Sunday School, July 1, 2018 6 Pentecost, Cycle B, Proper 8

Sunday School, July 1, 2018  6 Pentecost, Cycle B, Proper 8

The themes of sickness and death are not always easy to present to children

It is important to teach children that faith is learning the ability to live with life as it happens

Certainly we do all we can to prevent unpleasant events of loss and pain.

Question: What is the best thing about falling and scraping one’s knee?

The best thing about scraping one’s knee is to have mom or dad or a person with us to comfort us and to give us some first aid.

A child might say, “I wish I hadn’t fallen and scraped my knee” but such a wish could not prevent it.

All bad things in life cannot be prevent; so the best thing that can happen in a bad event is to have people with us to help us.

The Bible Stories are about being honest about bad things like the loss of health and the loss of someone’s life.

The Gospel is about having the present of Christ with us at the times of our sickness and at the time of death.

With the resurrection of Christ we believe that God cured death in allowing us to live again in a new way and because we know this, we don’t have to live in fear of loss and pain.

One can teach about one of the sacraments of the Church:  The prayer for the sick

Everyone experiences sickness and varieties of pain in their life.  The church believes that sickness is a time to be together with the support of our Christian family and to pray for the sick and ask Christ to be present with us during the time of sickness.

This sacrament, the prayer for the sick is given to us to draw us together to support each other in very special ways during the time when one of us is sick.

Puppet Show on the Gospel Lesson

Puppet Show Musical Extravaganza

Faith, Health and Life

Puppet 1:  Our puppet extravaganza from Puppet Camp is called, Faith, Health and Life.  And Faith begins in believing that this world was made and belongs to God.

Song: (all sing)  Tune: This Land is your land, this land is my land.

This world is God’s world, this world is God’s world.  From Morgan Hill to the farthest star.

This world is God’s world, this world is God’s world. God made this world for you and me.

Puppet 2:  Can everyone say “Salvation?”  Salvation is a very important word.  Salvation can mean that God’s preserves or saves us even after we die.  Or Salvation while we live is called health.  How many of you like health?

All Puppets:  We like to be healthy! We don’t like to be sick!

Song: We don’t like to be sick  (tune, If You’re Happy and You Know It)

We don’t like to be sick, no we don’t.  We don’t like to be sick no we don’t.  We don’t like to be sick, we don’t like to be sick.  We don’t like to be sick.  No we don’t

(puppet shaking their heads no as they sing)

Puppet 3: God takes care of our afterlife because God promises us eternal life.  Eternal life is another kind of health.  It is salvation.

Puppet 4: There are many stories in the Gospels about Jesus healing people.  Jesus taught and healed in a place called Galilee.  There was a big lake called the Sea of Galilee

Song:  We’re off to Galilee  (Farmer in the Dell tune)

We off to Galilee, We’re off to Galilee.  Jesus is there, Jesus is there, we’re off to Galilee.

Puppet 5: Jesus got out of a boat on the seashore of the Sea of Galilee.  He was with his disciples and a very worried father named Jairus was there to meet him.

Puppet Jairus:  Jesus, Jesus!  I need your help.  My daughter is so sick that I think that she is going to die.  Come and bless her and pray for her so that can get better.

Jesus: Jairus: I will go with you to see your daughter.

Song: O Lord hear our prayer  (Taize, O Lord Hear My Prayer)

O Lord hear my prayer, O Lord hear my prayer.  When I call, answer me.  O Lord hear my prayer, O Lord hear my prayer.  Come and listen to me.

Puppet 6: Jairus did the right thing.  When he had a problem he came and asked Jesus for help.  We should pray and ask Jesus for help in our lives too.  Do you agree?

All Puppets: Yes, we should pray to Jesus.

(On the way to Jairus’ house, a crowd is following closely)

Suddenly Jesus stopped:

Jesus:  Who touched me?

Disciple John:  Jesus, lots of people are touching you.  So many people are crowding around you.

