Sunday School, October 14, 2018 21 Pentecost, B proper 23

Sunday School, October 14, 2018     21 Pentecost, B proper 23

Themes

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews writes that we love and respect God because God embraced our human life so closely in Jesus Christ that we can say that even though God is Great and mighty, God still knows how we feel.

And God knows that freedom in life means life does not always seem to be fair.  Good things can happen to bad people and bad things can happen to good people.

The story of Job is a story about how good things happened to a bad person; he had such bad luck that he felt like God had forsaken him.

Jesus is God's Son, the best of all people,  but some bad things happened to him.  Before he died on the cross, he said that same words which are found in Psalm 22: "My God, why have you forsaken me."

Sometimes people think and believe that if we are always lucky, it means that we are good and God must be blessing us by giving us good luck.

It is true that we can prevent some bad things from happening if we do good and right things.  For example, if we are safe and wear a bike helmet we may not hurt our head when we fall, but we might scrape our hand or our knee.  Just because we are good and safe that does not mean some sad thing can't happen in our lives.

The letter of the Hebrews tells us we can know God's word when it works inside of us and sorts us out to help us improve our lives.

Sometimes we need to hear God's word in our education to make us better people.  Some times we will not get better if we only practice and celebrate the things that we can already do well.   Sometimes we need our parents and our teachers to tell us about the new things that we have to learn, even though the new things might be more difficult to learn.  If we only know addition in math, we need to learn subtraction, multiplication and division we are going to improve.

A rich man came to Jesus and he had followed all of the rules and he wanted Jesus to congratulate him for being so good.  He wanted Jesus to promise him that he had eternal life.  He had a good life and he wanted this good life to continue even after he died.

Jesus was a good teacher; he congratulated him for his success, but he told him that he could be even better if he would sell the good things of his life and give the money to the poor.  This rich young man was very sad to hear this because he had so many things.

Jesus said that it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God?  Why, a rich person thinks that the kingdom of God is enter by what he has or what he does.  The kingdom of God is everywhere because God make this world.  Everyone is already in God's world and kingdom; it is just that many people do not recognize where they are because they do not recognize that they and this world already belong to God.

The gift of the kingdom of God is the gift that everyone has to just accept as the world which God has given to us.  We cannot work to get there; we just have to accept that we are in the kingdom and that it is God's gift.  The rich man was trying to work to get into God's kingdom and Jesus was saying that it was sad that this young man did not know how to receive the gift of God's kingdom which he already have.

This helps us understand sin too.  Sin is living in God's world and not knowing that it is God's world but thinking that it is our world which we own because of our work, success or our wealth.

Remember if we know ourselves to be sons and daughters of God, then we have already inherited the kingdom of God.  You don't work for an inheritance; you get an inheritance because you are a child of God.

Sermon

I need some help today.  I need some directions because I need to get somewhere.  Can you tell me how to get to Morgan  Hill?  I need to go to a church there, St. John the Divine.  Can you tell me how to get to St. John the Divine?  If I give you some money will you tell me how to get to St. John’s in Morgan Hill?  If I keep the 10 commandments, will you help me get to St. John’s in Morgan Hill?

  Why does it seem strange for me to ask you for directions?  You are thinking…what wrong with Father Phil, is he lost?  Has he lost his mind? How come he doesn’t know that he is already in Morgan Hill and at St.  John the Divine.

  When you go to Disneyland, how do you know that you are there?  You see the sign..you see Mickey and Minnie…you see the Magic Kingdom.

  A man came to Jesus and said, how can I have eternal life.  How can I live forever after I die.  How can I have the kind of life that God’s has?

And Jesus told him to keep the 10 commandments.  And the man said,”Well, I have always kept the 10 commandments.”  Then Jesus said to him, “But have you sold all of the things you owned and given the money to the poor?”  And the man left Jesus and he was very sad, because he had lots of things to sell.

  Then Jesus told his disciples a riddle.  He said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than it was for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.  What is the meaning of this riddle?

  The rich man  thought that the kingdom of God began at the end of his life after he died.  Jesus was trying to say, the rich man was already in the kingdom of God, but he could not recognize.

  The rich man was like me, when I ask you if I could get to St. John’s, Morgan Hill.  You wanted to say to me.  Silly man…you are already there.

  Jesus came to tell us about something many people forget.  Jesus came to tell us that this world is the kingdom of God.  Why?  Because God made it and the world belongs to God.  So, everywhere we live is the kingdom of God.  And if God made everything, everything belongs to God.

  But sometimes we forget that this world, our lives, and our things belong to God.  That is when we get lost and confused.  We live in the kingdom of God but we don’t know it.  We live thinking that we are rich because and we pretend that everything belongs to us.  And we forget that all things belong to God.  We forget that this is God’s kingdom.  We forget that God cares for everyone.  And when that happens, then some people have more than enough to eat, and other people do not have enough to eat.

  So, do you see what sin is?  It is living in the kingdom of God and not recognizing it.

  So what can we do?  We can confess our understanding of God’s kingdom.

God made this world.  God made me.  I am a child of God.  I belong to God.  Everything in this world belongs to God.  I live in God’s Kingdom. God shares many good things with me.  I give some of my time, some of my talent, some of my treasure back to God.  I share what I have with those who are in need.  I share the good news about God’s kingdom. 

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 14, 2018: The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs:  This Little Light of Mine, O Be Careful, Eat This Bread, Soon and Very Soon

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.

Song: This Little Light of Mine  (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 234)

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.  This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let shine, let it shine.

Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m going to let it shine.  Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine.  Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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 letter of Hebrews

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.  Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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 Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."  Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

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.

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 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: O Be Careful (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 180)

O be careful little hands what you do.  O be careful little hands what you do.  There’s a Father up above and he’s looking down in love, so be careful little hands what you.

O be careful little feet where you go.  O be careful little feet where you go.  There’s a Father up above and he’s looking down in love, so be careful little feet where you go.

O be careful little lips what you say.  O be careful little lips what you say.  There’s a Father up above and he’s looking down in love, so be careful little lips what you say.

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.

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,

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:  Eat This Bread (Renew! # 228)

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry.  Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

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: Soon and Very Soon (Renew! # 276)

Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king, Alleluia, Alleluia, we’re going to see the king

No more dying there we are going to see the king.  No more dying there we are going to see the king.  No more dying there we are going to see the king.  Alleluia, Alleluia, we’re going to see the king

Soon and very soon….

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!