Where Does the Call of Christ Happen?

2 Epiphany A January 15, 2023
Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42

Lectionary Page

One of the themes of the Epiphany season is the call of Christ.  Our reading from the Gospel of the John includes the calling of Andrew and Peter to follow Jesus.

Historically, we have come to think of calling as referring to the ordained ministries of the church, like priests, deacons, and bishop or for those in the religious communities, those called to monastic life.  There has been a tendency to limit such calls to a one time event and the validity of such calls often measured by the dramatic aspects like St. Paul's being blinded by lights and a voice from heaven.

For many years, the lay order of ministries were regarded as inferior orders and so they were not really recognized as being special.

Fortunately, since the liturgical recovery of baptismal theology in the last forty plus year, each person's baptism has come to be recognized as ordination to ministry.  Holy Baptism is a confession that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have been given to the baptized and those gifts are gifts of ministry for the church and the world.

I would invite for us to consider an embracing notion of the call of God in Christ, which is an always already call waiting to be responded to in each moment of our lives.

Holy Baptism is an event when we take on our Christian identity even while we embark on the journey of continuously being made Christian or more Christ-like.

At the cusp of being Christian and becoming more Christ-like lies the continuous call of Christ.

Names and identities work in very reductive ways.  All of the occasions becoming in my life have been reduced to my singular identity in my name of Philip.  This name for me is ironic, since it means "lover of horses" and I've never been around horses closely enough to know if I would be worthy of the great horse-lover Philip of Macedonia.  So, I might be accused of not living up to my name in the actions of my life.  Nothing in my life experience can verify that I am indeed a horse lover.

This is relevant for our Christian identity.  In our baptism we receive the name or branding of Christ when chrism is painted on our forehead in the sign of the cross with these words: "You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever."

In baptism we are designated as "Christian," and it is one thing to be designated as such, it is quite another thing to constantly become Christian in living lives of continuous love and justice.

I would propose that the call of Christ resides at the place between ideal identity and our next future action.  It is always with us beckoning us to our more Christ-like selves.  It beckons everyone who is marked with the identity and name of Christian.

It is the encouraging and luring place between being Christian and becoming more Christ-like in time, in a new place and current life situation.

The call of Christ does not let us rest in having but a passive identity with Christ; the call is imploring us to be surpassing ourselves always in our future states.  We cannot ever think that we have been enough Christian, or done enough in our practice of love and justice because we exist in time and the future of Christ-likeness is always beckoning us to surpass ourselves.

Today, let us not limit the call of Christ to the ordained ministries of the church.  Let us not limit the call of Christ to one time events such as our baptisms.

Let us accept the call of Christ as a constant invitation to live lives of love and justice and in so doing we will be living up to the Christian identity of our baptism.  Amen

Sunday School, January 15, 2023 2 Epiphany A

 

Sunday School, January 15, 2023   2 Epiphany  A

Themes

Changes in our lives

When you grow up you some times have to make changes.  You have a different class for first grade than you did in kindergarten.  You have a different teacher every year.  Your interests might change too.  One year you might be interested in dance and another year soccer or gymnastics.

The Gospel lesson is about some changes:

Peter and Andrew were fishermen; that’s what they did for earning a living.

Peter and Andrew had John the Baptist as their teacher.

Andrew and Peter had to make some changes.

Jesus called them to become his followers.  So they had to quit fishing and spend all of their time learning from Jesus as their teacher.

Andrew and Peter also changed teachers;  John the Baptist had been their teacher, but he made Andrew and Peter graduate from his class.  John the Baptist told them that there was another teacher who would teach them new and better things.  That teacher was Jesus.   John the Baptist was happy when his students graduated and became a part of the school of Jesus as his students.

The lesson for us is this:  Sometimes we don’t like to make changes.  Sometimes we might be afraid of learning new things or having a new teacher.  But learning in life means we need to accept change when new and better things are offered to us.  Sometimes we need to accept new teachers for our learning because they can teach us new things.

