Quiz of the Day, May 2017

Quiz of the Day, May 31, 2017

What do Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist and Jesus have in common?

a. they were all prophets
b. they were all Levites
c. they all died tragic deaths
d. they all had marvelous/miraculous births

Quiz of the Day, May 30, 2017

Which saint had the nickname "The Maid of Orleans?"

a. Thérèse of Lisieux
b. Joan of Arc
c. Isabelle of France
d. Genevieve


Quiz of the Day, May 29, 2017

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer provides which of the following instruction for Memorial Day liturgies?

a. celebrate a Requiem for the War Dead
b. use the memorial service found in Book of Occasional Services
c. Use the collect for Heroic Service
d. there is no instruction

Quiz of the Day, May 28, 2017

Which of the following is not true of the "Te Deum?"

a. it is a canticle used in Matins
b. it is a Psalm
c. it is used at a seating of a bishop
d. it is not recited in Advent and Lent
e. it is an ancient hymn of the church


Quiz of the Day, May 27, 2017

In various Judaeo-Christian traditions, who of the following did not have an "Assumption" into heaven?

a. Blessed Mary
b. Elijah
c. Enoch
d. Jesus



a. Quiz of the Day, May 26, 2017

Which of the following in true about Augustine of Canterbury?

a. he was a native of Canterbury
b. he wrote a biography called "Confessions"
c. his mother was named Monnica
d. he was the leader of the Gregorian Mission to England

Quiz of the Day, May 25, 2017

Which of the following are true according to  the biblical presentations of the Ascension?

a. it happened on Easter
b. it happened forty days after Easter
c. it happened on a mountain in Galilee
d. it happened from the Mount of Olives
e. all of the above

Quiz of the Day, May 24, 2017

Which of the following happens on Rogation Days?

a. the crops are blessed
b. the vestments are dedicated
c. the candles are blessed
d. the bee hives are blessed

Quiz of the Day, May 23, 2017

Which of the following once scientist heretic has become a latter day saint for his heliocentric view of the solar system?

a. Johannes Kepler
b. Nicolaus Copernicus
c. Galileo
d. Ptolemy

Quiz of the Day, May 22, 2017

Who was the Epistle of James written to?

a. the church at Jerusalem
b. the 12 Tribes of the Dispersion
c. the elders of the church at Antioch
d. the intended recipient is not listed

Quiz of the Day, May 21, 2017

According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul engaged members of which of the following schools of philosophical thought?

a. Stoics
b. Cynics
c. Epicureans
d. Sophists
e. Platonists
f. Aristotelian
g. a and c
h. b and d

Quiz of the Day, May 20, 2017

Which of the following is not true of Alcuin?

a. he taught Thomas Aquinas
b. he was brought to the court of Charlemagne
c. he was a deacon
d. he was an abbot
e. he is credited with inventing the first modern "question mark"

Quiz of the Day, May 19, 2017

Which of the following is not a biblical use of the word and notion of "Legion?"

a. Legion was the name of the demons in the demoniac of Gerasenes
b. 3-6 thousand soldiers in a division of Roman soldiers
c. 12 legions of angels that Jesus said he could call to save him
d. the number of angels that comforted Jesus after his temptation

Quiz of the Day, May 18, 2017

Which biblical writer wrote the following:  "Some will eat anything while the weak eat only vegetable?"

a. Moses
b. Solomon
c. Paul
d. Isaiah

Quiz of the Day, May 17, 2017

The Gospel of Luke records how many demons came out of Mary, called Magdalene?

a. 1
b. 3
c. 6
d. 7

Quiz of the Day, May 16, 2917

Where is the parable of the seed and the sower not found in the New Testament?

a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John
e. c and d

Quiz of the Day, May 15, 2017

Paul greeted Junia and Andronicus, as friends among the apostles in the letter to the Roman church.  Why is this controversial?

a. because Junia was a woman
b. the church in Rome did not have other apostles
c. Andronicus is associated with the church in Ephesus
d. Junia is a textual error since the Roman church did not have women apostles

Quiz of the Day, May 14, 2017

Mother's Day became an official feast day in the Episcopal Church on what day?

