To Abolish the Law or Not

5 Epiphany A February 5, 2023
Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12) Psalm 112:1-9
1 Corinthians 2:1-11 Matt.5:13-20

Lectionary Link

In the words of Jesus, he states that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.

But what does fulfilling the law and the prophets mean in such words?   And how do these words comport with many other writings in the New Testament?

To fulfill the Torah, wouldn't that mean honoring the customs of the sabbath, the dietary rules, and the obligatory rule of circumcision?  Didn't St. Paul have a different view in his mission to the Gentiles which dispensed with the circumcision and dietary requirements of the Torah?

Did St. Paul disagree with Jesus?  And what are we to make of this apparent discrepancy?

Rather than pretending a nice and neat harmony among all the New Testament writers, it is important that we recognize the diversity among the early followers of Jesus.  First, there was no rigid and neat separation between Judaism and Christianity found in the New Testament.  The followers of Jesus were followers of Rabbi Jesus, a teacher in the Judaic tradition.  Jesus had followers of his teaching tradition, so did the Pharisees who followed the chief rabbi Gamaliel.  The Zealots had their own firebrand tradition which included open rebellion to the Roman occupiers.  The Temple based religion had priests, Sadducees, who were more conservative than the Pharisees in accepting what authoritative Hebrew Scriptures could be used for anchoring their practices.  They limited themselves for theological precedence to the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.  The Pharisees embraced the other two divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures, the writings and the prophets, as basis for defining their beliefs and practices and so they considered the notions of the messiah and resurrection.  In this way the beliefs of Jesus and his followers were closer to the Pharisees than to the Sadducees.  St. Paul was a Pharisee who believed that Jesus was the Christ; many other Pharisees believed in the Messiah, but did not think Jesus was the Messiah.

Just as there were different parties within Judaism, so too there were many different parties within the early Christ communities.  The differences would arise from location of the gathering and the make up of the life experiences of the people in the gathering.  Some may have been followers of Jesus who remained in the synagogues which accepted the teachings of Rabbi Jesus.  Others may have been members who were lapsed Jews in their lack of adherence to Jewish ritual purity customs.  Other gatherings may consisted of exclusive Gentile followers of Jesus.  And still other gatherings may have consisted of mixture of all three groups.

But what unified all of these groups?  Jesus Christ.  They all followed a Christ-centered Judaism, and even the Gentiles, who came to see themselves as grafted into the spiritual traditions of the Hebrew Scriptures.

So one can say the writer of the Gospel of Matthew, writing in or around the year 80 of the Common Era, was writing to a different community than the Corinthian community to whom Paul was writing in the late 50's or early 60's.

The writer of Matthew was channeling words of Jesus to a gathering familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and traditions.

The words of Jesus in accepting the prophets and the Psalms as important foundation, was accepting that the prophets were already a development within Judaism from the writings of the Torah.  In fact, the prophets were extremely critical of their people who had ritual adherences to fasts, sabbath, sacrifices, and circumcision, but whose practice toward the poor, widows, and orphans indicated that they had religion without loving mercy, justice, and humility toward God.

Jesus, like the prophets, criticized religious people who emphasized ritual adherence but who did not practice love, mercy, justice, and humility.  He criticized religious leaders who reduced teachings about God to but political loyalty to a religious party or view point.  He said that his followers had to have a righteousness beyond the appearance of performing ritual behaviors.

For Jesus, the fulfillment of the law was in the doing of what is right everywhere, and not just for public performance in synagogue or Temple.

For Jesus, God's house, as this world was to be a place of worship for all people, a house of prayer for all people, just as it was stated by the prophet Isaiah.

What is the result of doing the religion of Jesus?  It makes one salt and light.  Following Christ, means that one's humble charisma is activated to season and influence one's environment and through one's life example one can help other people taste and see God's goodness.  Jesus said, be salt so that others can taste and see God's goodness.

Jesus also said his followers should be lights.  This means that with wisdom, we learn to provide contrasting contexts for people to be able to make more enlightened decision toward the way of God's love and justice.