Jesus:  I felt some healing power go out of me to one person.  Who touched me?

Shy woman:  O, Jesus, it was I who touched you.  I am so sorry.  I have been in pain for so long and I have heard so much about you and I did not want to bother you.  I thought that if I could just touch you then I would have a chance to get better.

Jesus:  My friend, I’m not angry with you for touching me.  I honor your faith.  I am glad that you still have hope even when you were sick.  I am glad that you acted upon your hope and came to me.  You are a good example to everyone.  Whether we are sick or well, it is good to have faith.

Shy woman:  Thank you, Jesus.  I can already feel that my body is healed.

Song:  I touched Him   (Tune: He Touched Me, Bill Gaither)

 Refrain:  I touched him.  O I touched him.  And O what health came to me.  I touched Jesus and now I’m well.  O, I touched him and He made me well.

Puppet 6: I hear bad news.

Puppet 7:  What kind of bad news?

Puppet 8:  It is very sad new?

Puppet 9:  What kind of sad news?

Puppet 10:  Jesus does not have to come to the home of Jairus now.

Puppet 11:  Why, what’s happened?

Puppet 12: The daughter of Jairus has died!  Everyone is sad and everyone is crying.  What can Jesus do now?

Puppet 13: Jesus, what will you do?

Jesus:  If you have energy to have fear, you can take that same energy and have faith.  Just have faith and good things will happen.

Song: We’ve got faith like a River   (tune, I’ve Got Peace Like a River)

We’ve got faith like a river, we’ve got faith like a river, we’ve got faith like a river in our souls.  We’ve got faith like a river, we’ve faith like a river, we’ve got faith like a river in our souls.

Peter: Jesus, I’ll go with you into the house of Jairus.

James: I will go with you too.  I want to help in anyway that I can. 

John:  Jairus is my friend and I want to comfort him.  I’ll go with you Jesus.

All the puppets at the house of Jairus:

Puppets: All are moaning and crying….”Oh the girl has died.  The girl has died.”

Jesus:   Why are you crying so much?  The girl is not dead; she is only sleeping.

Puppets:  (laughing)….

Puppet 14:  Jesus, we know when someone is dead.  Go and see the girl and you’ll see that she is dead.

(Jesus and the Three disciples go into the house  where the girl is lying on a bed)

Jesus goes up to the girl and speaks in Aramaic

Jesus: Talitha cum.  Little girl get up.

Song: Talitha Cum  (tune: God is so Good)

Talitha Cum.  Talitha Cum.  O little girl, Arise, Get up!

(Sing three times)

Little Girl Rachel:  (awakens)  O  Daddy!  What has happened?  I can’t remember anything?  I think that I’ve been in a deep, deep sleep.

Jairus:  Rachel, you are awake and well.  Jesus came and he made you well again.  We are very thankful for Jesus.  He is a great doctor and healer.

Jesus: Please get Rachel something to eat.  I’m sure that she must be very hungry after such a long sleep.

Song:  The Lord Is My Health   (tune:  Taize, The Lord Is My Light)

The Lord is my health.  My health and salvation.  In him I trust, in him I trust.

(Sung three times)

Puppet 14:  What did we learn today?

Puppet 15: We learned to go to Jesus when we have a problem in life.  So when we are sick we pray to Jesus to help us get better.

Puppet 16:  We learned that it is important to have faith.  Faith means that we can believe in God’s goodness and love even when we have a difficult problem.

Puppet 17:  We learned that Jesus wants to restore people to good health.  Let us all say, “Thank you Doctor Jesus!”  Amen.

Sermon:

  How many of you like stories?  You like to read stories because they are fun.  But something else happens when you read a story.  You learn something even when you don’t know that you are learning something.

  What do you learn in the story of Cinderella?  One thing you learn is never to lose hope, even when it seems that some sad things are happening.  Never lose hope.

