Best Practices for Healthy Communities

19 Pentecost Cycle B Proper 21 September 29, 2024
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 Psalm 124
James 4:7-12 Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48

Lectionary Link

Holy Scriptures were generated within communities and for communities and within them are contained in various methods of conveyance, recommendations for best community practices.  In the diverse readings which we are presented on each Sunday from the lectionary, one can find a diverse mosaic of good community practices which have derived from the experiences of the people who generated the biblical texts.  We have a range of these good practices found in our readings for today.

The book of Esther implies the wonderful deliverance by God for a people in exile without mention of the name of God in the entire story, yet the Esther story resulted in the establishment of the Purim feast.  And how is the Purim feast observed?  By two days of thanksgiving for timely rescue from serious harm with the practice of sharing gifts of food with each other, but also with presents for the poor.  Purim as a feast of thanksgiving for wonderful rescue involves giving presents to the poor, for their timely rescue.  Celebrating thanksgiving for having been helped by helping the poor is the recommended best practice of enlightened community living.

And if the book of Esther does not mention the name of God, certainly the Psalmist does.  The Psalms often are songs of confession and thanksgiving for having escaped harm in the wonderful event of being rescued from dire straits.  Beyond attributing rescue and salvation to people and events that we can see, there is also a grander "whyness" to salvation events.  Something much greater was working in the events of our rescue, indeed it had to be an event of grace that has come from the loving and strong hands of the one who resides over all probabilities.  Phew!  We've been saved and we dare not commit the pride of saying that we deserved it or that we effected it completely on our own.  The community of the Psalmist believed that liturgy exists to express our humble reality in face of greater forces which are always at work, and when we experience the event of grace, we give credit to where it is due.  It is good community practice to celebrate the greatness of God.

What is another good community practice?  It is to practice the community psychology of health.  The community of the writer of James practiced rituals of healing.  The rites of the Prayer for Sick are not for guaranteeing the immediate physical cure of anyone; rather, that we have rites of the Prayer for Sick are already evidence of the healthy loving community practicing care for each other.  Along with the anointing oils and prayers for the sick, goes the support practices, like in our time, taking care of children, fixing meals for the sick and their families, and providing all of the things that cannot be done by the person who is sick.  Health is more than an instant cure; health is a person within loving relationship within a community.  Community health practice is a very significant placebo; we not sure how and why it works, it just does.  At one time when I worked as an orderly at a VA hospital, I noted on a regular basis that the patients who had caring, visiting, and praying family and friends, had shorter hospital stays than the patients who had no community at all.  Community health practices are recommended behaviors for good community.

The community of the writer of James also believed that it was important to reconcile community members who had alienated themselves from the community by violating the important values of the community.  The message:  Don't give up on anyone.  Continue to believe the reconciling love of Christ to be winsome in their restoration to the fellowship.

The writer of the Gospel of Mark had some good community advice as he channeled them through the witness of words of Jesus, the Risen Christ leader of the Movement.  A good piece of advice: Don't make goodness into a presumed petty possession of your religious or political group or party.  Goodness is goodness.  If a person becomes healthy at a hospital different from the one you work at, be thankful and rejoice.  Don't be jealous when realizing that none of us has exclusive copyright on goodness.  Rejoice in goodness, health, and salvation however it may happen.  And don't overestimate one's own importance in the gift of goodness which is always available to everyone.

Another good community practice is also presented in our reading from Mark's Gospel.  Stated bluntly, "Don't be hypocrites!"  Why do many say they don't go to church?  Because the church people they have known are hypocrites.  If members of the community drive people away because of their offensive behaviors they contradict the entire mission of Jesus Christ.  How do we deal with hypocritical behaviors?  By fasting from them.  We have the exaggerated words of Jesus to illustrate fasting from offending behaviors.  Cut off your hand and foot and tear out your eye.  This is a very expressive way of saying until you learn to use your gifts in winsome ways, it is better that you fast from the use of them at all.  The first step in retraining of our human gifts is fasting from doing what is wrong, and then being retrained to do the good which does not offend and keep people from the love of God in Christ.