For Paul, such wisdom meant that one learned inner knowledge, the poetry of the soul.  One could live poetically, and be motivated by another kind of energy rather than be trapped into crass literalism devoid of knowing the parallel inner charismatic life to accompany our very flesh and blood lives.

Whether for Jesus or Paul, the religion of God was to be universally available and not locked within any exclusive ethnic or national community.  The fulfillment of the law is for it to be accessibly promulgated to everyone.  This is what Jesus believed about his own life, namely, God being made accessible to all.  And this is what St. Paul believed his mission to be: To make God in Christ accessible to everyone and so fulfill the expansive law and the prophets.

It is to this universal tradition, and not to be limited by our experience, that we are to proclaim to all today.  Let us preach and live the universality of God to be the fulfillment of the law in as many ways as we can today.  Let us live the wisdom of God today. Amen.

Sunday School, February 5, 2023 5 Epiphany A

 Sunday School, February 5, 2023    5 Epiphany A

Themes:  Salt, light and laws

Discuss with the children salt.

Do you like salt?

Why do you like salt?

Can you eat just salt alone?  Why not?

Salt makes foods like popcorn and French fries tasty.  Food can taste very boring without salt but with just a little salt it can make food taste delicious.  In the times when there was no refrigerators, people used salt to preserve foods that would spoil or get rotten especially meat and fish.  Salt can clean and kill germs.

Jesus told his friends, “You are the salt of the earth.”  What do you think this means?  It means that the way that we live, we should make life tasty or exciting.  It means the way that we live we should preserve what is good and loving.

Discuss light with the children.

Why do we need light?  So we can see.

What is the biggest light?  The Sun

What did people use for light before electric lights were invented?  The Sun, Fire, torches with fire, oil lamps.

Jesus told his followers: “You are the light of the world.”  How can people be like a light?  When we learn something new, it is like a light coming on.  When someone shows how to live better, it is like a light coming on.  A person who teaches us to live better is like a light.  And we are supposed to learn and become teachers for others to help them live better.  So we are supposed to be learning all of the time so that we can become lights to show others how to live better.

Law

What is a law?  It is rule that tells us how to act.

Are all laws the same?  No

Which law is more important, “You shall not kill,” or “You shall not turn on your sprinklers on Monday, Wednesday or Friday?”

Jesus said that we should not be like people who made less important law the most important rules.  Are the rules of soccer more important that the rules about being kind to our neighbor?  What if we are not kind to our neighbors but we make everyone know and follow the rules of soccer as the most important rules in life?  It shows us that we are more concerned about a game than we are about caring for people.  Jesus said that we cannot replace the great important laws of love and kindness with less important rules.

Sermon:

  Today, I have in my bag of tricks two things.  What is this that I have in my hand?  A salt shaker.  And what else do I have in my bag?  A flash light.  What do I get when I turn this on?  I get light.

  Jesus liked to speak in riddles with his friends.  He told them that they had to be like salt and light.

  How many of you like salt?  What does popcorn taste like without salt or butter?  A little dull isn’t it.  What do French fries taste like without salt?  Really dull.  How many of you like pickles?  Do you know what makes pickles taste so good?   Salt water.

  What does Jesus mean when he says that we should be like salt?  He means that we should make the life of other people more tasty…more interesting…more exciting.

  I saw a little boy running into school and so I asked him why he was running so fast to get to school.  And he said, “I can’t wait to see my friends so I can have fun.”  That is what being like salt means.  We are to make life fun and exciting for each other.  We are to practice how to be good friends.

Jesus also said we are to be like light.  What did he mean?  I think that he meant that we are supposed to teach each other.  If I have learned something new that has helped me; then I want to share it with you.  And when we learn something new it is like a light coming on in our heads.

  No matter how old you are you have good things that you can teach someone else.  May be you can help your baby brother or sister learn how to crawl or walk.   May be you can help them learn how to talk or read.

  Jesus said that we are supposed to be like light because we are supposed to take the very best things that we have learned and share them with other people.

