Law As Ownership Contract

18 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 22, October 4, 2020
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19
Philippians 3:4b-14   Matthew 21:33-46



We know what an absentee landlord is.  It is an owner who wants to collect rent but seems to be rather lackadaisical in showing interest in the property and the property owner.  What can happen with an absentee landlord?  A tenant with an absentee landlord might be tempted to practice the folk belief that "possession is nine tenth of the law."

An absentee landlord seems to be a rather ironic metaphor for God so we might want to unpack some insights for how it is used in the parable of Jesus.

In what way could God be represented as an "absentee landlord" of the world?  This presentation of God shows what I would say how God accepts divine weakness.  What is divine weakness?  Divine weakness is the permissive freedom of God.  God will not over turn real freedom in this world.  So God is the owner and landlord of the universe but in freedom God allows human tenants to be in arrears in their rent.  God allows tenants to usurp ownership rights.  The recent events in our world is proof of a God who values freedom more than direct intervention and interdiction in the affairs of nature and the behaviors of human beings.

God has sent messages through prophets and sages to try to collect rent as a way for earthly tenants to acknowledge divine ownership.  But when God accepts weakness as permissive freedom, the tenants of the world have the freedom to pretend that they can deny God's ownership and even try to usurp ownership rights.

Even religious people have permission to pretend that they are the official gatekeepers of the property and they have the freedom to keep people out of a covenant with God.

What is the ancient biblical contract?  It is the covenant with God recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.  And the most succinct and chief statement of the covenant is what is called the Decalogue or Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are articles of the rental agreement of this world for humanity.  Honor God as the owner of the universe.  Don't give ownership to others or create replacement gods.  Honor this contract with God by giving God worship time, a Sabbath.  Don't use God's name in the wrong way by misrepresenting God as belonging only to you and your club.  And if you honor God then you will also be good stewards of relationships and possessions.  Honor the family of parents and spouses who make vows.  Honor truth and honesty; don't lie.  Protect and value life.  Respect the property of others.   Be content by not desiring what other people have.

This is the basic covenant or renter's agreement with God as the owner of the universe.

The early Christians were a community that disputed the ways in which the members of synagogue were representing God because they believed that some religious leaders were saying you could only know God's favor if you kept all of the purity rituals of Judaism.  The early Christians were saying, just love God and your neighbor as yourself.  Failure to keep dietary rules, quarantine rules, purity rituals and circumcision rules should not exclude persons from the kingdom of God.  The message of Jesus Christ had found a great following among the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders who followed Christ believed that the ancient covenant of God with the Jews permitted the innovation of allowing Gentiles into the covenant without obeying all of the ritual purity laws.  They said it was enough that the Gentiles had the Holy Spirit and kept the basic Ten Commandments.  

This disagreement over who could claim the covenant with God is illustrated in the parable of the usurping tenants.

St. Paul confessed that he had misrepresented God when he persecuted the followers of Jesus.  And when he converted he became the architect of the church for Gentile Christians.  When the Gospel of Matthew was written, the Temple had been destroyed, the cornerstone was gone.  For St. Paul the new Temple was the body of Christ, the church,  and Jesus Christ was the chief cornerstone of the new building of people who would bring the new covenant of Jesus Christ to the cities of the Roman World.

So what is the Gospel for us today?  We are reminded that God is the owner of the world and we are God's stewards.  As tenants, we need to pay our rent.  What is our rent?  We need to find devotional ways to indicate that God is our owner.  We need to find ways to offer a sacrificial portion of our time, talent and treasure to the values that we understand to be honest to Christ.  We hope that you regard your ministry at St. John's to be a part of the way that you honor God as the owner of your life.

Next, we need to remember not to misrepresent God and who God's belongs to.  Lots of religious groups are built upon rules of exclusion, as if, God could be limited to such rules of exclusion.  Let us be generous to offer the love of Christ to all, just as Christ has been generous to us with grace and forgiveness in our own lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 8, 2017 18 Pentecost, A proper 22

Sunday School, October 8, 2017    18 Pentecost, A proper 22

Theme:

Laws and Rules

Why do we have them?

What kind of rules do we have?

For the Highway?  For our family?  At school?  In our games?

There are many rules.

What is the most popular set of rules called?  They are found in the Bible?

The 10 Commandments.

Do you like “no” words or “yes” words?

We like “yes” words because they are words of permission.

How can we say the 10 Commandments using, “Yes we can, instead of no you can’t?