The final advice for good community practice in the Gospel of Mark's Christly advice is to find the salt of life for healing.  Saline is used for cleansing and healing.  We are ever in need of salty cleansing from our bad practices.  That cleansing is needed so that we can perform healthful behaviors in exemplifying the love of Christ to each other and to our world.

May God give us wisdom to find the salt of the Holy Spirit to cleanse our lives, so that we may healthy to practice the winsomeness of the love and grace of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 29, 2024, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 21

 Sunday School, September 29, 2024, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 21

Sunday School Themes:

One could unify the themes of the Bible readings under the topic of what is healthy for each person and for our families and community.

It is healthy to have heroes like Esther who lived in a minority community that was targeted for persecution.  She used her favor with the king to make an appeal to him to save her people.  Healthy communities need heroes who will serve those who are threatened.

From the book of Numbers:  Community health comes when the various work of the community is spread among many people.  Moses was happy to share the leadership with many people who had God’s spirit with them to help lead the community.  In the baptism of each person, we believe God affirms the gifts of each person to help them make the community better through their gifts and their work.  So ask God to help us each to find our gifts so we can use them to make our home, family and church better communities.

In the letter of James, we are told that health is about learning how to share our illnesses with each other in our community so that the community can pray for those who are sick.  People who know that their family and friends are praying for them get better more quickly.  Health also means we learn to correct each other in love and care so that we don’t get destroyed by our mistakes.

In the Gospel, we know that health is to avoid jealousy about the good works of other people.  Health is being thankful for all people who are doing good, even if they are doing it just a bit different than we are.

Health is also about fasting or learning to stop doing things that are harmful so that we can change and do healthy things.  Jesus used his riddles: If you use your eyes wrongly, take them out.  If you use your hand for bad things, then cut it off.  Jesus was saying that sometimes fasting or quitting something entirely is the only way to stop a bad behavior and begin to take on a good behaviors.  Health can be inspired by thinking about bad consequences.  What happens if we refuse to exercise something?  We lose the function of it.  We waste.  Jesus showed us that hell is wasting our lives.  And we can live healthy lives if we avoid wasting our lives through laziness or bad behaviors.  Gehenna or the word for hell was the “garbage” dump for Jerusalem, a place where the carcasses of dead animals were burned.

Jesus said that we should be like salt.  Salt makes food taste better.  We should be people in this life that makes life seem to “taste” better for everyone.  Christians should be “spicy” people because we should make this life better for everyone.  To be healthy in life we need to be “spicy.”

The last thing for the health of the community is to be at peace with one another.  Living in peace is one of the most healthy things of all for our families and communities.  We can live better when life is peaceful.

A Children’s sermon on “fasting” and “hell”

 

  One of the things that my father often said to me when I was doing something wrong was: Cut it out, Phil.

  What does cut it out, mean?  It doesn’t mean that I have to get a knife or some scissors and start cutting.  It is a very shocking way to say: Stop it!  Stop it!  Right now!

  Jesus used some very shocking language too.  Remember that he often spoke in riddles.  And we have read some of the shocking language of Jesus today.

  He said if your hand is doing something bad, cut it off.  If your feet are taking you to a bad place, then cut them off.  If your eyes are looking at bad things, then tear it out.   That really sounds shocking, doesn’t it?

  But it was really just like my dad saying, cut it out.  It is a very strong way of saying Stop, the bad thing that you are doing.

  And now I am going to tell about another word that Jesus used.  And it is a shocking word too.  It’s so shocking you do not have permission to use this word by your parents or teachers.  It’s the word, “hell.”

  Now most of think that hell is the bad place that bad people go to after they have died.

  But what did hell mean for Jesus?  For Jesus, hell referred to the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem.  It was place where they took the bodies of dead animals to burn them.  It was the place they took human waste.

  So for Jesus, what did hell mean?  It meant waste.

  And Jesus did not want anyone to waste their lives.  If our hands are doing bad things, then we are wasting our lives.  If our feet are taking us to bad places, we are wasting our lives.  If we use our eyes only to look at bad things, then we are wasting our lives.