  What is the very best thing that we have learned from Jesus?  Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

  If we can teach this to everyone in this world then our lives will be fun and happy.

  So can you be like salt today?  Can you make life fun for each other?

  Can you be like light today?  Can you learn new things and teach other people the very best things in your life?  I know that you can be like salt and light today.  Amen

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 5, 2023: The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs:

Jesus Bids Us Shine, We Are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Thy Word,  This Little Light of Mine

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: Jesus Bids Us Shine, (The Christian Children Songbook, #132)

1-Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In this world of darkness, we must shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

2-Jesus bids us shine first of all for Him, Well he sees and knows it if our light is dim; He looks down from heaven, sees us shine.  You in your small corner and I in mine.

3-Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him, bring those that wander from the paths of sin; He will ever help us if we shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, you are able to rule all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayer requests, and especially in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Is not a fast to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly;

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Please read with me from Psalm 112

Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord * and have great delight in his commandments!

Light shines in the darkness for the upright; * the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

Litany of Thanksgiving: Chant: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.  "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –   

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany of Asking:  Chant: 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 sick. 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 with you always.

People:                        And also with you.

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

Song: We are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Renew! # 306

We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

            we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.       

We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.

Doxology (Stand)

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 family 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 him thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we

   Forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All  may gather around the altar)

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

  this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this Holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ; and that his  presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By  Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing, (Children may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father (Sung): (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 by 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: Thy Word, (Renew! #94)

Refrain: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still you’re right beside me.  And nothing will I fear as long as you are near.  Please be near me to the end.  Refrain.

I will not forget your love for me, and yet my heart forever is wandering.  Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side; and I will love you to the end.  Refrain

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

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

Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am 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.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!  

Be Salt and Light

5 Epiphany  A     February 9, 2020        

Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)  Psalm 112:1-9  

1 Corinthians 2:1-11  Matt.5:13-20

Lectionary Link

Since ordination, I have adopted the discipline of being a liturgical preacher.  What that means is that I accept the appointed lectionary readings for each Sunday, whether I like them or not.  Whether I feel like I want to preach on them or not.  The lectionary is part of the general curriculum of the church as we together read the same portions of Holy Scriptures on any given Sunday, and we use the Revised Common Lectionary, which is shared by other Christian Communions and denominations.

What are some of the challenges of lectionary preaching?  One, there is always too much to preach on since we read two selections from Hebrew Scriptures,  from the Torah, the writings, the prophets and the Psalms, and sometimes the Apocrypha.  We read from the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles and from the Gospels.  There is a natural tendency to focus on the themes in the Gospel, since we focus upon the life Jesus and we use the rest of the Scripture readings to, as it were, point to Jesus and his significance.   The second problem is that because the writing situations of biblical writings are so different and separated often by many hundreds of years, it is hard to find a way to match all of the themes into a unified theme for the day.  Sometimes one wants to scratch one's head and ask, "Why did the person who selected the reading choose this reading?"  And usually that is the lesson which gets avoided in one's preaching.

Sometimes to try to do justice to all of the Sunday readings, one might want to just compose ad hoc aphorisms to highlights some of the insights that arise from one's reading.  And so I offer some ad hoc aphorisms.

A major problem for people of faith is to disconnect what we do in church with the life outside of church.

The prophet Isaiah was concerned about the disconnect between religious practice and living.  He was suspicious of religious fasting when there were many starving people in society who had the involuntary fast of not having enough to eat.  What is the point of playing "righteousness" games in church liturgies, if justice is not practiced in society and church society for all people?

The Psalmist also opines:  What good is it to celebrate the blessing and fortune of one's wealth, if one does not lend to the needy to help them get started and if one's fortune of great wealth comes at the expense of the vast majority being quite poor?  Wealth is only a blessing if it allows one to be like God and share it abundantly.  The very few people who own most of the wealth of our world today miss the most important feature of having the gift of prosperity; which is sharing it in creative ways so the rest can have enough in gainful labor for the same.

