Sunday School, September 24, 2017 16 Pentecost, A proper 20

Sunday School, September 24, 2017   16 Pentecost, A proper 20

A riddle of Jesus

The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

When a new baby arrives, the baby is the last or latest member of the family.  Everyone is happy when a baby is born.  We put the baby on a pedestal; we celebrate the baby as first in our recognition.  We don’t get jealous about the baby getting the recognition.  Does that mean we love the baby more than other members of the family?  No, of course not.  But the birth of a new baby is special and so we give the new baby special recognition.  Those who are older are respect but also the one who is just born is for the occasion given a “first” place.

This was a riddle that Jesus used to say that even though we are different in age and in many other ways, we still are equal or first in dignity in God’s eye.

When it comes to dignity in God’s eye, everyone is first.  And everyone get opportunity to share the respect of being “first” in dignity in God’s eye.

If only the people who have always been around are “first” in dignity then we will never make room for new babies and others to grow in God’s love and the dignity that God shares with all.

Today, let us be thankful that we are all different; but let us also celebrate that we are equal and first in knowing God’s love and grace.

This is also an American belief:  We are all created equal have the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Long before America was ever a country, Jesus said that the first shall be last and the last first.  This means that equality in difference is an important understanding of the Gospel of Jesus.

Sermon

Text:

  Have you ever said to your mom or dad, “That’s not fair!”  Have you ever said to your friend, “That’s not fair?”

  May be your brother or sister gets to stay up longer than you do or they get to go somewhere with their friends and you say, “That’s not fair.”

  Jesus once told a story about people who cried, “That’s not fair.”

  A man owned a vineyard… What do you plant in vineyards?  Grapes.  And he had lots of grapes that needed to be picked.  So, he hired some workers for a day’s wages, early in the morning to pick grapes, but he saw that he needed more.  So, at 10 o’clock in the morning, he hired some more workers at a day’s wages.  And still he needed more workers.  He hired at noon, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and he hired them all at a day’s wages.

  In the evening when all the grape picking was finished, he gave the workers their pay.  And all the workers got the same amount of money.  The workers who started very early in the morning cried, “That’s not fair.  We worked longer so we should get more!”

  Jesus was trying to teach a lesson to his friends.

  There were some religious people who thought that they and their family had loved God longer than some other people.  They had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David in their family tree.

  They were upset when Jesus said that God was for everyone equally.  They said it was not fair to offer the good news of God to foreigners, beggars and poor people.

  But Jesus said, “God has equal mercy for everyone, for old people, for young people, for people of every shape, size and color.

  God is equally God for everyone, no matter when and where we are born.  In God’s eyes we are all born equal.  That is why in our Declaration of Independence it is written that all men and women are created equal.  Why?  Because God is available to everyone in an equal way.

  I do not possess more of God than you do.  God gives mercy to all of us.

  And so what do we have to do?  We have to accept God mercy and we have to let all people know how merciful and loving God is.

  That is what Jesus came to teach us.

  Don’t you think it’s fair that God is merciful to everyone?

  Let us thank God for God’s love and mercy to everyone today.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 24, 2017: Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Give Thanks, Lord of all Hopefulness, Glorify the Lord, Pass It On

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: Give Thanks  (Renew! # 266)

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the holy one,

give thanks because he given Jesus Christ his Son.  (sing twice)

And now let the weak say I am strong; let poor say I am rich

because of what the Lord has done for us.  (sing twice)

Give thanks.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; 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

Liturgist: A reading from the Book of Exodus

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day….The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"  In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."

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.

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, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, `You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, `Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

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:       Renew! # 174  (gray hymnal)   

1. Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, whose trust ever child-like, cares could destroy: be there at our waking and give us we pray, your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

2. Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe: be there at our labors and give us we pray, your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

3. Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace: be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

4. Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:  be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

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:  Glorify Your Name, (Renew! # 37)

Father, we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth; Glorify your name, glorify you name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Jesus, we love you….

Spirit, we 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: Pass It On, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 177)

It only takes a spark to get a fire going.  And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.  That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone, you want to pass one.

