Sunday School, September 17, 2017 15 Pentecost, A proper 19
Theme:
Forgiveness.
In the most famous Christian prayer, the Lord’s Prayer or
the Our Father, we say forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
In other translations: Forgive us our sins and we forgive
those who sin against us. Forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors.
What do we owe each other?
We owe each other love and kindness and when we do not pay what we owe,
we need to be forgiven.
It is hard to forgive but what makes forgiveness easier is
when we need forgiveness ourselves.
The story that Jesus told was about a man who wanted
forgiveness for himself, but he would not forgive other people.
Jesus want us to be fair with forgiveness. As we know that God forgives us, then we copy
God’s forgiveness of us by offering forgiveness to others.
Forgiveness is not always easy especially when we hurt each
other.
Forgiveness can make broken relationship repaired. To live in a family and a community we often find
that self-interest brings competition and sometimes we hurt each other in our
competition.
Like medicine or a band aid on a wound, forgiveness is the
medicine that helps us heal the hurt of broken relationship.
Forgiveness is hard which is why we ask for God’s help and
grace to help us forgive. But we need to
remember that other people also may find it difficult to forgive us.
To need forgiveness and to forgive makes us seek God’s help
for our lives.
Do you see why we pray to God? Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who
sin against us.
Sermon:
Jesus told a story
about two men.
One man owed lots of
money to the king and he had to pay it back by Friday. And Friday came, and he did not have the
money. So he begged the King to
forgive. He told him about all of his
problems. And the King had mercy. So the King said, “You don’t have to pay me
back.”
That man was happy
but that same man, went to another man who owed him just a few dollars. He said to him give me the money now. But the man said, “I don’t have the money. My family has been sick and I haven’t been
able to work.” But the man said, “I am going
to have you thrown in jail until you pay me the money.”
When the King found
out, he was very angry? Why? Because the man who had received mercy, did
not offer mercy.
Jesus used this
story to teach a message about forgiveness.
First God is
merciful. God forgives. God allows us to continue to live even when
we are not perfect, even when we do wrong.
God keeps giving us more time and more chances to learn and improve.
And because God is
merciful. God asks us to be merciful
with each other.
For a family to be
successful, members of the family have to practice mercy. This means that we have to learn how to say
that we are sorry. This means that we
have to be able to accept the apologies of others.
So too, our church
and our schools and in our city and country, we need to have mercy and
forgiveness in order to survive.
Let us remember that
God is always having mercy on us, even when we don’t think that we need it.
Let us remember that
there are people who love us and have mercy on us even when we don’t think that
we need it.
So let us remember
to have mercy on other people, because we know that we ourselves need mercy.
Jesus came to teach
us about the mercy of God. God’s mercy
means that God loves us, so God keeps giving us many, many chances to get
better. So too, we should help each
other be better people by practicing mercy.
Let us learn this
important lesson from Jesus today. Let
us learn to practice mercy and forgiveness.
Amen.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
September 17, 2017: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah, Forgive Our Sins, Come
My Way, When the Saints
Liturgist: Blessed
be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And
Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.
Amen.
Liturgist: Oh God,
Our hearts are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship
you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: Hallelu, Hallelujah (Christian Children’s Songbook, #
84)
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!
Praise ye the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah!
Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.
Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us
pray
O God, because without you we are not able to please you
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our
hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)
O God, you are Great!
Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you,
why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the
judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then,
each of us will be accountable to God.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 103
For as the heavens are high above the earth, * so is his
mercy great upon those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, * so far has he removed
our sins from us.
As a father cares for his children, * so does the LORD care
for those who fear him.
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
Litanist:
For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to
God!
For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks
be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of
our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!
Liturgist: The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
Peter came and said to Jesus, "Lord, if another member
of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven
times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you,
seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began
the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and,
as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife
and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell
on his knees before him, saying, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you
everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and
forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his
fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he
said, `Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him,
`Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and
threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw
what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to
their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to
him, `You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with
me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'
And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his
entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do
not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
Liturgist: The
Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise
to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon – Father Phil
Children’s Creed
We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father
is the maker of the world.
Since God is so great and we are so small,
We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus,
son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the
life, death and
resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy
Spirit.
We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church
where everyone is
welcome.
We believe that Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve
us forever. Amen.
Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)
For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have
mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have
mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in
our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have
mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have
mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have
mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.
Liturgist: The
Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving
of an offering
Offertory Music: Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive, (Renew! # 184)
1-Forgive our sins as we forgive, you taught us Lord to
pray; but you alone can grant us grace to live the words we say.
2-How can your pardon reach and bless the unforgiving heart
that broods on wrongs and will not let old bitterness depart?
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all
creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong
the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of
God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to
his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made
us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all
of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.
(All may gather around the altar)
Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to
live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob
and Rachael.
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured
by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this
Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and drink
the wine, we can know that the Presence
of Christ is as near to us as
this food and
drink that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine.
Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and
Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless
and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.
On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the
blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take,
eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of
me."
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and
said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which
is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we
eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the
life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in
our future.
Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a
special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to
whom we belong as sons and daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty
Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
(Children rejoin their parents and take up their
instruments)
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy
name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, 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 Hymn: Come
My Way, (Blue Hymnal # 487)
Come, my way, my truth, my life: such a way as gives us
breath; such a truth as ends all strife; such a life as killeth death
Come, my light, my feat, my strength: such a light as shows
a feast; such a feast as mends in length; such a strength as makes his guest.
Come, my joy, my love, my heart: such a joy as none can
move: such a love as none can part; such a heart as joys in love.
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: When the Saints Go Marching in, (Christian
Children’s Songbook, # 248)
O when the saints, go marching in, O when the saints go
marching in. Lord I want to be in that
number when the saints go marching in.
O when the girls, go marching in,…..
O when the boys, go marching in….
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us
go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be
to God!