a. August 15, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
b. Presiding Bishop the Rt. Rev. Hallmark Card instituted it in 1953
c. it is not an official feast
d. it is the Rite of the Churching of Women instituted when the 1928 Book of Common Prayer began to be used

Quiz of the Day, May 13, 2017

Which of the following is not usually designated as "Wisdom" literature?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Jonah
d. Proverbs
e. Ecclesiastes
f. Book of Wisdom
g. Sirach
h. Song of Songs (Song of Solomon)

Quiz of the Day, May 12, 2017

Which of the following is not true of Frances Perkins?

a. she is an Episcopal saint
b. she served in the FDR administration
c. she was involved in the establishment of Social Security
d. she was anti-labor unions

Quiz of the Day, May 11, 2017

Who wrote "The Revelations of Divine Love?"

a. Teresa of Avila
b. Hildegard of Bingen
c. Julian of Norwich
d. St. John the Divine

Quiz of the Day, May 10, 2017

In the list of the 12 disciples in the Gospel of Luke, how many pairs of the twelve had the same "first" name?

a. none
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3

Quiz of the Day, May 9, 2017

Which of the following Cappadocian Father was ordained a priest against his will because he was articulate in his defense against the Arian heresy?

a. Basil the Great
b. Gregory of Nyssa
c. Gregory of Nazianzus
d. Peter of Sabaste

Quiz of the Day, May 8, 2017

Lady Julian of Norwich is not regarded to be a saint in which of the following churches?

a. Church of England
b. The Episcopal Church
c. The Roman Catholic Church
d. The Lutheran Church

Quiz of the Day, May 7, 2017

Poimen, pastor, ro-i are the English transliteration for what?

a. king
b. priest
c. prophet
d. shepherd

Quiz of the Day, May 6, 2017

What is not true of the words, mene, mene, tekel, parsin?

a. they were the handwriting on the wall
b. they were words in the Hebrew language interpreted by Daniel
c. they were words in the Aramaic language interpreted by Daniel
d. parsin refers to Persia

Quiz of the Day, May 5, 2017

Which of the following books of the Bible was written to the "elect lady and her children?"

a. Acts, to Theophilus
b. 2 John
c. Philemon
d. Ruth

Quiz of the Day, May 4, 2017

St. Monnica was the mother of what famous saint?

a. Thomas Aquinas
b. Augustine of Hippo
c. Augustine of Canterbury
d. Athanasius

Quiz of the Day, May 3, 2017

The literary source for the common phrase, "the handwritings on the wall" is

a. Shakespeare's King Lear
b. Book of Daniel
c. Jeremiah
d. Amos

Quiz of the Day, May 2, 2017

Which of the following involves a "prophet" and a monarch who goes temporarily "mad" even to living the life of a beast in the fields?

a. Elijah-Ahab
b. Nathan-David
c. Isaiah-Sennacherib
d. Daniel-Nebuchadnezzar


d.Quiz of the Day, May 1, 2017

When Jesus read from the Hebrew Scriptures, "the Spirit of the Lord is upon on me to proclaim good news (Gospel)," what prophet was he reading from to indicate the Hebrew Scripture root for the "Christian" notion of Gospel?

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

The Life of Christ as Mystical Rhythm

 7 Easter Cycle  A      May 28, 2017
Acts 1:6-14        Ps. 68  
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11   John 17:1-11       

Lectionary Link

What happened in  the second and third generation of Christians?  Probably the same thing that happens in any social movement that gains success.  People start to worry about keeping the past events of the origin of the movement alive and well.  Will our children know about Jesus?  Will our children know about Peter and Paul?  Will our children know why the Christian church happened?  The early followers of Jesus adopted a lifestyle and that lifestyle became adapted to the lives of people living in the Roman Empire.

How does one guarantee that the lifestyle of Jesus gets preserved?  Cultural practices and institutions arise to preserve.  The writings of the New Testament are evidence of the church becoming an institution.  Written words last longer than oral tradition; they are preserved in a visible form.  Oral traditions are lost as people die.  Oral traditions are not very precise because stories get slightly changed as they are told in new places and new situations.  But when something is written down, it has a different kind of permanency.  Successful early churches became institutions.  Institutions have programs to teach their mission.  The mission of the church was to transform lives through mystical encounter with the Risen Christ.  The Gospels were writings to teach the mysticism of the rhythm of the life of Jesus Christ.

