Daily Quiz, November 2015

Daily Quiz, November 30, 2015

Which of the following is not true of St. Andrew the Apostle?

a. he was Simon Peter's brother
b. he introduced Peter to Jesus
c. he was a fisherman
d. he is the patron saint of Scotland
e. he is the patron saint of golfers



Daily Quiz, November 29, 2015

Which of the following titles of Jesus are found most often in the Gospels?

a. King of kings
b. Lamb of God
c. Good Shepherd
d. Son of God
e. Son of Man
f. Messiah, the Christ


Daily Quiz, November 28, 2015

Which King Kamehameha is a saint on the Episcopal calendar of saints?

a. I
b. II
c. III
d. IV

Daily Quiz, November 27, 2015

Jesus is often referred to as the "Son of Man."  In what book of the Hebrew Scriptures does one find reference to an eschatological figure known as the "Son of Man?"

a. Isaiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Daniel
d. Joel


Daily Quiz, November 26, 2015

Under Holy Days classified in the Book of Common Prayer, Thanksgiving Day fall under which the following categories?

a. Other feasts of our Lord
b. Other Major Feasts
c. Days of optional observance
d. Day of special devotion

Daily Quiz, November 25, 2015

Alpha and Omega are first and last letters of the alphabet in which language and and is used as a metaphor for the Lord in an oracle of the Lord to John the Divine?

a. Hebrew 
b. Greek
c. Aramaic
d. Latin
  
Daily Quiz, November 24, 2015

In what book of the Bible can one find the "oracle concerning Ninevah?"

a. Jonah

b. Psalms

c. Nahum

d. Jeremiah

Daily Quiz, November 23, 2015

What does Clement of Rome share with St. Paul the Apostle?

a. both were popes of Rome
b. both wrote about the church hierarchy of bishops and priests
c. both wrote letters to the church in Corinth on matters of church discipline
d. neither were martyrs

Daily Quiz, November 22, 2015

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was written by which of following British writers and Christian apologist?

a. Charles Williams
b. C.S. Lewis
c. G.K. Chesterton
d. J.R.R. Tolkien


Daily Quiz, November 21, 2015

Ralph Vaughn Williams composed a Fantasia on a theme from which English composer, the same tune used in the Episcopal hymnal with the opening words, "I heard the voice of Jesus say?"

a. William Byrd

b. John Merbecke

c. Thomas Tallis

d. Orlando Gibbons

Daily Quiz, November 20, 2015

Why is Hanukkah called a festival of Dedication?

a. the light of the menorah is dedicated to God
b. the defiled temple was purified, renovated and dedicated
c. the Jews dedicated themselves to fight Antiochus Epiphanes
d. the miraculous continual  burning of the candle is celebrated

 Daily Quiz, November 19, 2015

Where did Jesus get money to pay the temple tax?

a. from the Judas, the treasurer of the 12 disciples
b. Jesus refused to pay the temple tax
c. He had his followers hook a fish and find a coin in the mouth of the fish
d. his fishermen disciple sold some fish in the market

Daily Quiz, November 18, 2015

How could the Synod of Whiby hosted by Abbess St. Hilda be called a "hairy" council?

a. the issue of tonsure was decided upon
b. Roman top of the head circular tonsure won out
c. Celtic open forehead tonsure was abandoned
d. all of the above

Daily Quiz, November 17, 2015

What animal followed and protected St. Hugh?

a. a dog
b. a wolf
c. a swan
d. a goose

Daily Quiz, November 16, 2015

Which Maccabee was used for the name of a Handel oratorio and is used as the tune for the hymn, "Thine Be the Glory?
a. Mattathias
b. Judas
c. John
d. Simon

Daily Quiz, November 15, 2015

In what book of the Bible can be found mentioned the Three Taverns?

a. Revelation
b. Romans
c. Acts of the Apostles
d. Galatians

Daily Quiz, November 14, 2015

Where is the feast of Hanukkah found in the Hebrew Scriptures?

a. Leviticus
b. Esther
c. Ezra
d. It is not found there; it is found in Christian Scriptures which include the book of Maccabees

