Jesus Deals with Sibling Rivalry

4 Lent   March 27, 2022   
Joshua 5:9-12          Ps.32           
2 Cor. 5:17-21     Luke 15:11-32   

Lectionary Link

By the time Luke's Gospel was written, the goal of the writer was to explain to new people in the Jesus Movement how to under the significance of Jesus Christ.

The writer was interested in the big issues.  And what was one of the big issues?  "People in the Jesus Movement, look at yourselves.  Some of you were raised as Jews in various parts of Palestine.  Some of you were good practicings Jews, and some of you were not because you interacted too much for your business with Gentiles.  Some of you used to be followers of John the Baptist, and some of you used to be Samaritans following their Torah.  And look, some of you are travellers on the various highways and shipping lanes of the Roman Empire.  Some of you hail from Africa, many of you are women and children, and people of all ages.  Some of you are wealthy merchant, and some of you are slaves, so how did we all come together like this?"

The Gospel deals with the most important issue in being honest about God.  Imagine if God were a human being; what would God as a human being want us to know about God?

Well, let me tell about God as a human being, Jesus Christ.  The first thing that Jesus wanted to teach about God, is that God is for everyone.  If God isn't for everyone, then you can't say God is universal.  If God isn't for everyone you can't say God is catholic.  The meaning of the word catholic means "on the whole, or pertaining to everyone and everything."  The church's meaning of the word catholic simply means you "agree" with the church councils on church matters.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son can get over analyzed and a very basic point missed.  What is the set up for telling the parable?  The religious people were upset that Jesus hung out with people who were not ritually adherent Jews like they were.  Jesus ate with sinners.

And Jesus said, "I'll tell you a story."  In that story the Creator of the family has two sons, whom he loves.  One stays home and toes the line, the other rebels blows his entire inheritance, comes to the end of himself, and decides to come home.  And the older brother cannot rejoice at the homecoming reception which was given to the rebellious son.

What is the meaning of the parable?  Does it mean all Jews were hypocritical prigs?  No.  Does it mean that rebellion is good?  No.  Does it means God's love is universal and welcoming to everyone all of the time?  Yes.  Wherever a person is on the continuum of obedience to God, a person is always welcome to know the love of God.

St. Paul wrote in Romans, that the Jews, had an advantage in that they came into realization of the welcome of God early because of the gift of the Torah.  Because God gave the covenant to the people Israel; it did not mean that the covenant wasn't available to the entire world.  That's what Hebrew Scripture teaches: "Let the peoples praise you, let all the peoples praise you."  This is what the Psalmist wrote, and by peoples, the Psalmist was referring to the nations.

This parable also reveals to us that there seems to be something patently unfair about God's grace.  It makes us all equal.

"But God, I have older sibling syndrome, I've been at it longer.  Look at my resume with you.  Look how many years I have put in.  Doesn't that mean I have more grace than someone who has just decided to get on board?"

We can be like a jealous sibling when the joy of the birth of a new family member seems to dominate and take attention from us and from our importance.

The Gospel view is this:  Everyone is in God's family; it is just that lots of people don't know this yet, so we have to be the older siblings who are coaxing as many people as possible to know the love of God and be included in the family of Christ.  And like a new birth celebrated, we can be celebratory when someone is converted by God's love.  We can't be pouting prig thinking, "You should have been like I am."

The parable of the Prodigal Son can convict us when we feel like we have exclusive resumes, so exclusive that there is no welcome for new people to the family of faith.

The parable should also teach us to represent God as the loving creating parent of all who includes all in the divine family.  It teaches us that God is one who wants each person to live in the love of God and know the family DNA heritage of God's Holy Spirit.

Today, let's not misrepresent God by pretending we have exclusive family privileges.  Let us be those who rejoice at the birth experience of each person knowing that they are loved by God and made a child of God.

And rather than be pouting jealous older siblings, let us be mentoring and welcoming siblings of all who want to share in the family of the love of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, March 27, 2022 4 Lent C

Sunday School, March 27, 2022     4 Lent C

Themes

St. Paul wrote about our lives becoming a new creation.  We need God’s help in re-creating our lives in better ways?  Why?  Because some things are very difficult.