St. Paul did not see Jesus but he had a mystical experience of Christ and in his experience he believed that he attained an identity with Jesus Christ.  He believed that the life of Christ had been born within him, he believed that he shared in the ministry of Christ, he believed that he was crucified with Christ, he believed that he was raised with Christ, he believed that he had ascended with Christ and was made to sit in heavenly places.  This was the mystical poetry of the language of identity with Christ which is found in the writings of St. Paul.

After the writings of St. Paul about his mystical experience with the Risen Christ, the successful Christian churches, wrote the Gospels.  The Gospels were more permanent than oral tradition in preserving a narrative of the life of Jesus.  But the narrative of the life of Jesus also was presented as a way of teaching the mystical identity with Jesus Christ.  The Gospels are mystical manuals for getting into rhythms with the kinds of activity of Christ in our lives.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem.  Christ is born in us.  Jesus was baptized and he was declared God's beloved son.  We are baptized as celebration of our being children of God.  Jesus ministered and taught.  St. Paul said that he had the "mind of Christ" and so he ministered and taught.  We minister and teach because we believe that we share in the ministry of Christ.  Jesus died on the cross.  Paul said that he was crucified with Christ.  The power of the death of Christ is visualized as spiritual practice of dying to what is unworthy in us.  Jesus rose from the dead and appeared in various ways to his followers.  Jesus still becomes apparent to us,  inside of us and outside of us because we have an awareness of his presence to us.  Jesus Ascended. The appearances of Risen Christ diminished to one final appearance; the appearance of him ascending and leaving the visible world.  What does Jesus do in his ascended and invisible life?  He prays for us.  He intercedes for the life of the world. St. Paul believed that he had been raised and was seated in heavenly places with Christ.  The Ascension of Christ, means that Christ has returned to the invisible life and his original place of glory.  The early Christians believed that the church was successful because Christ had been raised and returned to a place of glory.

Today, we have a long prayer of Jesus which was an oracle event in the community which wrote the Gospel of John.  The early church believed that Jesus was a person of prayer.  They also believed that the church entered into the ministry of the prayer of Jesus because the presence of Christ is in us praying for the life situations that we find ourselves in.

How does the intercession of the invisible Christ work?  I think the intercession of Christ is a beacon of love which is inviting and luring us to be loving and kind.  In a world where God permits so much freedom, what can God do in the midst of the freedom that is allowed in our world?

A loving God, can send out beacons of love to all to persuade us that good is better than evil.

If a loving God will not force this world to be good, what can a loving God do?  A loving God uses persuasion to invite us to use our freedom to be good.  What is an expression of divine persuasion?

Prayer is the highest form of divine persuasion.  In prayer we get involved with the lure of God coaxing the people of this world to be kind and loving.

You and I today are called to get into the rhythm of the life of Jesus.  Christ is born in us.  Christ ministers and teaches in and through us.  We have been crucified with Christ in having been given power to die to what is unworthy in our lives.  We have been risen with Christ to realize the life of the eternal Spirit with us.  We have ascended with Christ because we have been asked to pray that God's will to be done on earth as it is done in the parallel realm of heaven.

What the ascension of Christ means for you and me is the entry into the life of prayer.  We are raised to be in heavenly places with Christ and we are joined with Christ to persuade this world to choose love and kindness.

Today, you and are called to the life of prayer.  Why?  We want our minds and our words to be expressive of desiring the very best for our world.  We in our prayer honor the profound freedom that is in this world. In our prayers we are teaching ourselves to accept ourselves as children of God since Jesus asked that we might be one with the Father.  With prayer we actually practice a living relationship with God.  With prayer, we enter into God loving desire to coax everyone living under the conditions of freedom, to make the choice of goodness, kindness, love and justice.

Let us honor the ascension of Christ today, by entering into the ministry of prayer which we share with Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, May 28, 2017 7 Easter A

Sunday School, May 28, 2017     7 Easter A

Theme:

Jesus Prayed

Have a discussion about what prayer means.  Discuss communication and relationship.