Daily Quiz, November 13, 2015

In the following quote of Jesus, what in it would be an anachronism? "“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. "

a. the use of the Greek notion of the afterlife, "Hades"
b. "church" since it did not exist in the time of Jesus
c. gates of Hades is a phrase which came into currency much later
d. Cephas would have been the name used for Peter

Daily Quiz, November 12, 2015

The Book of Maccabees begins by telling about what great world leader?

a. Cyrus the Great
b. Nebuchadnezzar
c. Alexander the Great
d. King David



Daily Quiz, November 11, 2015

St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint for which of the following?

a. soldiers
b. equestrians
c. vintners
d. beggars
e. France
f.  all of the above


Daily Quiz, November 10, 2015

Which of the following is not true about Pope Leo the Great?

a. he was the first pope to be called "the Great"
b. he met Attila the Hun
c. he met Alaric the Visigoth
d. he burned Manichaean books

Daily Quiz, November 9, 2015

One of the lucky draws of lectors is a portion of Hebrew Scriptures affectionately called the "Jerusalem Phonebook:"  "Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said...."  The above is found in which book of the Hebrew Scriptures?

a. Genesis
b. Exodus
c. Nehemiah
d. Numbers

Daily Quiz, November 8, 2015

In order to divide his religious accusers, Paul told the governor-judge that he was on trial for what?

a. bringing alms to Jerusalem
b. disturbance of the peace in the temple
c. the belief in the resurrection
d. supporting the Emperor

Daily Quiz, November 7, 2015

What practice of his people most angered the scribe Ezra?

a. their refusal to help rebuild the Temple
b. their worship of idols
c. intermarrying with non-Israelites
d. charging interest on loans

Daily Quiz, November 6, 2015

Which of the following is not true about the life of Archbishop William Temple?

a.  he died in office
b.  he embraced evolution
c.  he served during World War II
d.  he opposed anti-Semitism
e.  he opposed the attempt to find a dialogue between social issues and the Gospel

Daily Quiz, November 5, 2015

Where is the following quote found in the Bible: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great?"

a. Daniel
b. Psalms
c. Nehemiah
d. Revelation

Daily Quiz, November 4, 2015

Which of the ten commandments was Nehemiah most diligent to restore to practice when the temple was rebuilt?

a. thou shall not covet
b. thou shalt not bear false witness
c. honor your father and mother
d. remember the Sabbath to keep it holy

Daily Quiz, November 3, 2015

Which of the following is responsible for giving Anglicanism a coherent theological statement following the Elizabethan Settlement and answering the extreme position of the Puritans?

a. Thomas Cranmer
b. William Law
c. Richard Hooker
d. William Laud
e. Lancelot Andrewes

Daily Quiz, November 2, 2015

Tobiah and Sanballat are known for what?

a. helping Nehemiah rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
b. hindering Nehemiah from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem by trying to intimidate him
c. being agents of King Darius
d. writing a letter on behalf of Nehemiah to obtain aid for rebuilding Jerusalem

Daily Quiz, November 1, 2015

In what book of the Bible are the saints of faith called a great "cloud of witnesses?"

a. Revelation
b. Zachariah
c. Hebrews
d. 1 Thessalonians

Make Friends with the Judge

Youth Dialogue Sermon                          1 Advent C      November 29, 2015

Jer. 33: 14-16     Psalm 50:1-   1 Thes. 3:9-13   Luke 21:25-31

Chike: In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.  You may be seated.   Let me be the first to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

Arinze:  What chew talkin’ about, Chike?   It is only November 29^th.

Chike: Sorry, Bro….but I guess you are not keeping up with the church calendar.  Today is the first Sunday of Advent and it is the first day of the new Christian Year.  I gotcha!

Caroline:  I hate to interrupt your sibling rivalry guys, but we have a sermon to preach.

Arinze: Well, maybe I’d like to avoid preaching today.

Caroline:  Why do want to avoid preaching today?

Arinze:  Well Father Phil is breathing a sigh of relief because we have to preach on the Gospel; we have to preach about gloom and doom.

Chike: What do you mean “gloom and doom?”

Arinze: Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Caroline:  That sounds pretty threatening.  And we might be really discouraged if these were the only words of Jesus in the Gospels.

