Sunday School, December 24, 2017 4 Advent B
Theme:
Mary, the mother of Jesus
Review events in the life of Mary
The Archangel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would
have a special Son, who would be God’s child
Mary was surprised by this but she said “Let it be according
to God’s word.”
Mary sang a song about God’s favor and about God’s justice
winning in our world.
Mary, when see was expecting her baby, met with her cousin
Elizabeth who was the mother of John the Baptist
Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to register for paying
taxes. While in Bethlehem, Mary’s Son
Jesus was born in a stable because she could not get a room at the inn.
Jesus was born to Mary.
The early Christians believed that the Risen Christ is born
into the hearts of every Christian.
And this birth of Christ in us is done by the Holy Spirit.
Following the example of Mary, we say about the birth of
Christ in us: “Let it be to us according to God’s word.”
In baptism, we celebrate the birth of Christ within us as
our spiritual birth.
So, in important ways, our baptism is like Christmas.
Be thankful for the birth of Jesus to Mary and be thankful
for the birth of Christ into our lives.
Sermon:
What is the most
popular and most often said prayer throughout the Christian church today? It’s probably the Lord’s Prayer or what we
call the “Our Father.”
What is the second
most popular prayer throughout the Church?
It is a prayer that is probably the most popular prayer in the Roman
Catholic Church. It is called the “Ave
Maria or in English, the “Hail Mary.”
And many Christians use prayer beads called the Rosary to say the “Hail
Mary” and to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus Christ.
For football fans a
“Hail Mary” is a last second pass thrown in an effort to score a touchdown just
before the clock runs out. But really
the Hail Mary is a very popular prayer.
And what are the
words of the Hail Mary and where did they come from? “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with
thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed be the fruit of thy womb
Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God. Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
death. Amen.
Some of the words of
this famous prayer came from the words of the cousin of Mary, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the wife of the priest
Zechariah, and she was told that she was going to have a baby, even
though she was too old to have one.
The angel Gabriel
told Mary that she was going to have a very important son who would be the son
of God.
So, when Mary and
Elizabeth met before their babies were born, the little baby who was in
Elizabeth jumped in his mother’s tummy, because he was excited to meet the
mother of Jesus.
The baby of
Elizabeth was John the Baptist. And when
Elizabeth saw Mary she said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord
comes to me?
So, these words of
Elizabeth became a part of the famous prayer: Hail Mary.
We know that famous
parents can also make their children famous too. But also, a famous child can also make their
parents famous.
Mary became famous
because she was the mother of Jesus. She
obeyed God. And she has become the
second most important person in the entire Christian history.
Let us remember
today, Mary, who was a good mother. She
obeyed God and brought into this world the most important person who ever
lived. And so today, as we get ready to
celebrate the birth of Jesus, we thank God for Mary, the mother of Jesus and
like Elizabeth we say,
“Blessed are you
among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Amen.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
December 24, 2017: The four Sunday of Advent
Gathering Songs: Light a Candle,
Song: Light A Candle
(tune: Jimmy Crack Corn)
1-Light a candle for hope today, light a candle for hope
today, light a candle for hope today.
Advent time is here.
2-Light a candle for peace today…
3-Light a candle for joy today….
4-Light a candle for love today…
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.
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us
pray
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by
your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in
us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of 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
Liturgist: A reading
from the letter to the Romans
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my
gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through
the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the
command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- to the only
wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together The Song of Mary
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his
Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
Liturgist:
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 Luke
People: Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a
town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her
and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much
perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The
angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him
Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over
the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said
to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called
Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived
a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For
nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant
of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed
from her.
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: Mary and
the Angel (Tune: Reuben and Rachel)
Mary, Mary, look beside you. There’s an angel standing there!
It is Gabriel, sent
from heaven with Good News for you to hear.
Mary,
Mary, don’t be frightened. God is with
you favored one.
You will have a little
baby, Jesus Christ, God’s own dear Son.
“How
can this be?” Mary wondered. “I’ve not married anyone.”
“God can do all
things,” said Gabriel. “The baby will be God’s own Son.”
“As
you say,” then Mary answered, “As God says, so let it be.”
We join Mary in her
praises; Jesus came for you and me.”
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 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.
The Prayer continues with these words
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 can we 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 Song: I Come With Joy (Renew! # 195)
1. I come with
joy a child of God, forgiven, loved, and free, the life of Jesus to recall, in
love laid down for me.
2. I come with
Christians, far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in
Christ’s communion bread.
3. As Christ
breaks bread, and bids us share, each proud division ends. The love that made us makes us one, and
strangers now are friends.
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 O Come,
O Come Emmanuel (tune, Farmer in the Dell)
O come Emmanuel, O
come Emmanuel. Come and save your people now, O come Emmanuel.
Now let us sing with
joy, now let us sing with joy. Jesus came to save us all, now let us sing with
joy.
O come Emmanuel, O come
Emmanuel. Live within our hearts we pray, O come Emmanuel.
Dismissal
Liturgist: Let us
go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be
to God!
