Sunday School, December 31, 2023 1 Christmas B
Theme:
A different kind of Christmas Story
If we say that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, that means he has always been. So, where was Jesus the eternal Son of God, before he was born to Mary in Bethlehem?
The Gospel of Jesus gives us the answer to this question. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was made flesh…the Word was found to be in the baby Jesus who grew to be a grown adult man. So, the Word, which created everything, lived with us in the person of Jesus.
The Gospel of John tells us about Jesus, the Christ, before he was born in Bethlehem.
Word is a very good metaphor for Christ and for God. Why?
Word is the most distinguishing thing about being human. People have and use words in a way that no other creatures do. Words make us human. The only way that we can know that we know anything at all is by having and using words.
Why is it important that Jesus as WORD AND GOD? To be the very best human beings, we have to learn how to use words in the very best way. We have to learn to use words to be wise, to know as much as we can, to speak with love and kindness, but we have to remember our body language too. We have to have our body perform deeds of love and kindness. Jesus is the Word made Flesh and though the life of Jesus, God showed us how we can create our lives in the very best way through the ways in which we use words, with our speaking and with our writng and with our body language.
As we begin the new year, let us make a resolution to improve our word use, in our speaking, in our learning new things, in our writing and in our body language.
Remember God as Word is everywhere, inside of us and outside of us because God as Word is Life and Light.
My Word to You: Happy New Year and God bless you in how you use your words in 2024
Sermon
Let’s pretend for just a minute. Let us pretend that we cannot see. Let us pretend that we cannot hear. Let us pretend that we cannot speak.
It is hard to pretend this. Because if we had never learned the word pretend, we wouldn’t know what pretend.
Maybe we should think about a little baby who is crying. Do we know why a baby cries? Can the baby tell us why exactly he or she is crying? No, but we try to guess. Do we need to change a diaper, or give the baby some milk, or give the baby some medicine? Do we need to burp the baby? Does the baby have a tummy ache? Or is the baby cold? Or is the baby too hot? Or is the baby lonely?
We try to guess why a baby is crying, but we cannot be sure why a baby is crying. Why? Because a baby does not yet know how to speak or to use language. And when a baby begins to use language, a baby starts to become more like a grown-up. Why? Because the baby can now talk to mom and dad and to brothers and sisters and Grandmothers and grandfathers. And so we always celebrate when a baby says the first words, because we know that the baby is becoming able to tell us how she feels.
There once was little girl named Helen Keller. When she was a baby she had a sickness and she lost her ability to see, to talk and to hear. Because she could not see, talk or hear, she had no way to learn how to talk. Can you imagine what her life was like? She was not happy and she was very hard to care for, because she had no way to talk with her parents. Her parents hired a teacher to try to teach her. And it is very hard to teach someone who cannot see, hear or talk. But the teacher used her hands to make letters in her hand. But she did not even know the letters, until one day when water was pouring over her hand, the teacher spelled “w-a-t-e-r” into the hand of Hellen Keller. And Helen suddenly understood what words meant. And she was so excited she wanted to know the name of everything that she could touch. And when she could use words, her life was suddenly new, because she could now talk with her parents using her hands. Helen Keller grew up to be a famous and well-educated person, and she helped and inspired people who did have the ability to see, hear or speak.
Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. And from the life of Helen Keller, you and I can understand how important Words are for us. Everything in our world is created with Word, because we don’t know what anything is if we don’t have words.
Let us be thankful today that we have words. With words we don’t have to live alone and be lonely, because with words we can talk with the important people in our lives. And let us be thankful that God our creator made us special because we were made to use words. And so today we use our words to thank God who made us to have words in our lives. And we should be very careful about how we use the words of our lives. Our words can create love and kindness; or our word can cause war and fighting. Let remember when we use words; they are special gifts to us that God gave us to use. Amen.
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
December 31, 2023 The First Sunday after Christmas
Gathering Songs: What Child Is This?; Go Tell It On the Mountain; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
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.
What Child Is This (Blue Hymnal # 115)
What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?
Chorus: This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian fear: for sinners here the silent Word is pleading. Chorus
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh, come, peasant, king, to own him; the King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him. Chorus
Liturgist: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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 Letter of Paul to the Galatians
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God..
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! * how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
Great is our LORD and mighty in power; * there is no limit to his wisdom.
The LORD lifts up the lowly, * but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; * make music to our God upon the harp.
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.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
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: Go Tell It On the Mountain, (Blue Hymnal, # 99)
Chorus: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!
While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night, behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light. Chorus
The shepherds feared and trembled when lo above the earth rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth. Chorus
Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn. Chorus
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: 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 :
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: God Rest You Merry Gentlemen (Blue Hymnal # 105)
God rest you merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay; remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray. Chorus: O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy; O tiding of comfort and joy!
From god our heavenly Father a blessed angel came and unto certain shepherds brought tiding of the same: how that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name. Chorus
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
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