  What do you learn in the super hero stories?  About Batman, Spiderman, and Superman?  We can learn that is very important to fight and struggle against evil and against people who want to hurt others.  It is important to work for fairness and honesty.

  So even when you are enjoying a story, you are really secretly learning some very important lessons.

  Jesus used to tell stories and within those stories, he would hide some very important lessons for his friends to learn.

  And his disciples learned many things from Jesus.  They learned to tell stories too.  They learn to tell stories about Jesus and within those wonderful stories they hid some very important messages.

  Today we have read a story about Jesus bringing a little girl back to life. And in this story we have a very important lesson.

  After Jesus had died, his friends still believed that Jesus was with them.  They believed that the Spirit of Jesus was still with them.  And when other people became aware of the Spirit of Jesus, their lives changed.  They felt like they had been born again.  They felt like they were like young children all over again.  They felt like they had hope and joy and happiness.  They felt like they had been brought back to life, just like the little girl in the story.

  And that is what the friends of Jesus were trying to teach when they wrote the stories about Jesus.  To know that the spirit of Jesus is so close within us, is to feel like we have awaken from a long, long sleep and to receive back our lives, the lives that we felt when we were young, young children.

  Jesus said to his follower that they needed to be childlike to understand his kingdom.  They had to receive his kingdom like a young child.  And he also said that the kingdom of heaven belonged to children.

  Since many of you are children you have an advantage over us adults.  Sometimes we adults, forget and lose our understanding of God’s kingdom.  That is why…our little girl…our little boy within us needs to come to life again.  So do you see the teaching about coming back to life is hidden within this story about Jesus?

  Jesus wants us always to keep something that we have as children.  We have joy and wonder.  And if we keep that joy and wonder, we will be able to know that we live in the kingdom of heaven.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

July 1, 2018: The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; Jesus Loves Me; Seek Ye First; America

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

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  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

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: 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 Book of Lamentations

This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 130

For there is forgiveness with you; * therefore you shall be feared.

I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; * in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the LORD, more than watchmen for the morning, * more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, wait for the LORD, * for with the LORD there is mercy;

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 Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." He went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, `Who touched me?'" He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

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.

Song: Jesus Loves Me This I Know (All the Best Songs for Kids, # 54)

Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me!  He who died!  Heaven’s gates to open wide.  He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in. Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so.

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 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.

Children 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.

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.  Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbors.

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: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

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.

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

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: America (blue hymnal, # 719)

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!  America!  America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!  America!  America!  God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul with self control, they liberty in law.

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears!  America!  America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Jesus, Why Are you Sleeping in My Storm?

