Kingdom of Heaven, to Be or Ever Has Been?

24 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 27, November 12, 2023
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Psalm 78
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-1


Lectionary Link

We have read the parable about the bridesmaid who were prepared and those who weren't and this wisdom parable of Jesus presents to us some insights about the realm of God in our lives.

Those with apocalyptic propensity prefer to use this as the preparation for some cataclysmic end of the world has we know it.  And there are many Christians who resort to a sort of apocalyptic fatalism, one in which their perceived foes are punished and they who are God's preferred get spirited away to rapturous bliss.  The obsession with this kind of apocalypticism is so pronounced, it really seems at odds with a creating loving God who called creation good.  The apocalyptic sects of Christian religions are not environmentalists; "why save the environment if we are soon going to leave this wretched place for a better world?"  As proclaimed "dominionists" they believe the world should be dominated for their benefits and there is very little notion of stewardship care for this world which the creator God of Genesis called "good."

I believe the injunction to be prepared has a fuller meaning than than what the distorted views of the apocalyptic crowd proclaim.

When Jesus proclaimed the Realm of God, he was not proclaiming something new, he was observing what was always already, namely, if this world derives from the plenitude of God then the plenitude of all that is, is the realm of God.  Or, as St. Paul of the Acts of the Apostles reminded us, "we live, and move and have our being in God."  God is our Realm and our kingdom, past, present, and future.

Then why does the notion of the kingdom of heaven seem to be limited to an event or "events" in time?  The events in time have to do with the human perception of what is always, already.   We are always in the Realm of God but we don't always perceive it or live as though we are in God's Realm.

Being prepared for the kingdom or realm of heaven is about how we live toward the future.  The words of Jesus, "the kingdom of heaven will be like this," namely it is a future continuous tense.  The realm of God will be.....

And how are we to live toward what will be?  We are to live in ways of being ready for the future.  In the past, we have lived and moved had our being in God, in the present we live and have our being God , and it will also be such in the future.  

Being prepared is about holistic integration of our lives.  It is to be very practical.  The Boys Scout Motto is "Be prepared."  If one is going camping then one needs to be logistically prepared, with proper attire, proper supplies, and proper skill sets to meet the challenges of the trail and the remote places of the camping sites.

The issue of the wise and foolish bridesmaids in the parable was simply a matter of logistics of having an ample supply of oil for the lamps.  Those who did not have enough oil had a good excuse: "How were we to know that the bridegroom would be delayed?"

And isn't this a main issue of life?  How do we know the timing of future event so as to be properly prepared?

The warning words of Jesus for his early followers was this; you don't need to be prepared for some event of final salvation as to be able to live spiritually healthy lives no matter what befalls. 

The kind of preparation which Jesus asks for is not a fatalistic waiting for some final end of life as we know it, but rather an attitude of faith which can adjust to the actual conditions of life as we know it.

This is a wholistic and holistic kind of faith preparation.  It is integrative of the ways that we have to be prepared to live, and move, and have our being in God, even as such living includes living with all the people of our daily lives and world.  It includes using our past experiences and the experiences of others to anticipate the probabilities of what may yet happen to us.  It is practical and commonsensical; as such it means that human beings are mainly the answers to their own prayers.  There is enough to go around in the world; it is human failure which accounts for great personal needs of so many.  Therefore preparation of realization of the Realm of God is spiritual and moral, because the material world, the world of science and brute facts has to be accompanied with the moral and spiritual realization of the worthwhileness of everyone in God's realm.

From a cursory observation we can say that we are not prepared yet for the Realm of God, because the will of God in the heavenly realm is not yet being done on the earth of the visible realm.

The preparation for the kingdom of heaven for us is to bring the parallel heavenly values of love and justice to the actual surface of this visible world.  We cannot be complainer about not knowing that such things would happen to us; we must be those who are studying the ways of love and justice to be made known in whatever may come.

It is not realistic for us to complain about not knowing the specifics of future events, since the future will be much like the past and the present with the array of probable occurrences.  Preparation is not about pretending that we know specifics of the future, it is about knowing that God is equally present in all times.  If we are prepared in knowing God is present now, then we can carry this preparation to know that God will be present in our futures as well.