We can learn from Jesus as our teacher.  And we are lucky to have many people in our lives teach us about Jesus and what Jesus taught his students.  We have parents, grandparents, friends, pastors, priests and Sunday School teachers who teach us about Jesus.

Let us be excited about the new changes that will happen in our lives as we learn to become better students of Jesus Christ.

Sermon

What do you do?  Well you do lots of things don’t you?  What does your mommy and daddy do?  They do lots of things?  And who are you?  What roles do you live in life?

  Mommy, Daddy, son, daughter, baby, boy, girl, husband, wife, grandma, cook, cleaner, student, preschooler, driver, engineer, player, walker, runner, builder, repair person, tax payer, voter, citizen, gardener, shopper….on and on it goes.  We get many roles and jobs and responsibilities in life.

  And in all of our jobs and roles in life we will know happiness and sadness.  Some times we know success and sometimes we know failure.  Sometimes we’re happy with what we are and sometimes we’re sad.

  One day Jesus met a couple of fishermen.  And what do fishermen do?  They catch fish so that people can buy fish to eat.

  Even though Andrew and Peter were fishermen, they had something else that they had to do in their lives.

  They had to become followers of Jesus Christ.

  And you and I, whether we’re old or young, rich or poor, tall or short, whether we’re in high school or preschool, whether we’re doctor or teacher or an engineer, we always have one more thing to do.

  We can always follow Christ.  And if we are always following Christ, we are successful.  Why?

  We follow Christ, because we know that Christ has taught us that we are sons and daughters of God.  And since God is our parent, because God created the world, we know that God loves us.

  And if we know that God loves us, then we can do many things in this life.  And if we have some happiness and success God loves us.  And if we have some sadness and some disappointments, God loves us.

  And so we remember that if we are following Christ and if we are always remembering that we are sons and daughters of God, then we are doing the most important thing in our lives.

  That is what it means to be called by Jesus Christ and to be his follower.  Amen.

Intergenerational Service with Holy Eucharist

January 15, 2023: The Second Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs: This Little Light of Mine, Lord I Want to be a Christian, Eat This Bread, I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light 

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: This Little Light of Mine (The 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 it 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

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, 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 Book of Isaiah

The LORD called me before I was born; while I was in my mother's womb he named me.

formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 40

I waited patiently upon the LORD; * he stooped to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; * he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; * many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the LORD.

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.

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."  The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon

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.

Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Children’s Choir:  I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

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

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

The Prayer continues with these words

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:       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: I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light (Renew # 152)

I want to walk as a child of the light.  I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to give light to the world; the star of my life is Jesus.   

Refrain:  In him there is no darkness at all; the night and the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God: Shine in my heart Lord Jesus.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!  

The Call of Christ and Evangelism Involves Translation

2 Epiphany A January 19, 2020
Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42

Lectionary Link

Since we read the Gospel of John in its final textual and translated form, we often read it with primary naivete; that is, we read it as if it was an eye-witness account of a single reporter who was following Jesus around charting a contemporaneous account of his life.

We love to keep things in the delicious story mode; that is for child-like immediate enjoyment.  Why do you think Disney, and Novels and the Cinema is so popular.  We like to live in the "as if" mode.  We like to assume everything is "as if" it appears in its artistic form.

But lingering in primary naivete as the only way of reading the Bible is what created the interpretative school of what is called fundamentalism.  And when naïve reading clashes with science, common sense and the uniformity of natural causes in a closed system, people respond differently.  Fundamentalists think that they have to read most of the Bible as literal.  And scientists think that if being literal is what defines faith and religion; they say no thanks.  And as Episcopalians, we believe that we can be poets and scientist at the same time.  We can appreciate poetic, artistic, faith discourse and we can have our feet firmly on the ground with the brute facts of scientific discourse.

We can understand the Gospel of John as a collection of writings which had various editions before a final edition.  These writings reflect several decades of the mystical teachings of the church, their inquirers classes to teach new members being added to their community, the liturgical practices of the church including healing, Eucharist and baptism, and all of these practices were given a discourse to weave their original inspiration with the story of the life of Jesus.