 5 Pentecost Cycle B Proper 7    June 24, 2018
Job 38:1-11  Psalm 9:9-20

2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41    

Lectionary Link

  There is a false sense of triumphalism in some religious people who can be tempted to think that being religious means that one's life will always express the signs of God's blessing, like wealth, health and all signs of success and fortune.  People who have more than their "share" of luck can build their formulaic systems for others about "attaining the signs of God's blessing."
  In the biblical witness there were phases when it seemed as though people had become very formulaic about blessing and success.  "If you obey God and the keep the commandments, then God will bless you with health, wealth, success and good luck."  Implied in this formula, is that if one has any signs of illness, poverty, failure and misfortune, then it is a sign that perhaps one has some known or unknown sin that has drawn the karmic disfavor of God.
  To counter this simply formula of blessing, the Bible has the witness of Job, Jesus and Paul and many other people who were called to "fill up" what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.  And bearing afflictions with Christ is surely not inferior faith even if the state of affliction does not look like blessing or success.
  I believe that the "Jesus, sleeping in the boat," story in the Gospel is an instructive parable about misconceptions about what following Jesus means?
  Apparently some disciples believed that following Jesus meant being the chief leaders in the administration of Jesus that would take over this world by force.  Apparently, the disciple fishermen, who had surely been on many a stormy Sea of Galilee in their fishing careers, suddenly decided that "hanging" with Jesus meant that they would be exempt from the conditions of freedom of events that can happen to anyone in life.
  How many times do people who are committed to lives of faith, seem to ask, "Jesus, why are you sleeping through all of this?  Don't you see what is happening to me?  Look what is happening to my health and the health of family members and friends?  Look what is happening to our country?   Look what is happening in relationships that have soured?  Look what is happening in my job?  
  "Jesus, why are you sleeping in my storm?"  Implied in the question is that I should be exempt from the conditions of freedom of what might happen to any person in life.  One also might challenge, "What's the use of following the commandments if they don't guarantee the obvious visual conditions of favor and blessing in my life?"
  In the witness of Job, Jesus and Paul who are people on the  favor of God, we find that each of these was not spared from the conditions of freedom of some very bad things happening to them.  Job lost everything but his life.  His best friends had really easy answers about his sinful cause of his obvious punishments of misfortune.  They were sure about the laws of karma: "Job, because these terrible things happened to you, you must have offended God to cause them."  Jesus was not spared derision; He was called mad, demonic and a drunkard.  He was mocked, he was flogged and he was wrongly charged and he was killed in a criminal's death on the cross.  St. Paul often felt the poignant pain of his own sin, but he also felt called as an apostles.  But did his high calling as an apostle exempt him from the worst conditions of freedom?  He wrote: "we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ...We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything."  Was God sleeping in the storms of Job?  Was God the Father sleeping in the storms in the life of Jesus?  Was Jesus sleeping in the storms that came to St. Paul."
  When Jesus woke up and calmed the storm, it was like: "Okay, kids, I'm glad that you regard me to be a hero interventionist whenever you get in a fix, but come on, you've got to grow up and have adult faith."  True faith means living with the conditions of freedom without having any special exemptions.  One can be persuaded about the blessing of knowing God and Christ in the midst of everything that can happen and that is honest to God and honest to life.
  So one might ask?  What's the use of the law or the program of discipleship faith in Christ if one is not guaranteed success?  Following laws and embracing a discipleship program is what I would call good actuarial wisdom.  Wisdom involves the discipline of following good probability thinking: it doesn't mean that you don't take creative risks of faith, but that you know when you are doing it.  Good actuarial wisdom is not rocket science.  If you don't smoke you decrease your chance of getting lung cancer and so you will have the blessing and favor of having healthy lungs.  But even following good actuarial wisdom does not exempt one from anything that might happen.  Freedom, law and actuarial wisdom can and do co-exist.
  So how are we to live with both freedom and with actuarial wisdom?  We live with faith because we act now inspired by the hope of what Christ offers us in this life and in the life to come.  We have the resurrection card in our pocket and we know it's there and we don't want to play it until our time comes.  But knowing that we've got this final winning card, we can live with faith within the storms of life whether we experience great deliverance or whether we survive with wounds or unscathed.
  The Gospel for you and me today is that faith is the ability to live both with actuarial wisdom and within the conditions of freedom in life.  And this faith is real and it is honest to life conditions.  If Jesus appears to be sleeping in the storms of our lives, it is because he trusts that we will continue to have faith in his presence which can complement everything that can happen to us.  Jesus can say, "I've been there with you.  I am there with you now."  Amen.
  

   

Sunday School, June 24, 2018 5 Pentecost B, Proper 7

Sunday School, June 24, 2018     5 Pentecost B, Proper 7

Themes:

One has to choose Hebrew Scripture/Psalter selection

David and Goliath in the time of all   the battling super heroes might be popular with the youth even though the story itself might be PG-13 or even regarded to be violent if one tells the ending with the beheading of Goliath by David.

One could also use the loyal friendship theme between David and Jonathan even though the story includes Saul’s effort to kill David.

If one wants to match themes, one could go with God speaking out of the whirlwind to Job informing Job that he is really not as big as God to be able to understand how and why everything that happens to us in this world, so we have the necessity to have faith in one who is greater than us to handle all situations in life and in death.

