Mutual Epiphany:The Call of Christ

2 Epiphany B  January 14,2018
1 Samuel 3:1-10  Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 6:11b-20  John 1:43-51

Lectionary Link

We are in the season of the Epiphany, the season of the manifestation of Christ to this world.  One of the themes of the season of the Epiphany is what I would call the Counter-Epiphany or the Reverse-Epiphany.

Now what would I mean by that?  I mean that the Reverse Epiphany is the manifestation of men and women to Christ.  People are made known to God in Christ.

Christ is made known to us; we are made known to Christ.  And this is the event of human friendship with God.  This event is marked and celebrated by what we call the Call of Christ.

When Jesus met Nathaniel, Jesus said to him, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is not deceit or guile."  He said, "Rabbi how did you know me?"  Jesus said, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."  Jesus was saying, "Nathaniel, I was checking you out even when you did not know it.  I saw your body language.  I knew I wanted to call you."  Jesus had an Epiphany of Nathaniel before Nathaniel had his Epiphany of Jesus.

And isn't that how love and friendship and calling occur.  It is a mutual Epiphany.

Einstein once said the main question of the universe: Is it a friendly place?  The main Christian question is:  Is God personally friendly to me?  Does God love me?  Am I known by God?  Has God had an epiphany of me and let me know about it?

You and I remain unknown to most of the population of the entire earth, even if we get 15 or more minutes of fame.  We remain unknown to most of the world.

We depend upon a core number of people in our lives to have an epiphany about who we are and if we can enter the regard of enough people it is significant for establishing our sense of worth and esteem.  But sometimes having the mere regard of significant people is not enough.  There remains a nagging sense of wanting another kind of recognition, something which cannot be given by mere family or peer relationship.

St. Augustine was quite a lover; he was a scholar, a rhetorician and he had plenty of regard by people in his life.  But he later wrote: The human heart is restless until it finds its rest in God.

How did Augustine come to find his rest in God?  His mother, Monica prayed endlessly that the playboy scholar would find his rest in God.  And God answered her prayers and Augustine came to find his rest in God and he received a call from God to devote the rest of his life as a scholar bishop and he became one of the amazing theological architects of the Christian Church.

How might we understand the dynamic of this mutual epiphany between Christ and a person known as the call of God in Christ?

I believe that creation is like the Trojan Horse of the Divine.  How so?  God hides something of the image of the divine in each person.  And this image of the divine within is like a powerful homing device that is always seeking out its likeness and owner.  And this homing device like God's preset GPS is sending out continuous instruction about finding our way home to God.  In our sin and ignorance we misread what this homing signal of the power force of inward desire.  We let the desire linger and focus too long on things that are not divine and we let idolatry slow us down and send us on long detours of addiction and distractive behaviors.  When our GPS is too far out of whack, we need to have  milestone people in our environment onto whom we can project our desire to get it back on track to the divine.  Jesus Christ arises in human history to be the One onto whom we can project so that our desire can be reorganized and become the energy to propel us in the right direction.

Since all of us have the divine homing device within us, we can all be a part of God's mission to call and reconcile all people to the reality of their true being.  Before Jesus called Nathaniel, Philip was the set-up man for Jesus.  "Hey, Nate, I found this great teacher Jesus who has knocked my socks off.   I have to tell you about him.  Okay...where's this Jesus from?  He from Nazareth.  Nazareth?  You're kidding me."   That's like asking a Giants' fan to find something good about the Dodgers.  Sometimes our regional bias and other prejudices will not let us regard the truth of our own being because we want to control how we get the message.  Philip the evangelist was at his wits end so he said: "At least come and see.  Meet him."

Today, we are called to be like the evangelist Philip.  We need to be willing to pray for future members of St. John's.  We know that there are many habits and biases which would keep people away from our parish.  We need to have the boldness to invite and say, Come and see.  Come and see if you can find your calling to Christ in our midst.

Let us make this new year a year of mutual Epiphany.  Believing that God in Christ knows us and loves and helps us activate that homing device within us to lead us back to God, but also calls us to be those who invite others to be with us as we are finding our way back to God and finding a way to let the image of God in our lives be seen as the most important thing about us.  Amen.

Sunday School, January 14, 2018 2 Epiphany B

Sunday School, January 14, 2018   2 Epiphany B

Theme:

The Call of God

The Bible teaches us that God like us.  How do we know?

God calls to be God’s friends.