The message of the Gospel for us today is that being prepared means living in being God aware.  We prepare for the future by living God aware lives.  Let us be prepared by knowing God as the common great feature of all the times of our lives.  Amen.

Plan on Being Lucky for Christ's Arrivals

23 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 27, November 8, 2020
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Psalm 78
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13

Lectionary Link

The kingdom of heaven will be like this. Be ready for it at all times.

You may have heard it said, that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. Also, the more I pray, the more luck I seem to have.

How can this "folk knowledge" be correct? Whether we're scouts or whether we do emergency planning, we often think of being prepared for things to go wrong.
I would like for us to look at the parable of the bridesmaids in a "glass half full" type of way. What do the bridesmaids get to do if they are prepared?  They get to fulfill their wedding role when the bridegroom arrives.

This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. Be prepared for the in-breaking events.
God, for a long time, wanted to bring the people of Israel into their new home. But they weren't prepared. They are presented as those who were grumblers about the terrible conditions of the journey, and indeed the journey lasted forty years.

And when the successor of Moses, Joshua brought them to the door step of the Promised Land, he asked the people to renew their covenant with God, the one they often forgot during the journey.   Joshua asked them to be loyal to God as they entered the  homeland of their new kingdom.

Paul wrote to some worried people in Thessalonica who believed in the resurrection and they believed in a coming kingdom of the return of Jesus to this earth. But they were worried about their friends who had died before the return of the Lord. And Paul wrote as a comforting parent.  And he encouraged them to do their preparation of being faithful and he gave a comforting scenario of how he believed that God would unite the dead with the living in the future kingdom of heaven.

In our community, we try to presents some recommendations for a rule of life for people to adapt to their own life rhythms.  It involves a holistic program, prayer, Bible study, corporate worship occasion, take care of your physical body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, and opportunity for mission and giving as we identify with those who are poor.  And why do we do it?  Because we need to pay the bills and maintain the institution?  No.  We want people to be prepared for the arising of the God-events in their lives.

You have the seeming experience of more events of grace and favor, if you actually have been preparing your life to see and process them when they happen.  

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven will be like this."  And the sad thing is that many people miss the experiences of the kingdom because they are not prepared.  They are like the sleeping bridesmaids who did not have enough oil for their lamps and when the bridegroom arrived, they did not have their lamps ready to be the needed luminarias for the honored guest.

The metaphor of a wedding bespeaks of union.  The kingdom of heaven is about union, union with God and each other.  And such unions offers many occasions of climactic events, if we are prepared and practiced to be able to recognize them.

Today, as we live in earthquake and wildfire country, we are encouraged to be prepared for threatening events.  But the life of faith is not just about being prepared for what can go wrong.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven will be like this...."  Like what?  An arrival of an event of union and joy.

The Gospel program of the church is a program of preparation for the arrival of the Christ-events each day in our lives.  And for these, I say, be prepared.  Amen

Sunday School, November 7, 2020, 23 Pentecost, A Proper 27

 Sunday School, November 7, 2020   23 Pentecost, A proper 27

Theme:

Wisdom means being prepared.

What is motto of the Boy Scouts?

Be Prepared

What do we prepare for?  We try to prepare to make the best response for all things that can happen to us in life.  We prepare for emergencies.  We also prepare for good things in life, like for graduation, for learning skills, sports, dancing and we prepare for the work and jobs that we will do in our lives.

Jesus told a parable about being prepared.  Jesus used stories to teach lessons.

He told a story about five wise bridesmaids who were prepared and five foolish bridesmaids who were not prepared.

In the time of Jesus bridesmaids had an important role at weddings;  they had the important role when the groom made a parade to get his bride and bring her back to the wedding feast.  And the bridesmaid had to be ready to greet the wedding party.even if it was late at night.

The five wise bridesmaid had enough oil for their lamps to be ready to give light for the parade of the groom.  The five foolish bridesmaids did not have enough oil and so when the wedding parade arrived, they could not help light the parade.  They were locked out of the wedding.