These passages from Holy Scriptures present to us another way of viewing the world which does not conform to a natural survival of the fittest dynamic of all life; namely to preserve oneself first, at the cost of every other weaker being.  That natural selfish preservative facet of human life often comes to dominate how societies organize themselves and if law did not intervene with the threat of punishment, our world would be simply the powerful over-whelming the weak.

How do we over-come the natural tendency?  We need an experience of an inner power and wisdom of self-control to act beyond the instinct to preserve ourselves at all cost of others.

When I lived in Iran, I used to buy sandwiches from street vendors, some of whom would translate their menus into English.  One of my favorite vendors had posted:  Mind sandwiches and Language sandwiches.  This was quite humorous since they had gone to the dictionary and translated the Farsi words for tongue and brain, into English.  Wow if I could improve my language and mind through eating a sandwich that would be special indeed.

St. Paul suggested something quite radical regarding how he had become converted from persecuting the followers of Jesus to becoming a follower himself.  St. Paul confessed that he had had a brain transplant.  He said, "We have the mind of Christ."  Now that's quite a transplant.  But this is quite consistent with the message of Jesus and John the Baptist about the requirement of repentance.  Repentance in Greek is "meta-noia," the after-mind, the new mind, the re-newed mind.  And what does a new mind do?  The new mind sees things differently; the new mind sees things that it did not see before.  St. Paul called this "spiritual" seeing or insights.

What is the result of this new kind of spiritual seeing?  One of the results is that we become spicy people.  What does spice do to ordinary food?  It enhances new taste that was not previously known.  We are called to be the most basic spice of all, salt.  And the good news from Dr. Jesus is that he does not say we have to be low-sodium people; no, we are to be salty in enhancing the ordinary life experience of the people of this world.  What does being spicy mean?  It means that we activate our charisma in a way that helps to make us winsome to the people we need to be winsome with toward the Gospel values.  You and I are called to release continuously our charisma so that we can be salty, spicy people to help people discover the spiritual aspect of their lives.

We are also called to be lights of the world.  We are to live enlightened lives in thinking, in emotional intelligence, in social action and in justice because people need to find light and people need to find out the spiritual salt and spice of their lives.

We are called to be salt and light in this world.

What is the key to living lives of salt and light?  Jesus suggests that we understand law not as simply religious behaviors, like going to church or doing religious things; the law is simply the after description of authentic living.  The prophets criticized their societies for having religious rituals and legalism without the practice of authentic justice.   Jesus criticized some of the religious leaders of his time as being those who were duteous about prescribing religious ritual acts but the rituals were not connected with the true human needs of people.  

The way in which God's law is fulfilled happens when the law becomes the very description of how we live; it is why St. Paul wrote, "love fulfills the law."  When our life activity becomes salt and light for this world, then the law becomes fulfilled.  

Jesus was saying, "Do not hit people over the head with the Bible as a book of religious rules; rather let people read the deeds of our lives and say, "wow, that's the law of God, that is law of love and justice fulfilled in action."  The fulfillment of the law is when people see us live enlightened lives of love and justice.

So today, let seek to be salt and light through authentic living  and in such living people can read and discover the fulfillment of the law of God.  Go forth today and be salty people.  Be spicy people so that people will know that our lives are enhanced by the light of Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, February 9, 2020 5 Epiphany A

Sunday School, February 9, 2020    5 Epiphany A

Themes:  Salt, light and laws

Discuss with the children salt.

Do you like salt?

Why do you like salt?

Can you eat just salt alone?  Why not?

Salt makes foods like popcorn and French fries tasty.  Food can taste very boring without salt but with just a little salt it can make food taste delicious.  In the times when there was no refrigerators, people used salt to preserve foods that would spoil or get rotten especially meat and fish.  Salt can clean and kill germs.

Jesus told his friends, “You are the salt of the earth.”  What do you think this means?  It means that the way that we live, we should make life tasty or exciting.  It means the way that we live we should preserve what is good and loving.

Discuss light with the children.

Why do we need light?  So we can see.

