The True Miracle? Knowing Togetherness

4 Pentecost Cycle B Proper 7 June 23, 2024
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 Psalm 9:9-20
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41

Lectionary Link

Let's be unrealistic for awhile and wish for the following miracles: no one get sick ever, no one ever die, thunder and lighting are perfectly timed with all human interaction so as to be but nature's firework show without ever striking a human or without ever emptying rain to flood, and no people ever go to war with each other.  In short, what about the miracle of perfect harmony among everything and everyone that exists?


If miracles were the norm, then they would not exist because the state of the non-miraculous would not exist.

So, getting real about life means that what is fortune, what is miraculous, and what is good and perfect, exists because in our experience we've come to know that all intermix with what is known as bad luck,  bad, evil, and imperfect.

Since we have known so much pain, deprivation, evil, war, discord, accidents, and the experience of the death of our favorite people, and other people, and of pets and other animals, the contrast of what is unfortunate has arisen within the field of what can probably happen.

What is the field of probability otherwise called?  The field of true freedom for probable outcomes.

The Bible is a book of insight from people who believed that God is compatible with the field of free probabilities of what can happen in this life.  God is so compatible with the way things are that God is the fullness of sustaining the continuous creative process which is always already going on.

What are some of the probably things that can happen?  Some of the worst things that can happen people, even taunting giants like Goliath who seem to challenge one's right to have continuing life.  Such giants may be the leaders of nations and people who want to threaten the lives of peoples of other nations.  In the many conflicts which arise among people, sometimes a miracle is but a statistic, meaning a miracle is when a highly improbable good outcome occurs.

When the forces of Israel were being threatened by the Philistines, their generals did not have this as their military strategy:  "Okay, let's recruit a young shepherd from Bethlehem who is good with a sling shot.  Let's have him encounter alone the great tall warrior Goliath.  If he is able to hit Goliath with a stone in the forehead and drop him to the ground, the Philistines will see this and run in fright."

David was the improbable and the unplanned battle strategy of the Israelite leadership.  He appeared and he ad libbed with his own suggested strategy.  David knew some things about himself that no one else knew.  Being a lonely shepherd defending his flock gave him experience.  He had trained himself to be accurate with a sling shot to fight off and even kill threatening beasts.  Only David knew that if he had killed a lion with a stone from his sling shot, he could also fell the giant Goliath.

Faith then often means that we need to know our own abilities and how to deploy them against circumstances which seem on the surface to be impossible to negotiate.

To have faith is to know how to live with both the probable and the improbable.  Faith is the overall art of living and life skill to live one's best given the specific probabilities which befall us and those with whom we live.

St. Paul made a list of all the hardships which had come to him and he confessed that his inspiration in surviving and thriving was to have the freedom of service.  Perhaps the supreme way to live with all that can probably happen is life is to have it on our survival resume so as to able serve others more effectively.  As mere mortals, the very best that we can do is to be serving mentors to help those who might fall prey to believing their lives are meaningless because of the severity of the hurts of life.

One was the chief requirements of life is living the best that we can with the probabilities of what can happen, not only because of human misbehavior, but because we have but human nature within Nature itself.

Nature experience is a full experience.  We can stand in awe at the pounding waves of the ocean with their powerful awesome beauty.  Our lives can be overwhelmed by the ocean waves of the tsunami which wipes out people and property without warning.  Rain can water our lawns and crops, it can flood us and drown us.  Lack of rain can harm us.  We live in all kinds of probable occurrence with events in Nature; some more predictable than others.  We have developed the scientific method as the best probability predictor so that we can prepare ourselves to face the various situations of Nature.

Nature has a particular imposing milestone for human nature, the milestone that we call Death.  So in a real sense how do we live with the perpetual sword of Damocles,  death, hanging over every moment of human existence?  Death seems to be the Goliath of life which cannot be defeated; it has no forehead that can be penetrated by the stone of some human skill of combat readiness.  With the supremacy of death, all we can do is to "bargain" for the most time possible.  "God give us and all at least a shelf life of 70, 80, 90 years and then in a comparative sense of life with each other, we can say that we've been fortunate."  All our bargaining for life expectancy does not work because death comes in varied and indiscriminate ways and times.