  And so Jesus uses some very strong language to remind us, not to waste our lives.  If we are wasting our lives, Jesus says, stop it.  Change your direction, do something good; not something bad.

  So let us be thankful that Jesus uses very strong language to warn us not to waste our lives.   Why should you study hard in school?  So you don’t waste your mind.  Why should you learn to do house work?  So you will not be lazy and learn to do things for yourself.  Why should you exercise? So that you can be healthy.  Why should you eat good food and take care of your bodies?  So you can live healthy lives as long as possible.  Why should you be careful about what you watch on TV?  Why should you be careful about what you say?  You don’t want to waste any ability that you have.  Jesus wanted to save his friends from wasting their lives, because he knew how much good they could do with their lives.

  And Jesus does not want us to waste our lives either.  So that is why we work hard to train our hands and feet and mind to do good things and to think good things.

A family Eucharistic Liturgy

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 29, 2024: The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah, Peace Before Us, Father I Adore You, I Want to Walk

Song: Hallelu, Hallelujah   (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 84)

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. 

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. 

Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah. 

Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord.

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

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

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

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.  My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 19

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

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

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. "  If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

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.

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.

Youth 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)

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

2 Love,

3 Light,

4 Christ

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 Hymn:  Father, I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)

1          Father, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you.

2          Jesus….

3          Spirit…

Post-Communion Prayer

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

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

And His Presence has been known to us.

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

    and sisters in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

High Sodium Lives without Spiritual Health Fears

18 Pentecost Cycle B Proper 21 September 26, 2021
Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29 Ps 19

James 4:7-12 Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48

Lectionary Link

Today I would like to highlight the role of the accompanist.    What does an accompanist do?  An accompanist supports the soloist in the best complimentary way so as to help the soloist's performance be enhanced.

I would submit to us today that we are given the role in life of being accompanists to the main soloist of life, name God and God's icon in the human world, Jesus Christ.

What is the role of salt in the human diet?  Salt is perhaps the greatest accompaniment to food in our human diet.  And for salt lovers who have to go on low sodium diets, it is a great loss.

Humans are not like animals that need salt licks for sodium enhancement.  In the human diet, salt does not stand alone; even on the lip of your margherita glass.  Salt always go with food and drink to enhance and make the taste of the food or drink better.

With this understanding of salt, we can appreciate the use of salt as a metaphor in the words of Jesus.   There is something else which is a contradiction in the words about salt by Jesus, and that contradiction is a lesson in itself.

Natural salt does not degrade; it does not have an expiration date.  It retains essential saltiness forever.  So Jesus is saying don't betray the unchangeable nature of the Holy Spirit with us.  The Holy Spirit is the eternal saltiness of the divine life and the salt life of the Holy Spirit is not going to change within; but we can quench and fail to appropriate the saltiness of the divine by how we behave.

Salt is used for preserving and salt is used for flavoring food.  Salt is the great accompaniment resource of culinary life.

And our lives should have a corresponding salt function as we are accompanying everything that is happening in our lives.

Our readings give us some insights on how we can best accompany life with the salt of flavor and preservation.

First from the book of Numbers we see the wisdom of humility and non-competition when it comes to ministry.  Moses told the people not to worry about some men who had a vision to prophesy and lead.  In fact Moses said, "would that all of God's people would prophesy."  This is what baptismal Christianity is: all baptized are gifted for ministry and would that we would all find our creative ministries and this can be done, not with competition but with sensitive accompaniment.  This same non-competition theme is reiterated in the Gospel reading.  The disciples were worrying about competitors to Jesus who had not been sanctioned by Jesus and his group.  What was the concern of Jesus?  Are they doing good things?  Are they teaching and living the good news of kindness and love God and each other?  Then whoever is not specifically within our inner circle, are not against us and our values.   "Come on guys, this world has such a great need for love and kindness, we can affirm this wherever it is performed by anyone.  Goodness is it own reward and authenticity.  Don't worry about the people who are giving out water and food to those who need it.  The people who are against us are the exploiters of children and the vulnerable and for them there is some special jewelry; hundred pound millstone necklaces to hasten their trip to the bottom of the sea."

