Sunday School, September 8, 2024 16 Pentecost, B proper 18

 Sunday School, September 8, 2024     16 Pentecost, B proper 18

Themes

The writers of the Bible often wrote that God is interested in the health of all people.  God is interested in physical health of people.  God desires for people to be healed from their diseases.

God desires people to have enough food, clothing and shelter to be healthy.

So if God desires health and for people to have enough, how is this health going to happen?

In the past, people were afraid for sickness and disease.  People worried about infectious diseases.  Sometimes people who were sick were declared to unclean and so they had to be isolated from other people.

Jesus came to show and prove that God is interested in the health of everyone.

Jesus showed that being God’s chosen people did not just belong to the Jews, it belonged to anyone who has faith. 

Jesus healed the spirit of the young girl.  The girl’s mother had great faith even though she was not a Jew like Jesus and the disciples.  Jesus honored her faith and her daughter was healed.  Jesus had such love and kindness that he could calm the heart of a very troubled young girl.

Jesus also healed a man who could not hear or speak well.  Often the healing stories of Jesus were used as riddles to show how when we can hear the good news about God love, then our hearing is healed.  And when we share the good news of God’s love our tongues can speak well because when we learn how to use our tongues properly, then our tongues are healed.

The writer of the letter of James wrote about how it is not enough to say that we have faith in God; we also have to show that we have faith by doing what God wants.  And God cares for the needy and the sick.  So we need to show how we have faith in God who cares for the needy by being the people to do what God wants in helping those in need.  In this way we show that we have faith by what we do and say in our lives.

Homily

  Can a person say something without speaking?

  Can a person say something with his or her body without saying one word?

  Can you read the body language of a person?

  Let’s see if you can read body language?

  Happy….sad….surprised….Angry…

So our body is always talking, even when we don’t say a word.  Your body is talking right now.

  Where are you right now?  You’re in church.  You’re not in bed.  You’re not at the lake.  You’re not at the football game.  And that tells me something.  It tells me that you want to honor God by coming to worship God and obeying the command of Christ to receive communion together.

  What if I say that I love God and my neighbor and I steal something from you.  Or I hit you.

  What if I say I love God but I never pray or go to church.  What is wrong with that?  It means that my body language is saying something different than my words.

  The writer of the epistle of James said:  Be doers of the word of God and not hearer only.

  You hear many things that your parents and your teachers tell.  They want you to learn many good things.  Sometimes it is easy to be lazy and not do those good things.  And so it is easy to hear words about the good things that we are supposed to do, but it is sometimes harder to actually do them.

  But your parents and teacher would not be nice if they were asking you to do impossible things, would they.  Do your parents ever ask you to do impossible things?

  God does not ask us to do impossible things;  God only asks us to do things that we can do.

  Jesus asked us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

  What can you and I do that shows that we love God and our neighbors?  How can we let our body talk?

  So let us remember that it is very important to do God’s word, and not just hear it. 

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 8, 2024: The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs:  If You’re Happy; Alleluia, Give Thanks to the Risen Lord; Alleluia; I’ve Got Peace Like a River, May the Lord

Song: If You’re Happy  (Christian Children Songbook  # 124)

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If your happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.

If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it.  If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.

If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it shout, Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!

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

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 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 letter of James

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 146

Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God;

Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever;

Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger.

The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.

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.

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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: Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks, Hymn # 178, in the Blue Hymnal

Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the Risen Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to his Name.

1.Jesus is Lord of all the earth.  He is the King of creation.  Refrain

2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. Refrain

3. We have been crucified with Christ.  Now we shall live forever. Refrain

4. Come, let us praise the living God, joyfully sing to our Savior. 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 birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

Children may gather around the altar

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.  Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion 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: May the Lord (Sung to the tune of Eidelweiss)

May the Lord, Mighty God, Bless and keep you forever, Grant you peace, perfect peace, Courage in every endeavor.  Lift up your eyes and seek His face, Trust His grace forever.  May the Lord, Mighty God Bless and keep you for ever.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Having Favorites Without Favortism

15 Pentecost P.18 September 5, 2021
Is. 35: 4-7,  Ps. 146
James 1:17-27 Mark 7:31-37
Lectionary Link

Performing good works through faith is one of the messages of the Epistle of James, a book that was not fully appreciated by Martin Luther because he thought that it contradicted St. Paul's emphasis: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast."

