the 10 Commandments, because they are a shorter list and easier to memorize.

Jesus told us to remember even a shorter list of laws:  Love God, Love your neighbor.  Love yourself.

Before we do or say anything, if we ask ourselves if our word and deeds respect God, respect our neighbors and respect ourselves, then we will know what to do.

By learning to think in this way, we can learn how to know the right thing to do all of the time.

Sermon:

Do you have rules at home?  Do you forget the rules sometimes?

  Do you have rules at school?  And if you forget the rules, your teachers remind you about them.

  Do we have traffic rules?  Yes, and what if we forget about the traffic rules, who reminds us?  The police do.

  Did you know that there are rules and laws in the Bible?  In fact, in the first five books of the Bible, there are 613 rules.  That is a lot of rules to remember isn’t it.

  So, we need shorter lists of rules.  One of the most famous lists of rules is called the Ten Commandments.

  Are some rules more important than others?  In the Ten Commandments, we probably treat one rule as more serious than all the other commandments.  Can you guess what rule that is?

  Thou shalt not kill.  That’s a very important rule since the life of each person is most important.

  Some of the rules were written to tell people how to eat.  For example, people were not supposed to eat certain kinds of meats like pork or shell fish.

  Thou shalt not eat pork or thou shalt not kill?  Which is a more important law?

  The religious leaders during the time of Jesus criticized him for ignoring some of their rules.  They said he should not work on their day of prayer, and they criticized him for healing on the Sabbath, the day of prayer.  They criticized him for eating with certain people who did not keep the special religious diet.  They criticized him for touching lepers and certain sick people.  Jesus told them that they were forgetting the important rules and making the unimportant rules special, so they could keep people away from their religious gatherings.

  So, they asked Jesus…there are so many laws. What laws are the greatest laws?  And with so many laws, how can I know what to do?

  Jesus said: Love God with all of your heart.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  If you live by these two laws, then you will always know what to do.

  If I hit or push someone, am I loving my neighbor?  If I lie or steal something, am I loving my neighbor?  If I forget God or if I make many things more important than God, am I loving God? 

  So, if you forget all of the laws:  Always ask yourself these three questions: Am I loving God by what I am doing?   Am I loving my neighbor by what I am doing?  Am I doing something to another person that I would not want done to me?

  Jesus helped us to simplify the laws by giving us these two laws:  Love God with all your heart.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Can you remember these two laws?

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 29, 2017: The Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Seek Ye First, The King of Glory

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: He’s Got the Whole World  (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 90)

He’s got the whole world in his hands, he’s got the whole wide world in his hands, he got the whole world in his hands, he’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands….

He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands..

He’s got the moms and the dads in his hands…

He’s got the cats and the dogs in his hands..

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; 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: 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 First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 90

Show your servants your works * and your splendor to their children.

May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; * prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.

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 Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, `The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet"'? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. 

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. (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.

Offertory Music:    Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! (Renew! # 71)

1          Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest!

2          Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted oh Lord my God! Glory to the King of kings!

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 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 up 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 Hymn: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal  # 711)

1.         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.

2.         Knock and the door shall be open upon you.  Seek and ye shall find.  Ask and it shall be given 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: The King of Glory Comes, (Renew! # 267)

Refrain:  The King of Glory comes the nation rejoices.  Open the gates before him lift up your voices.

Who is the King of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages.  Refrain

In all of Galilee, in city or village, he goes among his people curing their illness.  Refrain

Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God!