Jesus reminds us that the opposite of exploiting of children is the mentoring of children.  If we want to be the salt of flavor and preservation in our lives we need to be mentoring others, particularly the young with loving care for their very best psychological, social, and spiritual development.

Notice how the hyperbolic speech of Jesus is used to establish priority.  Doing goodness and kindness is how we best accompanying each other in this life and it is how we can be the saltiness of flavor and preservation.  And isn't that better than wearing a millstone necklace to the bottom of the sea?

What is another way to maintain our saltiness in life?  The Psalmist recommends that we delight in the perfect law of the Lord.  We always seek the highest and best behaviors; this is a sure way to keep our saltiness and so our presence can be an example but also a preservative to the world at large about the best ways to live.

How else can we be salty Christians?  By preserving health.  The writer of the Epistle of James encouraged the community to be in the practice of healing prayer.  The prayer of healing is one of the sacraments of the church and it means we are supposed to be a witness to the holistic health of everyone.  It really is hard to fathom that so many persons who call themselves Christians, are preventing and speaking against the use of the Covid-19 vaccinations for the general health of all people.  Such behavior is an indication of the loss of "saltiness" for the health of the world.  How can one be a salty preserving person if one is taking risks of spreading a deadly virus?

Another way to be a salty and preserving follower of Jesus is by the regulatory self control practice of fasting.  Jesus uses very hyperbolic speech to illustrate the self control practice of a fast.  If you are using your hands, feet, eyes, minds, and minds for no good, then stop it.  Cut it out.  Knock it off, as Dad used to say.

We have to learn the self control of fasting sometimes to learn the practice of good regulation of our lives and the life of our world.  This means we need to be enlightened stewards in the use of all things.   And when we are out of control, we need to know when and how to apply the "fasting" brakes to regain the control of our faculties.

Why do we need to be enlightened stewards in this life?  To avoid hell.  The Gospel presents the most horrifying presentation of hell in the context of the stewardship of our lives through self control.  What is the most frightening notion of hell?  Waste.  Wasting the goodness of the gift of life is hell and we learn the self control of fasting or we take the very characteristic of waste to our eternal lives.  Why do I say fear hell as the waste of our lives?  The word hell in New Testament Greek, Gehenna, refers to the garbage dump near Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom, long known for its association with human sacrificial rites and the rendering of animal carcasses, a place that was completely defiled and impure.

Fasting is how we live salty preserving lives, because with the regulation of self control we practice the kind of stewardship which honors the gifts of our lives, body, soul, spirit, community, and environment.

How is salt like fire?  Fire was used for refining and purifying?  Throwing salt in the wound is painful but salt is perhaps the most ancient antibacterial agent.  We are called to be anti-evil forces with our lives; we are called to overcome evil with good and be purifying forces in our world.

May God help us today to be salty people.  And isn't that nice to hear from Jesus the great Physician.  Friends, I don't want you to be low-sodium Christians on low-sodium diets.  Go forth and be salty!   Preserve and purify our good world.  Add flavor to the goodness of this world.  Be great accompanists to everyone and everything in this life through loving God and our neighbors.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 26, 2021, The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 21

Sunday School, September 26, 2021, The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 21

Sunday School Themes:

One could unify the themes of the Bible readings under the topic of what is healthy for each person and for our families and community.

It is healthy to have heroes like Esther who lived in a minority community that was targeted for persecution.  She used her favor with the king to make an appeal to him to save her people.  Healthy communities need heroes who will serve those who are threatened.

From the book of Numbers:  Community health comes when the various work of the community is spread among many people.  Moses was happy to share the leadership with many people who had God’s spirit with them to help lead the community.  In the baptism of each person, we believe God affirms the gifts of each person to help them make the community better through their gifts and their work.  So ask God to help us each to find our gifts so we can use them to make our home, family and church better communities.

In the letter of James, we are told that health is about learning how to share our illnesses with each other in our community so that the community can pray for those who are sick.  People who know that their family and friends are praying for them get better more quickly.  Health also means we learn to correct each other in love and care so that we don’t get destroyed by our mistakes.