The boy Samuel heard a voice in his efforts to try to sleep.  It was the voice of God calling to him.  Samuel was shocked to find out that God was interested in him.  When Samuel said, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening,” he accepted a friendship with God to become an important leader for the people of Israel.  He became the most important Judge of Israel and God used Samuel to select the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.

God like us so much, God sent God’s son Jesus to live with us and Jesus like us and called us to be his brothers and sisters and friends.

Philip was so excited that Jesus called him, he told his friend Nathaniel.  Nathaniel was not so sure at first about Jesus, but when he met Jesus he became very excited.  Jesus had a special way of making friends.

You and I are called by Jesus to be his friends and we are also asked by Jesus to introduce other people to Jesus.  How do we do that?

How do you make a friend?

Take an interest in them.  Share your life with them, your story and your good news.  You ask them to share their story with you.  You care for them.  One of the best things we can share with our friends is what Jesus means to us and to our lives.  The best news we can give our friends is the knowledge that God loves them and that Jesus calls them into a special relationship with God to help them live their lives in the very best way for themselves, their family and for our world.

Sermon:

What church season are we in now?  Epiphany.  And what is the color that we use during Epiphany.  Epiphany sounds like a funny word; what does it mean?

  Epiphany is when you discover something and your life changes because of that discovery.

  As a baby, when you learned that you can walk; that is an Epiphany.  And when you learn how to read and sound out words; that is an epiphany because it changes your life.

  Do you know what one of the greatest discoveries is in life?  It is the discovery of a friend.  Friends change our lives; they share with us their time; they help us when we’re sad; they encourage us.

  Today, we read about a man named Philip and he had a friend Nathaniel.  And since Philip was Nathaniel’s friend, he wanted to share with him his best news.

  And Philip had some good news.  And what was that good news.  Philip had met a wonderful teacher named Jesus.  And Jesus was such a good teacher who had taught Philip so many wonderful things; Philip wanted to share his friend Jesus with his friend Nathaniel.  Why?  Because he knew that Jesus could be a friend and teacher to Nathaniel too.

  Nathaniel was not sure that he wanted a new friend.  But he decided to go with Philip and meet Jesus.  And Nathaniel found out that Philip was right; Jesus was a good friend and teacher and Nathaniel became the friend of Jesus too.

  Epiphany is about discovering Jesus as our friend and teacher.  Epiphany is about discovering each other as friends and sharing our very best news with each other.

  The word Gospel means, “good news.”  And as friends we share good news with each other.  And what is our good news?  That God loves us, God cares for us, God forgives us when we make mistakes, God gives us family and friends to share our good news with.

  So remember the word Epiphany…it is when we discover that God is our friend and God sent his Son Jesus to let us know about the friendship that we can have with God.  And that is good news.  Amen

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 14, 2017 The Second Sunday After the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; Peace Before Us; Lord, Be Glorified; Awesome God

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: Hallelu, Hallelujah (Christian Children’s Songbook # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!  Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord!

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.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

Liturgist:   A reading from the First Book of Samuel

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 139

How deep I find your thoughts, O God! * how great is the sum of them!

If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; * to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

Birthdays:   James Gabbard, Greg Parish, Ed Ludwick, Chad Church

Anniversaries:   Frank and Bethan Bath

  

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Liturgist:         The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

Offertory Music:  Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise  # 791)

Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet.  Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace.

Love before us….

Light before us…

Christ before us….

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

 the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

 this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Sanctify us 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: Lord, Be Glorified  (Renew! # 172)

In our lives, Lord be glorified, be glorified.  In our lives, Lord, be glorified today.

In our homes, Lord…

In your church, Lord…

In your world, Lord…

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: Awesome God (Renew! # 245)

Our God is an awesome God.  He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love; our God is an awesome God.

Sing three times

Dismissal    

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Anatomy of the Call

2 Epiphany B  January 18,2015

1 Samuel 3:1-10  Psalm 63:1-8

1 Corinthians 6:11b-20  John 1:43-51

 Lectionary Link

   One of the effects of writing is to make the readers think that we attain an actual imaginary state of "being there."  That is the illusion of literature and art; it traps us in a state of immediacy and we forget that it is "representational" or literary art.

