Sunday School, January 24, 2016 3 Epiphany C

Sunday School, January 24, 2016      3 Epiphany C

Theme: Explore the meaning of Gospel

What does Gospel mean?

Gospel is the name for the type of writing in the first four books of the New Testament:  The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

Gospel is an English word which is a translation of a Greek word found in the New Testament.  The Greek word means, “Good News.”

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are called Gospels, because they are “good news” about the life of Jesus Christ.

The word Gospel was also used in the Prophet Isaiah.  The book of Isaiah is found in the Old Testament, the first part of the Christian Bible.  The Old Testament is the Bible for the Jewish people and for them it is the Hebrew Scriptures.

The prophet Isaiah used the Hebrew word, “basar” which means in English “Good News.”

Jesus used to go to the gathering place of the Jews called a synagogue.  And he read from the Law and the Prophets and the other Hebrew Scriptures.  One day he read in the synagogue this from the Prophet Isaiah:   "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ,because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 

When Jesus read this, he preached a sermon and he told all of his listeners that what he had read from Isaiah was what his work was in this life.  Jesus had the Spirit of God on him in a special way.  He told poor people good news and gave them hope.  He taught people how to get out of the prison of their sins.  He healed the seeing of people by helping them to see good things in their lives.  He came to free people who were mistreated.  He came to tell people that God wanted to do something special for them.

Can you and I be like Jesus?  Can we discover that the purpose of our lives is to learn how to bring good news to people?

Remember the Gospels are not just books in the Bible.  Gospel means good news.  Jesus came to show us how to discover good news for our lives and then we learn how to tell other people good news for their lives.

A Children’s Sermon on Good News.

Are you a person who likes to tell good news?  How would like to be the person who gets to say to someone, “You’ve won a prize!  You’ve won a million dollars!  It is fun to tell the good news.

  How would you like to be a doctor who tells patience:  You’re all better now.   You’re healed!

  How would you like to be the person who goes to a corral of wild horses and opens the gates and lets them go free to run into mountains where they like to run and play?

  How would you like to tell people:  Today is a good time in your life, because God is close to you and wants to bless you?

  One day Jesus went to the synagogue in his hometown.  Can you say synagogue?  That is the place where people gathered to worship and learn about God.  Jesus read from the Bible.  He read about a person who told good news; he read about a person who healed other people; he read about a person who let people who were locked up, go free.  He read about a person who told people that God was close to them in their lives.

  And when he read those word in the Bible, he knew that is what he was doing this in his own life.

  What does Gospel mean?  It means Good News.

  There are lots of bad things that can happen to us.  There are lots of sad things that can happen to us.  And it is easy for us to just look at bad things and sad things.  And when we do that we can get fearful and we can worry a lot.

  But even when bad things happen and when sad things happen, we need to practice and look at all of the good things in our life.  It is sad to be sick; but it is very good that we have parents and friends and doctors to help us when we get sick.

  So we have to practice looking at the good things in our life.  And what happens when we practice looking at the good things of our lives?  We begin to be able to give people good news.  We help other people look at the good news of their life too.

  Jesus came to tell us Good News about God and God’s love for us.  And Jesus wanted everyone to discover good news in their lives so that they too could tell good news to other people.

  We come here to praise God and thank God, because we are practicing the ability to find and see the good news in our lives.

  And if we can find the good news in our lives, then we will help other people find good news in their lives too.

  Jesus came to bring us good news.  And he wants us to find good news and then share good news with other people.  And you know what?  It really feels good to share the good news with others.  It is like sharing a wonderful secret.  Can you share some good news this week with your family and friends?  Let’s try.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 24, 2016: The Third Sunday 3fter the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Glory be to God on High, Awesome God, I Come with Joy, May the Lord Bless

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: Glory Be to God On High (The Christians’ Children Songbook, # 70)

1          Glory be to God on high, alleluia. Glory be to God on high, alleluia.

2          Praise the Father, Spirit, Son, alleluia.  Praise the God Head, Three in One, alleluia.

3          Sing we praises unto Thee, alleluia, for the truth that sets us free, alleluia.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 19

1  The heavens declare the glory of God, *  and the firmament shows his handiwork.

2  One day tells its tale to another, * and one night imparts knowledge to another.

3  Although they have no words or language, * and their voices are not heard,.

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, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.  When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Offertory Hymn: Our God is An Awesome God, (Renew # 245)

Our God is an awesome God,

He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love,

Our God is an awesome God.