One of the weaknesses of Martin Luther and many people who call themselves evangelical is that they are "too much pro-eternal life, and not enough pro-this life."  If one is willing to accept grace to get into heaven, then one should also accept grace to get one's act together here and now and do what is good.

I believe that our readings today encourage to have the kind of faith which knows how to distinguish between having favorites and being slaves to favoritism.

It is impossible to live and not have favorites.  How can your home team not be your favorite?  To live and be located in environments with familiar people, places and life activities means that one has personal affinities.  

You might like chocolate ice cream better than strawberry or vice versa.  You might like rap music better than classical music or vice versa.  We cannot help but have personal affinities in our lives.  We have favorites.   And even mom and dad might strategically use the trope of favoritism.  "Phil, you are my favorite child."  And what does that mean?  It means that in the very moment that I was alone with them, I was their favorite in that moment.

It is a mystery of how we come to have favorite, except to say that our favorites in some way pleasure us, make us feel good, and provide us with some satisfying identity.  Your favorite team may always lose, but still one gets some sort of special identity even from a losing team.

How is favoritism deconstructed?  I think favoritism is deconstructed by tapping into God's favoritism.  God's deconstructs favoritism by saying "I love and favor all of you equally, because each of you is a different child made in the divine image."

This sense of being God's favorite is what true esteem is built upon.  If we can know such esteem from God, then we won't be so hurt or elated by the fickle favoritism of other people toward us.

How do we abuse the favoritism of God?  By assuming that God favors me more than God favors you or other people, especially those who live in a different country, or who look completely different than I do.

One might say that Jesus appeared in this world to correct some abuse of the "most favored status" that many Jewish people thought that they had.

God loves us more than God loves Gentiles and we have all of this history in our beloved sacred writings to prove it.

By assuming God's special favoritism toward us, we feel justified to practice segregation from other people who obviously don't have the same favor of God.  And what happens in religious communities?  They become segregated communities which highlight their different identities rather than their common humanity which is about bearing the image of God.

In our practice of favoritism we betray the image of God which resides equally upon all people.

How do we remain loyal to the gifts of God which make us good and at the same time recognized and appreciate that God works in different ways and shares different gifts with other people which fit into their life circumstances?

We have some hints on how not to be be slaves to our personal affinities from our readings from today's appointed Scriptures.

First, we need to go out of our way to people people who are different from us.  As people we can get very clannish and clubbish and not socialize outside our immediate circle, both out of pride and out of fear.

Jesus went outside of his familiar territory with his disciples to encounter a foreigner, the woman from Tyre who had a sick daughter.

Let us go out of our comfort zones to meet people who are different than us.

Next is to highlight things which are common to humanity.  What do we all like?  We all are in favor of good health.  What do we hate?  We all hate illness  and sickness, and especially the sickness of one's child.  Sometimes disasters bring people together who normally stay separated, because a big need requires greater unified actions.   But we shouldn't just need disasters to bring us together; healthy things like general blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should also bring us together.

Jesus employed a challenge to the common prejudice to highlight that faith is the way to overcome favoritism and prejudice.  The foreign woman said, "Jesus, make my daughter well. "  Jesus replies, "But what about the common bias of separation regarding things being exclusively for Jews and foreigners having their own special practice."  The woman replies, "Okay but even the crumbs of blessing are better than no blessing at all.  Throw me a crumb Jesus; my daughter's health is more important than separation between our ethnic groups."

And Jesus said, "Bingo, your faith has made it happen."  And this rhetorical device is a teaching for the church in the Gospels.  The health and blessing of God belongs to all and to have faith is to receive it and to share it.

The writer of James exposes the sheer silliness of dividing faith and works.  If someone is hungry do serve them a sandwich of faith or a drink of faith or do you actual give them a sandwich which is your active faith and a cup of water which is your active faith?  I will pray that you have faith to deal with your poverty...bye, bye.  That is the hypocrisy of dividing faith from works.

We overcome our favoritism by not dividing faith from the work of faith; by keeping them intricately connected.