The parable of Jesus calming the sea is a faith parable of the early Christians.  If Christian faith meant that every time that we're in harm's way, Jesus would appear Abra Cadabra and fix us and save us from harm, then there would not be any successful people of Christian faith.  The faith life is not having Christ as a personal interventionist fixers.  If this were the case, then the disciples would have asked Jesus to intervene and not let the storm on the lake happen while they crossed it.  Can one appreciate how silly some people are when they talk about the selective miraculous interventions of Christ.  If Christ's only truly loves those who have known improbable interventions, what does that say about his concern for all who have not known any such improbable interventions.  Let us be very careful how we appropriate the faith meaning of the disciples encounter with the threatening nature situation.

The faith key for probability living is what I would call togetherness.  In birth, life, and in death, Christ is the good news of God being with us.  And as Paul found Christ to be with him in all that he experienced, Paul said, "It happened to me so that I could also be with you to help you in facing all that confronts you in your lives."

The Gospel for us today, is not about having interventionist miracles from all the threats of humanity and nature; the Gospel is knowing that the Risen Christ is with us in everything, to help us be with each other in the very best way to help each other handle what may arise in the best possible way, even if some of the probabilities are loss and death.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not exempt us from the spectra of probabilities; the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us the completeness and perfection of togetherness, together with God in Christ, and together with each other to face what probably will happen, because love means that we are never separate from everything.  Amen.

Sunday School, June 23, 2024 5 Pentecost B, Proper 7

  Sunday School, June 23, 2024     5 Pentecost B, Proper 7

Themes:

One has to choose Hebrew Scripture/Psalter selection

David and Goliath in the time of all   the battling super heroes might be popular with the youth even though the story itself might be PG-13 or even regarded to be violent if one tells the ending with the beheading of Goliath by David.

One could also use the loyal friendship theme between David and Jonathan even though the story includes Saul’s effort to kill David.

If one wants to match themes, one could go with God speaking out of the whirlwind to Job informing Job that he is really not as big as God to be able to understand how and why everything that happens to us in this world, so we have the necessity to have faith in one who is greater than us to handle all situations in life and in death.

The whirlwind theme of job could be coupled with the storm on the sea with Jesus sleeping in the boat while the disciples are terribly frightening.  Jesus reminded them to have faith because he was present with them and if he was calm enough to sleep during the windy storm, they could have faith in his presence even during a difficult times.

A possible fruitful line of instruction might be to present Storms as great events over which we have no control as to when they happen, how strong they are and when they will end.  Storms could be a metaphor for all of the big challenges in life that we have to face, like an exam in school and other things which come up in our life and even may surprise us.  The lesson that we can learn is that if we have this natural energy to fear, then we can have the energy of fear converted to faith, if we can trust that others are with us to help us as they represent the presents of Christ to us.  When we are tempted to fear, we are to take some deep breaths and say inside of ourselves, “Jesus, speak peace to my stormy heart.”  It is important to stop and remember Christ and remember to have faith instead of fear.

I think that we can find out in our lives that Christ is not sleeping and ignoring us; quite the opposite, we often are forgetting and ignoring Christ.  When we make the effort to awaken the presence of Christ in our hearts, then we have the chance to know the voice of Christ say within us, “Peace be Still.”

You can have your children mention times when they really needed to have peace in their hearts.

Sermon:

We read a story today about the friends of Jesus.  They were sailing with Jesus in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.  And suddenly a wind storm came up and caused some very big waves.  And where was Jesus?  He was sleeping in front of the boat.  And so they woke him up and said, “Don’t you care that we are in danger?”  And Jesus woke up and said to the wind and sea, “Peace be still.”  And the wind and the sea became quiet.  And Jesus asked them, “Why are you so fearful?”

  Jesus knew that his friends were fishermen.  They fished on this lake all of the time and they had gone through many storms.  So why were they more fearful now than other times?

  Well, they probably thought that nothing bad should ever happen to them if Jesus was with them.