(Sing three times)

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

The Prayer continues with these words

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: I Come With Joy   (Renew! # 195)

1.         I come with joy a child of God, forgiven, loved, and free, the life of Jesus to recall, in love laid down for me.

2.         I come with Christians, far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s communion bread.

3.         As Christ breaks bread, and bids us share, each proud division ends.  The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends.

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: May the Lord (Sung to the tune of Eidelweiss)

May the Lord, Mighty God, Bless and keep you forever, Grant you peace, perfect peace, Courage in every endeavor.  Lift up your eyes and seek His face, Trust His grace forever.  May the Lord, Mighty God Bless and keep you for ever.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

  

Sign as Seeing with Eyes of Faith

2 Epiphany c          January 17, 2016 

Isaiah 62:1-5         Psalm 36:5-10       
1 Cor. 12:1-11      John 2:1-11       

Lectionary Link

Can you ever look at this picture and see a duck?  And then you look at the same picture and then you see a rabbit?  Of course you can.  I have given you a copy of the famous duck/rabbit picture.  How many you can see the duck?  How many of you can see the rabbit?  The picture is one of a duck and a rabbit at the same time, but you only see either one at a time.  What is the switch in our brain which tells us that it is a rabbit?  What is the switch in our brain which tells us it is a duck?

I have provided you with another picture.  It is a picture of a glass of water.  And we can see the glass of water in two different ways.  If a person is very optimistic and positive what kind of glass of water does a person see?  A person sees a glass of water as half full.  And if a person is pessimistic and negative, then a person might see the glass of water as half empty.  So people might see the very same thing but describe the same in completely different ways.  If I see the glass as half empty, how can I switch to see the glass as half full?  How can I have a switch inside of me which will allow me to see the glass as half full?  Because if I can see the glass as half full then I will act differently than if I see the glass as half empty.  If I can only see things as being bad or lacking in my life I act differently than if I can see things as being good and hopeful?  How can I make a switch in how I see the world so I can live and act with hope?

Today I would like to speak about a faith switch that all of us can have which allows us to see what happens in our lives in different ways.  In the Gospel of John, the writer calls this faith switch the Sign of Christ.

Today, we have read a story about Jesus when he went to a wedding.  His mother Mary must of been helping to serve at the wedding of one of her friends because when the host told her that they were running out of wine, she went to her son Jesus and asked him to solve the problem.

For Mary the glass was half empty.  "Oh no, it is so embarrassing for my friend's family because we are running out of wine at the wedding."  Well, we know what happened.  Mary and the disciples of Jesus knew that with the presence of Christ, the glass was half full.  And they were happy when they turned their problem over to Christ.  The presence of Christ created a sign and the sign was an intervention inside of their hearts which turned on their faith switch and allowed them to see their situation differently.

The writers of the Gospel of John used what is called the Book of Signs in the Gospel.  There are at least seven signs listed in this book of Signs.  And each Sign is a teaching about how knowing the presence of Christ is an intervention in our lives which can help us turn on the faith switch in our hearts and mind.  And when this faith switch is turned on, we can see our lives in a hopeful way and we can act differently

In the book of Signs of the Gospel of John we are shown the situations in life which can make us think that life is bad and threatening.  In the book of Signs we are shown the things in life which can really put us in a bad mood.  What are those things?  Running out of wine at the wedding.  That seems trivial but it is very embarrassing.  The illness of one's child.  That is very frightening for a parent.  The loss of the ability to walk.  That is a great loss.  The loss of one's eyesight.  A really bad tornado on the lake.  A crowd of people caught out in the wilderness without enough food.   And the death of one's brother and friend.  These are the seven situations listed in the book of Signs of the Gospel of John.  And in each of these situations Jesus is seen as one who was able to be an intervening presence.  And the result is that people saw the situation differently.  His disciples and others came to have faith.  They came to have this faith switch turned on in their hearts and mind.  And this faith switch being turned on is the Sign of Christ.