One of the most difficult things in life is forgiveness.

Forgiveness is interesting.  We know that we are not perfect and so we want people to give us second and third chances when we make mistakes.  But sometimes it is hard for us to give other people second and third chances.  Some times it is very difficult to forgive people who do bad things, and especially when they do them to us.

Jesus told a parable to show us that it is very hard to forgive.   It is a story about unfairness which happened in a family.  It is about a brother who found it very difficult to forgive his younger brother.  Sometimes older brothers and sister think that the youngest children in the family have it the easiest because it seems to them that mom and dad have easier rules for the youngest children in the family.

Jesus told a story about a very sad father.  The father was sad because his youngest son wanted to leave him and he wanted to take with him all of the money that he would get from his father after his father would die.  The young son took all of the money and moved away and wasted it and became very poor.  And he was so poor that he just wished he could work as a slave on his father’s farm.  So he went home.  And his father did not let him work as a slave.  He was happy that he returned and gave him a party.

The older brother who never left home and always obeyed his father was angry and said it was not fair.  Why did his dad give a party for the son who had behaved so badly?

And that is riddle of the story.  It is really hard and unfair to forgive people who have broken the law and done some really bad things.  But the miracle of God is to have mercy and forgiveness and to keep giving people more chances when they learn from their mistakes and want to improve their lives.

God has mercy on all of us when we aren’t perfect and yet when we realize our mistakes and want to improve our lives.  Sometimes when a person is bad in something where we are good, it is hard to forgive them.  We have to remember that sometimes we are bad in things where other people are good and we need them to forgive us.

The lesson we learn is that forgiveness is sometimes easier to accept than to offer.  And because forgiveness is hard, that is where we need to accept the forgiveness which is the gift of God as a loving parent.

Let us pray to God to ask God to give us the gift of forgiveness even as we freely accept the forgiveness from God and from the people who love us even when we are not perfect.

A Sermon about when being good can turn into being bad

Today we have read a story of Jesus about a family: A father, a younger son and his older brother.  The stories of Jesus are called parables.  A parable is a story that has an important message for us to learn.

  And this parable has a riddle in it.  And the riddle in this:  When can being good, turn into being bad?

  One day the young son said to his father, “Dad, I am leaving.  I’m tired of living here.  I want all of the money that you will give me after you die so I can leave and live elsewhere.”  Dad was very sad to hear this, but he gave his young son lots of money and his son left.

  Well, the young son went far away from home and he did not use his money very well.  He partied, he spent it foolishly on his friends.  He gambled and he lost all of his money.  He ran out of all of his money; he didn’t have any money to buy food.  So, he had to take a job taking care of pigs.  He watched the pigs eat; and he thought:  I’m so hungry, even the pig’s food looks good.  Even the lowest paid workers on my father’s farm earn more than I do and have more food than I have.  May be if I go back to my father, he will let me work on his farm and get enough to eat.  So he went back home.  And when his father saw him coming, he decided to throw a big party for him and welcome him back.  The young son said, “Dad, I made a mistake and I lost all my money; just let me work as one of your servants.”  But his father was so happy to see him; he treated him just like his son.

  Well, the older brother was not happy about it.  He told his Dad, “I stayed with you and I have worked hard.  And you have not thrown me a party.  And how can you let my little brother back into the family after he did such a terrible thing?”  So the good brother became angry and resentful because his father welcomed and forgave his brother.  So his goodness turned to badness because he was angry at his father for forgiving his brother.

  And so here is the lesson of the parable.  God forgives anyone who tries to make their life better.  Whether we have done wrong or whether we have been good.  We can always get better.  And we are not perfect, so we always need forgiveness and we always need to get better.

  And when and where we are good; we should not get angry when someone who has done something bad is willing to say that they are sorry and willing to change their lives.