  And so I like the delicious writing in the story about the calling of the boy Samuel.  The writer writes that "the word of the Lord and visions were rare in those days."  This was right after the writer reported that the eyesight of the priest Eli was "dim."  The whole story about Eli and Samuel is about the loss of succession of the office of Judge and priest by the household of Eli.  Eli was a good priest but his sons had corrupted the priestly office and so right under the nose of Eli, God was calling someone else to be the next judge and successor.  Samuel was the one whom God was calling to replace the sons of Eli as the leader of Israel.  Family succession in leadership was quite common and so for there to be a break in the succession a significant event would need to occur.  For such a significant   change it had to be understood as divine intervention or as a God "event."

  Samuel was a "God child."  He is in the biblical line of "immaculate" births of great persons.  The immaculate birth story motif is a biblical motif to trace the origins of great people as "special events or acts of God."

  Samuel's mother Hannah was the poor childless wife who prayed ceaselessly for the blessing of a child.  Childless women in those time were taught to regard themselves as half people...half women; women of those times had to have their social and family identity authenticated through child birth.

  Hannah prayed in such sorrowed ecstasy at the temple at Shiloh she was thought to be drunk.  Hannah promised to give her child to God if she could only conceive and bear a child. And God answered her prayers and she bore the child Samuel and gave him to God to serve at the temple with Eli as one who took the ascetic vows of the Nazirite.  He would not drink alcoholic drinks, or cut his hair and he would avoid ritual impurity.   And this special immaculately conceived child Samuel would be called to replace the corrupt priestly leadership of Israel.  The Judge Samuel is the one who ushered Israel into the age of their monarchy as he is the one who anointed both Kings Saul and David.

  The biblical writers who wrote the history of the change in succession wrote that it happened because of the special call of Samuel.  When the priesthood was corrupt and people were "out of touch" with God, God spoke to Samuel and called him to restore integrity to the office of priest and judge who served in the Tent of Meetings in Shiloh.

  In the history of our world, the event of Jesus Christ changed the world.  And when it was becoming obvious about how widespread the Jesus Movement was happening, the leaders of the church wanted to trace the origins of their Movement.  The original dynamic of the Jesus Movement started in the person to person contact of Jesus with those who were drawn to his teaching.  Disciples fell under the effect of his charisma and the encounters which led to the early disciples to be devotees of Jesus Christ are designated as the Call of Christ.  We have the rather interesting call of Nathaniel recorded in our Gospel lesson today.  What we might conclude from this calling of Nathaniel is this:  Jesus could read body language from afar.  He had read Nathaniel seeing him from afar and watching his behavior when he was under the fig tree.  We also conclude that Jesus was highly ironic and perhaps even appreciated skepticism and sarcasm.  Nathaniel had asked his friend Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  When we think about inter- collegiate or inter-city rivals, one can imagine the inter-village rivalries of Galilee and perhaps the jealousies and the competition which resulted.   Perhaps Jesus would have been amused by Nathaniel's banter.  Is this why he seems to jokingly say? "Well, here is an Israelite who truly speaks his mind!"  Well, Nathaniel is quite impressed that Jesus had taken an interest in him and Jesus says, "well you're easily impressed, because there is going to be much, much more.  Even Jacob’s ladder will be surpassed."  The Call in Christianity is about the succession of the Gospel from one person to the next.  The call of Christ happens when faith is shared from one person to the next.  This is how Christianity grew and this is how it survived.  Jesus called disciples and they called disciples and the calling has rippled to the edge of the pond of history where we live now.

  We can find in our other Scripture readings some ingredients of the call of God and Christ. The first thing that we realize is that "we do not belong to ourselves."  The secret of not abusing our bodies is to learn how to shift the ownership of our lives to God and receive God's help in the stewardship of our lives.  Our bodies are God's Temple, God's place of residence and we need to take care to maintain God's house.  So the call of God in Christ means that we regard ourselves to be a dwelling place of God.

  The Psalm which we have read today is the poetry of a person who has discovered that he or she was put in this life with a purpose.  Everyone needs to have the Yogi Berra experience of "deja vu all over again."  When we encounter sublime moments in our lives of being the "perfect" fit for an event or situation, we have the "aha" moments of the call of God.  Wow!  It is not all just a random accident!  I fit this life in a significant way.  I have purpose for events and people and not because I'm famous.  I fit the events in life because I experience love, hope and joy and because people are meaningful to me and occasionally I experience that I am meaningful to them.  This all seems so wonderful, so ordained.  This was the poetry of the call as articulated by the Psalmist who felt like he or she was known by God and followed by God in each time and place of life.