In the Gospel, we know that health is to avoid jealousy about the good works of other people.  Health is being thankful for all people who are doing good, even if they are doing it just a bit different than we are.

Health is also about fasting or learning to stop doing things that are harmful so that we can change and do healthy things.  Jesus used his riddles: If you use your eyes wrongly, take them out.  If you use your hand for bad things, then cut it off.  Jesus was saying that sometimes fasting or quitting something entirely is the only way to stop a bad behavior and begin to take on a good behaviors.  Health can be inspired by thinking about bad consequences.  What happens if we refuse to exercise something?  We lose the function of it.  We waste.  Jesus showed us that hell is wasting our lives.  And we can live healthy lives if we avoid wasting our lives through laziness or bad behaviors.  Gehenna or the word for hell was the “garbage” dump for Jerusalem, a place where the carcasses of dead animals were burned.

Jesus said that we should be like salt.  Salt makes food taste better.  We should be people in this life that makes life seem to “taste” better for everyone.  Christians should be “spicy” people because we should make this life better for everyone.  To be healthy in life we need to be “spicy.”

The last thing for the health of the community is to be at peace with one another.  Living in peace is one of the most healthy things of all for our families and communities.  We can live better when life is peaceful.

A Children’s sermon on “fasting” and “hell”

 

  One of the things that my father often said to me when I was doing something wrong was: Cut it out, Phil.

  What does cut it out, mean?  It doesn’t mean that I have to get a knife or some scissors and start cutting.  It is a very shocking way to say: Stop it!  Stop it!  Right now!

  Jesus used some very shocking language too.  Remember that he often spoke in riddles.  And we have read some of the shocking language of Jesus today.

  He said if your hand is doing something bad, cut it off.  If your feet are taking you to a bad place, then cut them off.  If your eyes are looking at bad things, then tear it out.   That really sounds shocking, doesn’t it?

  But it was really just like my dad saying, cut it out.  It is a very strong way of saying Stop, the bad thing that you are doing.

  And now I am going to tell about another word that Jesus used.  And it is a shocking word too.  It’s so shocking you do not have permission to use this word by your parents or teachers.  It’s the word, “hell.”

  Now most of think that hell is the bad place that bad people go to after they have died.

  But what did hell mean for Jesus?  For Jesus, hell referred to the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem.  It was place where they took the bodies of dead animals to burn them.  It was the place they took human waste.

  So for Jesus, what did hell mean?  It meant waste.

  And Jesus did not want anyone to waste their lives.  If our hands are doing bad things, then we are wasting our lives.  If our feet are taking us to bad places, we are wasting our lives.  If we use our eyes only to look at bad things, then we are wasting our lives.

  And so Jesus uses some very strong language to remind us, not to waste our lives.  If we are wasting our lives, Jesus says, stop it.  Change your direction, do something good; not something bad.

  So let us be thankful that Jesus uses very strong language to warn us not to waste our lives.   Why should you study hard in school?  So you don’t waste your mind.  Why should you learn to do house work?  So you will not be lazy and learn to do things for yourself.  Why should you exercise? So that you can be healthy.  Why should you eat good food and take care of your bodies?  So you can live healthy lives as long as possible.  Why should you be careful about what you watch on TV?  Why should you be careful about what you say?  You don’t want to waste any ability that you have.  Jesus wanted to save his friends from wasting their lives, because he knew how much good they could do with their lives.

  And Jesus does not want us to waste our lives either.  So that is why we work hard to train our hands and feet and mind to do good things and to think good things.

A family Eucharistic Liturgy

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 29, 2021: The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah, Peace Before Us, Father I Adore You, I Want to Walk

Song: Hallelu, Hallelujah   (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 84)

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. 

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. 

Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah. 

Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord.

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

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

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

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.  My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 19

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

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

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. "  If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

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.

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.

Youth 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)

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

2 Love,

3 Light,

4 Christ

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 Hymn:  Father, I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)

1          Father, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you.

2          Jesus….

3          Spirit…

Post-Communion Prayer

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

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

And His Presence has been known to us.

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

    and sisters in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!