Chike: What might be some of some of the positive words of Jesus in the Gospels?

Caroline:  Jesus promised us eternal life, he promised us a new birth, he promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit and much, much more.

Arinze:  Why don’t we just have positive words of Jesus in the Gospels?  Why do we have to words of warning from Jesus?

Caroline:  As people we need lot of different kinds of motivational strategies.

Chike:  What do you mean?

Caroline:  Well, your Mom might say, “I will bake you a cake if you clean your bedroom.”  Or your Dad might say, “If you don’t clean your room, you will not get your allowance.”  Which would be the best strategy to get you to clean your room?

Chike:  I guess they both might work.

Arinze:  Or neither of them work and you end up poor without an allowance and without any cake.

Caroline:  Advent is often a season of warnings.  And we do not like warnings, even though I hate to admit that sometimes we won’t do so necessary things if we don’t fear bad consequences.

Chike:  So we can study hard to get A’s or we can study hard to keep from failing. 

Arinze:  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could always do good and right things without any threats, fear of punishment or warnings?

Caroline:  I guess it is called positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

Chike:  Mice in a maze can be trained to do things by offering them cheese or by giving them mild shocks.  Both can be training methods.  They learn by anticipating reward or punishment.

Arinze:  It is the same in sports as well.  What if the soccer coach just threw some soccer balls on the field and said “Okay, go out and learn how to play and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

Chike:  You might have fun but you probably wouldn’t be ready to play a game.

Caroline:  Well, you know that they say, “No pain, no gain.”  Sometimes we have to have teachers, parents, and coaches train us so that we can be prepared to achieve good things in life.

Arinze:  So, my soccer coach will warn us if we don’t work hard, he will make us run extra laps around the field.  He threatens us with something that we don’t want to do to inspire us to practice our hardest.

Caroline:  So that is why the Gospel words of Jesus include a good balance of positive things but also some negative warnings.

Chike:  I guess we just have to admit that as people we need both positive affirmation and negative warnings.

Arinze:  We can learn good behavior by being afraid of what could go wrong; and we can learn good behavior by knowing what rewards we can gain.

Caroline: Personally, I like to be motivated by chocolate cake, but sometimes I need to be frighten by the bad things that might happen if I do not do my best.

Chike:  I guess we just have to learn to be wise because if we are wise we might make better decisions.

Arinze:  Jesus told his friends that they need to learn how to read signs in life.  If you see smoke, then you know there is fire.  By reading the sign then you know how to respond to danger.

Caroline:  So if we are wise we can learn how to prevent and avoid bad things. 

Chike:  I think that Jesus was saying that there are lots of bad things that can happen in life.   And we should observe these bad things.  And we should make decisions to avoid bad things.

Arinze:  But don’t you think that the big threat of Jesus was when he said that we would have stand someday before the Son of Man.  Why do we have to live in fear about some final judgment?

Caroline:  That is one way to look at it but remember Jesus was talking to his friends.  So if you know the Judge and if the Judge is your friend, do you fear that your friend would judge you harshly?

Chike:  Yes, if your friend is the Judge, your friend might also compliment you on the good things that you have done.   So we only have to fear the Judge if we have not been friends with the Judge.

Arinze:  So Advent does not have to be a season of gloom and doom.

Caroline:  No, we should use Advent and every season as time to get to know Christ as both our friend and Judge.  As our friend and Judge, Jesus is one who wants us to get better and he will help us get better and he will also forgive us when we are not perfect.

Chike:  So this is the secret to happy Advent.

Arinze:  And what is that?

Chike:  Get to know Jesus Christ as your friend and judge in this life and then you will not have to fear the Son of Man as your judge at the end of your life.

Caroline: That’s a great way to have a good Advent season in preparation for Christmas.

Arinze:  So, people of St. John’s; get to know Jesus Christ as your friend now and then you will not fear him as the Son of Man and your Judge.  Sounds like good advice.

Caroline: Let us all spend extra time with Jesus as our friend during this season of Advent.  Amen.

