Sunday School, April 16, 2017 Easter Sunday, Cycle A
Theme:
Life after life
Bring pictures of the same person over the span of their
lives.
Does the person look the same when 15 as at the age of one?
Does the person at 50 look the same as at 20?
How do we know it is the same person?
The person has Self memories. He or she knows that he or she is the same
person at 5 as at 25.
The people who know the person for a period of time know
that a person is the same person at 25 and at 30.
We have DNA and we have fingerprints which stay the same and
so we can be identified as the same person.
The questions today:
Will we be able to recognize ourselves after we have died? Will others be able to recognize us after we
have died?
Answer: Yes, we will.
We change in our appearance as we grow and age in our lives. And when we died we will also change in our
appearance but we will continue to have an appearance on another level of
living, heavenly living. How do we know?
After Jesus died, he reappeared to life. Living people saw Jesus again after he died. The resurrection of Jesus is God announcement
to us that we will be preserved after we die in a wonderful way. This is why we can have hope in our lives
because we know that we will always have a future.
Children’s Sermons:
Easter Sermons for Children
In this sermon, have the entire congregation, one by one
share the Easter Message "Christ is Risen." Make a baton and
write on it the traditions that the church has passed on. This is to
illustrate to the children the transmission of the Easter message for all of
these years.
Sermon One: Passing the Baton in the Great Relay Race
What Christian Feast Day is more important?
Christmas or Easter? They are both very important but Easter is the most
important Christian day of the Christian year. Why? If Jesus had
not come back alive, we would not celebrate Christmas and we would not even
exist as a church
When the resurrection of Christ happened, the friends
of Jesus who saw him alive again after his death began to share the
story. And now that story has been share for about 2000 years. If
the church is about 2000 years old, that means that there has been about 100
generations using 20 years as the average length of a generation. So how
has the message of the life, the death and resurrection Jesus been remembered
for 2000 years? By one parent sharing the message with their children and
their children share the message with their own children.
If we have about 100 people here let us see how
long it takes to share the message. One by one, let’s share the message, one
time for each generation. Let’s see how long it takes to say Christ is
Risen around this entire gathering. Okay start.
But the church has not just passed on spoken
message. We have passed it on in things that we can see and touch and
feel. And so I have made a baton for a relay race and I’ve written some
things on the Baton. The Bible. The Old Testament Stories.
The New Testament Stories. Creeds. Holy Spirit. Water of Baptism. Oil of
Baptism and Confirmation. Fire of Baptism. Bread and Wine of Eucharist.
Prayers for the Sick. Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Lay Persons.
Marriage Rings.
These are things of the church that have been shared
for 100 generations. These things have been passed on from family to
family for 2000 years. And that is why we are here today, because someone
told us the message about Jesus Christ and because the church has passed on the
various things that have helped us to remember that Jesus rose again. And
because the Holy Spirit is inside us giving us the hope that we are going to
live beyond our deaths. And why do we believe that we will live beyond
our deaths? Because Jesus Christ lived beyond his death; he did it to
show us what will happen to us after we die. We will live beyond our
death and we will live with God. That is why this day is such a happy day
and it is why we shout: Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is
risen indeed. Alleluia! Amen.
Sermon Two: The empty Easter Egg
Let me tell you today about an Easter Egg hunt
that took place on Easter Sunday in a church. And the Sunday School
teacher wanted to teach a lesson to the children on Easter Sunday. So Mr.
Jones during Sunday School on Easter Sunday, said to his class, “Today is
Easter Sunday and so we want to do something special. We are going to
have an Easter Egg hunt. I’ve have already hidden the eggs. So
let’s go outside and look. And I want each of you to find only one
egg. And when everyone has found one egg, then we will come back to the
classroom and each of us will open our egg in front of the entire class.
So the entire class of twelve children ran outside to look for the eggs in a
place on the lawn where Mr. Jones had hidden the eggs. One by one each
child found an egg. One child said, “I’ve found my egg.” Another
child said, “Please help me find my egg.” And finally after about 10
minutes each child found an egg. Mr. Jones rang a bell and said, “Come
into the classroom.” And so the children came back into the classroom
each holding an egg. Now these eggs were not real eggs, they were plastic
hollow eggs so that there could be a hidden treat inside of the egg.
When they were seated in the classroom, Mr.
Jones said, “Now one by one we are going to open each egg to see what’s in the
egg. And let me tell you, there is a surprise in one of the eggs and
whoever has the surprise will get something special.”
One by one the eggs were opened. Johnny said,
“I have a dollar bill in mine…I bet I won the prize.” Mary opened hers
and she found some very nice chocolates so she said, “No, these are really the
best chocolates, so I bet I won the prize.” Jimmy opened his egg and he
had a little Lego man so he said, “I think I got the best prize.” Grace
opened her egg and she had a cute little furry bunny rabbit and she said, “I
won!” Gloria opened her egg and found a silver dollar and she said,
“Wow! I hit the jackpot!” Jeremy opened his egg and he found a
lovely ring that fit his finger and it had a red jewel on it, so he said,
“Surely this must be the best prize.” Betsy then opened her egg and she
found a cute little baby chick, and she was thrilled because she knew she had
won. Todd opened his egg and found a shiny whistle and he blew the
whistle because he thought he had won. Everyone who heard the loud noise,
said, “Stop blowing the whistle, it hurts our ears.” Joey opened his egg
and he found a little race car…just what he wanted, and so he believed he was
the winner. Margaret opened her egg and she found a cute little teddy
bear and she was happy. Harry opened his Easter Egg and he found a
porcelain little Dalmatian. And he just loved those spotted dogs.