What is the message of Jesus that is hidden in the story?

We need to be prepared.  For what?  For the wedding of our souls with God.  A wedding is the beginning of a special friendship between two people.  Jesus used the wedding to teach us about the special friendship that we can have in our lives.  And we need to be prepared for this friendship with God.  And if we are lazy and not prepared we will miss out on a wonderful relationship with God that has been shown to us by Jesus Christ.

We come to church and learn so that we can be prepared for our wonderful relationship, for our wedding with God as a special companion and friend.

Sermon:

Have any of you ever been to a wedding?

  A wedding is a very happy time when two people get married.  It is a great celebration and a great celebration needs lots of people to do things that make the celebration special.

  Besides the people getting married who else is at the wedding?  A priest or pastor, or judge.  There are groomsmen and bridesmaids and the bridesmaids get to wear those “once in a life time” dresses.  And the men get to wear tuxedoes.

  And in many weddings there are boys and girls.  What do the boys get to do in some weddings?  They get to carry the rings.  And what do the girls do?  They carry the flowers.

  A wedding needs someone to arrange pretty flowers; someone to fix and cater the food; music for dancing and much more.  And there is one more very important wedding job:  The photographer.  Someone to take pictures of the wedding. 

  Can you imagine a photographer at a wedding taking all of the pictures at the wedding and when the wedding is over, going back to print the pictures.  And he discovers that the memory card in his camera was not formatted and so he has no pictures of the wedding.  How do you think that bride would feel when the photographer tells her that there are no pictures?  She would be angry and hurt.  She would say, “Why did you not check your camera?  Why did you not have a backup camera?  Why weren’t you prepared?”  The photographer would be quite embarrassed

  How would you like to be the photographer who did not provide the wedding pictures?  It would be a horrible feeling and a feeling of failure.

  Jesus told a story about some bridesmaid who had a special job at a wedding.  At a certain time in the evening when the groom would come, they were supposed to be there to greet the groom, and this was just as important as the photographs of a wedding in our time.

  But some of the bridesmaid did not get enough oils in their lamps and so it was dark, and they could not provide light for when the groom came.  And they failed at their jobs.

  This was just a story that Jesus told.  And he told stories to teach lesson.  And the lesson of his story is this:  Be prepared!  Be prepared is a scout motto, right, because being prepared is very important in life.

  How do you prepare if you know it is going to be raining?  How do you prepare if you know that it is going to be cold?  How do you prepare if you know that you have to take a very difficult test in school?  How do you prepare for a soccer game?

  How do you prepare for meeting the most important person in the world?

  The story of Jesus tells us that we need to be prepared to meet God, who is the most important of all.  And how do we prepare?  We practice what God wants us to do?  And what does God want us to do?  To love with all our hearts and to love our neighbors.  If we practice these two things, then we will be prepared to meet God; we will be ready to meet God.

  Remember the message today.  Be prepared! Why because we want to give our very best to God.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November 7, 2020: The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Give Me Oil in My Lamp, The Butterfly Song, Alleluia, Awesome God

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 Me Oil in My Lamp (Christian Children’s Songbook,   # 53)

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.  Give me oil in my lamp I pray.  Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, keep me burning ‘til the break of day.  

Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings.  Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the king.

Give me joy in my heart, keep me shining.  Give me joy in my heart, I pray.  Give me joy in my heart keep me shining.  Keep me shining ‘til the break of day.  Refrain

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he 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 Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.  One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, And one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 78

We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

 He gave his decrees to Jacob and established a law for Israel, * which he commanded them to teach their children;

 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; * that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, `Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, `No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, `Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

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:  The Butterfly Song  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  If I were a robin in the tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  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. 

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave me Jesus and you made me your child and I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  If I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  If I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

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

(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 can we 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 Song: Alleluia, (Renew! # 136)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

He’s my Savior, alleluia….

He is worthy, alleluia….

