Manna As Questioning of the New

16 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 20, September 24, 2017
Exodus 16:2-15   Psalm 145:1-8
Philippians 1:21-30  Matthew 20:1-16

Lectionary Link

For any parents who has tried to introduce experimental gourmet cooking to their children, they know the first response of their children.  A child when presented with the gourmet dish might say, "What this?"  Or more likely, "Oooo, What's this! Yuck!"

When the children of Israel were stranded in the wilderness without seeing a stable supply of food.  Moses interceded with God as the heavenly chef and God sent a new gourmet treat to be served on the ground each morning.  And all the children of Israel had to do was collect and eat it, which they did, and when they saw it for the first time they asked, "Ma Na? which means "What's this?"  Which probably really was said, "Ooooo, What's this!"

Ma Na or What's This? is probably the common question of all people when they are presented with something new.  This bread on the ground seems to be in the category of food but it is not like food that we've eaten in the past; how can we be certain that it is good for us?

You and I and everyone have been in the situation of asking this question when we have been presented with something new.  We have doubts about how the new relates to our past experience.  We have doubts about whether embracing the new is going to be beneficial to us.  Sometimes we are not really ready to embrace the new as beneficial to us.  We often embrace the new as being a threat to us and to our way of life.

St. Paul is a case in point.  As rabbi Saul, he saw the followers of Jesus and he said, "What's this?"  He presided at the stoning of St. Stephen.  What's this?  What is this new religious path that has occurred because of Jesus of Nazareth.  Saul of Tarsus was so threatened and repulsed by the Jesus Movement, he answered his "What's this?" with murderous and persecuting behaviors.

His extreme response to the Jesus Movement brought about his own violation of the Mosaic Law about not committing murder.  This "acting out" behavior met by the graceful response of Stephen, must have resulted in an interior snap which led to his conversion and subsequent rise to be the leader of the Christian Movement to the Gentile peoples.

This Jesus, this Jesus Movement and their interpretation of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, "What this?"  Is not this a threat to Judaism?  Is this not a departure from the Hebrew Scriptures?  How can we accept this?  How can we accord this new movement any status?

When confronted with the Jesus Movement, St. Paul asked, "What this?"  And he answered his question with persecuting behaviors towards followers of Jesus.

This same Paul, later wrote: "To me, living is Christ and dying is gain."  St. Paul took the question Manna and discovered Jesus to be the Manna or living bread that came down from heaven.  St. Paul found that partaking of the body of Christ became the main staple of his life of faith.

The parable of Jesus about the equal pay for the early hired and the late hired is how the early church addressed the "What's this?"  question.  What's this?  New people, the Gentile are being invited into equal status in faith with those who were Jews and had inherited the long tradition of Hebrew Scriptures.  Shouldn't the heirs of this long tradition be accorded more pay, a more exalted status than these, "Johnny come lately" Gentiles?  It's not fair.  What's this conferring of equal accord in God's eye for these foreign Gentiles who want to claim God's favor even though they don't have the heritage and they do not practice the ritual purity requirements of Judaism.

The church over and over again has had to deal with the "What's this" question.  Women being equal in dignity to men?  What's this?  Slavery now a sin?  What's this?   People of color, having equal dignity to white people?  What's this?  Child labor laws enforced.  What's this?  Diabled persons being equal in dignity?  What's this?  Gay persons having equal dignity and status in God's eye.  What this?  On and on we are confronted in human experience with new occasion for love and justice and the Gospel being extended and practiced toward more people, and people of old habits and patterns say, "What's this?"

The essence of the Gospel is the love and justice of God coming to all people, even to some "new" people?

Today, we need grace to be freed from our bias and prejudice and our old habits which do not allow the expansion of the practice of God's love, justice and dignity for all people.

Today, we come to the Eucharistic table and we receive the heavenly manna and we ask "What this?"  And the answer is this:  It is the body of Christ equally shared with anyone who wants to receive the graceful presence of Christ in their lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 24, 2017 16 Pentecost, A proper 20

Sunday School, September 24, 2017   16 Pentecost, A proper 20

A riddle of Jesus

The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

When a new baby arrives, the baby is the last or latest member of the family.  Everyone is happy when a baby is born.  We put the baby on a pedestal; we celebrate the baby as first in our recognition.  We don’t get jealous about the baby getting the recognition.  Does that mean we love the baby more than other members of the family?  No, of course not.  But the birth of a new baby is special and so we give the new baby special recognition.  Those who are older are respect but also the one who is just born is for the occasion given a “first” place.