Some people think the Gospels are really about the miracles of Jesus.  But the Gospel of John does not use the word miracle.  The Gospel of John uses the word signs of Christ.  Why is it important to understand the difference between sign and miracle?  For me the true miracle would be a world where we did not run out of wine at a wedding, where children never got sick, where everyone always had strong legs to walk, where everyone could always see, where all of the people of the world always had enough to eat, where storms and earthquakes would not frighten and harm people, and the true miracle would be if our friends and family member would never die.  Why aren't the Gospels about the miracles of Jesus completely changing the world to be a perfect place?

Why?  because the world is already perfect.  How is this world perfect?  It is perfect in freedom.  Freedom means that almost anything can happen and that is what is perfect about this world.  But it also means that because of freedom, some bad things can happen and so that means that this life is a test for us to learn how to live with all of the conditions of freedom.  And what is the best way to live in the midst of all of the conditions of freedom?  The best way to live in a world of freedom is by faith.  And we do this when we can have the Sign of the Presence of Christ to intervene within our minds and hearts and make this switch of faith to see the possibility of hopeful actions within all of the free conditions which happen in our world.

Lots of people believe religion is about trying to get rid of bad and unpleasant things in this world or to just see good things in this world and avoid the unpleasant things in this world.  The Gospel book of Signs within the Gospel of John is not about wishing we lived in a different world.  It is about learning to accept the conditions of freedom in this world and knowing the presence of Christ within our lives to be an intervention to make a switch within our minds and hearts and see hopeful possibilities.  What does a chef do with some really stinky fish heads?  A chef makes some delightfully tasteful soup.

So if life gives you lots of lemons what do you do?  Do you sit around and suck on the lemons and pout about how sour the lemons are?  No, you get water and sugar and you make lemonade.

What is perfect about his world is the condition of freedom.  And learning how to live within the awesome conditions of freedom is the everyday work of our lives.  And to do this best, we need the Signs of Christ.  We need to sense the intervening presence of Christ which allows us to make that switch inside of our hearts and mind and see this world differently and then act in hopeful ways.

This is the dynamic of faith which I find in the story of the water made wine.  It is the dynamic of faith which can happen in you and me as we know the presence of Christ and as we share the presence of Christ to others who need to have a Sign in their lives to help them live within the awesome conditions of freedom in this world.  Let us be thankful for the Sign of Christ to us.  Let us go forth and live as signs of Christ in our world.   St. Paul wrote, that  the way in which we live as signs of Christ is to find and develop and share the gifts of God that we have been given in our lives.  May God give us grace to develop our gifts and becomes Signs of Christ in this world, inspiring people come to faith which will enable them to see and choose toward hopeful possibilities.   Amen.

Sunday School, January 17, 2016 2 Epiphany C

Sunday School, January 17, 2016             2 Epiphany C

Sunday School

Themes

Spiritual gifts.

Have a discussion about the children’s gifts and talents.  Ask them if they all are equally good in everything.  Do they all excel in math? Or football?  Or singing?  Or sewing?  Or dancing?  Or baseball?

Why aren’t all people the same?  Would life be boring if all people were the same?  If everyone only played tubas what other wonderful sounds would we miss.

Remind the children that what we believe about baptism is that God gives everyone different gifts and all of the different gifts are needed to make us a better community and church.

Make a list of all of the things that people can do for the church.  When gifts are used in the church we call this “ministry.”  So everyone is a minister.  But we also do ministry outside of the church to when we go to school or when we are at play.

If we understand that God has given us gifts then we understand that our purpose in life is to serve God as a minister.  And we don’t have to be a priest or pastor to be a minister.  To be a minister means that we use our gifts to serve Christ and to help other people.

The Gospel is about when Jesus and his disciples went to a wedding.  Mary, the mother of Jesus told Jesus that they were running out of wine and she ask him to help.

Jesus told the servants to take jars of water and serve them to the guests.  And when the guests drank they thought that they were drinking the very best wine.

This story is a story about faith.  Sometimes life seems to be like ordinary water; but with faith can sometimes find that there are some extraordinary things within the ordinary.  Faith is the ability to find the extraordinary things within ordinary life.  It means we keep alive within us that wonder curiosity to always being ready to find wonderful things in life.  With the curiosity of faith we never have to be bored in life.  So when some people think that we are just drinking ordinary water, we in our experience can taste something extraordinary and wonderful.

A sermon on gifts

  How many of you received gifts at Christmas?  So you received some new toys and some clothes and many other things didn’t you?