I wish for you my friend the happiness that I’ve found.  You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.  I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me.  I want to pass it on.

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

The Hypocrisy of Being Unforgiving

15 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 19, September 17, 2017
Genesis 50:15-21   Psalm  103:8-13
Romans 14:1-12  Matthew 18:21-35

Lectionary Link

In the Lord's Prayer which translation do you prefer:  Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Or forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.   And why are there different versions?  Someone once said a banker must have been involved in switching from debts to trespasses?  The banker did not want the words "forgive us our debts" being a part of the common language.

Actually there are two Gospel versions of the Lord's Prayer, one in Matthew and one in Luke.  The Matthew version uses the Greek word meaning debt and the Luke version uses the word meaning sin or trespass.  So take your pick.

If we don't like the word debt because it implies some financial or commercial transactions, we still cannot avoid financial metaphors in the Bible.  The parable on forgiveness which we have read today is a parable about the forgiving of a debt.  So, Jesus uses a financial metaphor to illustrate a correspondence with what people owe each other to live together well in community.

One could also say that a financial metaphor defines the main human vocation of humanity.  It is called stewardship.  God created and gave creation to humanity to take care of.  But how can we take care of creation if we cannot attain good stewardship of our own bodies, souls and spirit?  How can we attain stewardship of the material blessing of creation if we cannot attain stewardship of loving and just relationships with each other?

Good stewardship and failure at stewardship sums up the essence of righteousness and sin.  If we do not belong to ourselves but belong to God how can we live with ourselves and others to express God's true ownership of our lives and our world?

The biggest debt in life is the one we owe to God our owner.  God is a very generous owner;  God's give us everything that we have and God only asks that we live in such a way to acknowledge God's ownership claim on our lives.

Our human history indicates that we live selfishly.  In selfishness, we fail to live as though we belong to God.  It becomes the human vocation to learn how to transform our lives of selfish habits to be able to live for God and others.

The liturgy found in the religion of Israel involved metaphors of finance.  What did people bring to the tabernacle, shrines and temples?  Offerings.  And what were the offerings called?  Sin Offerings.  There were a variety of sin offerings tailored to the economic condition of the giver.  A sin offering was for the forgiveness of sin.

The prophets criticize the abuse of the offering system.  They said that God did not need the blood of animals.  God did not need a quid pro quo offering for sin and forgiveness.  What did God want?  God wanted mercy, justice and the care of widows and orphans as the true valid offering.

The religious system of offerings is a good system for religious fund raising and for the maintenance of the clergy and the temple complex, but if the spirit and purpose of the offering is missed, it does not result in the transformation of lives for the good of the community.

The set up for the parable of Jesus is the question by Peter: How many times do I have to forgive my brother?  This is the Peter who would deny Jesus at the time of his trial.  Jesus could have answered, "Well how many times do you want your brother to forgive you?"  Instead, Jesus told the parable about the unforgiving servant.

The parable reveals the hypocrisy of wanting and receiving forgiveness but refusing to offer forgiveness to others.

We know that forgiveness is necessary for a community to be freed from being caught in the dynamic of revenge and pay back, expressed as avoidance and passive aggression.    We also know that forgiveness is very difficult.  So difficult that it seems to be easier to avoid each others when we feel like we been hurt or offended by others.  Avoiding community and running away means that we end up living alone or we keep leaving communities perpetually looking for a more perfect community.

The early church discovered that if the community was to stay together, they had to learn how to practice forgiveness.  This practice is retained in our liturgies in the practice of confession and forgiveness.  In confession, we confess that we have sinned against God and each other.  And we declare God's forgiveness for our sins.  And what follows the absolution of sins?  The passing of the Peace of Christ to each other.

The Passing of the Peace of Christ is when we forgive each other for not being perfect to each other.  We express in our liturgy the spiritual dynamic of receiving forgiveness and offering forgiveness to each other.

My friends, being forgiven and forgiving each other is Gospel living.  This life of forgiveness is the life that Jesus offers to us today.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 17, 2017 15 Pentecost, A Proper 19

Sunday School, September 17, 2017     15 Pentecost, A proper 19

Theme:

Forgiveness.