This was a riddle that Jesus used to say that even though we are different in age and in many other ways, we still are equal or first in dignity in God’s eye.

When it comes to dignity in God’s eye, everyone is first.  And everyone get opportunity to share the respect of being “first” in dignity in God’s eye.

If only the people who have always been around are “first” in dignity then we will never make room for new babies and others to grow in God’s love and the dignity that God shares with all.

Today, let us be thankful that we are all different; but let us also celebrate that we are equal and first in knowing God’s love and grace.

This is also an American belief:  We are all created equal have the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Long before America was ever a country, Jesus said that the first shall be last and the last first.  This means that equality in difference is an important understanding of the Gospel of Jesus.

Sermon

Text:

  Have you ever said to your mom or dad, “That’s not fair!”  Have you ever said to your friend, “That’s not fair?”

  May be your brother or sister gets to stay up longer than you do or they get to go somewhere with their friends and you say, “That’s not fair.”

  Jesus once told a story about people who cried, “That’s not fair.”

  A man owned a vineyard… What do you plant in vineyards?  Grapes.  And he had lots of grapes that needed to be picked.  So, he hired some workers for a day’s wages, early in the morning to pick grapes, but he saw that he needed more.  So, at 10 o’clock in the morning, he hired some more workers at a day’s wages.  And still he needed more workers.  He hired at noon, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and he hired them all at a day’s wages.

  In the evening when all the grape picking was finished, he gave the workers their pay.  And all the workers got the same amount of money.  The workers who started very early in the morning cried, “That’s not fair.  We worked longer so we should get more!”

  Jesus was trying to teach a lesson to his friends.

  There were some religious people who thought that they and their family had loved God longer than some other people.  They had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David in their family tree.

  They were upset when Jesus said that God was for everyone equally.  They said it was not fair to offer the good news of God to foreigners, beggars and poor people.

  But Jesus said, “God has equal mercy for everyone, for old people, for young people, for people of every shape, size and color.

  God is equally God for everyone, no matter when and where we are born.  In God’s eyes we are all born equal.  That is why in our Declaration of Independence it is written that all men and women are created equal.  Why?  Because God is available to everyone in an equal way.

  I do not possess more of God than you do.  God gives mercy to all of us.

  And so what do we have to do?  We have to accept God mercy and we have to let all people know how merciful and loving God is.

  That is what Jesus came to teach us.

  Don’t you think it’s fair that God is merciful to everyone?

  Let us thank God for God’s love and mercy to everyone today.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 24, 2017: Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Give Thanks, Lord of all Hopefulness, Glorify the Lord, Pass It On

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: Give Thanks  (Renew! # 266)

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the holy one,

give thanks because he given Jesus Christ his Son.  (sing twice)

And now let the weak say I am strong; let poor say I am rich

because of what the Lord has done for us.  (sing twice)

Give thanks.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

Liturgist: A reading from the Book of Exodus

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day….The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"  In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 105

Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; * make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him, * and speak of all his marvelous works.

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.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, `You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, `Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

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:       Renew! # 174  (gray hymnal)   

1. Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, whose trust ever child-like, cares could destroy: be there at our waking and give us we pray, your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

2. Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe: be there at our labors and give us we pray, your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

3. Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace: be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

4. Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:  be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

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,

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:  Glorify Your Name, (Renew! # 37)

Father, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth; Glorify your name, glorify you name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Jesus, we love you….

Spirit, we love you…

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: Pass It On, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 177)

It only takes a spark to get a fire going.  And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.  That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone, you want to pass one.

