Christ Arises as Group Wisdom

14 Pentecost, A p18, September 10, 2017
Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 149

Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20

Lectionary Link

The Beatles sang, "All you need is love."  And St. Paul would agree because long before the Beatles he wrote "Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law....love is fulfilling the law."  But don't try this on the traffic officer who is writing you a traffic ticket.  "But officer, I love you and St. Paul said that loves fulfills the law."   The officer would respond, "If you loved me and others you would not have sped and endangered lives."

Love is an over-used word, and rightly so.  It happens in many forms and we can be skeptical about it until we have the experience of being loved and loving others and then we can agree about the importance of love.  Love is the experience of such mutual regard that it means people know how to behave towards each other and thus fulfills the laws as the rules of right behaviors.

What we also know about love is that we can fail at love.  We can fail to act in ways which honor the best of what mutual behaviors should be.  As much as we might like to romanticize the primitive church as being purer in love than we are because they were closer to the time of Jesus, it is not the case.  The record of the New Testament indicates that they were like us as being all too human with the tendency to fail at love and to sin against God and to sin against each other.

When everything is loving and fun, it seems superfluous to ask if Christ is present.  In love, Christ seems so obviously present that his presence "goes without saying."  But what about when loving behaviors fail?  What happens when the community is messy?  What happens when reconciliation, discipline and reparations are required?  Can the presence of Christ be apparent then?

The appointed Gospel for today is about what to do when love has failed and members of the community have sinned against each other.

The Gospel story we have read today seems to present some historical anachronism.  The word church is found on the mouth of Jesus in a time when the church was not yet in existence.   The Gospels can be seen as presentations of the theology of the early church under the guise of the stories of Jesus.

I would call today's Gospel, a presentation of the body of Christ theology of St. Paul.  St. Paul called the church, the body of Christ.  The church is a mystical corporation.  The historical person of Jesus in his Risen life became a mystical body known in the gathering of people who decided to identify with Jesus and his teaching.  Groups attaining personal identity is a well known sociological phenomenon, whether it is the Marine Corps or America or one's university as one's Alma Mater.  The interior merging of individual identity into a group identity creates the phenomenon of another body or another person.  In a football game, the group identity might be called the Twelfth Man, the home field advantage because of the home crowd.

In the gathered church, there becomes apparent the extra person, the person of Christ.

The Gospel lesson teaches us that the body of Christ is a presence which occurs when the members of the church gather in a situation of church discipline.  When there is community dissent, the help of Christ is needed even more than when loving behaviors prevail.

The Gospel message for us today, is that in the situation of the sins of the community, Christ promised to be present to help bring resolution, discipline and reparations.  But we should be reminded that the presence of Christ is not automatically apparent.  Why?

Every member still needs to be in the right motive for gathering.  What is the right motive for gathering?  Gathering in the name of Christ.  If the members of the community gather for their own egotistical ends or to push their own agenda, then the presence of Christ may not become apparent.  But as hearts are committed to Christ and his love, then the presence of Christ becomes apparent in the group wisdom becoming manifest in difficult circumstances.

Today we are encouraged to gather to experience the presence of Christ, in all circumstances that might arise in our community.  Each of us needs to keep ourselves fixed on Christ as the motive of our gathering and we as members of the body of Christ can learn to take direction from Christ as the head of the body of Christ, the church.

Yes, each of us might stay at home and experience our own personal presence of Christ, but there is something enhanced and different as we gather to realize another kind of presence of Christ in the gathered church.  And it is under these conditions we gather today, to pass the peace of Christ, know ourselves reconciled to each other as we approach the table of the Lord again to realize his presence in the Bread and the Wine event which Jesus commanded us to keep.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 10, 2017 14 Pentecost, A proper 18

Sunday School, September 10, 2017   14 Pentecost, A proper 18

Theme

How is someone present even when they are not seen?

People who love and care for us, who become very important for our lives in how we think, talk and act become so much a part of us that even when we are not with them, we feel like that are with us because they have taught us so well.

Jesus was a person who could not be forgotten.  He made such a deep impression on this friends that even when he was gone and no longer seen, he still seemed to be present.

This is what great people do to us.  They are so great that they never leave us even when we don’t see them anymore.

The friends of Jesus continued to gather after Jesus was gone and no longer seen.  Sometimes they had disagreements but they had a way to solve their disagreements.  What did they do?  They got together and they all thought about one thing: “What would Jesus do, think and say.”  And they believed that when they did this, they could know that Jesus was acting, thinking and saying things through them.  This is presence of Christ that we cannot see but it is the presence of Christ that we can be together.