The longest prayer of Jesus in the Gospel is found in the 17 chapter of John.

Who did Jesus pray to?

His Father

Why did Jesus pray?

Prayer is talking and we talk to the people that we want to know.  Talking is how we express our relationship.

What did Jesus pray about?

He prayed for his disciple.  He prayed that his disciples might have the same close relationship with God as Father as he did.

What is prayer?

Prayer is an important indication of our belief in God.  We talk to those whom we believe to exist.  And we have special conversation with our friends.

Jesus prayed and so should we.

What does the Ascension mean?

The Ascension means that we believe that after Jesus Rose again, he went to the parallel place of heaven.  This this place we believe that Christ still prays for us and with us.  When we pray we want to join our prayers with the prayers that Jesus offers for us.

Sermon

  What are some of most important things that happen in a baby’s that let us know that the baby is growing up?  What about when the baby starts eating cereal and vegetables?  What about when the baby starts to shows some teeth?  What about when a baby starts to crawl? What about when a baby starts to walk?  And one of the most special things is when a baby starts to talk.  And what is the first word that a baby says?  Well all fathers know…a baby’s first word is Da Da.  Or at least that is what we hear.  Moms and brothers and sisters and grandparents may hear something else.

  And why is it important that a baby talks?  Because we can know our baby and our children better when they talk.  When a baby cannot talk and is just crying; we don’t always know why a baby is crying?  Is a baby tired, or hungry, or sick or does he need his diaper changed or is the baby just sad?

  But when a baby and child can talk, we can ask the baby what she wants.  We can ask her if she has a tummy ache.  And when a child can talk we can know more about a child.  So when a child talks to us

it is a great thing for us.

  Did you know that God likes us to talk too?  And when we talk to God, we call that prayer.

  Jesus was God’s Son.  And Jesus talked to God, his Father.  And we have read a part of the prayer of Jesus to his Father today.

  Jesus talked with his Father about things that made him happy.  He thanked his Father.  And he asked for some special favors from God for his friends.

  Your mom and dad and family are very happy when you talk to them.  When you tell them how you feel.  When you tell them that you love them.  When you ask for help.  When you thank them.  When you tell them about the fun you are having.  When you tell them why you are sad.

  God is our Father too.  And God likes for us to talk to him.  When we talk to God with our prayers, we a growing up in the big family of God.  When we talk to God with our prayers, we are showing that we are a part of this large family of God.  And if we act like we are member of this big family of God, then we will treat everyone as a special brother and sister.

  Just as our parents are happy when we first started talking to them.  So God is happy when we talk to him.  That is what Jesus showed when he prayed to God his Father.

  We come to church on Sunday to prayer together and talk to God.  And we do this to remember that we can talk to God anywhere.  We don’t have to be in church to prayer.  We come to church to remember to pray.

  Can you remember to prayer?  Talk to God.  If you do that you can be sure that God is very happy to hear and listen to you.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

May 28, 2017: The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah!;  Majesty!, Father, I Adore You; Awesome God   

Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

People: The Lord is Risen Indeed.  Alleluia.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: Hallelu, Halleluah  (Christian Children’s Songbook,   # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord.

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord!  Hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!  Hallelujah! 

Praise ye the Lord!  Hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Peter

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 68

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; * let them also be merry and joyful.

 

Sing to God, sing praises to his Name; exalt him who rides upon the heavens; * YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.  "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. "

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 Song: Majesty, (Renew # 63)

Majesty, worship His majesty.  Unto Jesus be all glory, honor, and praise. 

Majesty, kingdom authority flow from His throne unto His own;

His anthem raise. 

So, exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. 

Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King. 

Majesty, worship His Majesty; Jesus who died,

now glorified, King of all kings.

                           

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Father I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)

Father, I adore you, lay my life before you.  How I love you.

Jesus, I adore you, lay my life before you.  How I love you.

Spirit, I adore you, lay my life before you. How I love you.

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: 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)

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

An Unknown God or an Ignored God?