I wish for you my friend the happiness that I’ve found.  You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Manna! What Is It? It's the One Bread of Justice and Grace

15 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 20, September 21, 2014

Exodus 16:2-15   Psalm 145:1-8

Philippians 1:21-30  Matthew 20:1-16

Lectionary Link

  As a father of two and as one who occasionally has inhabited the kitchen at home, I often tried to present my experimental gourmet cooking results to our children.  Too, often the name which they gave for my productions was the same name.  It was almost like you would have thought I fed them the same thing every evening for dinner.  And what was name which they gave the food every night?  Ooo, What's this? So, this unrequited chef served on his menu many dishes all having a common name, "Ooo, What's this?"  And if you think this is funny, I think one has to note a similar humor regarding the special food of the children of Israel in their wilderness journey.  When Moses led them into the wilderness, they were without food and so they complained,"even though we were enslaved in Egypt, at least we had food.  We had our meat and bread but now we are going to starve."  So Moses interceded and a mystical bread appeared each day covering the ground like snow flakes.  And when the people of Israel saw this strange substance, they said, "What is it?"  Manna.  And if they were like my children, they probably were saying, "Oooo, What's this?"  And so What's This? became the name for the heavenly bread which they ate every morning, and for protein God brought quail to the camp every night.  So everyone partook of the one Manna, every day as they traveled through wilderness.  It was the same menu every day for everyone.  Manna and quail.  Whether one was rich or poor, old or young, one ate of the one bread.  The daily diet could not be an indicator of class difference.  The all had the very same food.

  The apparent inequality of difference is the question which is hidden within the parable of today's appointed Gospel.  When grapes are ready to be picked they must be picked rapidly so they do not over-ripen on the vine.  A frantic vineyard owner oversaw the harvest of grapes and the yield was so great that he had to keep hiring people all day.  And he had to pay a market rate to workers because of the urgency of getting the harvest completed in the day.  And so those who were hired last ended up getting paid the same as those who were hired early in the morning.  And when the wages were paid, those who were hired early protested, "It is not fair that those who were hired late received the same that we were paid."

  And the owner of the vineyard simply stated the contract that each made at the time of their hire.

  This parable in an indirect way teaches the a belief in the finality of God's contract of grace, justice and equality.

  So maybe the early Jewish followers of Jesus thought that they had "favored status" in the experience of God's grace.  And yet these Johnny come lately Gentile believers were being treated as those who had equal status in the reception of God's grace.  The oracle of Jesus in the early Christian community was proclaiming, "This is the nature of God's grace."  Those who receive early or those who receive late, all receive the same amount.  Just as it is stated in John's Gospel, "From Christ's fullness we have all received grace upon grace."  God's Spirit is the same in the Jews and the Gentile, in the rich and poor, in the American, and in the Iragi.  God's Spirit is the same in everyone, no matter how different people appear to be from each other.

  This parable provides us with a very important insight in life.  Though we may proclaim that "all are created equal," it is equally true to say that the circumstances of life manifest each person in different conditions.  How do we apply equality at the same time of respecting differences, compensating for differences, complementing differences and supplementing for differences?  This is the great question of justice, equality, grace and fairness in practice.

  In each circumstance of each person one needs wisdom to discern the criteria for determining application of accountability and justice.  So, one does not demand the same economic or labor out put of all people.  Infants and children do not have to do the same as able-bodied adults.  People with health impairments have equal worth even while there are different criteria for the articulation of their value.

  Grace, Justice and Equality comes from the fullness of the community and not from the individual measurement of relative worth.  The vineyard owner's goal was to complete the harvest and completing this tasks was the one and equal task of everyone even though each worker had a different role in contributing to the entire task.

  In the grace, justice and equality of total community we need have the wisdom to embrace compensating, complementing and supplementing of differences for the grace of the entire community.  So, a sick person cannot work, but a sick person can be the occasion for the creation of the vocation of health care giver.  So a person who is sick is a gift to the community because the complementing vocation of health giver expresses a fuller grace, equality and justice within the community.

  We need to cease harping about individual differences within community and be willing to look for how differences of circumstances calls forth the fullness of the community to its manifold vocations in the life.  The poor in the community are gifts to help the wealthy have an outlet for their generosity; the poor are not inherently inferior people who should be denied dignity because they are different in the wrong way for those of us who have been lucky to avoid abject poverty.

  Grace and Justice are to be the application of God's fullness of love expressed within the human community.  This is the love to which we are called today.

