Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sunday School. October 12, 2014 18 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 23

Sunday School

Music Time: Song, "As a Deer Pants for the Water."

Sunday School Themes:

Choosing what we decide to think about.  We can think about good things or bad things and if we learn to think about good things, we can learn to choose happiness over sadness and anger.

The Parables of Jesus teach us two lessons:

What if God throws a party and the people who are invited decide not to come?  How would God feel?  Would God call the party off or invite other people who would want to come?

You can discuss unrequited feelings.  Have a discussion about doing nice things for people but sometimes when people cannot appreciate what we do for them,how does it make us feel?  Do we want to quit doing good things?  Or do we just keep giving and find others who will receive our gifts?

The second parable is about choosing to be different at the wrong time.  What would happen if you showed up for the soccer game and you did not not wear the team uniform for the game because you liked your own soccer uniform better.  The coach would not let you play because you did not want to be a part of the team if you would not wear the uniform.  Some times we want to be different because we do not want to share with others.  And that can be a wrong kind of pride and selfishness.

Puppet Show

Mom and Joey

Joey: (with his soccer ball)

Mom:  Hi, Joey.  How did the soccer game go?

Joey: There wasn't any soccer game and it was no fun.

Mom: Why not Joey?   You said that you were going to your soccer game and you took your ball with you.  Didn't you play in the soccer game?

Joey:  No, I didn't because they didn't have a soccer game.

Mom:  Did they cancel the soccer game?

Joey:  No, it was a baseball game, but I wanted to play soccer.

Mom: But, Joey it is baseball season and you are on the Little League Baseball team.  Why did you take your soccer ball?

Joey:  Because I felt like playing soccer today.

Mom: What happen?

Joey:  I went out on the field with my soccer ball and the umpire and my coach told me to get off the baseball field.

Mom:  Well, you really can't play soccer on the baseball field.  You would get in the way of the baseball game.  A baseball game and a soccer game do not mix.

Joey:  But I wanted to play soccer; I did not want to play baseball.

Mom:  Joey, you have learn to accept the rules of the game and you have to play the right game at the right time or you will make other people angry at you.

Joey: Well, I wanted to play soccer.

Mom:  Jesus told a parable about a man who attended a wedding and everyone had their best wedding clothes on and this man crashed the party with his horseback riding gear on.  The host was very upset and told him to leave the party.

Joey:  Maybe the man had just come from riding his horse.

Mom:  The point of the parable is sometimes we have to be willing to accept the conditions which God gives us to be equal in his grace and love.  We just can't do what we want all of the time and expect that we will fit in.  Joey, there is will other times to play soccer but now it baseball season.  Can you be patient and learn to accept things and to learn to play by the rules?

Joey:  Okay, I sure would be more popular if I played by the rules and I have learned an important lesson.

Mom:  Good for you, Joey!




Family Service with Holy Eucharist
October 12, 2014: Eighteenth Sunday of Pentecost

Gathering Songs: He’s Got the Whole World, Alleluia, Give Thanks, He is Lord, When the Saints

Liturgist:      Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People:         And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: He’s Got the Whole World (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 90)
1-He’s got the whole world; in his hands he’s got the whole wide world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands; he’s got the whole world in his hands.
2-Little tiny babies. 
3-Brother and the sisters  
4-Mothers and the fathers


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


Liturgist:  Let us pray
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

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

A reading from the Letter to the Philippians
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Liturgist:         The Word of the Lord.
People:            Thanks be to God.

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 23

 He makes me lie down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters.
Children’s Creed
You have made us in your image
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
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: O When the Saints (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 248).
1-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-When the boys go marching in…
3-When the girls go marching in...
The LORD is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want.



Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:
For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!
For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.
   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, `Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.  "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen.

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

Sermon – Father Phil

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.


Intercession

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

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

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

Offertory Music:    Rejoice in the Lord Always  
Round:

Rejoice in the Lord,always and again I say rejoice. / Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.  Rejoice.  Rejoice.  And again I say rejoice.  Rejoice.  Rejoice.  And again I say rejoice.

Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

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

The Lord be with you
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.

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

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

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

(Children may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
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 he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat
 the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  
 this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
(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 : He Is Lord (Renew!  # 29)
1-He is Lord.  He is Lord.  He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.  Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

2-He is King.  He is King.  He will draw all nations to him, He is king.  And the time shall be when the world shall sing that Jesus Christ is King.

3-He is Love.  He is Love.  He has shown us by his life that He is Love.  All his people sing with one voice of joy that Jesus Christ is Love.

