Law As Ownership Contract

18 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 22, October 4, 2020
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19
Philippians 3:4b-14   Matthew 21:33-46



We know what an absentee landlord is.  It is an owner who wants to collect rent but seems to be rather lackadaisical in showing interest in the property and the property owner.  What can happen with an absentee landlord?  A tenant with an absentee landlord might be tempted to practice the folk belief that "possession is nine tenth of the law."

An absentee landlord seems to be a rather ironic metaphor for God so we might want to unpack some insights for how it is used in the parable of Jesus.

In what way could God be represented as an "absentee landlord" of the world?  This presentation of God shows what I would say how God accepts divine weakness.  What is divine weakness?  Divine weakness is the permissive freedom of God.  God will not over turn real freedom in this world.  So God is the owner and landlord of the universe but in freedom God allows human tenants to be in arrears in their rent.  God allows tenants to usurp ownership rights.  The recent events in our world is proof of a God who values freedom more than direct intervention and interdiction in the affairs of nature and the behaviors of human beings.

God has sent messages through prophets and sages to try to collect rent as a way for earthly tenants to acknowledge divine ownership.  But when God accepts weakness as permissive freedom, the tenants of the world have the freedom to pretend that they can deny God's ownership and even try to usurp ownership rights.

Even religious people have permission to pretend that they are the official gatekeepers of the property and they have the freedom to keep people out of a covenant with God.

What is the ancient biblical contract?  It is the covenant with God recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.  And the most succinct and chief statement of the covenant is what is called the Decalogue or Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are articles of the rental agreement of this world for humanity.  Honor God as the owner of the universe.  Don't give ownership to others or create replacement gods.  Honor this contract with God by giving God worship time, a Sabbath.  Don't use God's name in the wrong way by misrepresenting God as belonging only to you and your club.  And if you honor God then you will also be good stewards of relationships and possessions.  Honor the family of parents and spouses who make vows.  Honor truth and honesty; don't lie.  Protect and value life.  Respect the property of others.   Be content by not desiring what other people have.

This is the basic covenant or renter's agreement with God as the owner of the universe.

The early Christians were a community that disputed the ways in which the members of synagogue were representing God because they believed that some religious leaders were saying you could only know God's favor if you kept all of the purity rituals of Judaism.  The early Christians were saying, just love God and your neighbor as yourself.  Failure to keep dietary rules, quarantine rules, purity rituals and circumcision rules should not exclude persons from the kingdom of God.  The message of Jesus Christ had found a great following among the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders who followed Christ believed that the ancient covenant of God with the Jews permitted the innovation of allowing Gentiles into the covenant without obeying all of the ritual purity laws.  They said it was enough that the Gentiles had the Holy Spirit and kept the basic Ten Commandments.  

This disagreement over who could claim the covenant with God is illustrated in the parable of the usurping tenants.

St. Paul confessed that he had misrepresented God when he persecuted the followers of Jesus.  And when he converted he became the architect of the church for Gentile Christians.  When the Gospel of Matthew was written, the Temple had been destroyed, the cornerstone was gone.  For St. Paul the new Temple was the body of Christ, the church,  and Jesus Christ was the chief cornerstone of the new building of people who would bring the new covenant of Jesus Christ to the cities of the Roman World.

So what is the Gospel for us today?  We are reminded that God is the owner of the world and we are God's stewards.  As tenants, we need to pay our rent.  What is our rent?  We need to find devotional ways to indicate that God is our owner.  We need to find ways to offer a sacrificial portion of our time, talent and treasure to the values that we understand to be honest to Christ.  We hope that you regard your ministry at St. John's to be a part of the way that you honor God as the owner of your life.

Next, we need to remember not to misrepresent God and who God's belongs to.  Lots of religious groups are built upon rules of exclusion, as if, God could be limited to such rules of exclusion.  Let us be generous to offer the love of Christ to all, just as Christ has been generous to us with grace and forgiveness in our own lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 8, 2017 18 Pentecost, A proper 22

Sunday School, October 8, 2017    18 Pentecost, A proper 22

Theme:

Laws and Rules

Why do we have them?

What kind of rules do we have?

For the Highway?  For our family?  At school?  In our games?

There are many rules.

What is the most popular set of rules called?  They are found in the Bible?

The 10 Commandments.

Do you like “no” words or “yes” words?

We like “yes” words because they are words of permission.

How can we say the 10 Commandments using, “Yes we can, instead of no you can’t?

Respect God as the very best.

Treat everything that God has made as good but not as you treat God.

Respect, honor and be courteous and polite about the Name of God.

Show God that you respect God by giving God special time on a Day of Prayer and at other times too.

Honor and respect the family, moms and dads, husbands and wives, and spouses and their promises.