We know that someone born in America is an American.  Whereever an American or Americans are, then the presence of America is known even though America is too big and mysterious to actually see.

St. Paul called the church, the “Body of Christ.”  When Christians are together, they are forming an expression of the “Body of Christ.”  As the body of Christ, Christians become the presence of Christ in this world even though Jesus left this earth a long time ago.

How can we know that we are a part of the body of Christ and that Christ is still present with us?  When we practice love.  St. Paul says that love is the best expression of keeping the law of God.  When we love, we are being a part of the body of Christ and we help to make the presence of Christ known to other people.

Let us learn to love.  Let us learn to be the body of Christ.  Let us be people who help others know that Christ is still present in this world through us.

Sermon:

  Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

  After Jesus left this world, his disciples and friends worried about knowing what to do.  They worried about who would settle arguments when Jesus wasn’t there.

  But could Jesus still be with them when he couldn’t be seen?

  Can your parent still be with you when you can’t see them?

  When you go to school and are not with your parents, can they still be with you?

  Of course they can.  You can remember that they care for you and you can remember what they have taught you, and so even though you don’t see them, they still are with you.

  When do brothers and sisters usually get into arguments?  When mom and dad are out of the room, right?   When you can’t see mom and dad, sometimes you think that you can do something that you wouldn’t do if mom or dad were in the room.

  What about when the teacher leaves the classroom?  Sometimes students think that can get away with something when the teacher is not there.

  But when mom and dad are gone they are still there…..how many times does the brother or sister say, “I am going to tell mom.  I am going tell Dad.”  So even though mom or dad isn’t there they are still present.

  When the teacher is gone from the classroom.  If a student misbehaves, sometimes another student will say, “I’m going to tell the teacher.”  So even the teacher is gone, the teacher is still present.

   When Jesus left this world, he did not take his presence from his friends.  He told them that he would be with them when they gathered together.

  And Christ has remained with us for a long time.  And every Sunday we gather as brothers and sisters in Christ to remember that Christ is with us.  And we gather to remember how we are supposed to behave and live.  And we remember how we are supposed to care for one another.

  So today we gather and even though we don’t see Christ, we know that he is here.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 10, 2017: The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, Jesus Stand Among Us, Sing a New Song,  

 Liturgist:        Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People:            And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  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: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High (Renew!  # 4)

Lord, I lift your name on high; Lord, I love to sing your praises.  I’m so glad you’re in my life; I’m so glad you came to save us.  You came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay.  From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky; Lord, I lift you name on high!

(Sing three times)

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; 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 of Paul to the Romans

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 149

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song; * sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; * let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Let them praise his Name in the dance; * let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

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.

Jesus said, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

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. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

Offertory Music: Jesus Stand Among Us, (Renew # 237)

1          Jesus, stand among us in your risen power; let this time of worship be a hallowed hour.

2          Breathe the Holy Spirit into every heart; bid the fears and sorrow from each soul depart.

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.  Bless and sanctify us by 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 Hymn:  Jesus Stand Among Us, Renew! #17

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.

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.

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.

 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: Sing a New Song, (Renew!  #21)

Refrain: Sing a new song unto the Lord; let your song be sung from mountains high.  Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing, “Alleluia.”

Yahweh’s people dance for joy; O come before the Lord.  And play for him on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound.  Refrain

Rise, O children, from your sleep; your Savior now has come.  He has turned your sorrow to joy and fill your soul with song.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Paul's Advice for Successful Community

13 Pentecost, ap17, September 3, 2017

Exodus 3:1-15  Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
Romans 12:9-21  Matthew 16:21-28

Lectionary Link

In the letter of Paul to the Roman church or churches, Paul sets forth a standard for community living which is enlightened and profound and difficult.    Remember Rome was a rather large city, perhaps a million people in the time of St. Paul and it covered quite a few square miles of area.  So most inhabitants of Rome probably did not even travel to all of the places in Rome in their lifetime.  We naively may think that there was just one church in Rome, but in fact there would have been many churches in Rome.  When traveling from church to church, even a days journey within Rome, there was a good chance that members from one house church would have been strangers to another church.  There would have been diversity in the churches in Rome depending upon the composition of the membership.  Some would have had a Jewish heritage and much of St. Paul's letter to the Romans deals with how Gentile Christianity was grafted into the heritage of Judaism. 