Respect God as the very best.

Treat everything that God has made as good but not as you treat God.

Respect, honor and be courteous and polite about the Name of God.

Show God that you respect God by giving God special time on a Day of Prayer and at other times too.

Honor and respect the family, moms and dads, husbands and wives, and spouses and their promises.

Respect the importance of each person’s life

Enjoy what you have and respect the property of other people.

Honor and tell the truth; Be honest.

Be content with what you have as you honor and respect what other people have.

These are all “yes” rules.  They show what we can do if we honor God as most important in our lives.  When we honor God, we can find God’s power in us to give ability to do good things for all people in our lives.

Sermon:

The most famous list of rules in the Bible.  What is it called?  The 10 Commandments.  These are rules that start by saying that we need to make God the one whom we worship.  How do we do that?  We don’t let God have any competitors.  We give God special respect and  time of worship.  We don’t misuse God’s name.  If we make God most important in our lives, then this is what helps us live together well.  The 10 Commandments have rules that help us live together well.  How?  We respect parents and husband and wives. We respect families.   We respect the value of life.  We respect property of each other.  We tell the truth and are honest.  We learn to be content in our lives and not want the things of other.

Jesus told a parable about people who lived and used someone else’s property but they pretended that the property belonged to them.  They would not pay rent and they disrespected everyone who came to collect rent even the owner’s son.

Jesus told this story to show us what can happen to us when we don’t honor God as the owner of life.  We live selfishly toward God and each other when we don’t admit that everything in the world belongs to God.

Jesus was trying to tell people that God is generous and God’s shares everything with us.  Jesus was trying to say we can enjoy what we have and treat each other the best when we worship God as the owner of all life. 

Let us remember to respect God by learning the best rules.  This will help us be people who  treat each other well and who find real pleasure and enjoyment for the things that God has given to us.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 8, 2017: Eighteenth Sunday after 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: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

1          Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

2          Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you; Allelu, alleluia!  Refrain

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 God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.  Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 19

The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.

8 The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.

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, "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

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 Thy Word, (Renew! #94)

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

1          -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.

2          -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

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:  I Am the Bread of Life,   (blue hymnal  # 335)

I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall not hunger; they who believe in me shall not thirst.  No one can come to  me unless the Father draw them.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.

I am the resurrection, I am the life, they who believe in me, even if they die, they shall live forever.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.

Yes Lord we believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world. And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day

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: I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light, (Renew # 152)

I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to bring light to the world; the star of my life is Jesus.  Refrain: In Him there is no darkness at all, the night and the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God: Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

I want to see the brightness of God; I want to look at Jesus.  Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path, and show me the way to the Father.     Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

The 10 Commandments and Domesticating Desire

17 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 22, October 5, 2014

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19
Philippians 3:4b-14  Matthew 21:33-46

Lectionary Link

   

  A central issue in life is the issue of value.  What is important and valued and why is something important and valued and can the importance and value of something change over time?

  The version of the 10 Commandments which we have read today gives us a statement of values.  These value statements represent the wisdom of lived relationship within ancient Hebrew communities.  One can see them arising from wise reflection upon the task of living together within a community.  These laws had to be legitimized and put upon a pedestal as revered.  They had to be promulgated and spread throughout the society so that these values could be inculcated into the life of all persons within the community.  They had to have a grand narrative of legitimization and that narrative was presented in the delivering of the highest values from God's heaven to this earth on Mt. Sinai to the most famous lawman of all, Moses. 

  Sometimes we regard biblical statements to be so inspired that they represent final statements.  But biblical statements come from what was inspired, namely, the actions of people to seek God to articulate the most excellent values for living within their time and place.  We make a mistake to believe that the situation details of any time or place are final and inspired.  When the 10 Commandments were given the practice of slavery and the subjugation of women were the cultural practices.  We think that our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were inspired documents even though our founders still practiced slavery, women could not vote and in fact only male property owners had full citizenship rights.

