Sunday School, May 3, 2015 5th Sunday in Easter B
Sunday School Themes
The writer of the Gospel of John uses
examples from farming and agriculture to teach lessons.
How close is a branch to the main stem
of a plant?
How close are the leaves and fruit to
a grape vine?
Very Close
When we speak about a grape plant we
know that they consist of a root, stem or vine and branches which have leaves
and grapes.
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are
the branches.”
This means that the life of Christ is
very close to us and a part of us.
How does the life of the vine give
life to the branches? Plant blood is
called “sap” and it flows inside of the plant to provide life food to all parts
of the plant.
Jesus said there is something like sap
which keeps us connected to him.
This sap would be the experience of
God’s Holy Spirit who keeps us connected to Christ as the special life of God
which we can find within ourselves, but we need to pay attention to it through
prayer and study.
Allegorical Role playing Dialogue
Vine and Branchie.
Branchie: I am getting tired of just hanging
around. I want to leave this
neighborhood and go away.
Vine: How are you going to do that?
Branchie: Well, I will just swing really hard in the
wind until I fall off on the ground and then I’ll get up and walk away.
Vine:
I don’t think so Branchie. That
is not the way plant life works.
Branchie: Why not?
Why can’t I leave this neighborhood?
Vine: Well, you will always be a
branch and you cannot be anything else.
So you have to follow the rules for branches.
Branchie: What kind of rules?
Vine: Well, sometimes you have to get
a “hair cut.” You have to get pruned and
trimmed.
Branchie: Ouch, that hurts.
Vine:
Yes, but it makes you grow much better and it helps you grow the very
best grapes. You like to grow grapes don’t
you?
Branchie: Well, yes, but why can’t I leave this
neighborhood and travel?
Vine: You can because if you are
broken off from me, you will lose your supply of plant blood and you will dry
up and die and you will just be recycled.
Branchie: What is plant blood?
Vine:
Plant blood is called sap and you get your sap from me your Vine. And you cannot live without the plant blood
called sap. So you have to stay
connected to me. I am happy to provide
you with plant blood and I like to have you living close to me.
Branchie: But can I ever leave or travel and still
live?
Vine:
You can in a different way. When
you produce wonderful grapes, then your grapes are used for wine and for eating
but also you produce more seeds for more grapevines. And so the grapes are like your children and
they get to travel and create more plant life everywhere. They get to provide wonderful life for the
people who eat them. So you have a very
important role in life.
Branchie: Yes, I do and I want to
produce many good grapes so I want to stay close to you my Vine so that the
plant blood or sap can continue to give me good life.
Vine: I would like these boys and
girls to know that Jesus is like a Vine.
The Risen Christ is like a big tree with many branches. And each of these boys and girls are like
branches on the tree of Christ. And they
have the wonderful plant blood or sap inside of them. Inside of each of these boys and girls is the
Spirit of God and the Spirit of God provides a wonderful special kind of life
within them and this special kind of life will last forever, even after they
leave this earth.
Branchie: Wow. That
is a special life.
Vine:
Boys and Girls can you repeat after me:
Christ is the true Vine of my life.
He provides me with the special inner life of God’s Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA
95037
Family Service with Holy
Eucharist
May 3, 2015: The Fifth Sunday of
Easter
Gathering Songs:
Glorify Your Name; If You’re Happy; Alleluia; Lord, I Lift Your Name
Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.
People: The Lord is
Risen Indeed. Alleluia.
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: Glorify Your Name
(Renew! # 37)
1.
Father, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify
your name in all the earth. Glorify your name, glorify you name, glorify your
name in all the earth.
2.
Jesus, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify
your name in all the earth. Glorify your
name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.
3.
Spirit, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify
your name in all the earth. Glorify your
name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist:
Let us pray
Almighty God,
whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son
Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly
follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of 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 First Letter of John
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not
know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God
sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is
love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the
atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also
ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another,
God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 22
My praise is
of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those
who worship him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the
LORD shall praise him: * "May your heart live for ever!"
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the
LORD, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
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 John
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said,
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every
branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to
make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have
spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide
in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them
bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not
abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are
gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words
abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father
is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
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.
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: If You’re Happy and You Know
It (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 124)
1.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you’re happy and you know it clap your
hands. If you’re happy and you know,
then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap
your hands.
2. Make
a high five…. 3. Make a low five… 4.
Shout Amen.
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.
Holy 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 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)
The Celebrant now
praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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. 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… 3. He is worthy, Alleluia…. 4 I will praise him, Alleluia
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: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High (Renew! #
4)
Lord, I lift your name on high; Lord, I love to sing your
praises.
I’m so glad you’re in my life; I’m so glad you came to save
us.
You came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the
earth to the cross, my debt to pay.
From the cross to the grave,
from the grave to the sky; Lord, I lift your name on high.
Repeat
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Let us go forth in the
Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to
God! Alleluia! Alleluia!