  Sometimes we think that nothing bad should happen to us when our parents are with us.  And you know what?  Your parents never want anything bad to happen, but still some things can go wrong.  Why?  Because they believe in freedom.  Have you ever lost a game when your parents were watching?  Yes.  Now it would look silly if your parents tried to play on your team to help you win.  Have you ever fell down when you are playing and when your parents are watching?  Of course.  So we can have accidents even when our parents are watching.

  Have you ever gotten a B on your homework, even when your parents helped you to do your project for school?

  Should we quit playing baseball and soccer, just because we lose some games?  Should we quit playing on the playground, just because we fall down and skin our knee a few times?  No… If we quit, then we would let fear of bad luck control our lives and we would never try anything because of fear.

  Just because we have some bad things happen to us in life, it does not mean that God is not caring for us.  God does not want us to be afraid of life.  God wants us to keep on trying to do new and better things.

  So, when we fall, what do we do?  Yes, we cry when our knee hurts.  We get some love from our parents.  We get a band aid on our knee.  And we try to be careful.  But do we quit playing?  No.  We keep on playing and having fun.  Why?  Because we want to live in faith about the good things in life.  We don’t want to live in fear about the bad things and the hurt that can happen in life.

  Jesus tried to teach his disciples to live by faith instead of fear.  That is a good lesson for us to learn too.  Let us learn to live by faith today. Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

June 23, 2024: The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Only a Boy Named David, Peace Before Us, Precious Lord, When the Saints

Song: Only a Boy Named David (All the Best Songs for Kids # 112)

Only a boy named David, only a little sling.  Only a boy named David but he could pray and sing.  Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook.  Only a boy named David and five little stones he took.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  An-----------------------------------------d, Round and round and round and round and round and round and round.  And one little stone went up in the air; and the the giant came tumbling down.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  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.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: 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 First Book of Samuel

Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine, Goliah.  The giant said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"  But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's and he will give you into our hand."  When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 9

The LORD will be a refuge for the oppressed, * a refuge in time of trouble.

Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, * for you never forsake those who seek you, O LORD.

Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion; * proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.

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 Mark

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

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.

Song: Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise,  # 791)

Peace before us.  Peace behind us.  Peace under our feet.  Peace within us.  Peace over us.  Let all around us be Peace.

Love before us…  3. Light before us…..4. Christ before us.

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 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.

The Prayer continues with these words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Wonder, Love and Praise # 800)

Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; thought the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near, when my life is almost most gone; hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand, lest I fall, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the darkness appears and the night draws near, and the day is past and gone; at the river I stand, guide my feet, hold my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: When the Saints (Christian Children’s Songbook # 248)

1-O when the saints, go marching in.  O when the saints go marching in.  Lord I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in.

2-O when the girls go marching in….  3-O when the boys go marching in….

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

            .

Dealing with the Big Goliath of Life

4 Pentecost Cycle B Proper 7    June 20, 2021
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 Psalm 9:9-20
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41    

Lectionary Link

It is not surprising that the dominant book of a large portion of humanity, the Bible would provide the common cliches and metaphors for life.

What do we say when an obvious underdog is facing a formidable opponent?  We say it is David versus Goliath.  This is a cultural metaphor.

What do we say about the great trials in life which can come to anyone at almost anytime?  We call them the storms of life.  We want to be spared or saved from the storms of life.  And so the stories about Jesus as the storm whisperer have become faith metaphors for us.

One of the problems in the reading of the Bible is that it is a book that is often read only for individual and personal meaning.  We can forget that the Bible was written within communities and it was a continuous collaboration of writers within their communities in trying to bring spiritual insights to their people.  The Bible is to be read and interpreted collaboratively as a community which means there is not final interpretation of the Bible since the Bible will continue to be read within communities of people.

One of the reasons why biblical fundamentalism has happened is because individual readings of the Bible have become elevated as the rule of the community.  Readers who mistake poetry for science have caused misreadings of the Bible.  Readers who have made teaching stories and narratives into exact historical accounts have caused misreadings of the Bible.