The standard which St. Paul wrote for the Christians in Rome represents enlightened psychological social, spiritual and emotional maturity.  It involved the expected outcomes of what happens when people learn to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I would like to go through the list and adds some comments.

1-Let love be genuine; disingenuous love is when we expect to get something from others through pretending behaviors.  Genuine love means we love with no ulterior motive.

2-Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; Is there room for hatred in Christianity?  Yes, use hatred energy toward evil deeds, not toward people.  It is an important distinction because we can become so disillusioned with people we can become misanthropic.

3-Love one another with mutual affection.... The best experience of love is reciprocal love.  A community which practices mutual love means that there are enough strokes to go around for everyone.

4-Outdo one another in showing honor.   People who are mature in their emotional intelligence have no problem honoring other people.  Knowing an inward affirmation of one's own gifts and value means that we don't have to be in competition and so we honor the different gifts of others.

5-Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. A sports fan, one who is a fanatic, does not seem to lag in zeal for one's team.  They are ardent; they serve their team.  Just imagine the transformation  of our capacity for zeal and devotion directed in our service to Christ.  If we are not ashamed of sports' zeal, why should we be ashamed of a profound zeal in the service of Christ.

6-Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.   Christian optimism is called hope.  Hope is the continuous vision of a better future.  Hope represent what is not yet actual but what we desire for the benefit of ourselves and community.  Suffering is deprivation of what we hope for.  When we haven't attained what we hope for, we may have to suffer lack.  The response of faith is to persevere in prayer.  Suffering is what can bring us to despair or in faith it can intensify our prayers.  Prayer is the best way to orient ourselves toward what we hope for.

7-Contribute to the needs of the saints; Anyone with a cursory observation knows that needs of people are uneven across the geography of the church.  We know that the Houston area and the Gulf region has saints and sinners who need help.  We know that we could be in dire need someday and so part of the reason for abundance is to have the choice of generous sharing.  We invite all to share toward those in need.

8-Extend hospitality to strangers.  I suspect that the churches in Rome were in the context of significant urbanization.  Where did Christians in the hinterlands of Rome find a place of introduction into the big city of Rome?  They arrived as strangers at the churches and it was hospitality which would allow them to get a start in their new location.   St. Paul was a stranger to Rome and he was welcomed into the churches there.  The Eucharist is an event of hospitality and it should result in being a welcoming and hospitable community.

9-Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.   Blessing and cursing were a part of actual synagogue liturgies.  There was a practice of cursing or putting something like a "liturgical hex" on one's enemies and opponents.  The role of cursing is like the negative repulsion of hating.  One should hate and curse that which is evil but not the people, even if they are the ones doing the evil.  This same spirit is expressed in the beatitudes of the Gospel.

10-Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  One of the highest attainment in human communication is what we call empathy.  Can I be happy when others are happy, or do I secretly pout in jealousy that it isn't happening to me?   Can I feel the sadness of others?  Do I regard my life to be the life of intercession?  Anything that happens to me can happen to others and so everything is an opportunity for prayers of empathy.

11-Live in harmony with one another;  Harmony means having different parts but doing things together with different but not competitive roles.  Melody and unison are fine but harmony is the appreciation of how different parts make better music.  We are better with differences in harmony, than being simply melody or unison.

12-Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; the church is to be classless society.  We all partake of the one bread.  There is no gourmet Eucharist for the people who can afford to pay more.   In our baptismal vows we promise to respect the dignity of all persons.  We should seek out people who are different from us as a way of avoiding haughty separatism.

13-Do not claim to be wiser than you are.  Wisdom is based upon realizing what one does not yet know instead of being overly proud of what one thinks one knows.  We simply know what we know when we know it and we don't need to compare that with what other know when they know what they know.  No one has a corner on wisdom and we should seek collaborative or group wisdom.

14-Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;  situations of revenge perpetuate the seemingly endless cycle of violence.  We seem to be caught in so many cycles of violence in our world today.  Revenge is wasted energy and wasted life.  It is counter-productive to cooperation and creative advance.

15-So far as it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.   Peace creates the stasis and the equilibrium for people to accomplish the most together.  Christ told his disciples, "Peace be with you," and we repeat this in our liturgy to celebrate the reality of being reconciled to each other.

So there we have it; Paul's description of how the church can be expressive of the evidence of God's love, peace, reconciliation, redemption and Holy Spirit.