So, let us enjoy our favorite things today, even our favorite people, but let not our favorite things or people make us believe that our favorites are God's exclusive favorites.  For us, let our faith mean the growing of our hearts toward the largesse of God's love so that the love does not stay inside of us but mobilizes our actions of care and love for others.  This is Gospel faith of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 5, 2021 15 Pentecost, B proper 18

Sunday School, September 5, 2021     15 Pentecost, B proper 18

Themes

The writers of the Bible often wrote that God is interested in the health of all people.  God is interested in physical health of people.  God desires for people to be healed from their diseases.

God desires people to have enough food, clothing and shelter to be healthy.

So if God desires health and for people to have enough, how is this health going to happen?

In the past, people were afraid for sickness and disease.  People worried about infectious diseases.  Sometimes people who were sick were declared to unclean and so they had to be isolated from other people.

Jesus came to show and prove that God is interested in the health of everyone.

Jesus showed that being God’s chosen people did not just belong to the Jews, it belonged to anyone who has faith. 

Jesus healed the spirit of the young girl.  The girl’s mother had great faith even though she was not a Jew like Jesus and the disciples.  Jesus honored her faith and her daughter was healed.  Jesus had such love and kindness that he could calm the heart of a very troubled young girl.

Jesus also healed a man who could not hear or speak well.  Often the healing stories of Jesus were used as riddles to show how when we can hear the good news about God love, then our hearing is healed.  And when we share the good news of God’s love our tongues can speak well because when we learn how to use our tongues properly, then our tongues are healed.

The writer of the letter of James wrote about how it is not enough to say that we have faith in God; we also have to show that we have faith by doing what God wants.  And God cares for the needy and the sick.  So we need to show how we have faith in God who cares for the needy by being the people to do what God wants in helping those in need.  In this way we show that we have faith by what we do and say in our lives.

Homily

  Can a person say something without speaking?

  Can a person say something with his or her body without saying one word?

  Can you read the body language of a person?

  Let’s see if you can read body language?

  Happy….sad….surprised….Angry…

So our body is always talking, even when we don’t say a word.  Your body is talking right now.

  Where are you right now?  You’re in church.  You’re not in bed.  You’re not at the lake.  You’re not at the football game.  And that tells me something.  It tells me that you want to honor God by coming to worship God and obeying the command of Christ to receive communion together.

  What if I say that I love God and my neighbor and I steal something from you.  Or I hit you.

  What if I say I love God but I never pray or go to church.  What is wrong with that?  It means that my body language is saying something different than my words.

  The writer of the epistle of James said:  Be doers of the word of God and not hearer only.

  You hear many things that your parents and your teachers tell.  They want you to learn many good things.  Sometimes it is easy to be lazy and not do those good things.  And so it is easy to hear words about the good things that we are supposed to do, but it is sometimes harder to actually do them.

  But your parents and teacher would not be nice if they were asking you to do impossible things, would they.  Do your parents ever ask you to do impossible things?

  God does not ask us to do impossible things;  God only asks us to do things that we can do.

  Jesus asked us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

  What can you and I do that shows that we love God and our neighbors?  How can we let our body talk?

  So let us remember that it is very important to do God’s word, and not just hear it. 

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 5, 2021: The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs:  If You’re Happy; Alleluia, Give Thanks to the Risen Lord; Alleluia; I’ve Got Peace Like a River, May the Lord

Song: If You’re Happy  (Christian Children Songbook  # 124)

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If your happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.

If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it.  If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.

If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it shout, Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!

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

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 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 letter of James

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 146

Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God;

Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever;

Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger.

The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.

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.

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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: Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks, Hymn # 178, in the Blue Hymnal

Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the Risen Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to his Name.

1.Jesus is Lord of all the earth.  He is the King of creation.  Refrain

2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. Refrain

3. We have been crucified with Christ.  Now we shall live forever. Refrain

4. Come, let us praise the living God, joyfully sing to our Savior. 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 birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

Children may gather around the altar

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.  Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion 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: May the Lord (Sung to the tune of Eidelweiss)

May the Lord, Mighty God, Bless and keep you forever, Grant you peace, perfect peace, Courage in every endeavor.  Lift up your eyes and seek His face, Trust His grace forever.  May the Lord, Mighty God Bless and keep you for ever.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!