  We should remember that God is like the father in the story.  God is the one who forgives everyone who wants to be forgiven.  That is why we confess our sins, the things that we have done wrong and we make a promise to work to get better.  And we learn that God forgives us; so we should not be angry if God forgives other people too.

  Let us learn today to accept God’s forgiveness.  And let us learn to forgive each other too.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

March 27, 2022: The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Gathering Songs: This Little Light of Mine, Awesome God, Dona Nobis, He’s Got the Whole World

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

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

Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let 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: Bless the Lord who forgives all of our sins.

People: God’s mercy endures forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Praise be to God!

O God, you are Great!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have made us! Praise be to God!

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Praise be to God!

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Praise be to God!

Liturgist: A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 32

You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; * you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; * I will guide you with my eye.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus told them this parable:  "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Offertory Hymn: 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)

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. 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:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Dona Nobis Pacem,  (Renew!  # 240)

Dona nobis pacem, pacem, dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem, dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem, dona nobis pacem.

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: He’s Got the Whole World (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 90)

He’s got the whole world in his hands.  He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

C

A Parable As a Mirror for our Lives

4 Lent             March 6, 2016     

Joshua 5:9-12          Ps.32           

2 Cor. 5:17-21     Luke 15:11-32     

Lectionary Link
Catherine:  So, my friends how did you like the Parable of the Irresponsible and Prodigal Son?

Rylie:  Excuse me.  Don't you think it should be called the Parable of the Forgiving Father who could not practice "tough love?"

Sasha:  Excuse me.  Don't you think it should be called the Parable of the Responsible Big Brother who thought his dad favored his younger brother?

Catherine:  Whatever, you want to call this parable, if it were a play, which character would you like to play?  I personally, would not want to be the fatted calf.  You know what happened to him.  Perhaps it would be interesting to be one of the persons who attended the homecoming party.  But if this were a play, which part would you want to play?

Rylie:  I, would of course, love to play the loving and generous father who did not just rejoice when his son returned home, he threw him a big party, bought him a new tuxedo, even though his son had wanted to get far away from his dad and his home and never come back.

Sasha:  Do you really think that you would be that forgiving?  And why wouldn't you give the older brother some credit for always being faithful and staying at home to work for his dad?

Catherine:  That's true, I think everyone could understand why the older brother would have some very hurt feelings.  He was probably thinking?  What the use to be loyal?  There is no reward in being loyal.  So, Sasha, would you like to play the older brother?

Sasha:  Well, he was a bit unforgiving and jealous, but I think everyone can understand why he did not think it was fair.

Rylie: Does anyone want to play the irresponsible and rebellious son?

Catherine:  I would, of course, because playing the bad person would bring out more flamboyant acting scenes.  Can you imagine having all that money and blowing it all on spending sprees and parties.  Wouldn't that be a great role to play?

Sasha:  But what if you had to become a kosher pig farmer, who became so poor that you became jealous of the pigs food?

Catherine:  As an actor, the rebellious child would allow me to explore a full range of acting skills.  What actor wouldn't like that?  The lovable father might seem to be foolish with love.

Rylie:  Yes, he did allow the rebellious to take his inheritance long before he died.  And his son wasted all of his inheritance and then came crawling back home.  I guess I would like to know what Dad said to his son after the homecoming party?  He probably said, "Okay, Junior, the party is over now.  Remember that your older brother has been loyal and faithful.  You are going to have to behave in a way that allows our family to believe in you again.  Are you ready for a life of being responsible?"

Sasha:  Well, that's the part of the story that we do not hear.  The father can be loving and he can welcome his rebellious son back home, but he also can ask that his son change his future behaviors.  He can ask that his young son prove that he can be a good brother,

Catherine:  Well, we have had fun with the story, but it could be that Jesus used stories to teach his listeners.  A story is like a mirror.  If I look into the mirror and see a smudge on my face, then I know I have to wash my face.  If I didn't have the mirror, I would embarrass myself by going into public with a dirty face.

Rylie:  So the story of Jesus is like a mirror.  We can see ourselves in the loving father, in the rebellious son and in the older brother.