Respect the importance of each person’s life

Enjoy what you have and respect the property of other people.

Honor and tell the truth; Be honest.

Be content with what you have as you honor and respect what other people have.

These are all “yes” rules.  They show what we can do if we honor God as most important in our lives.  When we honor God, we can find God’s power in us to give ability to do good things for all people in our lives.

Sermon:

The most famous list of rules in the Bible.  What is it called?  The 10 Commandments.  These are rules that start by saying that we need to make God the one whom we worship.  How do we do that?  We don’t let God have any competitors.  We give God special respect and  time of worship.  We don’t misuse God’s name.  If we make God most important in our lives, then this is what helps us live together well.  The 10 Commandments have rules that help us live together well.  How?  We respect parents and husband and wives. We respect families.   We respect the value of life.  We respect property of each other.  We tell the truth and are honest.  We learn to be content in our lives and not want the things of other.

Jesus told a parable about people who lived and used someone else’s property but they pretended that the property belonged to them.  They would not pay rent and they disrespected everyone who came to collect rent even the owner’s son.

Jesus told this story to show us what can happen to us when we don’t honor God as the owner of life.  We live selfishly toward God and each other when we don’t admit that everything in the world belongs to God.

Jesus was trying to tell people that God is generous and God’s shares everything with us.  Jesus was trying to say we can enjoy what we have and treat each other the best when we worship God as the owner of all life. 

Let us remember to respect God by learning the best rules.  This will help us be people who  treat each other well and who find real pleasure and enjoyment for the things that God has given to us.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 8, 2017: Eighteenth Sunday after 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: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

1          Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

2          Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you; Allelu, alleluia!  Refrain

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 God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.  Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 19

The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.

8 The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.

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, "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

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 Thy Word, (Renew! #94)

Refrain: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path

1          -When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still you’re right beside me.  And nothing will I fear as long as you are near.  Please be near me to the end.  Refrain.

2          -I will not forget your love for me, and yet my heart forever is wandering.  Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side; and I will love you to the end.  Refrain

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:  I Am the Bread of Life,   (blue hymnal  # 335)

I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall not hunger; they who believe in me shall not thirst.  No one can come to  me unless the Father draw them.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.

I am the resurrection, I am the life, they who believe in me, even if they die, they shall live forever.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.

Yes Lord we believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world. And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day

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: I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light, (Renew # 152)

I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to bring light to the world; the star of my life is Jesus.  Refrain: In Him there is no darkness at all, the night and the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God: Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

I want to see the brightness of God; I want to look at Jesus.  Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path, and show me the way to the Father.     Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Humanly Divine and Godly Human

17 Pentecost, a p 21, October 1, 2017
Exodus 17:1-7   Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32
Lectionary Link
What is the way in which we human being deal with inter-species relationships?  How do you regard interaction with your pet animals?  Do you think that there is real communication?  Obviously there is touch, seeing, hearing, smelling that happens with our pets.  We think that we have them trained to voice commands and schedules and behaviors.  If we were able to ask them, they probably would say, "watch this.....I bet I can make my master do whatever I want."  When we say that our pet understands us and there is significant communication, are we merely projecting human characteristics onto animal behaviors?  This projection technique is called anthropomorphism: Treating humans as though they shared in some way human behavioral traits.

But what about human relationships with Alien life such as the creatures who pilot the UFO's and the ones which drive the tourist trade in Roswell, New Mexico.  Scientists send out signals into outer space trying to make contact with other life forms.  We wonder if there are aliens, will we be able to share enough likeness with them to be able to interact or translate our different life perspectives.

When it comes to the Great Being of God, how to we regard the human relationship with God.  Are we more like being "God's pets" or is God more like an Alien life form?

In the Christian faith we confess the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.  Incarnation comes from the Gospel of John, where it is written that the Word was made flesh and dwelled with us.  John Gospel also said that Word was with God and the Word was God.

This understanding is found the letter to Philippians in the Christological hymn regarding Christ.  What does Jesus Christ represent?  He represents that the Word became flesh.  Communication about the existence and reality of God was made known to human beings.  The best way for human beings to know that the life of God is not an alien life form, would be for the life of God to be reduce, funneled or translated into human language and behaviors.  So Jesus was what God would look like in human society.  The behaviors of Jesus were the body language of God to human beings.

St. Paul said that Christ as the eternal Word did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Something has to emanate from God and become knowable by human beings who are not God.  Jesus Christ is the belief that someone is total bilingual in the language of God and in the language of human beings for real and significant and adequate communication to take place so that human beings can respond and elevate their behavior to what is godly and not just beastly.  Jesus came to teach humanity to be godly human.