  My friends, today you and I have been called.  We are in the succession of a long line of people who have been called by God.  Some are more famous than others, but the fame does not matter, the Call of God does matter.  We have been called to make the temple a traveling building again.  The Temple in Shiloh was the movable tabernacle before it became fixed in Jerusalem.  The destroyed Temple of Jerusalem means that the Holy Spirit or God's glory has hit the road and dwells within the address of each of our bodies now.  We are called to be the dwelling place of God; let us treat ourselves as such.

  Finally, the call of God gives the moments of poetic ecstasy when we feel like we really "fit" this world in events of sublime beauty, in events of friendship, in events when justice and love really wins the day.

  Let us be thankful today that the call of God in Christ is upon our lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, January 18, 2015 The Second Sunday after the Epiphany Cycle B

January 18, 2015  The Second Sunday after the Epiphany B

Sunday School Themes

The Call of God

God called Samuel

Jesus called Philip and Nathaniel

Samuel heard the voice of God speaking to him in the night.  He thought it was strange and didn’t know how to respond.  Eli the priest told him to say, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening”

We need to know how God is trying to communicate with us.  Through parents and teachers, the Bible and other educational books which give us good guidance to show us what to do with our lives.

We always need to find what we are called to do which mean finding the right way to be ourselves and do what is required of us to be excellent at our age and in the place where we are living.

Nathaniel was skeptical about Jesus.  He had a prejudice against the town where Jesus lived.  He said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Some time when we have ignorant prejudice we keep ourselves from learning new things and meeting new people who can be our friends and help us.  Fortunately Nathaniel was able to meet Jesus and Jesus convinced him about what he could teach him.

Topic: Vocation: what do we do with our lives?  And how do we understand God to be involved in our lives? 

Topic:  Call as Christian Ministry.  Priests, deacons, bishops and pastors are not the only ministers in the church.  Everyone is a Christian minister.  When we are baptized, we are made ministers and called to ministries.  How we serve God changes but we still are ministers of Christ each and every day.

Puppet Show:

Philip: Nate, you are my best friend and I want to share with you a surprise.

Nate: What that?  I’m just enjoying a rest under this fig tree and this figs have just turned ripe and they are soft, sweet and delicious. 

Philip: I’ve met a new friend and teacher and I’d like you to meet him too.

Nate: Okay, what did he sell you?  How much money did it cost you?  How much does he charge for his classes?

Philip:  Nothing, Nate.  Why are you so skeptical?

Nate:  Well, I’m suspicious because I’ve been sold too many bridges over the Jordan, if you know what I mean.

Philip: Well, Nate, Jesus is a teacher who comes from Nazareth and….

Nate:  Hold it right there.  Nazareth has a bad reputation in my book.  Can anything good from Nazareth?  Isn’t that the place where carpenters make wooden crosses for the Romans to use for crucifixions?

Philip: Nate, you may be skeptical but please come with me.  Please trust me as your friend.

Nate: Okay, I’ll go with you to meet your new friend.

Jesus: (see Nathaniel)  Hey, here comes a skeptical Israelite.

Nate: Who, me?  How did you know?  I’ve never met you before.

Jesus: I saw you under the fig tree; I read your body language and I could tell many things about you.

Nate: Wow! You’re good.  How could you tell all of that from such a distance?

Jesus: Well, don’t be impressed by that.  You have much more to learn about me.  You will learn that I am like Jacob ladders connecting heaven and earth.  And God’s angels will be messengers and message through me to you.

Nate: Wow!  Rabbi Jesus, you are truly God’s Son.

Jesus: Come Nathaniel,  and you will learn much more.

Nate: Wow, he call me by my full name, just like my mom.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 18, 2015 The Second Sunday After the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; Peace Before Us; Lord, Be Glorified; Awesome God

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: Hallelu, Hallelujah (Christian Children’s Songbook # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!  Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.  Praise ye the Lord!

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.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

Liturgist:   A reading from the First Book of Samuel

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 139

How deep I find your thoughts, O God! * how great is the sum of them!

If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; * to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

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.

Intercession

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Liturgist:         The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

Offertory Music:  Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise  # 791)

Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet.  Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace.

Love before us….

Light before us…

Christ before us….

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(Children 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.  Sanctify us 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: Lord, Be Glorified  (Renew! # 172)

In our lives, Lord be glorified, be glorified.  In our lives, Lord, be glorified today.

In our homes, Lord…

In your church, Lord…

In your world, Lord…

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: Awesome God (Renew! # 245)

Our God is an awesome God.  He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love; our God is an awesome God.

Sing three times

Dismissal  

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

People:      Thanks be to God!