I will praise him, alleluia…

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: Awesome God, (Renew! # 245)

 Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God.      (Sing three times)

Dismissal   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Stewardship as Wise Preparation

23 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 27,  November 12, 2017
Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16   Psalm 78
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13
Lectionary Link

The parable about the five wise bridesmaid and the five foolish bridesmaids made me think about Eliza Doolittle's song in "My Fair Lady:"
I'm getting married in the morning!
Ding dong! The bells are gonna chime.
Pull out the stopper!
Let's have a whopper!
But get me to the church on time!

The foolish bridesmaids of the parable did not stock up on enough oil for their lamps and when the great procession of the groom arrived they did not have enough oil and so they had to leave to purchase oil and they missed the ceremony.  And to add insult to injury, when they came back to the wedding feast, they were locked out.

Can you imagine the Episcopal Church locking the doors of the church after the liturgy has begun?  Our attendance usually triples after the processional hymn, so if the doors were locked, what would our attendance be?

I think this parable of Jesus is about the basic actuarial wisdom which is expressed in the motto of the Boy Scouts, "Be prepared."

Wisdom is about being prepared.  And the entire Bible might be about the Wisdom of being prepared to welcome God into our lives.

Mimi:  Father Phil, could I interrupt for a second and ask some questions?

Father Phil:  Sure, we always welcome hecklers from the pew.  What questions do you have?

Mimi:  If wisdom involves being prepared, what do you think we are supposed to be prepared for?

Father Phil:  I think we need to be prepared for the serendipity of good things happening to us.  But we also need to be prepared for Murphy's Law events; we need to be prepared for what can go wrong.  But what do you have in mind?

Mimi: What is the "hidden" meaning of the what the bridesmaids were supposed to be preparing for? Five were thrilled and five were very disappointed.

Father Phil:  It could be that the early Christians believed that the goal of life was union with the Risen Christ.  A metaphor for the mystical union with Christ was the wedding event.  Since not everyone came to accept the Risen Christ, some were prepared and some were not.  Some were locked out of knowing this mystical union with the Risen Christ.

Mimi: Why do you think they were locked out?

Father Phil:  Probably because of their preconceived notions about who could or could not be the Messiah.  Also some thought that God could only really be known by those who observed the ritual purities that they knew in their religious tradition.  The parable shows that we can be blinded by even good things in our own traditions and we can prevent ourselves from receiving something new and wonderful, even the mystical union with the Risen Christ.

Mimi: Do you think that we at St. John's are living a life of being prepared for an enhanced experience of the Risen Christ?

Father Phil:  Well, what do you mean?  Sounds like you have an agenda?

Mimi:  Well, I am the chairperson for the Stewardship Committee, so I have some very practical concerns about our parish being prepared.

Father Phil:  Prepared for what?

Mimi: Prepared for finishing this year solvent.  Prepared to enter 2018 with enough commitment to find and fulfill our parish mission.  I want to make sure that we have purchased enough oil for our lamps to be ready.  Do you think we're ready?

Father Phil:  Well, you know it is said that there are lies, damnable lies, and then there are statistics.  But statistics can be for us revealing truth about our state of preparedness.

Mimi: What do you mean?

Father Phil:  Our attendance, like the attendance of most mainline churches has been declining.  We have about the same number of people on our roles but our average attendance has gone down.

Mimi:  Why do you think that is?

Father Phil:  It probably involves lots of things.   People are very busy with work and so their time off becomes more important.  Our culture used to have fewer things to compete with Sunday attendance but now most all youth sports have Sunday games.  And people with financial means have the ability to afford to travel and do other things.  What do you think?

Mimi:  Well, I'm worried that if we neglect something that we like and take it for granted, we might just wake up some day and find it gone because of lack of interest and support.

Father Phil:  That is true, but as the parable teaches, some were wise and prepared and some were foolish and unprepared.  And the message of the church is to be prepared, mainly for one's relationship with God in Christ.  And no matter what kind of statistical success that we have or don't have we have to be faithful in being prepared.  We cannot fall asleep on the job.  So what is the stewardship committee doing to help us in preparation?

Mimi:  Well, we just cannot highlight the negative statistics; we have to accentuate the positive.

Father Phil: Like what?

Mimi:  Like our very active prayer chain.  We have core group of people who faithfully pray for the special needs and concerns of our members.