The main belief behind the Bible is that the Great Plenitude whom we have come to know as God communicates with us in many ways but in Jesus Christ God was expressed in the fullest human way.  But Jesus Christ represents the emptying of God as God alone into God becoming known within human experience.  Jesus is understanding the emptying of God as God into God as human and identifying with the depths of human experience.  The deepest depth of human experience is death.  And Jesus is God being emptied even into the human experience of death. 

Why is this important?  Is this just theological mumbo jumbo?  I think it is significant because it reveals the unavoidable way that we understand God.  How's so?  We understand God in human ways?  We anthropomorphize God.  We limit and empty the great God into human experience and we do so because we want to elevate human speaking and acting to our very best behaviors.  No matter what one calls God, no matter what one regards to be revelation, and even if one is an atheist or agnostic, one translates the Mystery of Greatness and what one does not know into what one knows.  Such a translation is unavoidable.  The Christian belief about Jesus Christ is the effort to be honest about Great Mystery and God in human experience.  We, humans, accept human experience as the valid way to come to know God and the great mysteries of the world.

If the Word is with God and if the Word is God and if the Word becomes emptied into the bodily life of Jesus Christ even to his death and resurrection, what is the purpose of all of this?

I think it is the best way to inform us about the best of human behaviors.  It seems so easy to be selfish and competitive; what is it that inspires us to live beyond selfishness?  It is the sense that we have an identity with a Higher Power and that Higher Power chooses to identity with us and be with us.

The issue for the people of Israel in the wilderness was this:  Is God really with us?  And Moses was trying to show them that he as their leader and intercessor was proof that God was with them.  And God's presence was given in the provision of water.

In our Gospel reading again there were questions about whether God was with humanity.  Do you think that John the Baptist and his baptism was a sign of God's authority and presence?  What was the result of John's baptism?  People's lives were changed.  People's behavior's were changed because a new commitment to God.

So how can we know that God is with us?  We know that God is with us when the deeds of our lives prove that we have emptied our selfish egos and become people of sympathy and compassion as was seen in the life of Jesus.  Let the same mind that was in Christ be in you.

The parable of Jesus that we read today indicates that there were religious people who knew the right words and promises to make, but they did not follow through with their behaviors.   At the same time there were publicans and sinners who did not know the right religious words and did not know to make religious vows, but they encountered the life of Jesus and they performed the deeds of repentance, sympathy and compassion even when they didn't have a religious heritage to give them the appearance of being religious.  People could come to have the mind of Christ even when they did not have a religious heritage.

So what are the Gospel insights for you and me today?  Do we believe the traces of the Higher Power of God intersects our lives in ways that helps us unify our hearts, our words and our action to be more like the compassion and sympathy of Jesus Christ?

My prayer for each of us is that we will know that we are encountered by the Higher Power of God's Spirit in the circumstances of our lives to enable us to be transformed to feel, speak and act in the way of the compassion of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 1, 2017 17 Pentecost, A proper 21, Blessing of the Animals

Sunday School, October 1, 2017   17 Pentecost, A proper 21

Themes:

On this day, we mix the regular propers of the with the anticipation of the Feast of St. Francis.  In our liturgy, we include the blessing of the animals but also a blessing of the created order.  We make vows of stewardship toward our animal friends and we make vows to take good care of our creation so that the people of the future will have a beautiful sustaining environment.

Theme:

Saying and doing.

Some people make promises and don’t keep them.

Some people don’t make promises or say that they won’t do something but they go ahead and do the right thing.

Jesus said that it is more important that we end up doing what is right.

However, we should still make promises and we still should keep them.  When we are baptized we make promises, even some difficult promises.  And we should keep those promises.  And when we don’t keep our promises, we need to say that we’re sorry, receive forgiveness and keep on trying to keep our promise to love God and our neighbors.

Sermons:

For A Proper 21

Have your parents ever said to you, “Practice makes perfect.”

Did your baseball coach ever say to you, “Practice makes perfect.”  Did your teacher or dance instructor ever say to you, “Practice makes perfect?”

  We can dream about doing something…we can wish that we were doing something…we can even pretend that we are something, but unless we do it, we are not yet there.

  How does a young baby learn to crawl or walk?  By pretending or dreaming or wishing?  No, by doing.  And is doing always easy.  It not easy for a baby to learn how to walk.  They have to practice their balance and they sometimes fall.  And when a baby falls, a baby might be frightened to get up and walk again.  But the only way to learn how to walk is to practice.

  When Jesus came there were some people who were saying that they were religious.  And they were saying that they loved God.  But they were not doing the things that proved that they loved God.  They were not doing the things that proved that they loved their neighbors.  But Jesus met some many other people who were not from religious families, but they were loving God and they were loving their neighbors and they were working to practice the rules of God.