  A long time ago, Saint Paul wrote a letter to his friends and he told, “You have many gifts.  And God has given you many gifts and you are to use those gifts to make your family and community better.”

  And as I look at all of you today, I see men and women and boys and girls who have many gifts.  I am not talking the gifts that you received at Christmas.  I am talking how God has made each of you special and how God has given each one of you different abilities.  Those abilities are what we call gifts from God.  And as we find our gifts and abilities as we practice our gifts and ability, we become better at using our gifts.

  There something else about our gifts.  Different people have different gifts.  Now if you have a gift that I don’t have, should I be jealous?  Or happy?  I should be happy, because we need different gifts and abilities to our community get more done.

  What if a music teacher came to class on the first day, and everyone in the class was a drummer?  If a music class had only drummers then that would be a loud class and only a certain kind of music could be made?

  What if a basketball team had only real tall players who were slow and could not shoot long shots?

  What if a football teams on had 300 pound linemen, and no smaller faster players to run and catch the football?

  God has made us all a little bit different and has given us different abilities and gifts.

  One of the first secrets of happiness in life, is to find our gifts.  Your mom and dad and teacher are encouraging you to try lots of things in life because the want you to find your gifts.  Because if you find what you are good at, then you will be happy.  And if you practice what you are good at, then you also have a wonderful ability to share with others.

  And the second secret to happiness in life, is to use your gift to make your family, and your community and your world a better place.

  And thirdly, all gifts are important.  And you have many kinds of gifts.  When you help clean your room or take care of your pets that does not seem like an important thing.  But all of our gifts are important.  And what is most important is our willingness to use our gifts to make our families and church and community better places.

  Today, I want you to remember that God has given to gifts.  God has given you special abilities to do some wonderful things in life.  But you will not know that you have gifts unless you work to discover them or if you do not share them with the people in your lives.

  Repeat after me:  God’s Spirit has given me gifts.   Help me God to find my gifts.  Help me God to share my gifts with others.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 17, 2016: The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Jesus, Stand Among Us.,He’s Got the World World, Eat This Bread, Shine, Jesus, Shine

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: Jesus Stand Among Us, Renew! #17

1          Jesus stand among us, at the meeting of our lives, be our sweet agreement at the meeting of our eyes; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

2          So to You we’re gathering out of each and every land.  Christ the love between us at the joining of our hand; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

3          Jesus stand among us, the breaking of the bread, join us as one body as we worship Your, our Head.  O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ¹s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 36

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; * you save both man and beast, O LORD.

How priceless is your love, O God! * your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

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.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Offertory Hymn: 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

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.

Children may gather around the altar

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

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 may 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: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: Eat This Bread, (Renew!  # 228)

Eat this bread, Drink this vup, come to me and never be hungry.  Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in 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: Shine Jesus, Shine (Renew!,  # 247)

Refrain: Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory, blaze Spirit blaze, set out hearts on fire.  Flow river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy, send forth your word, Lord, andlet there be light.

1-Lord, the light of your love is shining in the midst of the darkness shining; Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth you now bring us.  Shine on me, shine on me.

Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

b   

God Baptized into Human Experience; We into Divine Experience

1 Epiphany  c       January 10, 2016   

Isaiah 43:1-7                Psalm 29       

Acts 8:14-17       Luke 3:15-17,21-22

Lectionary Link
 Today the Gospel reading invites us to ask ourselves about the meaning of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  In his own time Jesus was not known as the person who became known as Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah and many other titles.  The Gospels were written after Jesus had already become known as the Risen Christ and the followers of the Risen Christ were trying to re-tell the story of Jesus with the knowledge of their own experience.  How does one re-tell the story of Jesus after he has become known in a much different way than how he was known in his actual time on earth?  The re-told story has to become a blend of the past with lots of interspersed clues which indicate that the greatness of Jesus was there from the beginning and it was there even when people did not fully know about it or understand it.
  One of things which we know is that many of the disciples of Jesus had formerly been disciples of John the Baptist.  But we know that all of the followers of John the Baptist did not immediately begin to follow Jesus after John the Baptist had gone.
  Of all of the Jewish sects, the members of the followers of John the Baptist were most likely to be ready to follow Jesus.  The Gospels were written largely with the followers of John the Baptist in mind.  So there had to be an event to show that John the Baptist was handing on the baton of leadership to his successor.  And this had to be shown while showing the highest respect for John the Baptist.
  If Jesus is shown to be a disciple of John the Baptist, then no greater respect could be shown by followers of Jesus than to show John as perhaps a mentor in the life of Jesus.  And so the community of John the Baptist was shown to be the proto-church, the fellowship of people which would later help to form churches both in Palestine and in the cities throughout the Roman Empire.
  John the Baptist, baptized using a water rite and a ritual initiation into the lifestyle which he was preaching.  What the Gospel writers were showing to the community of John the Baptist was that John was so wonderful that many people thought that he could be the messiah.  But John did not believe that he was the messiah;  he did however come into the insights of his life together with a bit younger colleague, Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus was not ashamed of his relationship with John the Baptist; Jesus expressed his complete solidarity with John the Baptist and John's community by requesting that John baptize him in the Jordan River.
  John and Jesus had great mutual respect for each other.  The Gospel writers highlighted this mutual respect as a way to make the case that the community of John of the Baptist could become the community of Jesus Christ without compromising their original allegiance to John the Baptist.
  The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a celebration of the relationship between John and Jesus and a celebration of the members of the community of John who were becoming members of the community of Jesus Christ.
  If we impose upon Jesus in his own time, the later meanings and confessions of Jesus Christ then might tend to see Jesus as only the Son of God and not as a person who was fully in solidarity with humanity.
  The later church confessed about Christ that God emptied the divine life into a very human being and gave up equality of God.  This principle expresses that the life of God which is greater than human life cannot be known by human being unless it becomes completely translated and reduced into human experience and human language so that men and women could know that the life of God was knowable by human beings.
  When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the church understood this to be an expression of God becoming completely converted to humanity.  When Jesus was baptized by John, it was saying that God had completely passed over into human experience.  God was completely humble in being willing to be known in human experience.
  And why did this conversion of God to humanity happen?  And why was this "reverse" baptism of Jesus into humanity proclaimed in the Gospel?
  In the very old theology of the orthodox churches there is a theological principle stated as "theosis" or divinization.   It is stated in this way:  God became completely human in Jesus Christ, so that men and women might attain their divinization.  God became completely baptized into solidarity with humanity so that men and women might realize their baptism into divinity as baptism of the Holy Spirit.
  Jesus is still being baptized today.  God is still being converted completely into the human situations of your life and mine, even in this world with its diversity of blissful delights and terrible messes.  This conversion of God, this baptism of Christ into earthly experience is part of the divine seduction to get you and me to accept a baptism into the life of God which has been planted within us.  It was planted within us as the image of God upon us since creation but that image is so easily lost and forgotten and covered up by being raised in such imperfect environments.  When John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit, he was confessing what the early church believed about the discovery of the birth of Christ within their lives.
  So today, let us rejoice in this intersection of baptisms.  Jesus became baptized symbolizing God in solidarity with human experience, so that men and women could become baptized into the waters of divinity.
  God crossed the waters to arrive completely on the human side of the river in Jesus Christ;  Jesus Christ in turned has baptized us to take us to the other side of the river, the side of the heavenly divine.
  Let us rejoice in this incredible Christian confession in the baptism of Jesus.  God became completed converted to humanity so that humanity might become more and more completely converted to what the life of the divine means for you and me.
  As we remember our baptism today, let us remember that we are on the journey to become more godly while being fully honest about our full humanity.  And let us invite others to be on this journey with us today.  Let us invite others to be baptized and ford the rivers toward the side the heavenly divine.  Amen.

 Today is the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and obviously an occasion to speak about baptism.  And one can think about the question asked by the young child regarding the baptism of Jesus.  Did Jesus become a Christian at his baptism?  There was of course, no Christianity at the time of the baptism of Jesus.  A more relevant question would have to do with the community of John the Baptist.  Did the baptism of Jesus signal a connection between Jesus and the community of John the Baptist?  What was the meaning of the baptism of John the Baptist for all who were baptized by him and what is the meaning of the baptism of Jesus?  What is the meaning of baptism?  In Judaism, there was the practice of proselyte baptism when someone converted to Judaism.  It would be true to say that baptism has accrued meanings and a variety of practices in its history in the religions of the world.

  Baptism involves the use of water, a truly universal substance.  We cannot help but be “water” people, even if we live in the desert.  Our bodies are 50 to 65 percent water,  so getting external water converted into body water is important for our survival.  But our use of water externally is very important too.  For bathing; water is necessary for keeping ourselves clean.  But then there is also irrigation for farming and there are large bodies of water for transportation, not to mention our use of water in our play.