One of the themes of the Epiphany Season is the calling of Christ.  Christ becomes manifest to people in a personal call.  Back in the days when telephones were fewer, it was always really special to get a call.  Back in the days of snail mail, it used to be really special to get a personal letter.  But today with the ubiquity of messages a call is not so special.  We end up blocking most calls and funneling messages to spam folders.

The notion of call is still important, because what is it that makes a call special?  It depends upon who is calling.  The call of Christ is important because he is unique and his call is personal and special because it is tailored to each individual's life experience.

Today, we can highlight the call of Simon Peter which came in a succession of referrals, starting with John the Baptist, then his disciples, which included Andrew, who then told his brother Peter.  This highlights that evangelism is most often based upon referrals.  "Hey, I've someone special; would you like to meet him too."  Evangelism is in many ways an attempt to do some match making between Jesus and other people.  "Hey, I'd like you to meet someone special; here's how I encountered the Risen Christ and it changed my life.  I'd like to present this accessible experience to you too."

One of the reasons we highlight call of Simon Peter today is because yesterday we began what is called the week of Christian Unity which stretches from January 18 until January 25th.  Yesterday, was the feast of the confession of Simon Peter, when he declared Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God.  On January 25th, we commemorate the Conversion of St. Paul, who was the chief apostle to the Gentiles.  Peter was a Pillar in the Jewish followers of Christ and Paul was a Pillar of the mission and manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

We might say that the purpose of the Gospel of John is to make the call of the Risen Christ accessible to the widest possible audience.

How does the church make the call of Jesus Christ accessible to the widest possible audience?  This brings us to what I find a very fascinating parenthesis in the Gospel of John.  The parenthetical phrase is, "which is translated."

Translation is the key to making the call of Jesus Christ accessible to the widest possible audience.  The many people who were instructed within the community which wrote the Gospel of John came from different backgrounds.  Some were observant Jews, so they knew the jargon.  They knew what rabbi meant, they knew what Messiah meant.  They knew what Cephas meant.  But there were non-observant Jews and there were many Gentiles who had to have the connection of the Hebrew Scriptures with Jesus of Nazareth, translated to them.  They had to have the Judaic traditions translated to them.  The Gospel of John is a collection of writings about the efforts of the early church to translate the meaning the significance of Jesus Christ to people from diverse backgrounds.  The early church were trying to appeal to the followers of John the Baptist.  So they presented John the Baptist with the understanding that John recommended Jesus as his logical successor.  The early church which generated the Gospel of John were appealing to members of the synagogue by showing how Jews like Peter and Paul could merge their Judaism with the Spiritual innovations that became known through the teaching of Jesus Christ.  But also, John's Gospel translates actual language and religious notions into language accessible to the Gentiles who had no background in Judaism or the Hebrew Scriptures.  How would a Gentile know what "Lamb of God" meant unless there was a translation of Hebrew Scripture and tradition?

Translation expresses the essence of the Epiphany season.  How does Jesus Christ become manifest to the World?  He becomes translated into accessible teaching to as many people as possible.  Translation implies a bi-lingual experience.  It implies that there is a bridge of communication between diverse people.

If you and I have responded to the call of Christ, it is our further calling to become translators of the life Christ to other people.  We are called to interpret the meaning of the Risen Christ to other people in ways that are accessible to their life situations.  We celebrate this week of Christian Unity because translation requires lots of people to translate the meaning of the life of Jesus to all of the people of the world.  We as Episcopalians in this place have our own way of translating the call of Christ to the people we are inviting to know the Risen Christ.

Today, let us embrace the role of translating and interpretation with renewed commitment.  It means that we accept the very personal and unique ways in which Christ has gotten through to us and from there we honor the personal and unique ways that Christ will get through to people in their personal circumstances and situations.  Translation and interpretation means that we have to get to know and honor the life situations of others so that we can find the best way to refer them to know the call of Christ.

So on this day of remembering the call of Peter in this week of Christian unity, let us answer the following question with: "I will with God's help."