Father Phil: It is a great ministry;  I would call them Ministers of the Interior.  You don't see them but you know they're at work.  And what about music?

Mimi: Ginny leads three choirs and they are faithful in practice and their offerings to our liturgies.  It takes a commitment to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.   We also have a wonderful preschool for our community.  Like the church it has up years and down years but it is good stewardship to make use of our campus five days a week and fill the playground with young children.

Father Phil: In what other ways are we being wise in our preparation?

Mimi:  There is Simply Divine.  For many years they have expanded our craft ministries and they have raised significant funds to be used in the support of our parish.

Father Phil:  And what about the taken for granted ministries?

Mimi: What do you mean?

Father Phil:  I mean like the altar guild, the flower guild, the parish life guild of people who provide refreshments and clean up.  There are people who do Outreach work.  I mean the people who fix broken faucets and trim trees and maintain the property.  There are real significant people who regularly do all of these things.  And they are important.  Even when attendance is down, there remains significant ministries that are being fulfilled.  But being prepared means that after we take inventory of what is good, we also look at areas where we need to improve, especially if we want to survive into the future.  What about our youth?  We say that the young are our future, but if they are going to be our future, they also have to be our present.

Mimi:  We need improvement in the opportunities of learning and fellowship for our youth.  We have great Youth Sundays, we have wonderful young liturgists and we have youth in our handbell choir.  But we need inspiration and support in attracting youth to be coming to faith development together in our parish.  And if there is competition for adults to be active in church and Christian education, there is also competition for youth.

Father Phil:  It is hard to discover the mystery of the youth biorhythms and to develop the kind of peer experience that invites and attracts participation.  Youth need to know that someone is interested in them and their social and spiritual development.

Mimi:  It can sometimes be discouraging to be a "small" parish, particularly if we are lacking critical mass in an area that is important to us and to our family at crucial ages of our children.

Father Phil:  On the other hand, as small as we are, and when we have lacked youth programs, I can say that I am quite proud of the youth who have gone on from St. John's parish.  And I think that it is because no matter how good youth programs are or teachers or pastors are, parents are and have been the main ministers in the lives of their children.  And we need to support this crucial ministry role that parents have in their lives of their children.

Mimi: So, we can always be working at being prepared.  That this will be our stewardship mission for this fall and next year.

Father Phil:  We also need to remember the most important teaching of the parable of Jesus.

Mimi:  What is that?

Father Phil:  The most important thing is the mystical union of each person with the Risen Christ.  Missing out on that is what is truly sad.  In fact, a couple can have a very wonderful marriage ceremony, but a terrible marriage.  And we need to remember that the purpose of all church programs and our liturgy is to assist in in our mystical union with Christ, a union that is offer to us all, no matter our age or circumstances.  And I have witnessed the effects of people at St. John's who know this mystical union with Christ, even a pleasant heckler like yourself.

Mimi:  Well, look out, because Stewardship season is here and St. John's wants and needs everyone to find their ministry as we prepare for 2018.

Father Phil:  Thank you Mimi, and thank you Jesus Christ who invites us all again into this wonderful mystical union.  Amen.

Sunday School, November 12, 2017 23 Pentecost, A proper 27

Sunday School, November 12, 2017    23 Pentecost, A proper 27

Theme:

Wisdom means being prepared.

What is motto of the Boy Scouts?

Be Prepared

What do we prepare for?  We try to prepare to make the best response for all things that can happen to us in life.  We prepare for emergencies.  We also prepare for good things in life, like for graduation, for learning skills, sports, dancing and we prepare for the work and jobs that we will do in our lives.

Jesus told a parable about being prepared.  Jesus used stories to teach lessons.

He told a story about five wise bridesmaids who were prepared and five foolish bridesmaids who were not prepared.

In the time of Jesus bridesmaids had an important role at weddings;  they had the important role when the groom made a parade to get his bride and bring her back to the wedding feast.  And the bridesmaid had to be ready to greet the wedding party.even if it was late at night.

The five wise bridesmaid had enough oil for their lamps to be ready to give light for the parade of the groom.  The five foolish bridesmaids did not have enough oil and so when the wedding parade arrived, they could not help light the parade.  They were locked out of the wedding.

