Sunday School, February 1, 2015 4 Epiphany Year B
Sunday School Themes
Moses wrote at about a future great
prophet
The Christians believed that Jesus was
this great prophet
The Gospel Story is about Jesus being a
people whisperer.
Ask the children if they have heard
about people called horse whisperers or dog whisperers?
What is special about these people?
They understand and have a special way
with animals to tame them and keep them peaceful and calm.
Jesus was a people whisperer.
We understand when a baby or child has a
really bad temper tantrum; a child might kick and scream on the floor or hold
his or her breath, but what if an adult does the same thing in public? What if an adult loses complete control in
public?
Sometimes people who are distressed need
a people whisperer. Someone who can calm
them down or comfort them.
We also know that people in the ancient
world did not know about epileptic seizures as a health condition and so a
seizure would frighten people and make people think that a person was
controlled by a bad spirit.
Jesus was one who knew how to calm
people and accept them and welcome them into the community even when they had some
very terrible emotional problems or mental health issues.
Mommies and Daddies can be baby
whisperers or children whisperers because they can help us when we feel sad,
angry, hurt or sick.
Today we celebrate Jesus as a great
People Whisperer.
Puppet Show
George the Alligator Whisperer
Ally the Alligator
Ally (is upset…thrashing and yelling and
screaming and showing his teeth) Ohhh…snap
snap….eek …..Ugh…growl…..I am so angry, I do not know what to do…I could eat a
horse….
George:
Hold on there now. Calm down
Ally. What’s wrong?
Ally:
I just have all of these feeling rushing up inside of me and I don’t
know if I can control them…..growl, growl, growl..
George:
Come here Ally, let me rub your snout.
Now turn over and let me rub your belly.
Ally: oooooo…that feels so good. And so relaxing. How come you aren’t afraid of me? Everyone else is afraid that I might snap
their finger off.
George:
Well, I just know that you are frightened some times and you just need a
someone who knows how to be your friend.
Ally:
Well, George, I think that you must be an alligator whisperer?
George: Well, I’ve heard of alligator
wrestlers but I’m not that. I would
rather be an alligator whisperer because it is better to have a calming effect
on other people.
Ally:
Just like a mom can calm her crying baby, you have been able to calm me.
George:
Did you know that there are people whisperers?
Ally:
And what do they do?
George:
People whisperers are people who know how to calm people and help them
be at peace. If fact there is a very
famous people whisperer?
Ally:
Who is that?
George:
Jesus is probably the most famous people whisperer of all. Because he was able to bring peace and calm
to some very upset people.
Ally:
Well, I liked to be whispered by you.
I like it when you make me calm and peaceful and happy.
George:
Well, if you like it then you can learn to be a whisperer too.
Ally:
I can? How?
George: If you learn to be kind and loving and caring with others, you can help bring peace to their lives.
Ally: Thank you George. I am glad that God made us to all whisper
each other with love and kindness.
Children's Eucharistic liturgy
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak
Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Holy
Eucharist
February 1,
2015: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Gathering Songs:
To God Be the Glory, We Are Marching
Processionial Song: To
God be the Glory, Renew! # 258
To God be the glory
great things he hath done,
so loved he the world
that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life
an atonement for sin,
and opened the
lifegate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O Come to the Father
through Jesus the Son,
and give him the
glory, great things he hath done.
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.
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty and
everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully
hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First 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 Book of
Deuteronomy
Moses said,
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own
people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD
your God at Horeb…
The Word of the Lord
Let us read together from Psalm 111
Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole
heart, *in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the LORD! *they are studied by all
who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and splendor, *and his
righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *the LORD is
gracious and full of compassion.
He gives food to those who fear him; *he is ever mindful of
his covenant.
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 and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when
the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. And Jesus healed a man
who was troubled in his heart. They were
astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not
as the scribes. …At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding
region of Galilee.
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.
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
Offertory Song: Christ Beside Me (Renew! # 164)
1 Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ
behind me—King of my heart; Christ
within me, Christ below me, Christ above me—never to part.
2 Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left
hand, Christ all around me—shield in the strife: Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising—light of my life
3 Christ be in all hearts, thinking about me,
Christ be on all tongues, telling of me; Christ be the vision, in eyes that see
me, in ears that hear me, Christ ever be.
4
Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me—King of my heart;
Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me—never to part.
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 God.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
All are born into the family of God by Baptism.
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)
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 neighbors.
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, 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 (Sung): (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 by 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!
Word of Administration.
Communion: Dona Nobis Pacem, (Renew # 240)
Dona nobis pacem, pacem, dona nobis pacem.
Dona nobis pacem, dona nobis pacem.
Dona nobis pacem.
Dona nobis pacem.
Post-Communion Prayer
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: We are Marching in the Light of the Lord,
Renew! # 306
1-
We are marching in the Light of the Lord;
we are
marching in the light of the Lord
We are
marching in the Light of the Lord;
we are marching in the light of the
Lord
We are marching in the Light of the
Lord;
we are marching in the light of the
Lord
2-
We are singing in the Light of the Lord…..
Refrain: We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,
we are marching in the light of the
lord.
We are marching, marching, we are
marching, oh,
we are marching in the light of the
lord.
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to
God!
