Sunday School, March 12, 2023 3 Lent A
Themes:
Jesus meets the Samaritan Woman at the Well
What is the meaning of Samaritan? The Samaritans were people who long before the time of Jesus belong to the unified nation of Israel. Israel became separated between the Northern and Southern Kingdom. They never reunited. The Samaritans had a religion like the Jews and used the books of Moses. Their temple was on Mount Gerizim. The temple of the Jews in the Southern Kingdom was in Jerusalem.
The Jews and the Samaritan, were enemies even though a very long time ago they used to be part of the same nation.
Jesus is sharing his teaching with the enemies of his own people. Jesus is the one who said to “love our enemies” and he loves the Samaritan people. He, in fact, revealed to this woman that he was the messiah.
There were churches that were started in Samaria and so Samaritans became followers of Jesus. In the church, the ancient Samaritan Israelites were reunited with the Jews from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. So many in the church called the church the “new Israel” because Israel was God’s chosen people. In Jesus Christ, the Gospel is that all people can be chosen people, including Jews, Gentiles and Samaritans.
Jesus also used water to help us understand what it feels like inside of us when we get good news. Imagine yourself on a very hot day and you get very thirsty. Imagine the good feeling inside of you when you drink a glass of refreshing water. Jesus promised that we could feel something like refreshing water inside of us when we discover the presence of God’s Spirit within us.
So the Gospel is such good news to us, it makes our insides feel as though we are drinking the most refreshing water on a hot and thirsty day.
Sermon
What if I owned all the water in the world and I shared it only with my family and friends, and nobody else.
Would that be fair? Why not?
Everyone needs water to live and so everybody should be able to get enough water to live.
Would it be possible for me to really own and control all the water in the world?
Could I control the rain and the lakes and the rivers and the ocean? Not I could not because I am not big enough to control all the water of the world.
But what is greater than all the water of the world? God is greater than all the water of the world. And God is our creator and maker and so we as people who were made by God, we need God.
And there were some people who live during the time of Jesus who were trying to control God. And they were acting as though God did not belong to anyone but to just them and their family and friends. And they were saying that foreigners and many other people could not have God.
Jesus came as Son of God to correct this problem. Jesus met with a Samaritan woman at the well and he had a talk with her about water. Many people did not think that God liked the Samaritan people, but Jesus like them. The Samaritan woman thought that Jesus was talking about water; but Jesus was talking about God, the Holy Spirit being available to everyone inside of each person and being like a wonderful fountain of water flowing inside of us. Close your eyes and try to visualize this: There is something like a wonderful water fountain inside of me and it is bubbling within me and it makes me feel peaceful and full of joy. And the Holy Spirit belongs to everyone.
Just as I cannot own all the water of the world and I should allow everyone to have water because everyone needs water; Jesus came to say, “God belongs to everyone, not just to a few people who thought that they could keep God away from others.”
And so Jesus met with many people who had been told that they could not know God in the right way. And he welcomed them to know God and to know God’s love.
Do you and I want to try to keep water away from thirsty people? No we don’t.
Do you and I want to keep God away from people who need to know God? No we don’t. Because God loves everyone and God belongs to everyone.
Jesus came to show us that God belongs to everyone. And when he left, he told his friends to keep telling this important message: God loves everyone and God belongs to everyone. Can you remember this?
Let us be like Jesus and remind people that God loves everyone and God belongs to everyone. Okay?
Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist
March 12, 2023: The Third Sunday in Lent
Gathering Songs: Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love; I’ve Got Peace like a River, Jesus Stand Among Us; Freely, Freely
Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all of 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.
Song: Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (Renew! # 289)
Refrain: Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.
Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their fee, Master who acts as a slave to them. Refrain
Neighbors are rich and poor, neighbors are black and white, neighbors are near and far away. Refrain
These are the ones we should serve, these are the ones we should love, all these are neighbors to us and you. Refrain
Liturgist: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; 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: Praise be to God! (chanted)
O God, you are Great! Praise be to God!
O God, you have made us! Praise be to God!
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Praise be to God!
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Praise be to God!
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Praise be to God!
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Praise be to God!
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Praise be to God!
Liturgist: A reading from the Book of Exodus
The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Come, let us sing to the LORD; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.
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, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, `Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, `One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
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: I’ve Got Peace Like a River (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 122)
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul. I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river in my soul..
I’ve got love….
I’ve got joy……
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,
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: 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 Song: Jesus Stand Among Us (Renew # 237)
Jesus stand among us in your risen power: let this time of worship be a hallowed hour.
Breathe the Holy Spirit into every heart; bid the fears and sorrows from each soul depart.
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: Freely, Freely (Renew # 192)
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name, I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name. And in Jesus’ name I come to you to share his love as He told me to.
Refrain: He said freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give. Go in my name and because you believe others will know that I live.
All power is given in Jesus’ name, in earth and heaven in Jesus’ name. And in Jesus’ name I come to you to share His power as He told me to. Refrain
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
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