Sasha:  We can be loving and forgiving.  We also can be rebellious and sinful.  We can be in need of forgiveness.  We can need to be humble and go and admit that we made a mistake.

Catherine:  We can also be unforgiving like the older brother.  When we are good at something, we might be harsh when people are not good in areas of our strengths and ability.  So we can be judgmental.

Rylie: As people we can find ourselves in all three characters.  We can be loving and forgiving.  We can be rebellious and in need of forgiveness.  And we can be judgmental and jealous.

Sasha: There is one catch though.  God only plays one of the roles.  God is only in the role of the loving and forgiving father.  God is not like the rebellious son or the unforgiving son.  So God just plays one role.

Catherine:  So, today we have this parable of Jesus as a mirror for our lives too.  We can be rebellious and unforgiving, but we also have the ability to be loving and forgiving.  We can learn to be like the loving father.

Rylie:  When we are sinful, we know we need someone who forgives us.   And when we judge someone else we know that others need forgiveness too.  So the younger son and the older son need to grow up and become like the loving father.

Sasha: We too, are always on the path of growing up to be loving, kind and forgiving like God is.

Catherine:  And let us not forget why Jesus told the parable in the first place.

Rylie:  Why did he tell it?

Catherine:  Jesus was criticized by the religious leaders when they saw him eating with people who were not religious.  They did not think Jesus was very religious because they thought he was meeting with sinners and rebellious people.

Sasha:  Jesus came to teach that all people are the children of God.  Nobody has the right to say that someone is not worthy of God's love.  And how can people know that God loves them if someone does not tell them?

Rylie:  Jesus came to remind people that they are God's children and they are invited to come home to God's family.  God will give to everyone a loving welcome.

Catherine:  The Eucharist on Sunday is  God's party to welcome everyone to God's table.

Sasha:  And we all know that there are lots of empty seats at God's table. 

Rylie:  This means that we need to be like Jesus; we need to welcome as many people as possible to know God as our loving and forgiving parent.  We need to invite everyone to God's party.

Catherine:  So, people of St. John's; if Jesus welcomed everyone to God's party of forgiveness, we too need to welcome the people we meet to know God's love and forgiveness.

Sasha:  Amen.

Rylie: Amen.

A Parable About Not Misrepresenting God

4 Lent             March 6, 2016     

Joshua 5:9-12          Ps.32           

2 Cor. 5:17-21     Luke 15:11-32   
  Lectionary Link

The identity of the Pauline church consisted of a large group of people who might called "people who were formerly known as sinners."

In former days, sinners, or bad archers who were missing their targets of how they were supposed to be, were not so much bad archers; they simply were not allowed into the archery range.  Sin is from an archery term for "missing the mark."

In former day, sinners were person who were designated as such under the classification Purity Code of a smaller group of elite ritually observant Jewish persons.  

In the time of Jesus, sinners were persons declared as defiled or impure under the definitions of the Purity Code by the ritually observant few.  This meant that many who were "ethnically" Jews, were still sinners because they were not ritually observant Jews in the ways in which the Purity authorities defined purity.  Ethnic Jews who maintained close contact with Gentile because of business like tax collectors and the like were not able to maintain ritual purity and so they did not have official religious status as it was defined by the religious authorities in various religious parties within Judaism during the time of Jesus.

Jesus, in the Gospel polemics, is presented as one who is criticized by religious leaders for eating with "sinners."  He thus was defiling himself because of his close contact with ritually non-observant "sinners."

When we read the parable of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke, we read it in its primary naivete "as if" it was eyewitness events from the actual life of Jesus.

In such a primary naive reading, the "prodigal son" would represent mainly the ritually non-observant ethnic Jews who did not have religious status among the religious leaders who had the keys to the Purity Code to define who was "in" or "out" in terms of their suitability.  And when religious leaders purport to speak for God, it implies that God is like a ritually observant Jewish religious leader limiting the Divine company but to the ritually observant.