In the most famous Christian prayer, the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, we say forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

In other translations: Forgive us our sins and we forgive those who sin against us.  Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

What do we owe each other?  We owe each other love and kindness and when we do not pay what we owe, we need to be forgiven.

It is hard to forgive but what makes forgiveness easier is when we need forgiveness ourselves.

The story that Jesus told was about a man who wanted forgiveness for himself, but he would not forgive other people.

Jesus want us to be fair with forgiveness.  As we know that God forgives us, then we copy God’s forgiveness of us by offering forgiveness to others.

Forgiveness is not always easy especially when we hurt each other.

Forgiveness can make broken relationship repaired.  To live in a family and a community we often find that self-interest brings competition and sometimes we hurt each other in our competition.

Like medicine or a band aid on a wound, forgiveness is the medicine that helps us heal the hurt of broken relationship.

Forgiveness is hard which is why we ask for God’s help and grace to help us forgive.  But we need to remember that other people also may find it difficult to forgive us.

To need forgiveness and to forgive makes us seek God’s help for our lives.

Do you see why we pray to God?  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Sermon:

  Jesus told a story about two men.

  One man owed lots of money to the king and he had to pay it back by Friday.  And Friday came, and he did not have the money.  So he begged the King to forgive.  He told him about all of his problems.  And the King had mercy.  So the King said, “You don’t have to pay me back.”

  That man was happy but that same man, went to another man who owed him just a few dollars.  He said to him give me the money now.  But the man said, “I don’t have the money.  My family has been sick and I haven’t been able to work.”  But the man said, “I am going to have you thrown in jail until you pay me the money.”

  When the King found out, he was very angry?  Why?  Because the man who had received mercy, did not offer mercy.

  Jesus used this story to teach a message about forgiveness.

  First God is merciful.  God forgives.  God allows us to continue to live even when we are not perfect, even when we do wrong.  God keeps giving us more time and more chances to learn and improve.

  And because God is merciful.  God asks us to be merciful with each other.

  For a family to be successful, members of the family have to practice mercy.  This means that we have to learn how to say that we are sorry.  This means that we have to be able to accept the apologies of others.

  So too, our church and our schools and in our city and country, we need to have mercy and forgiveness in order to survive.

  Let us remember that God is always having mercy on us, even when we don’t think that we need it.

  Let us remember that there are people who love us and have mercy on us even when we don’t think that we need it.

  So let us remember to have mercy on other people, because we know that we ourselves need mercy.

  Jesus came to teach us about the mercy of God.  God’s mercy means that God loves us, so God keeps giving us many, many chances to get better.  So too, we should help each other be better people by practicing mercy.

  Let us learn this important lesson from Jesus today.  Let us learn to practice mercy and forgiveness.   Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 17, 2017: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah, Forgive Our Sins, Come My Way,  When the Saints

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: Hallelu, Hallelujah (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, because without you we are not able to please you mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 103

For as the heavens are high above the earth, * so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west, * so far has he removed our sins from us.

As a father cares for his children, * so does the LORD care for those who fear 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 Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Peter came and said to Jesus, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, `Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

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:     Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive, (Renew! # 184)

1-Forgive our sins as we forgive, you taught us Lord to pray; but you alone can grant us grace to live the words we say.

2-How can your pardon reach and bless the unforgiving heart that broods on wrongs and will not let old bitterness 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 your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn:  Come My Way, (Blue Hymnal # 487)

Come, my way, my truth, my life: such a way as gives us breath; such a truth as ends all strife; such a life as killeth death

Come, my light, my feat, my strength: such a light as shows a feast; such a feast as mends in length; such a strength as makes his guest.

Come, my joy, my love, my heart: such a joy as none can move: such a love as none can part; such a heart as joys in love.

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: When the Saints Go Marching in, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 248)

O when the saints, go marching in, O when the saints go marching in.  Lord I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.

O when the girls, go marching in,…..

O when the boys, go marching in….

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

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.