  Today, we come to the altar for the One heavenly bread, a graceful presence of Christ, equally present to all of us.  And though really young ones may not recognize the altar bread and think, "What is it...sure doesn't look like Wonder Bread," the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, the male and the female, the gay and the straight, the single and the married all receive the One bread signifying the great equality of Christ given to us and applied to the rainbow of the wonderful diversity in the collection of people.

  We're different but we receive the same bread and the same amount of bread (though I did have a young boy named Gus who always wanted to come for seconds).

  Look in your hand today and receive the bread of the presence of Christ.  And if you are asking, "What is it?"  It is the equal grace of the loving presence of Christ coming to you in respecting your different personal gifts, situation and vocation in this world.

  And let us receive this one bread in our differences and go forth to do the work of applying the One grace and love of Christ to the many different people in our world.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 21, 2014 15 Pentecost A Proper 20

September 21, 2014 15 Pentecost A Proper 20 Sunday School dule:

Theme: Different but Equal, The parable of the same wages for everyone even though some worked long
             Teaching points: Remind students that everyone is different but each person has equal worth and dignity.  Illustrate by showing what a tall person might do that a short person can't or what older people do which children don't.  Differences in looks and abilities and ages and in all things do not diminish one's value.

Craft: Make a Snowflake pin and write on it: Each snowflake is special and so am I.

Puppet Show:

The Law of Justice

Election Day in the Jungle

Officer George: Today we are voting in the Jungle.  And now the polls are open.  Line up.

Who's first?

Roary the Lion:  I'm first.

Ally the Alligator: I'm next.

Tookey the Toucan: My turn.

Mooney the Monkey: Wait for me.  Don't close the voting yet.

Ellie the Eagle:  I'm swooping into vote.

Officer George: Okay, the voting is now closed.  We will count the votes and tell you who won.

Roary:  Officer George, I'm a lion, King of the Jungle and I voted first, shouldn't I get 5 votes?

Ally: No way Roary, I'm king of the river.  I should get the most votes.

Tookey: But I am the most colorful and beautiful bird.  I should get more votes than both of you.

Mooney the Monkey:  But I can climb faster in the trees than any of you.  So I should get the most votes.

Ellie:  I am a eagle.  I fly higher than any of you and I can fly far away.  I can see from high above the earth.  I should get the most votes.

Officer George:  Sorry but you each only get one vote.  You are all special and different but you still are all equal when it comes to voting.  You all have equal worth and value.

Roary:  Is that fair?

Officer George:  Yes it is fair.  Jesus told a story about workers.  Some of the workers started early and some started later, but at the end of the day all of the workers got the same pay because that is the agreement which they made with owner of the farm.

Ellie:  Is that fair?

Officer George:  Jesus was trying to teach people a lesson about being different but equal.  A baby does not do the same work as an adult but a baby is equal to an adult in the care and respect that we should give to baby.

Mooney:  Is that what it means when we say that "all people are created equal?"

Officer George:  Yes.  People are different but equal.  God loves everyone equally even though every person is different.

Ally: I guess we should try to love as God loves.

George:  Yes, being fair means we treat people equally by respecting their dignity.  So now do you see why you get just one vote.  You are are different but you have equal value and respect.  Can you remember this important lesson which Jesus taught us?

Family Liturgy

September 21, 2014: Fifteenth Sunday of Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Give Thanks,  Glorify the Lord, Pass It On

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: Give Thanks  (Renew! # 266)

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the holy one,

give thanks because he given Jesus Christ his Son.  (sing twice)

And now let the weak say I am strong; let poor say I am rich

because of what the Lord has done for us.  (sing twice)

Give thanks.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and 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 Book of Exodus

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day….The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"  In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 105

Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; * make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him, * and speak of all his marvelous works.

Birthdays:      

Anniversaries:

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.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, `You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, `Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

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.

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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:      Lord of All Hopefulness,   St. John’s Children’s Choir

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.

(Children may gather around the altar)

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

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

 this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

The Prayer continues with these words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(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:  Glorify Your Name, (Renew! # 37)

1.      Father, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth; Glorify your name, glorify you name, glorify your name in all the earth.

2.      Jesus, we love you….

3.      Spirit, we love you…

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: Pass It On, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 177)

1.      It only takes a spark to get a fire going.  And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.  That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone, you want to pass one.

2.      I wish for you my friend the happiness that I’ve found.  You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God!