Jesus, found this to be a "misrepresentation of God."  In the parable of the Prodigal Son, God is represented by a loving father who is generously permissive with the freedom allowed to an impetuous and unwise child.  The father is even generous to a fault, "the fatal fault of genuine freedom," which allows God's children to trash their generous inheritance of this life and earth.  The father is generous because he allows the freedom to sin and the freedom to return from sin and repent.  And ironically, the rebellious son seems to be celebrated for his return and his repentance because his knowledge of both good and evil has given him an enhanced appreciation for what is good about God's goodness.

Meanwhile, the "loyal" son experiences the sin of his own soul.  He does not leave the home in dissolute living; he journeys into the impurity of jealous despising of those who are not good as he is good.  And in his jealousy, he becomes wasteful of his father inheritance of generous love and forgiveness.  He becomes woefully lost in his own kind of sin.  The loving father also offers him reconciliation but he in his bitterness is not ready to accept it because he is lost in comparing his relative goodness with his younger siblings relative badness.

The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals to us that we can turn our goodness into sin if we make ourselves the standard of a kind of goodness that will not let other people get better.  The sin of unforgiveness is great indeed not just for who is not forgiven, but for the state of the soul of one who can't forgive.

The older brother was paralyzed because he could not realize that he could become better by participating in the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation which was modeled and offered by his loving father.

How was this Gospel parable read in the post-Pauline churches?  Anachronistically, of course since the post-Pauline churches consisted mostly of "people formerly known as sinners or Gentiles."  The Risen Christ was hanging out with lots of sinner Gentiles.  The Risen Christ was eating and hosting Eucharist for lots of sinner Gentiles.  The post-Pauline churches consisted of lots of pork eaters who had been written into the salvation history lineage by St. Peter and Paul.

Paul and Peter and others entered a polemic with synagogue communities because not everyone could welcome the ritually non-observant into their notions of God's favor and blessing.  And herein lies the polemical basis of the New Testament.

For us today, we need to live beyond the old polemics which no longer pertain.  We are no longer in active disagreement with synagogue gatherers.  We have come to accept the different missions of Judaism and Christianity in our world.

So how do we appropriate the parable of the Prodigal Son in our lives today?  The universal theme is the love and forgiveness of God which cannot be limited to the small company of any person or group.  If one claims to speak about the love and forgiveness and compassion of God but does not practice it with everyone, then one is guilty of misrepresenting God.

And that is the message for us.  Let us not misrepresent the love and forgiveness of God by reducing God to but our tribal affinities.  Let us confess the real fact that no one of us is omni-relevant to everyone and so let us be generous as we seek to support anyone who is trying to promote God as the loving and forgiving one, who honors the complete freedom to fail, but also the more winsome freedom to over-come our failures in the success of repentance.

This is the God that Jesus came to model, to represent and to be.  And he gave us the more aptly named, Parable of the Loving, Freedom Giving, and Forgiving Parent, to teach us about the true nature of God.  Amen.

Sunday School, March 31, 2019 4 Lent C

Sunday School, March 31, 2019     4 Lent C

Themes

St. Paul wrote about our lives becoming a new creation.  We need God’s help in re-creating our lives in better ways?  Why?  Because some things are very difficult.

One of the most difficult things in life is forgiveness.

Forgiveness is interesting.  We know that we are not perfect and so we want people to give us second and third chances when we make mistakes.  But sometimes it is hard for us to give other people second and third chances.  Some times it is very difficult to forgive people who do bad things, and especially when they do them to us.

Jesus told a parable to show us that it is very hard to forgive.   It is a story about unfairness which happened in a family.  It is about a brother who found it very difficult to forgive his younger brother.  Sometimes older brothers and sister think that the youngest children in the family have it the easiest because it seems to them that mom and dad have easier rules for the youngest children in the family.

Jesus told a story about a very sad father.  The father was sad because his youngest son wanted to leave him and he wanted to take with him all of the money that he would get from his father after his father would die.  The young son took all of the money and moved away and wasted it and became very poor.  And he was so poor that he just wished he could work as a slave on his father’s farm.  So he went home.  And his father did not let him work as a slave.  He was happy that he returned and gave him a party.