What is the message of Jesus that is hidden in the story?

We need to be prepared.  For what?  For the wedding of our souls with God.  A wedding is the beginning of a special friendship between two people.  Jesus used the wedding to teach us about the special friendship that we can have in our lives.  And we need to be prepared for this friendship with God.  And if we are lazy and not prepared we will miss out on a wonderful relationship with God that has been shown to us by Jesus Christ.

We come to church and learn so that we can be prepared for our wonderful relationship, for our wedding with God as a special companion and friend.

Sermon:

Have any of you ever been to a wedding?

  A wedding is a very happy time when two people get married.  It is a great celebration and a great celebration needs lots of people to do things that make the celebration special.

  Besides the people getting married who else is at the wedding?  A priest or pastor, or judge.  There are groomsmen and bridesmaids and the bridesmaids get to wear those “once in a life time” dresses.  And the men get to wear tuxedoes.

  And in many weddings there are boys and girls.  What do the boys get to do in some weddings?  They get to carry the rings.  And what do the girls do?  They carry the flowers.

  A wedding needs someone to arrange pretty flowers; someone to fix and cater the food; music for dancing and much more.  And there is one more very important wedding job:  The photographer.  Someone to take pictures of the wedding. 

  Can you imagine a photographer at a wedding taking all of the pictures at the wedding and when the wedding is over, going back to print the pictures.  And he discovers that the memory card in his camera was not formatted and so he has no pictures of the wedding.  How do you think that bride would feel when the photographer tells her that there are no pictures?  She would be angry and hurt.  She would say, “Why did you not check your camera?  Why did you not have a backup camera?  Why weren’t you prepared?”  The photographer would be quite embarrassed

  How would you like to be the photographer who did not provide the wedding pictures?  It would be a horrible feeling and a feeling of failure.

  Jesus told a story about some bridesmaid who had a special job at a wedding.  At a certain time in the evening when the groom would come, they were supposed to be there to greet the groom, and this was just as important as the photographs of a wedding in our time.

  But some of the bridesmaid did not get enough oils in their lamps and so it was dark, and they could not provide light for when the groom came.  And they failed at their jobs.

  This was just a story that Jesus told.  And he told stories to teach lesson.  And the lesson of his story is this:  Be prepared!  Be prepared is a scout motto, right, because being prepared is very important in life.

  How do you prepare if you know it is going to be raining?  How do you prepare if you know that it is going to be cold?  How do you prepare if you know that you have to take a very difficult test in school?  How do you prepare for a soccer game?

  How do you prepare for meeting the most important person in the world?

  The story of Jesus tells us that we need to be prepared to meet God, who is the most important of all.  And how do we prepare?  We practice what God wants us to do?  And what does God want us to do?  To love with all our hearts and to love our neighbors.  If we practice these two things, then we will be prepared to meet God; we will be ready to meet God.

  Remember the message today.  Be prepared! Why because we want to give our very best to God.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November12, 2017: The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Give Me Oil in My Lamp, The Butterfly Song, Alleluia, Awesome God

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 Me Oil in My Lamp (Christian Children’s Songbook,   # 53)

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.  Give me oil in my lamp I pray.  Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, keep me burning ‘til the break of day.  

Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings.  Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the king.

Give me joy in my heart, keep me shining.  Give me joy in my heart, I pray.  Give me joy in my heart keep me shining.  Keep me shining ‘til the break of day.  Refrain

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he 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 Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.  One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, And one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 78

We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

 He gave his decrees to Jacob and established a law for Israel, * which he commanded them to teach their children;

 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; * that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, `Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, `No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, `Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

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:  The Butterfly Song  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  If I were a robin in the tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  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. 

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave me Jesus and you made me your child and I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  If I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  If I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

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

(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 can we 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 Song: Alleluia, (Renew! # 136)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

He’s my Savior, alleluia….

He is worthy, alleluia….

I will praise him, alleluia…

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: Awesome God, (Renew! # 245)

 Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God.      (Sing three times)

Dismissal   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

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