Archaeology of the Apocalyptic

Advent C      November 29, 2015

Jer. 33: 14-16     Psalm 50:1-6
1 Thes. 3:9-13   Luke 21:25-31

Lectionary Link
  Let us use for the evocation of meaning the practice of archaeology to delve into the interpretation of biblical meanings in their origins, development and continued use within the various practices of Christian tradition particularly the various expressions of the apocalyptic which have come to language.
  Let us say that one has done archaeological excavation upon an early American site and discovered arrowheads.  Obviously those arrowheads had functional use in their original setting when they were made and used.  Arrowheads have had continuous use sharing a similar functions in different settings.  They have been made out of different materials; the ones found function now under the classification as ancient cultural artifact or antique.  If one is put on a chain and worn around the neck it could function as jewelry or it could even function as art.
  During the season of Advent,  we use the season to reflect upon "Coming."  It is a season of dealing with "Arrivals."  The language of an end of day figure is a language which is often called "apocalyptic." The ancient Hebrew Scriptures include language of aspiration for oppressed people wanting an idealized future figure to come.  Oppressed people have the right to be very selfish about their own oppression.  They have the right to dream for the conditions of freedom and health and safety.  But it often proves to be the case that oppressed people do not have immediate rescue in sight and they are left to their last option: they are forced to merely cope.  Anger, denial, depression, bargaining, are coping responses, but certainly not accepting their oppression would be part of their process of corporate grief and loss.  The situations which govern oppression have deliberate human causality; it is different than the acceptance of something like an earthquake or cancer.  The coping process of the oppressed was the grist mill for the production of apocalyptic literature. 
  Apocalyptic  literature is a literature written by people who profess that the conditions of oppression in one situation has universal implications.  If people are oppressed and suffering here in this place, the entire universe needs to take notice.  The God of the universe needs to be invoked as a intervening judge not only to stop the oppressor but also to turn the tables upon the oppressors and give them an eye for an eye of their own misdeeds.  A visualized retaliatory higher Judge is written into apocalyptic literature.
  So the readings on the Apocalyptic during Advent provide for us the occasion to do a literary critical archaeology upon the artifact of the apocalyptic.
  Apocalyptic writings have historical origins in real settings of oppression and they have been collected and  they have been variously used throughout the history of religious communities.  What we can say about apocalyptic writing is that it has come to be used differently by people who have different circumstances.  How do the apocalyptic writings get used when the Empire gets converted to Christianity and when the Empire has the power to oppress and persecute?  The apocalyptic writing then can be suddenly switched to be a legitimization of the triumph of the "Christian Empire."  Members of the Christian Empire avoid the conditions of oppression and at the same time use the final judge of history as one who will validate the final rights of this "Christian Empire."  So ironically, the apocalyptic writings are used for exactly the opposite purpose for which they originally derived.  Somehow when a Christian Empire oppresses the members of the colonies, they do not permit the use of the Christian apocalyptic as a literature of comfort for the oppressed colonies.  Certainly one could cite this as an inconsistent or even hypocritical use of the apocalyptic writings.  In the history of Christianity, we often have over-identified Christ with earthly kings and their kingdoms and then in turn we made Jesus to be like a heavenly monarch based upon the models of conquering earthly kings.  And then we've made this heavenly monarch to be the one who will come again in power and glory; and yes apparently he comes on behalf of whichever community makes a claim about the returning purpose of such a heavenly monarch.
  Today, we must confess our confusion in the various understandings and practices of the apocalyptic.
  Today in our post-modern world with completely different cosmologies than the ancient world, the apocalyptic is bound to evoke different meanings.  It is impossible for us to believe in a heaven on top of the domed sky where there is a physical abode of a king who will re-enter the physical realm with angels and armies.
  In our time the apocalyptic has been expressed most often in morality plays of futurism in genres of superheroes and science fiction.  These are presentations of future judgment and justice and they function for us to witness to an enduring belief in justice, judgments and accountability.
  Our post-modern era includes the results of lots of scholarship which lets us know that Christians are not the only people who have apocalyptic traditions or visionary traditions about the future, the end of life as we know it and apocalyptic heroes.
  We also can characterize as a variety of the "apocalyptic" the death cults of our time.  There are people who have come to be labeled as terrorists because they resort to the practice of violence against innocent populace as a way to make symbolic attacks of terror against the greater forces who are trying to end their death cult ways.  The practice of death cults is a megalomania; it involves the glorification of their immediate cause to universal proportions.  Their symbolic strikes are both an indication of their weakness in the grand scheme of things but also their desire to say that if they cannot be in control, then they want to take down as many people as they can with them.  If they can't be in control, then no one else should have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  This death cult apocalypticism is one of the darkest expression in humanity.   It is a mystery of evil in how people get into this state of being in the socio-pathology of death cults.
  As we engage in our current archaeology of the apocalyptic today, we look for its current function and relevance in our lives.  Apocalyptic phrases have been a part of our Creeds and our liturgy even though they are general enough so that we can't presume to be so precise in knowing how they might apply to our lives today.  There are many Christian groups who see the apocalyptic writings as precisely predictive of events today in our world.  One of the abuses of the apocalyptic writings is when people who think they know exactly what they mean use them to justify their own particular views.  They use the second coming of Christ as a personal threat against everyone who disagree with their beliefs.
  We should allow the apocalyptic writings today to function again as coping visualization for all oppressed people.  We should understand that judgment and accountability follow from a belief in the normalcy of justice.   Everyone deserves the experience of justice.  Everyone deserves intervention when justice does not occur.  Everyone deserves the functions of law in the provision of justice.  Therefore the apocalyptic writings of the Bible have to be regarded as a literature of universal justice whose most relevant application function for those who are in the conditions of oppression.
  The Son of Man functioned within the Gospel community as the figure of a future judge.  The identity of the Risen Christ as the Son of Man and as the judge of our lives, means that we should spend our time in this life making friends with Christ as our judge who is always asking us to be better in our practice of justice.  If we are knowing the Risen Christ as our judge and friend now, then in the days of our judgment we will welcome more advice for even more improvement.
  May God give us the wisdom to let the apocalyptic writings be in the service of universal justice today.  And may you and I look to the Risen Christ as our judge and friend in our lives now and let us not delay our practice of justice.  Amen. 