And how do we live this way?  The early church had the "catch phrase" of the oracle of Jesus Christ, "take up your cross and follow me."  In the identity with the death of Jesus on the cross, we find the power to check our egos at the door and live the truly peaceful life of knowing the presence of the Risen Christ in our midst.

Let us continually look for the power of the cross of Jesus to check our egos and make room for each other to live in the harmony of God's perfect orchestration of us.  Amen. 

Sunday School, September 3, 2017 A Proper 17

Sunday School, September 3, 2017     13 Pentecost, A Proper 17

Theme:

Take up your cross and follow me.

This was a saying in the early church.

Jesus died on the cross so that no one else had to.

The Cross of Jesus was made into a symbol for Christians.

We know that the Swoosh is the symbol for the Nike brand

The Cross is the symbol for the Christian brand.  We make the sign of the cross as a marking to indicate that we belong to Christ.

What does belonging to Christ mean?

It means that we live our lives as a sacrifice.

It means we have the power to say no to our selfish self in order to help and serve other people.

When we take up the cross of Jesus, we are asking for the power of God to control and tame our desire to live and do things just for ourselves. 

Think of examples of sacrifice:

Play video games or feed your pets.

Watch television or help mom with home chores.

Swing all the time or share the swing with a friend who also wants to swing.

Eat all your lunch or share some of it with someone who doesn’t have any lunch.

Sacrifice is the power to say no to yourself so that you can help other people.

This is what “taking up your cross and following Christ” means in our lives.

Sermon:

  In baseball, what does sacrifice mean?  What is a sacrifice fly?  What is a sacrifice bunt?  It is when you purposely make an out, so that another player can advance or score.

  Sacrifice is a word that comes from religion.  It means to offer something to God as an act of respect or worship of God.

  In the ancient time, people thought that God wanted them to sacrifice the life of an animal to help pay for their sins.

  Jesus came to show us the real meaning of sacrifice.

  He lived his life for others.  He gave up a comfortable life so that he could help the poor, the sick, the lonely people, the strangers, the children and the sad.

  So Jesus was a sacrifice for the life of others.  We know that he sacrificed his life for us when he died on the cross.

  And when Jesus said that we are to take up our cross and follow him, he means we are to learn how to live in a sacrificial way.  When we help others we are living in sacrificial way.  That is how we take up the cross of Christ.

  When you pick up your toys, you are helping your mom and dad, because then they don’t have to do it.

  When you help with house work, you are making a sacrifice.

  When you make peace with your brother or sister after you’ve had an argument, you are making a sacrifice.

  When you help others, you are taking up your cross and following Christ.

  Why?  Because God calls us to help each other, and we don’t need to have the attention all of the time, so when we share with others, we are sacrificing.

  A baseball player does not like to make an out.  But sometimes the manager asks a player to make a sacrifice to help the team win.

  Remember that many people make sacrifices for each of us every day:  Soldiers, police, doctors, teachers, moms, dads, grandmothers and grandfathers.  Many people have shared with us to make our lives better.  So too, we need to learn how to share.

  This is a lesson that we can learn from today’s Gospel.  Take up your cross and follow Christ.  And  we can do this by sharing our lives to make the lives of other people better.  Amen.

Family Eucharistic Liturgy

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 3, 2014: The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Lift High the Cross, He’s Got the Whole World,  Eat This Bread, Soon and Very Soon

 Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  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: Lift High the Cross (Blue Hymnal # 473)

Refrain: Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim till all the world adore his sacred name.

1-Led on their way by this triumphant sign, the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.  Refrain

2-Each newborn servant of the Crucified bears on the brow the seal of him who died.  Refrain

3-O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.  Refrain

4-So shall our song of triumph ever be: praise to the Crucified for victory.  Refrain

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and 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 of Paul to the Romans

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 105

Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; * make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him, * and speak of all his marvelous works.

Glory in his holy Name; * let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

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.

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?  "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

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. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

Offertory Song:  He’s Got the Whole World (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 90)

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.

Little tiny babies.  3. Brothers and Sister  4. Mommies and Daddies

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.  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,

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

Eat this bread, drink this cup, 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: Soon and Very Soon, (Renew!  #149)

Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king.  Soon and very soon we are going to see the king.  Alleluia, alleluia, we’re going to see the king.

No more dying there, we are going to see the king.  No more dying there, we are going to see the king.  No more dying there we are going to see the king.  Alleluia, alleluia, we’re going to see the king.

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God!