  So Jesus told a story about a son who said that he would do something…but he didn’t do it.  Another son, said he wouldn’t do something, but he did it anyway.

  Jesus said it was important that we do good….not just talk about being good or doing good, we have to do it.

  Have you ever said to your parents, “I will clean my bedroom, or I will do my homework?”  And then not do it?

  It is very important that what we do agrees with what we say or promise.  By doing, we form the character of our life.

  If a person steals all of the time, what is the character of their life?  They are a thief, right.  Why, because they have been stealing.

  If a person, lies all of the time.  What do you call them?  A liar.

  We become what we do.

  And if we love God, and love our families and are neighbors as ourselves, what are we?  We are Christians?

  By doing the right things in love, we are becoming Christians.  And remember:  That takes lots of practice.  So let’s keep practicing. OK?For the Blessing of the Animals

Today we celebrate the life of St. Francis.  St. Francis was a man who came from a wealthy family.  But he decided to leave the family business and try to live his life just like Jesus lived his life.

  He decided to live his life with people who were poor.  He decided to take care of people who were sick and poor.

  St. Francis became a friend of animals; the birds used to fly down and rest on his shoulders because they were not afraid of him.

  Today, we are going to honor the life of St. Francis by blessing the animals of our lives.  But we are also going to do something else.  We are going to make promises to God to take good care of our world.  We are going to promise to care for the air, water, plants and trees.  Why?  Because we want all people in the future to be able to enjoy them.  We are going to promise to take care of our pets and animals too. 

  The world of plants and animals provide so much to help us live.  So we need to be good at protecting our world so that our world will continue help people live for a long, long time.

  Today, we thank God for our wonderful world of animals, trees and plants. 

  And the way that we thank God, is to promise to take good care of the world that God has given to us.  And to take care of the pets that we enjoy as our friends.

 

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

& Blessing of the Animals

October 1, 2017: The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs:

Morning Has Broken, If I Were a Butterfly, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, All Things Bright and Beautiful

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: Morning Has Broken (Blue Hymnal # 8)

Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird.  Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!  Praise for them springing fresh from the word.

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass.  Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight!  Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play!  Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s re-creation of the new day!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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: 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

Liturgist:  A reading from the Book of Exodus

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 78

That which we have heard and known,and what our forefathers have told us, * we will not hide from their children.

We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, * and the wonderful works he has done.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For our animal friends and pets, past and present. Thanks be to God!

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.

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – Fr. Cooke:

Collect for the Feast of St. Francis

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Vow to Creation

Celebrant:  Will you cherish the beauty of the Good Earth that God has entrusted to you, and will you do all in your power to preserve the beauty for own age and for the people of the future?

Response:  I will with God’s help.

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Word of God that issued from God’s mouth and created all things and God’s Spirit moved over the deep and made creation happen; you have called creation good, and we celebrate the goodness of creation which you have given to us to enjoy and tend; Bless the Good Earth and its fruits, and us as we commit ourselves to stewardship, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Vow to our Animal friends

Celebrant:  Will you promise to love, enjoy, and care for all God’s creatures, and especially for the pet whom you present for a blessing?

Response:  I will, with God’s help.

Blessing:

Lord Jesus Christ, your friends, have brought to you these special friends:  Bless we pray these delightful creatures, and grant that those who tend to their care will take delight in all of God’s creation, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Offertory Song: If I were a Butterfly  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  And if I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord, that I could sing.  And if I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee, but I just thank you Father for making me ‘me.’

Chorus:  For you gave ma a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave Jesus and you made me your child.  And I just thank you, Father for making me, ‘me.’

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk.  And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  And if I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord, for my find looks, but I just thank you Father, for making me, ‘me.’  Chorus

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you, Lord that I could squirm.  And If I were a Billy goat, I’d thank you, Lord for my strong throat.  And if I were a fuzzy-wuzzy bear, I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy-wuzzy hair, but I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me.’  Chorus

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 God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up 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.

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, resurrection of Christ and that his  presence will be with us in our future.

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

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

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

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing, (Children may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed by thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Word of Administration.

Communion Hymn: Prayer of St. Francis

Make me a channel of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.  Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.  Refrain

Refrain:  Oh, Master, grant I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.  Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.  Where there is darkness only light, and where there’s sadness ever joy.  Refrain

Make me a channel of your peace.  It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, in giving to all men that we receive and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.   

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: All Things Bright & Beautiful (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 12)

Refrain:  All things bright & beautiful, all creatures great & small, all things wise & wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, he made their glowing colors, he made their tiny wings.  Refrain

The purple-headed mountain, the river running by, the sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky.  Refrain

He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!