Sunday School, November 29, 2015 1 Advent C

Sunday School, November 29, 2015      1 Advent C

Learning to Read Signs

Discuss the signs which occur in natural because of anticipating regular cycles.  When one puts a seed into the ground one waits and looks for a little leaf to poke out of the ground.  When one see blossoms then one can expect to see fruit.  There are other sign which we read like when it is cloudy, and when the clouds are dark, it is more likely for rain to follow.  We know that when we see smoke we just assume that it comes from some kind of fire.

Jesus asked his friends to learn to read what was happening in their lives so that they could be prepared to make the right response. 

Some times we need to have special signs, signs given by our laws to keep us from hurting ourselves.  For example, a Stop sign is not a natural sign; it has been invented by people and we use Stop signs to keep people from running into each other in their cars.

The Bible is a book of signs.  It gives us lots of “Stop,”  lots of “Don’t do this”  signs, and lots of “Please do this” signs.  Why?  Because the Bible is a book to help prepare us to live our very best.  It is a book that gives us the signs of how we are to treat each other.  It is a book of warning about what can happen to us if we don’t follow the signs for living a good life.

When we go to school we often have to face Judges.  The Judges at school are the tests that we have to take.  The tests show us how much we learn or did not learn.

Jesus said that we will all have to face a Judge in our lives.  He called that Judge the Son of Man but his friends knew that Jesus was also the Son of Man.  If we have a good relationship with Jesus as our Judge and are always learning from him, then we will not have to fear Jesus because we know that he will be a loving Judge who will only want us to work at getting better.

Let us begin the season of Advent by learning to read the signs for how we can live better lives.  And let us know that we are always getting ourselves ready to meet the very best Judge of life, Jesus as the Son of Man who we know and love and who we are delighted to perform the deeds of our lives for.

A Sermon

  Jesus said, "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.” 

  Jesus told his friends that they needed to learn how to read signs.

  There are natural signs and there are signs that we make.

  What is the red sign that has 8 sides on the road?  What does that sign mean?

  There are natural signs too.  What do dark clouds and wind mean?  What does smoke rising in the air mean?  What does the changing of the color of leaves mean?  What does it mean when leaves have fallen off the tree?