The older brother who never left home and always obeyed his father was angry and said it was not fair.  Why did his dad give a party for the son who had behaved so badly?

And that is riddle of the story.  It is really hard and unfair to forgive people who have broken the law and done some really bad things.  But the miracle of God is to have mercy and forgiveness and to keep giving people more chances when they learn from their mistakes and want to improve their lives.

God has mercy on all of us when we aren’t perfect and yet when we realize our mistakes and want to improve our lives.  Sometimes when a person is bad in something where we are good, it is hard to forgive them.  We have to remember that sometimes we are bad in things where other people are good and we need them to forgive us.

The lesson we learn is that forgiveness is sometimes easier to accept than to offer.  And because forgiveness is hard, that is where we need to accept the forgiveness which is the gift of God as a loving parent.

Let us pray to God to ask God to give us the gift of forgiveness even as we freely accept the forgiveness from God and from the people who love us even when we are not perfect.

A Sermon about when being good can turn into being bad

Today we have read a story of Jesus about a family: A father, a younger son and his older brother.  The stories of Jesus are called parables.  A parable is a story that has an important message for us to learn.

  And this parable has a riddle in it.  And the riddle in this:  When can being good, turn into being bad?

  One day the young son said to his father, “Dad, I am leaving.  I’m tired of living here.  I want all of the money that you will give me after you die so I can leave and live elsewhere.”  Dad was very sad to hear this, but he gave his young son lots of money and his son left.

  Well, the young son went far away from home and he did not use his money very well.  He partied, he spent it foolishly on his friends.  He gambled and he lost all of his money.  He ran out of all of his money; he didn’t have any money to buy food.  So, he had to take a job taking care of pigs.  He watched the pigs eat; and he thought:  I’m so hungry, even the pig’s food looks good.  Even the lowest paid workers on my father’s farm earn more than I do and have more food than I have.  May be if I go back to my father, he will let me work on his farm and get enough to eat.  So he went back home.  And when his father saw him coming, he decided to throw a big party for him and welcome him back.  The young son said, “Dad, I made a mistake and I lost all my money; just let me work as one of your servants.”  But his father was so happy to see him; he treated him just like his son.

  Well, the older brother was not happy about it.  He told his Dad, “I stayed with you and I have worked hard.  And you have not thrown me a party.  And how can you let my little brother back into the family after he did such a terrible thing?”  So the good brother became angry and resentful because his father welcomed and forgave his brother.  So his goodness turned to badness because he was angry at his father for forgiving his brother.

  And so here is the lesson of the parable.  God forgives anyone who tries to make their life better.  Whether we have done wrong or whether we have been good.  We can always get better.  And we are not perfect, so we always need forgiveness and we always need to get better.

  And when and where we are good; we should not get angry when someone who has done something bad is willing to say that they are sorry and willing to change their lives.

  We should remember that God is like the father in the story.  God is the one who forgives everyone who wants to be forgiven.  That is why we confess our sins, the things that we have done wrong and we make a promise to work to get better.  And we learn that God forgives us; so we should not be angry if God forgives other people too.

  Let us learn today to accept God’s forgiveness.  And let us learn to forgive each other too.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

March 31, 2019: The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Gathering Songs: This Little Light of Mine, Awesome God, Dona Nobis, He’s Got the Whole World

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

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

Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let 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: Bless the Lord who forgives all of our sins.

People: God’s mercy endures forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Praise be to God!

O God, you are Great!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have made us! Praise be to God!

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Praise be to God!

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Praise be to God!

Liturgist: A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 32

You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; * you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; * I will guide you with my eye.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus told them this parable:  "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Offertory Hymn: 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)

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. 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:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Dona Nobis Pacem,  (Renew!  # 240)

Dona nobis pacem, pacem, dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem, dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem, dona nobis pacem.

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: He’s Got the Whole World (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 90)

He’s got the whole world in his hands.  He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

C