What perhaps is the biggest issue of human life?  It is death.  How do we integrate encounter with death into our lives while we live?

The big Goliath of human living is Death.  That's the big elephant in the room.  It's the secret we try to keep from children as long as possible, but when a pet or someone close dies, they become aware of the phenomenon of death.

David, the prominent model for the Messiah, was threatened with death by Goliath.  The people of Israel were threatened with death by Goliath and the armies of the Philistines.  But David was the hero in the face of death, and he helped Israel deal with the enemies who threatened them with death.

What is the main feast day of all Christianity?  It is Easter.  It is resurrection day.  The resurrection is when God through Jesus Christ provided a new meaning for Death.  And what was the new meaning of death?  It was no longer an ending only; it was seen as a new beginning in a life beyond life.

The early church was built around resurrection as the supreme value.  It was a way of life of dealing with the reality of death.  The death of Jesus, God's Son on the cross was real and deeply felt by his friends.  The re-appearance of Christ after his death was so meaningfully real to his followers that an entire lifestyle was created.  What was this lifestyle?

It was the baptismal lifestyle.  In baptism one symbolic is immersed in the death of Christ in water;  and one comes up from the water to have that water of death calmed and neutralized in taking on an identity with the resurrection of Christ.

Let us appreciate how the stories of Jesus are parables of the teaching of the early church.  Jesus calming the storm on the sea is a metaphor for the Risen Christ calming the power of death exemplified in the threatening water and storm.

If this is a historical event of Jesus with the disciples, we would have some great moral inconsistencies.  Like why does a threatening storm only get calmed for Peter, James and John, and not for the millions throughout the ages who have died because of hurricanes, tornadoes and firestorms?  Is God only an interventionist for a few favored people?  Can one see how important it is for the integrity of God, to read these passages as theological teachings and not as private individual events.

The big teaching of the church is this: The Risen Christ is present and co-exists with everything else, including death, so don't live in fear or denial, live with faith and acceptance of what happens even as we accept that the Risen Christ is with us through everything.

Paul was so certain about the Risen Christ that he listed what he was able to tolerate because of his hope in the Risen Christ: "through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

Paul was saying, "I'm not going to lie to you about the great Goliath's in life which are anchored in our eventual deaths; but what I confess to you is that the Risen Christ is known and co-exists with all of these things, because the Risen Christ is a witness to life after life after life after life after life....

Let us accept the Gospel lesson today.  It is not a cute little story about the selective intervention of Jesus in a storm for Peter, James and John in a boat; no it is the teaching of the faith of the church in the Risen Christ who is with us always, in everything, and at our deaths and beyond.

We are not exempt from having to face our Goliaths in this life.  Let us have the faith of David and faith in the Risen Christ to live with hope within all that happens to us.  Amen.

Sunday School, June 20, 2021 4 Pentecost B, Proper 7

 Sunday School, June 20, 2021     4 Pentecost B, Proper 7

Themes:

One has to choose Hebrew Scripture/Psalter selection

David and Goliath in the time of all   the battling super heroes might be popular with the youth even though the story itself might be PG-13 or even regarded to be violent if one tells the ending with the beheading of Goliath by David.

One could also use the loyal friendship theme between David and Jonathan even though the story includes Saul’s effort to kill David.

If one wants to match themes, one could go with God speaking out of the whirlwind to Job informing Job that he is really not as big as God to be able to understand how and why everything that happens to us in this world, so we have the necessity to have faith in one who is greater than us to handle all situations in life and in death.

The whirlwind theme of job could be coupled with the storm on the sea with Jesus sleeping in the boat while the disciples are terribly frightening.  Jesus reminded them to have faith because he was present with them and if he was calm enough to sleep during the windy storm, they could have faith in his presence even during a difficult times.

A possible fruitful line of instruction might be to present Storms as great events over which we have no control as to when they happen, how strong they are and when they will end.  Storms could be a metaphor for all of the big challenges in life that we have to face, like an exam in school and other things which come up in our life and even may surprise us.  The lesson that we can learn is that if we have this natural energy to fear, then we can have the energy of fear converted to faith, if we can trust that others are with us to help us as they represent the presents of Christ to us.  When we are tempted to fear, we are to take some deep breaths and say inside of ourselves, “Jesus, speak peace to my stormy heart.”  It is important to stop and remember Christ and remember to have faith instead of fear.