  How do you learn to read signs?  You look and watch and when you see it happen over and over again, you learn.  You also learn from your teachers and parents how to read signs.

  There are also signs that we have to learn to read when we are with each other.  For example, what might happen if we say something that is not nice to someone?  It might hurt their feeling.  It might make them cry.  What happens if you push or hit someone?  It might hurt them.

What happens if you eat twenty candy bars all at once?  You will get a sick tummy.

  So we have to learn to read the signs of how to live good lives.  We have to learn the signs of living bad lives, so we can learn to live better.

  God gave us the 10 commandments as a sign of how to live a good life.  And if we don’t follow these signs, we can get into lots of trouble.

  We are in the season of Advent, the first season of the Christian year.  The season of Advent is season of preparation.  It a season of learning how to read the signs of God in our lives.

  Jesus Christ is the greatest sign of God to us.  He was given to us to show us how to live.  During the season of Advent, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ and to look forward to future coming again. When we see love and kindness, we can be sure that we are reading the sign of the presence of Christ in this world.  Let us learn to read the signs of God’s presence in our world, so that we can avoid making some serious mistake.  If we learn to read the sign of God in our lives, we can avoid making some serious mistake.  Let us during the season of Advent learn to read the signs of God in our lives.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November 29, 2015: The First Sunday of Advent

Gathering Songs: Light a Candle; Prepare the Way of the Lord; Eat this Bread, Wait for the Lord; Soon and Very Soon

Lighting of the Advent Candle: 

Song: Light a Candle

            Light a candle for hope today, Light a candle for hope today, light a candle for hope today.              Advent time is here.

            (Sing twice)

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.

Song: Prepare the Way of the Lord (Renew! # 92)

Prepare the way of the Lord.  Prepare the way of the Lord, and all people will see the salvation of our God. (sung as a canon)

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 25

Show me your ways, O LORD, * and teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation;

in you have I trusted all the day long.

Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.

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 Luke

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

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

People:            And also with you.

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

Song: Wait for the Lord, (Renew # 278)

Wait for the Lord, his day is near.  Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.

 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.  Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that might 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: Eat This Bread , (Renew # 228)

            Eat this bread, drink this cup.  Come to me and never be hungry.  Eat this bread, drink this cup,

            come to me and you will not thirst.

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: Soon and Very Soon, (Renew # 276)

Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king; soon and very soon, we are going to see the king; soon and very soon we are going to see the king.  Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the king.

No more crying there, we are going to see the king; no more crying there, we are going to see the king; no more crying there, we are going to see the king.  Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the king.

No more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king.  Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the king.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Translating Christ the King to Those Skeptical of Monarchs