What is the biggest light?  The Sun

What did people use for light before electric lights were invented?  The Sun, Fire, torches with fire, oil lamps.

Jesus told his followers: “You are the light of the world.”  How can people be like a light?  When we learn something new, it is like a light coming on.  When someone shows how to live better, it is like a light coming on.  A person who teaches us to live better is like a light.  And we are supposed to learn and become teachers for others to help them live better.  So we are supposed to be learning all of the time so that we can become lights to show others how to live better.

Law

What is a law?  It is rule that tells us how to act.

Are all laws the same?  No

Which law is more important, “You shall not kill,” or “You shall not turn on your sprinklers on Monday, Wednesday or Friday?”

Jesus said that we should not be like people who made less important law the most important rules.  Are the rules of soccer more important that the rules about being kind to our neighbor?  What if we are not kind to our neighbors but we make everyone know and follow the rules of soccer as the most important rules in life?  It shows us that we are more concerned about a game than we are about caring for people.  Jesus said that we cannot replace the great important laws of love and kindness with less important rules.

Sermon:

  Today, I have in my bag of tricks two things.  What is this that I have in my hand?  A salt shaker.  And what else do I have in my bag?  A flash light.  What do I get when I turn this on?  I get light.

  Jesus liked to speak in riddles with his friends.  He told them that they had to be like salt and light.

  How many of you like salt?  What does popcorn taste like without salt or butter?  A little dull isn’t it.  What do French fries taste like without salt?  Really dull.  How many of you like pickles?  Do you know what makes pickles taste so good?   Salt water.

  What does Jesus mean when he says that we should be like salt?  He means that we should make the life of other people more tasty…more interesting…more exciting.

  I saw a little boy running into school and so I asked him why he was running so fast to get to school.  And he said, “I can’t wait to see my friends so I can have fun.”  That is what being like salt means.  We are to make life fun and exciting for each other.  We are to practice how to be good friends.

Jesus also said we are to be like light.  What did he mean?  I think that he meant that we are supposed to teach each other.  If I have learned something new that has helped me; then I want to share it with you.  And when we learn something new it is like a light coming on in our heads.

  No matter how old you are you have good things that you can teach someone else.  May be you can help your baby brother or sister learn how to crawl or walk.   May be you can help them learn how to talk or read.

  Jesus said that we are supposed to be like light because we are supposed to take the very best things that we have learned and share them with other people.

  What is the very best thing that we have learned from Jesus?  Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

  If we can teach this to everyone in this world then our lives will be fun and happy.

  So can you be like salt today?  Can you make life fun for each other?

  Can you be like light today?  Can you learn new things and teach other people the very best things in your life?  I know that you can be like salt and light today.  Amen

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 9, 2020: The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs:

Jesus Bids Us Shine, We Are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Thy Word,  This Little Light of Mine

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: Jesus Bids Us Shine, (The Christian Children Songbook, #132)

1-Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In this world of darkness, we must shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

2-Jesus bids us shine first of all for Him, Well he sees and knows it if our light is dim; He looks down from heaven, sees us shine.  You in your small corner and I in mine.

3-Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him, bring those that wander from the paths of sin; He will ever help us if we shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, you are able to rule all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayer requests, and especially in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Is not a fast to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly;

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Please read with me from Psalm 112

Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord * and have great delight in his commandments!

Light shines in the darkness for the upright; * the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

Litany of Thanksgiving: Chant: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.  "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –   

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany of Asking:  Chant: 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 sick. 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 with you always.

People:                        And also with you.

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

Song: We are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Renew! # 306

We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

            we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.       

We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.

Doxology (Stand)

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 family 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 him thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we

   Forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All  may gather around the altar)

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

  this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this Holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ; and that his  presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By  Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing, (Children may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father (Sung): (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 by 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: Thy Word, (Renew! #94)

Refrain: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still you’re right beside me.  And nothing will I fear as long as you are near.  Please be near me to the end.  Refrain.

I will not forget your love for me, and yet my heart forever is wandering.  Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side; and I will love you to the end.  Refrain

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

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

Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am 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.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!