Will you translate the life of Christ to other people that you meet so that they can know the love of God in a very personal way?

"I will, with God's help."  Amen

Sunday School, January 19, 2020 2 Epiphany A

Sunday School, January 15, 2017                    2 Epiphany  A

Themes

Changes in our lives

When you grow up you some times have to make changes.  You have a different class for first grade than you did in kindergarten.  You have a different teacher every year.  Your interests might change too.  One year you might be interested in dance and another year soccer or gymnastics.

The Gospel lesson is about some changes:

Peter and Andrew were fishermen; that’s what they did for earning a living.

Peter and Andrew had John the Baptist as their teacher.

Andrew and Peter had to make some changes.

Jesus called them to become his followers.  So they had to quit fishing and spend all of their time learning from Jesus as their teacher.

Andrew and Peter also changed teachers;  John the Baptist had been their teacher, but he made Andrew and Peter graduate from his class.  John the Baptist told them that there was another teacher who would teach them new and better things.  That teacher was Jesus.   John the Baptist was happy when his students graduated and became a part of the school of Jesus as his students.

The lesson for us is this:  Sometimes we don’t like to make changes.  Sometimes we might be afraid of learning new things or having a new teacher.  But learning in life means we need to accept change when new and better things are offered to us.  Sometimes we need to accept new teachers for our learning because they can teach us new things.

We can learn from Jesus as our teacher.  And we are lucky to have many people in our lives teach us about Jesus and what Jesus taught his students.  We have parents, grandparents, friends, pastors, priests and Sunday School teachers who teach us about Jesus.

Let us be excited about the new changes that will happen in our lives as we learn to become better students of Jesus Christ.

Sermon

What do you do?  Well you do lots of things don’t you?  What does your mommy and daddy do?  They do lots of things?  And who are you?  What roles do you live in life?

  Mommy, Daddy, son, daughter, baby, boy, girl, husband, wife, grandma, cook, cleaner, student, preschooler, driver, engineer, player, walker, runner, builder, repair person, tax payer, voter, citizen, gardener, shopper….on and on it goes.  We get many roles and jobs and responsibilities in life.

  And in all of our jobs and roles in life we will know happiness and sadness.  Some times we know success and sometimes we know failure.  Sometimes we’re happy with what we are and sometimes we’re sad.

  One day Jesus met a couple of fishermen.  And what do fishermen do?  They catch fish so that people can buy fish to eat.

  Even though Andrew and Peter were fishermen, they had something else that they had to do in their lives.

  They had to become followers of Jesus Christ.

  And you and I, whether we’re old or young, rich or poor, tall or short, whether we’re in high school or preschool, whether we’re doctor or teacher or an engineer, we always have one more thing to do.

  We can always follow Christ.  And if we are always following Christ, we are successful.  Why?

  We follow Christ, because we know that Christ has taught us that we are sons and daughters of God.  And since God is our parent, because God created the world, we know that God loves us.

  And if we know that God loves us, then we can do many things in this life.  And if we have some happiness and success God loves us.  And if we have some sadness and some disappointments, God loves us.

  And so we remember that if we are following Christ and if we are always remembering that we are sons and daughters of God, then we are doing the most important thing in our lives.

  That is what it means to be called by Jesus Christ and to be his follower.  Amen.

Intergenerational Service with Holy Eucharist

January 19, 2020: The Second Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs: This Little Light of Mine, Lord I Want to be a Christian, Eat This Bread, I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light 

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: This Little Light of Mine (The 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 it 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

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, 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 Book of Isaiah

The LORD called me before I was born; while I was in my mother's womb he named me.

formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 40

I waited patiently upon the LORD; * he stooped to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; * he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; * many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the LORD.

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.

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."  The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon

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.

Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Children’s Choir:  I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

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

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

The Prayer continues with these words

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:       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: I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light (Renew # 152)

I want to walk as a child of the light.  I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to give light to the world; the star of my life is Jesus.   

Refrain:  In him there is no darkness at all; the night and the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God: Shine in my heart Lord Jesus.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!