Christ the King Cycle B  Proper 29 November 22, 2015

2 Samuel 23:1-7  Psalm 132:1-13, (14-19)

Revelation 1:4b-8  John 18:33-37

   Lectionary Link

  Preaching on biblical readings requires another level of translation which not everyone is willing to do.  Obviously, we do not read the Bible in public in their original languages of Hebrew and Greek, we read them in English translation.  But more than language translation has to occur when we try to teach and preach from the Bible.  We not only have to bridge the language difference, we have to bridge the incredible differences in the details of ancient cultural practice.  There is a great difference between ancient and modern cultural practices; but what are the universal principles for which we can find correspondences between biblical contexts and our modern situation?  Sometimes ancient religious ideas create irony for modern people who find such ideas to be obsolete, if not downright cruel.
  The notion of king and the form of government known as monarchy is foreign, particularly to us as Americans.  Our very form of government is based upon getting rid of the notion of kings and monarchs.  As Americans, we believe that monarchies are terribly inferior forms of human governance.  Why?  because no one person can be Omni-competent enough to be accorded such a lifetime position of singular power.  Yes, there may be beneficent monarchs but the number of kleptocractic monarchs far out number the good monarchs.  Monarchs usurp a disproportionate amount of the resources of any society or nation.
  So on this feast day of Christ the King, how can we make sense of Christ fulfilling the role of an obsolete political office?  A perfect King seems to us to be an oxymoron; a contradiction.
  People in the time of Jesus did not think much about kings in their lives.  In the history of Israel, we find that for a long time religious leaders such as Moses, Joshua and the Judges were the preferred leaders of Israel.  When the people of Israel came to the land of Canaan, they observed that other nations had kings.  Kings were functional leaders to establish armies and protect their people but for such protection taxes had to be collected and men had to be provided for the armies. The last great Judge Samuel reluctantly anointed Saul as the first king of Israel and this anointing process of making a king was the origin of the notion of the messiah.  Messiah was the receiving of a divine commission for kingly leadership.  Saul failed in his kingship and he was succeeded by David, who became the model for an idealized king.  Israel did not have many good kings; even King David had plenty of faults but since good kings were so few and Israel enjoyed very few years of actual success as a nation, the Davidic kingship created nostalgia for people who had to learn to live under the siege of other world powers.  The legend of David grew into an idealized messiah who could be a divinized human hero leader who could establish deliverance and justice for God's people.
   The notion of the messiah was a rather inexact notion; it was inclusive enough to encompass lots of speculation, and to bring disagreement between those who remain within the practice of Judaism and those who came to know Jesus as the Messiah.
  In the time of Jesus, Caesar was the actual king of the Roman world empire who had surrogate local figures like King Herod to rule on his behalf in Palestine.  One can easily understand how people who lived under occupation for so long dreamed about a great liberator.  And Jesus of Nazareth was not one who came to over throw the rule of the Caesar in Palestine.
  So how can you and I relate to the notion of King and Messiah?  First the notion of King and Messiah are not equivalent.  A messiah is a divinized human person for specific leadership or providential purposes.  Even a figure like Cyrus the Great of Persia was called a messiah because the prophet Isaiah regarded him to be one who providentially allowed for the continuing existence of the Jewish people even though he was a foreign conqueror.
  The Feast of Christ the King is a relatively recent feast.  It was declared by a pope who was wanting to assert the Christian aspiration for the practice of holy justice in the lives of people.  This feast was instituted after the fall of the so-called Christian Tsars and Kings of Russia when atheistic socialism began to sweep Russia because "Christian" Tsars did not practice distributive justice and they were bad enough to bring the Christian belief in God into question.
   We should understand this feast as the feast of Christ the Messiah.  A messiah is different from a king.  Christ as the Messiah can be a very valuable and relevant notion for us today.  Why?  There exists within humanity a universal aspiration for the perfect person and the perfect governmental form for the practice of justice.
  Human perfection and perfect justice always stand before us beckoning us, luring us to surpass ourselves in a future state.  You and I always need to be better.  Human laws and government always needs to get better in approximating the practice of justice.  And this is why the celebration of Christ as the Messiah is valid and relevant to our lives.
  The notion of Christ as the Messiah is still a challenging notion.  It is one thing for us to see the risen Christ in our lives as the model of the perfect person, but what does a perfect society look like?  What kind of biblical model can we find for a perfect society practicing perfect justice?  There is none.
  Jesus told Pilate if his kingdom were of this world then his followers would fight.  For human governance, God relies upon the messianic effect of Christ in the lives of people.  God wants to win people one at  a time and convince each to love one's neighbor as oneself.  To force people to love and practice justice would be a violation of human freedom.  As much as we often wish God would coerce people to be different, the reality of human freedom does not work this way.  God commits the practice of justice to people.  God expects people to be messianic in the way in which they practice justice with each other.  Let us continue to embrace the direction of both personal and social perfectability which is affirmed in our celebration of Christ as the Messiah.  In American language, we continually say that we seek a more perfect union in our practice of justice.
  Today, I confess that I need to be better today than I was yesterday.  Today as a parish, we confess that we need to be better at ministry than we were yesterday.  Today, we confess as citizens that we need to be better in our practice of justice than we have been in our past.  And today as a world community, we confess that we need to be better in the realization of justice in our world than we have yet achieved.  As long as there is the need for personal improvement and improvement in the practice of justice, we will celebrate the feast of Christ the Messiah.  Christ as the Messiah is the one who was given to us by God to set the direction of our calling to perfection as individuals and as those who need to practice social justice in our world.
  Let us always keep the Risen Christ the Messiah before us as a continual calling to our better selves both as individuals and in the more perfect unions of governmental practices toward better justice.  Amen