  The 10 Commandments are based upon the philosophy that our highest values need to be founded upon a higher power and higher authority.  So the 10 commandments are based upon the practice of acknowledging the Value of Values, namely the One God.  Our posture and relationship with God is the starting point for all values.  This relationship with God is expressed in acknowledging the Oneness of God and by the refusal to allow any idol to be elevated to a competing position with God. The relationship with God also requires practice and so the commandments require the God-time of Sabbath as time which is intentionally set aside to acknowledge God as the Supreme Value of our lives and as the starting place for all values.  Again, we cannot be literalists about the Sabbath or we would be worshiping on Friday night with our Jewish brothers and sisters or on Saturdays with our Seven Day Adventist friends or on Friday with our Muslim friends.   What is important is a principle of worship time: can we endeavor to give 1/7 of the time of our lives as time for God?  I would suggest in our lives that rather than doing it within a 24 hour day period, that we spread our Sabbath time for God throughout the week.  Assuming that God gives us credit for 8 hours of sleep to be included in Sabbath time; that leaves for us to endeavor to give 16 waking hours of time to God a week.  Yes, and do multi-tasking time; pray on the go, in your car, in your moments of insomnia, in your pre-sleep moments and in your early waking moment.  Practice, intentionally the remembrance of God.  Join our prayer chain and pray for those who have current needs.   Test this out: give 16 waking hours to remembering God in a week and I think that you will find your life changed and blessed in every way, as well as the life of your community.

  If we attend to God as the Higher Power of our lives then we can prevent being addicted to the God-surrogates of addictive idols which enslave us and require a destroying devotion which can only be interdicted by the grace of God as the Higher Power.  To acknowledge God as our Higher Power is the secret of keeping ourselves from the fixation of our energies upon unworthy idols.

  The other six commandments have to do with the wisdom of living well within community.  Respect the family, parents and marriage.  Respect the material world and personal property.  Ownership is a gift and a responsibility and we should honor the stewardship responsibilities which each person has for the gifts which have been given to them.  

  Obviously, there is an important commandment for the well-being of the community:  Thou shalt not kill.  And we should not be overly proud that we have not inflicted death directly upon others; we should also be aware of how we can by our social and cultural habits be responsible for the quality of life of others who die before their time because of our neglect of people in need.  Honoring life is not just about the direct murder of another person, it is also about respecting the long quality of life for as many in our world as possible.  

  Another important commandment has to do with living honestly with others.  Verbal contracts and actual behavior need to be agreement.  When we look at the major economic disasters in our society, we can trace it to people with power and greed who have been dishonest with the public and they have been criminal in their practice as they have literally stolen billions of dollars from the common good for the personal wealth of a few.  Experience tells us that capitalism does not work in an environment of dishonesty and deceptive practices of stealing from others.

  The last commandment is probably the most difficult of all.  Thou shalt not covet.  In its time it referred to the wives, animals and property of another man as the objects of one's desire.  Certainly this reflects a very limited application of the notion of coveting.

  The greater principle behind coveting has do with how we accept with contentment our current situation while at the same time looking to improve our lives with further excellence in all manner of living.  How can we model for each other higher values which are worthy to imitate?  Is is wrong to covet and desire something which is truly good for us and the common good of our community?

  Coveting is an expression of our desire projected upon the people, places and things of our lives.  Coveting expresses a "wrong relationship" to the people, places and things of our lives.  Coveting occurs when we let desire create objects which become controlling idols for addictive behaviors which hurt us and our community.  And the correct way to to deal with coveting is to return to the first commandment.  When we let our profound desire be expressed in the worship of God then we find a way to domesticate our desire towards the rightful enjoyment of our world and we avoid the formation of addictive idols.

  The parable of Jesus from our appointed Gospels is a story of the 10 Commandments in another form of  presentation.  We can treat this world as belonging exclusively to us because we cannot see God as an owner present to enforce divine ownership.  And if God as an apparent absentee landlord does not send agents to hassle us about ownership and payment issues, we begin to live the legal philosophy stated as possession is nine tenths of law.  If I apparently own my portion of this world because God appears to be absent, then I will act accordingly for my own demise and for the ruination of my community.

  This parable is about the same stewardship issue of the 10 Commandments: If we honor, and worship God as the Supreme Value and as the Owner of this world we will be given the wisdom to domesticate the profound desire of our lives for true pleasure and enjoyment and for the well-being of the community within which we live.

  We in our parish ask for your support in time, talent and treasure as an expression of acknowledging God as the supreme value of life and with what we give to the parish we attempt to make a proverbial roux to mix with the rest of the soup of life to add flavor and delight to our world.

  Let us intensely worship God so that our profound desire can be fully domesticated for true pleasure and enjoyment of this wonderful world of things, places and people.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 5, 2014 Cycle A, proper 22 17 Pentecost

At St. John's we have an outdoor family liturgy for the blessing of the animalsThis service include a liturgy of vows to be good stewardship of creation of the environment and our animal friends.   