Post-Communion Prayer



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


Sunday, October 5, 2014

The 10 Commandments and Domesticating Desire

17 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 22, October 5, 2014
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19
Philippians 3:4b-14  Matthew 21:33-46
   
  A central issue in life is the issue of value.  What is important and valued and why is something important and valued and can the importance and value of something change over time?
  The version of the 10 Commandments which we have read today gives us a statement of values.  These value statements represent the wisdom of lived relationship within ancient Hebrew communities.  One can see them arising from wise reflection upon the task of living together within a community.  These laws had to be legitimized and put upon a pedestal as revered.  They had to be promulgated and spread throughout the society so that these values could be inculcated into the life of all persons within the community.  They had to have a grand narrative of legitimization and that narrative was presented in the delivering of the highest values from God's heaven to this earth on Mt. Sinai to the most famous lawman of all, Moses. 
  Sometimes we regard biblical statements to be so inspired that they represent final statements.  But biblical statements come from what was inspired, namely, the actions of people to seek God to articulate the most excellent values for living within their time and place.  We make a mistake to believe that the situation details of any time or place are final and inspired.  When the 10 Commandments were given the practice of slavery and the subjugation of women were the cultural practices.  We think that our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were inspired documents even though our founders still practiced slavery, women could not vote and in fact only male property owners had full citizenship rights.
  The 10 Commandments are based upon the philosophy that our highest values need to be founded upon a higher power and higher authority.  So the 10 commandments are based upon the practice of acknowledging the Value of Values, namely the One God.  Our posture and relationship with God is the starting point for all values.  This relationship with God is expressed in acknowledging the Oneness of God and by the refusal to allow any idol to be elevated to a competing position with God. The relationship with God also requires practice and so the commandments require the God-time of Sabbath as time which is intentionally set aside to acknowledge God as the Supreme Value of our lives and as the starting place for all values.  Again, we cannot be literalists about the Sabbath or we would be worshiping on Friday night with our Jewish brothers and sisters or on Saturdays with our Seven Day Adventist friends or on Friday with our Muslim friends.   What is important is a principle of worship time: can we endeavor to give 1/7 of the time of our lives as time for God?  I would suggest in our lives that rather than doing it within a 24 hour day period, that we spread our Sabbath time for God throughout the week.  Assuming that God gives us credit for 8 hours of sleep to be included in Sabbath time; that leaves for us to endeavor to give 16 waking hours of time to God a week.  Yes, and do multi-tasking time; pray on the go, in your car, in your moments of insomnia, in your pre-sleep moments and in your early waking moment.  Practice, intentionally the remembrance of God.  Join our prayer chain and pray for those who have current needs.   Test this out: give 16 waking hours to remembering God in a week and I think that you will find your life changed and blessed in every way, as well as the life of your community.
  If we attend to God as the Higher Power of our lives then we can prevent being addicted to the God-surrogates of addictive idols which enslave us and require a destroying devotion which can only be interdicted by the grace of God as the Higher Power.  To acknowledge God as our Higher Power is the secret of keeping ourselves from the fixation of our energies upon unworthy idols.
  The other six commandments have to do with the wisdom of living well within community.  Respect the family, parents and marriage.  Respect the material world and personal property.  Ownership is a gift and a responsibility and we should honor the stewardship responsibilities which each person has for the gifts which have been given to them.  
  Obviously, there is an important commandment for the well-being of the community:  Thou shalt not kill.  And we should not be overly proud that we have not inflicted death directly upon others; we should also be aware of how we can by our social and cultural habits be responsible for the quality of life of others who die before their time because of our neglect of people in need.  Honoring life is not just about the direct murder of another person, it is also about respecting the long quality of life for as many in our world as possible.  
  Another important commandment has to do with living honestly with others.  Verbal contracts and actual behavior need to be agreement.  When we look at the major economic disasters in our society, we can trace it to people with power and greed who have been dishonest with the public and they have been criminal in their practice as they have literally stolen billions of dollars from the common good for the personal wealth of a few.  Experience tells us that capitalism does not work in an environment of dishonesty and deceptive practices of stealing from others.
  The last commandment is probably the most difficult of all.  Thou shalt not covet.  In its time it referred to the wives, animals and property of another man as the objects of one's desire.  Certainly this reflects a very limited application of the notion of coveting.
  The greater principle behind coveting has do with how we accept with contentment our current situation while at the same time looking to improve our lives with further excellence in all manner of living.  How can we model for each other higher values which are worthy to imitate?  Is is wrong to covet and desire something which is truly good for us and the common good of our community?
  Coveting is an expression of our desire projected upon the people, places and things of our lives.  Coveting expresses a "wrong relationship" to the people, places and things of our lives.  Coveting occurs when we let desire create objects which become controlling idols for addictive behaviors which hurt us and our community.  And the correct way to to deal with coveting is to return to the first commandment.  When we let our profound desire be expressed in the worship of God then we find a way to domesticate our desire towards the rightful enjoyment of our world and we avoid the formation of addictive idols.
  The parable of Jesus from our appointed Gospels is a story of the 10 Commandments in another form of  presentation.  We can treat this world as belonging exclusively to us because we cannot see God as an owner present to enforce divine ownership.  And if God as an apparent absentee landlord does not send agents to hassle us about ownership and payment issues, we begin to live the legal philosophy stated as possession is nine tenths of law.  If I apparently own my portion of this world because God appears to be absent, then I will act accordingly for my own demise and for the ruination of my community.
  This parable is about the same stewardship issue of the 10 Commandments: If we honor, and worship God as the Supreme Value and as the Owner of this world we will be given the wisdom to domesticate the profound desire of our lives for true pleasure and enjoyment and for the well-being of the community within which we live.
  We in our parish ask for your support in time, talent and treasure as an expression of acknowledging God as the supreme value of life and with what we give to the parish we attempt to make a proverbial roux to mix with the rest of the soup of life to add flavor and delight to our world.
  Let us intensely worship God so that our profound desire can be fully domesticated for true pleasure and enjoyment of this wonderful world of things, places and people.  Amen.

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