  We also can know water as a threat and it can kill; the flood, the storm and water as a barrier to cross are prominent themes in the Scriptures.  Water can symbolize the Void, the Abyss and the chaotic.

  Living by and with and for water is perhaps a major feature of human life.  It is not surprising that water would be the substance used for our orientation into the community that helps to form our identity.  As humans, we are not technically amphibians; we are voluntary amphibians in that we selective choose how we want to live with and in the water.

  If amphibians are water and land beings, what kind of beings are human beings?  The sweeping biblical cosmology proclaims human beings as land and spirit beings.  Being made of dust and deity sums up the human spiritual psychology.  From dust we have our bodies; from the breath of God’s Spirit we have our interior life of the Word, the life that we call our soul-life.  We live in a physical world and we live in and from an interior world of Word.

  To become fully human means that we discover ourselves to be more than our physical existence; we discover ourselves to be more than our instinctual existence; we discover ourselves to be made to live with the sublime, the uncanny, the wonderful and the awesome.

  In the Christian baptismal rite, we celebrate our birth, our very existence in the two realms of life.  And baptism is always a baptism of repentance; a baptism of education.  In baptism we proclaim that we are not perfect but perfectible; we can always become better.  Perfection always has a future for us.  In baptism we proclaim that we are ready to live towards our spiritual identity with God even while we do not deny our bodies; we bring them along too as the houses to be dwelling places for God on this earth.

  In the baptismal rite we proclaim what our cosmology is; what we believe about God and what we believe about our destiny.  We proclaim that being perfectible is enhanced by the practice of forgiveness.  We proclaim that we can imagine a glorious future of endless possibilities even as we accept daily the limitation of what becomes actual in our lives towards the realization of hope.  In baptism we practice the dynamic interaction of person within community.  As a person who is not isolated we ask the community to teach, inculcate, educate, mark, impress, us with its very best values.  In baptism, each of us says to the community, “move over and make room for me and the gifts that I have to offer.”  In baptism, the community says to us, “Check your ego at the door and let others into your life and join with them to prove that more than be done together than can be done in isolation.”  Baptism is a recognition of this person in community dynamic that defines our entire life. So baptism is not a cute little sprinkling of water on a baby’s head as a photo op for the baby book.  It is a proclamation and a launching of a person into the basic dynamic of life, namely, person within community.

  So how indeed is the baptism of Jesus different than ours?  If Jesus did not become a Christian at his baptism, what did he become, or what do we believe is expressed in the baptism of Jesus?

  The Orthodox Church has an expression: In Christ God become human so that humans might become divinized.  The baptism of Jesus is part of the narrative of solidarity of God with humanity.  Our belief in the incarnation; our belief that Christ is God is the narrative expression of the acceptance of human experience as a valid way for us to come to know the extra-human life of God through God’s Spirit.  In the narrative of Jesus Christ we proclaim that there is a way to live human life like amphibians or as those who live in two realms.  In the narrative of Jesus Christ, we accept the parallel existence of an inner Spirit-Word realm which can flood our physical lives with a quality of living that can only be expressed with words loaded with extreme meaning, words such as love, joy, hope, peace and faith.  And though such experiences that bring us the sublime occasions to use such words can never be fully spiritual, we know that our physical world can be flooded with the Spirit so that we can know an elevation towards hope, love, joy and peace.

  Our lives are fulfilled in the discovery of our being in this world as Spirit and Body. And this discovery has a community narrative in the event of the baptism of Jesus.  The celebration of this event and the practice of baptism provide the occasions for us to remember always our spiritual destiny in life.

  It is not enough to just regard baptism as a church requirement; we need to see the profound meaning that surfaces in the event of the baptism of Jesus and in the practice of the rite of Christian baptism.

  May God grant us grace as we live as persons within community.  May we bless our communities with our gifts.  May we join our gifts with the gifts of other to multiply the possible good outcomes.  May we have the humility to check our egos at the door; and may the community not force upon our lives cookie cutter limited stereo-types of what people should be.  And may God bless us as we endeavor to make creative advances in love and justice in our world.  This is the life of baptism as given to us by Jesus who himself was baptized.  Amen.