6 Easter a         May 21, 2017 

Acts 17:22-31       Ps. Ps. 66  

1 Peter 3:13-22     John 14:15-21               

Lectionary Link

At the Arlington National Cemetery there is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The unidentified remains of fallen soldiers are buried there.  So we know that the soldiers actually lived and fought in battles but in the days before DNA identification their remains could not be identified.

When St. Paul went to Athens he found himself in conversation with philosophers who were Epicureans and Stoics.  And as a good tourist in Athens, St. Paul visited the Areopagus on Mars Hill to visit the famed sites.  If you go to Athens you have to visit the Parthenon, right?

Among the statues on Mars Hill, St. Paul focused upon an particular altar with an inscription: To an unknown god.  What is this?  Is this a philosophical joke?  Was there a god who was lost in action and became unidentified?  Didn't this unknown god have a story?  The other gods and goddesses of the Greek had the myths that were well known in the writings of the poets.  How could there be an unknown god?

Since the Greeks were always seeking something new, maybe this was an altar to the god who still might be revealed and known.

Whatever the origin of this altar, St. Paul took the opportunity to share something new about God as God became known in Jesus Christ.

St. Paul told them that their poets had an important insight when they wrote that human beings were divine offspring.

This is in agreement with the Genesis story: Adam and Eve were offspring of God, made in the divine image.

If men and women are offspring of God, then something of God must be hidden within humanity.  What is it within humanity that can allow us to discover God?  What is it within us that allows us to be able to say that we know God?

Since humanity has scripture, has writing and since we have use language, this trait is the strongest point of likeness with God.  In the Gospel of John, it is written that Word was in the beginning of human experience as we know it and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  But Word also came to define the entire material world.  The Word was made flesh and dwelled with us.  This is the confession about Jesus Christ.  He was God's Word being made human experience in such a way that image of God could become known to us in a very special and particular way.

How is it that something remains unknown to us?  Something remains foreign to us unless it is translated into our experience.  God can be present and remain unknown unless someone can translate the meaning of God to us.  St. Paul wanted the people of Athens to know that Jesus Christ was the person who was cosmically bi-lingual.  He spoke the life of God and he knew and spoke the words of human experience.  So in Jesus Christ, the life and identity of God became known in a new and special way.  Jesus Christ translated the life of God into human experience, and what did Jesus translate to us about God?

Jesus Christ affirmed that men and women are indeed God's offspring.  We are God's children and because we are God's children, we can discover our divine likeness.  And when we do, we will never feel like abandoned orphans.

Jesus told his friends, You are not orphans.  You are still children of God who is present and known even when you can't see God.  Why?  The likeness of God has arisen in you as an inner Advocate.  This inner advocate is a coach, a distiller of peace and one who affirms and comforts us.  When mom and dad leave their the baby in the next room, it does not mean mom and dad are absent from the baby.  The love and caring presence of parents follows a child everywhere.  So too, Jesus encouraged his friends to discover and enter into a relationship with this inner Advocate, the Holy Spirit who is the continuing presence of God in each person.

And what do we say to children who are struggling with relationship?  Use your words.  Your words create meaning, understanding and relationship.  Our words are our spirits and they are our life and so we need to use our prayer words to discover and understand our relationship with God who can be known within us as an inner Advocate.  Love is to be our practice with God and each other.  And how is love best known?  By keeping the commandments.  Commandments are not just arbitrary rules written in words; the commandments are the body language of love and justice.  What does love look like in practice?  It looks like the behaviors of love and justice.  Keeping commandments is making the Word of God flesh in the actual behaviors of our lives.

Is God unknown to us today?  If God is an unknown God for us, it probably means that God is the God who is ignored by us, because we don't want to bother to know.

Do we have God locked into the unknown status in our lives?  Is God unknown and ignored by us.  If we do, then we have not activated the likeness of God that can be found, known and practiced in our lives.

You've heard the expression, "It takes two to tango."  In our relationship with God, it takes two willing parties.  St. Paul and Gospel writers tell us that God is a very willing party to know us and God sent the "bi-lingual" Jesus to introduce us to a meaningful knowledge of God.

Let us read the Gospel as an invitation to develop a meaningful knowledge of God as it has been lived and shown to us in the life of Jesus Christ.  Amen.