Sunday School Themes:

Ten Commandments  

Stewardship of the creation as seen in the Gospel parable  

The 10 Commandments are basic stewardship principles  

How do we treat God, our families, our neighbors and the things which God has given to us to use and enjoy.

The parable of Jesus is about people who began to believe that the appearance of "possession means actual possession."  

The teaching would be this: How do we live believing that all things belong to God even though we don't see God?  We do this by keeping the commandments which are stewardship rules.  

Acknowledging God in worship is how we honor God's ownership of the world but we also accept this world as a gift of God and one which we must take care of.

Since it is close to the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, you can also tell the story of his life and how he believed that every living thing was his brother and sister.  He acknowledged the ownership of the world by God and so he was a very good steward of God's creation.

On this day, you might invite the community to plant a tree.  

You might have the community members bring dog food and cat food to share with the local rescue shelters.

Outdoor Liturgy for the Blessing of Animals including vows of care for animals and the environment
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037Family Service with Holy Eucharist
Blessing of the Animals October 5, 2014: The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost


Gathering Songs:
Morning Has Broken, If I Were a Butterfly, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, All Things Bright and Beautiful

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: Morning Has Broken (Blue Hymnal # 8)

1.      Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird.  Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!  Praise for them springing fresh from the word.

2.      Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass.  Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

3.      Mine is the sunlight!  Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play!  Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s re-creation of the new day!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us prayAlmighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  AlleluiaO God, you have made us! AlleluiaO God, you have made yourself known to us!  AlleluiaO God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  AlleluiaO God, you have given us a Christian family!  AlleluiaO God, you have forgiven our sins!  AlleluiaO God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

Liturgist:  A reading from the Book of Exodus

Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.  Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 
The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 8

You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *you put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, * even the wild beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, * and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist: For our animal friends and pets, past and present. Thanks be to God!

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, "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – Fr. Cooke:


Collect for the Feast of St. FrancisMost high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Vow to Creation

Celebrant:  Will you cherish the beauty of the Good Earth that God has entrusted to you, and will you do all in your power to preserve the beauty for own age and for the people of the future?Response:  I will with God’s help.

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Word of God that issued from God’s mouth and created all things and God’s Spirit moved over the deep and made creation happen; you have called creation good, and we celebrate the goodness of creation which you have given to us to enjoy and tend; Bless the Good Earth and its fruits, and us as we commit ourselves to stewardship, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Vow to our Animal friends

Celebrant:  Will you promise to love, enjoy, and care for all God’s creatures, and especially for the pet whom you present for a blessing?Response:  I will, with God’s help.

Blessing:Lord Jesus Christ, your friends, have brought to you these special friends:  Bless we pray these delightful creatures, and grant that those who tend to their care will take delight in all of God’s creation, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.


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

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

Offertory Song: If I were a Butterfly  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

1.      If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  And if I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord, that I could sing.  And if I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee, but I just thank you Father for making me ‘me.’

Chorus:  For you gave ma a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave Jesus and you made me your child.  And I just thank you, Father for making me, ‘me.’

2.      If I were an elephant, I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk.  And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  And if I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord, for my find looks, but I just thank you Father, for making me, ‘me.’  Chorus

3.      If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you, Lord that I could squirm.  And If I were a Billy goat, I’d thank you, Lord for my strong throat.  And if I were a fuzzy-wuzzy bear, I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy-wuzzy hair, but I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me.’  Chorus

DoxologyPraise 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 EucharistJesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of God.”All become members of a family by birth or adoption.Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with youAnd also with you.

Lift up your heartsWe lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

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

(Children may gather around the altar)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 imageAnd 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 JosephAnd 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, 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!

Word of Administration.

Communion Hymn: Prayer of St. Francis

1.      Make me a channel of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.  Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.  

Refrain:  Oh, Master, grant I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul.

2.      Make me a channel of your peace.  Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.  Where there is darkness only light, and where there’s sadness ever joy.  Refrain

3.      Make me a channel of your peace.  It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, in giving to all men that we receive and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.   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: All Things Bright & Beautiful (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 12)

Refrain:  All things bright & beautiful, all creatures great & small, all things wise & wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

1.      Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, he made their glowing colors, he made their tiny wings.  Refrain

2.      The purple-headed mountain, the river running by, the sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky.  Refrain

3.      He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.  Refrain

Dismissal:   
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!