I think that we can find out in our lives that Christ is not sleeping and ignoring us; quite the opposite, we often are forgetting and ignoring Christ.  When we make the effort to awaken the presence of Christ in our hearts, then we have the chance to know the voice of Christ say within us, “Peace be Still.”

You can have your children mention times when they really needed to have peace in their hearts.

Sermon:

We read a story today about the friends of Jesus.  They were sailing with Jesus in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.  And suddenly a wind storm came up and caused some very big waves.  And where was Jesus?  He was sleeping in front of the boat.  And so they woke him up and said, “Don’t you care that we are in danger?”  And Jesus woke up and said to the wind and sea, “Peace be still.”  And the wind and the sea became quiet.  And Jesus asked them, “Why are you so fearful?”

  Jesus knew that his friends were fishermen.  They fished on this lake all of the time and they had gone through many storms.  So why were they more fearful now than other times?

  Well, they probably thought that nothing bad should ever happen to them if Jesus was with them.

  Sometimes we think that nothing bad should happen to us when our parents are with us.  And you know what?  Your parents never want anything bad to happen, but still some things can go wrong.  Why?  Because they believe in freedom.  Have you ever lost a game when your parents were watching?  Yes.  Now it would look silly if your parents tried to play on your team to help you win.  Have you ever fell down when you are playing and when your parents are watching?  Of course.  So we can have accidents even when our parents are watching.

  Have you ever gotten a B on your homework, even when your parents helped you to do your project for school?

  Should we quit playing baseball and soccer, just because we lose some games?  Should we quit playing on the playground, just because we fall down and skin our knee a few times?  No… If we quit, then we would let fear of bad luck control our lives and we would never try anything because of fear.

  Just because we have some bad things happen to us in life, it does not mean that God is not caring for us.  God does not want us to be afraid of life.  God wants us to keep on trying to do new and better things.

  So, when we fall, what do we do?  Yes, we cry when our knee hurts.  We get some love from our parents.  We get a band aid on our knee.  And we try to be careful.  But do we quit playing?  No.  We keep on playing and having fun.  Why?  Because we want to live in faith about the good things in life.  We don’t want to live in fear about the bad things and the hurt that can happen in life.

  Jesus tried to teach his disciples to live by faith instead of fear.  That is a good lesson for us to learn too.  Let us learn to live by faith today. Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

June 20, 2021: The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Only a Boy Named David, Peace Before Us, Precious Lord, When the Saints

Song: Only a Boy Named David (All the Best Songs for Kids # 112)

Only a boy named David, only a little sling.  Only a boy named David but he could pray and sing.  Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook.  Only a boy named David and five little stones he took.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  An-----------------------------------------d, Round and round and round and round and round and round and round.  And one little stone went up in the air; and the the giant came tumbling down.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  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.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: 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 First Book of Samuel

Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine, Goliah.  The giant said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"  But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's and he will give you into our hand."  When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 9

The LORD will be a refuge for the oppressed, * a refuge in time of trouble.

Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, * for you never forsake those who seek you, O LORD.

Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion; * proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.

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 Mark

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

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.

Song: Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise,  # 791)

Peace before us.  Peace behind us.  Peace under our feet.  Peace within us.  Peace over us.  Let all around us be Peace.

Love before us…  3. Light before us…..4. Christ before us.

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 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.

The Prayer continues with these words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Wonder, Love and Praise # 800)

Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; thought the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near, when my life is almost most gone; hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand, lest I fall, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the darkness appears and the night draws near, and the day is past and gone; at the river I stand, guide my feet, hold my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: When the Saints (Christian Children’s Songbook # 248)

1-O when the saints, go marching in.  O when the saints go marching in.  Lord I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in.

2-O when the girls go marching in….  3-O when the boys go marching in….

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

            .