And then there was only one person and one egg left to open and it was Lucy’s
egg. Everyone said, “Hurry and open it let us see.” But Lucy got
very shy and so she hid her egg under desk so that no one could see her open
it. She looked down as she opened it and when she got it opened, her face
turned red and said. Everyone shouted, “What did you get Lucy? Did
you win? What did you get?” And Lucy looked up and said, “I lost…I
did not get anything…my egg is empty.” And the children laughed at her
and said, “Mr. Jones really played a joke on you.”
Then the children asked Mr. Jones, “Tell who won the
best prize?”
And Mr. Jones said, “Children, Lucy won the best prize
and so she get this special prize, a new Bible.” The children said, “Why
did Lucy win? Her egg was empty?”
Mr. Jones said, “Today is Easter. And when
the women went to the tomb of Jesus what did they find?” They found that
the tomb was empty and because it was empty they were winners, because that
meant that Jesus was still alive.
And so Lucy’s egg was empty. And she wins the
prize on Easter to remind us that the empty tomb of Jesus means that Christ is
alive and that he is still with us today.
So as winners today let us be happy about the
empty tomb of Jesus. Let us say, Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The
Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
April 16, 2017
Gathering Songs:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Give
Thanks; I am the Bread of Life; Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today
The Return of Alleluia out of
Lenten Hibernation
Bringing Back Alleluia from
Lenten Hibernation
Song: Alleluia, Alleluia,
Give Thanks, Hymn # 178, in the Blue Hymnal
Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia,
give thanks to the Risen Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia, give praise to his Name.
1-Jesus is Lord of all the
earth. He is the King of creation. Refrain
2-Spread the good news o’er all
the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. Refrain
3-We have been crucified with
Christ. Now we shall live forever. Refrain
4-Come, let us praise the
living God, joyfully sing to our Savior. Refrain
Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is
Risen.
People: The Lord is Risen
Indeed. Alleluia.
Holy Noise!
Liturgist: Oh God, Our hearts
are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide
nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our
minds to love you and worship you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Liturgist: The Lord be with
you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty God, who through your
only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of
everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's
resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Litany of Praise: Alleluia
(chanted)
O God, you are Great! Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself
known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us
with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a
Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our
sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son
Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A reading from the Letter to
the Colossian Church
If you have been raised with
Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right
hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in
glory.
The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together
from Psalm 118
The right hand of the Lord has
triumphed!* the right hand of the Lord is exalted! the right hand of the Lord
has triumphed!"
I shall not die, but live,* and
declare the works of the Lord.
On this day the Lord has
acted;* we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to
God! (chanted)
Litanist:
For the good earth, for our
food and clothing. Thanks be to God!
For our families and friends. Thanks
be to God!
For the talents and gifts that
you have given to us. Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks
be to God!
For health and for a good
night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks
be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks
be to God!
For the happy events of our
lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the
birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!
Liturgist: The Holy Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory to you, Lord
Christ.
After the sabbath, as the first
day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending
from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was
like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards
shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be
afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not
here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and
indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my
message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and
ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And
they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to
them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they
will see me.” 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 with you always.
People: And also with you.
Anthem:
Doxology
Praise God from whom all
blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly
host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the Eucharist.
Jesus said, “Let the children
come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family
by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of our
birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and
sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the
special meal that Jesus gave to his family 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 good and right so to do.
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 & 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 neighbors.
On the night when Jesus was
betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his
friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do
this for the remembrance of me."
After supper, Jesus took the
cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my
Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the
forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of
me."
Father, we now celebrate the
memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are
telling the entire world about the life, death, resurrection of Christ and that
his presence will be with us in our future.
Let this holy meal keep us
together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus
Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and
daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and
in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now
and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ
has taught us, we now sing,
Our Father (Sung): (Renew #
180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven:
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be
done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in
heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily
bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts:
Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors:
Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation:
Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil:
Hallowed by thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power,
and glory: Hallowed be thy name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be
thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be
thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen:
Hallowed be thy name.
Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant: Alleluia! Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore let us
keep the feast. Alleluia!
Words of Administration.
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: Jesus Christ is
Risen Today! (Blue Hymnal # 207)
1-Jesus Christ is Ris’n today,
Alleluia! Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia! Who did once upon the cross,
Al-leluia! Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
2-Hymns of praise then let us
sing, Alleluia! Unto Christ our heavenly King, Alleluia! Who endured the cross
and grave, Alleluia! Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!
4-Sing we to our God above,
alleluia! Praise eternal as his love, alleluia! Praise him, all ye heavenly
hosts, Alleluia! Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Alleluia.
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in
the Name of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
People: Thanks be to God!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