The whirlwind theme of job could be coupled with the storm on the sea with Jesus sleeping in the boat while the disciples are terribly frightening.  Jesus reminded them to have faith because he was present with them and if he was calm enough to sleep during the windy storm, they could have faith in his presence even during a difficult times.

A possible fruitful line of instruction might be to present Storms as great events over which we have no control as to when they happen, how strong they are and when they will end.  Storms could be a metaphor for all of the big challenges in life that we have to face, like an exam in school and other things which come up in our life and even may surprise us.  The lesson that we can learn is that if we have this natural energy to fear, then we can have the energy of fear converted to faith, if we can trust that others are with us to help us as they represent the presents of Christ to us.  When we are tempted to fear, we are to take some deep breaths and say inside of ourselves, “Jesus, speak peace to my stormy heart.”  It is important to stop and remember Christ and remember to have faith instead of fear.

I think that we can find out in our lives that Christ is not sleeping and ignoring us; quite the opposite, we often are forgetting and ignoring Christ.  When we make the effort to awaken the presence of Christ in our hearts, then we have the chance to know the voice of Christ say within us, “Peace be Still.”

You can have your children mention times when they really needed to have peace in their hearts.

Sermon:

We read a story today about the friends of Jesus.  They were sailing with Jesus in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.  And suddenly a wind storm came up and caused some very big waves.  And where was Jesus?  He was sleeping in front of the boat.  And so they woke him up and said, “Don’t you care that we are in danger?”  And Jesus woke up and said to the wind and sea, “Peace be still.”  And the wind and the sea became quiet.  And Jesus asked them, “Why are you so fearful?”

  Jesus knew that his friends were fishermen.  They fished on this lake all of the time and they had gone through many storms.  So why were they more fearful now than other times?

  Well, they probably thought that nothing bad should ever happen to them if Jesus was with them.

  Sometimes we think that nothing bad should happen to us when our parents are with us.  And you know what?  Your parents never want anything bad to happen, but still some things can go wrong.  Why?  Because they believe in freedom.  Have you ever lost a game when your parents were watching?  Yes.  Now it would look silly if your parents tried to play on your team to help you win.  Have you ever fell down when you are playing and when your parents are watching?  Of course.  So we can have accidents even when our parents are watching.

  Have you ever gotten a B on your homework, even when your parents helped you to do your project for school?

  Should we quit playing baseball and soccer, just because we lose some games?  Should we quit playing on the playground, just because we fall down and skin our knee a few times?  No… If we quit, then we would let fear of bad luck control our lives and we would never try anything because of fear.

  Just because we have some bad things happen to us in life, it does not mean that God is not caring for us.  God does not want us to be afraid of life.  God wants us to keep on trying to do new and better things.

  So, when we fall, what do we do?  Yes, we cry when our knee hurts.  We get some love from our parents.  We get a band aid on our knee.  And we try to be careful.  But do we quit playing?  No.  We keep on playing and having fun.  Why?  Because we want to live in faith about the good things in life.  We don’t want to live in fear about the bad things and the hurt that can happen in life.

  Jesus tried to teach his disciples to live by faith instead of fear.  That is a good lesson for us to learn too.  Let us learn to live by faith today. Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

June 24, 2018: The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Only a Boy Named David, Peace Before Us, Precious Lord, When the Saints

Song: Only a Boy Named David (All the Best Songs for Kids # 112)

Only a boy named David, only a little sling.  Only a boy named David but he could pray and sing.  Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook.  Only a boy named David and five little stones he took.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  And one little stone went in the sling and the sling went round and round.  An-----------------------------------------d, Round and round and round and round and round and round and round.  And one little stone went up in the air; and the the giant came tumbling down.

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

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  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

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: 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 First Book of Samuel

Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine, Goliah.  The giant said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"  But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's and he will give you into our hand."  When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 9

The LORD will be a refuge for the oppressed, * a refuge in time of trouble.

Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, * for you never forsake those who seek you, O LORD.

Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion; * proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.

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 Mark

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

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.

Song: Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise,  # 791)

Peace before us.  Peace behind us.  Peace under our feet.  Peace within us.  Peace over us.  Let all around us be Peace.

Love before us…  3. Light before us…..4. Christ before us.

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 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.

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 may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Wonder, Love and Praise # 800)

Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; thought the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near, when my life is almost most gone; hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand, lest I fall, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the darkness appears and the night draws near, and the day is past and gone; at the river I stand, guide my feet, hold my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

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 (Christian Children’s Songbook # 248)

1-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.

2-O when the girls go marching in….  3-O when the boys go marching in….

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

            .

St. Paul As Blind Ninja Faithman?

4 Pentecost  proper 6  June 17, 2018
Ezekiel 17:22-24  Psalm 92:1-4, 11-14
2 Corinthians 5:6-10,  14-17  Mark 4:26-34
Lectionary Link
St. Paul wrote: "We walk by faith and not by sight."  And in walking by faith he believed that he perceived life in a superhuman way.  He saw things that other people could not see.  Was St. Paul like one of those proverbial blind ninja warriors?  You know the ones who can beat everyone in martial arts and sword fighting even when they are blind because they have perfected the art of seeing from within.

No, I don't think that St. Paul was like a blind ninja warrior.  I think what St. Paul implied was this: "We walk by faith and not by physical sight alone."  St. Paul believed that this inner disposition of faith gave him another way of seeing.

We use the word "faith" so often that we don't stop to think about what it means.  Faith can be the disposition of trust in God.  It can be a synonym for belief.  Faith can be the general reference to a particular community of belief, like the Episcopal Faith, the Catholic Faith, the Christian Faith, the Jewish Faith.

I have come to appreciate a fuller meaning of faith by returning to the classical meaning of the Greek word for faith.  In the New Testament Greek, the Greek word, "pistos" is used for faith or belief.  New Testament Greek was the "low standard" Greek left over in the world as a result of Alexander the Great conquering the world and bringing Greek to commerce, politics and learning throughout the world.  The Hebrew Scriptures was translated into Greek as an outcome of the pervasiveness of the Greek language.  People in various locales had their own native language but for business and government, a very low standard of Greek was used.  The New Testament was written in this koine Greek even as Latin in the Roman Empire was vying to become a new lingua franca.

In the classical Greek of Aristotle and Plato the Greek word "pistos" was important for the discipline of rhetoric.  Public Speaking was important for the ancient Greeks; they studied and developed the art of public speaking and they had hired speech writers called rhetoricians.   The goal of rhetoric according to Aristotle was "pistos" or persuasion.  Why did one make a speech?  To persuade.  Rhetoric was the study of how to persuade through the use of language.  Why does one want to persuade?  One wants to convert another person to one's proposed values.  Pistos or persuasion is important in life.  Every salesperson wants to be good at "pistos" or persuasion.  Every politician wants to be good at "pistos" or persuasion.

This notion of persuasion adds a greater fullness to how faith or belief is presented by St. Paul and by Jesus in his parables.  What is faith?  Faith is that internal constitution of one's life expressing what one is persuaded about?  And what is one persuaded about?  One is persuaded about one's highest values, the ones which draw our interest, our devotion and our allegiance.   One's life is all about being persuaded by our values.

St. Paul had a great event when his values changed significantly.  He was a Pharisee well-versed in his religion and yet he used his religion as a justification for persecuting the followers of Jesus.  In Paul's famous conversion, he was confronted in a vision of Christ and he had a change of heart; he had a conversion.  He became persuaded about the value of Jesus Christ in his life.  And because of this new persuasion, he saw things completely different.  If St. Paul walked only by sight what would he see?  In his world, Jesus was not King; the Caesar was.  In his world, the "main" religions were the religion of the synagogue and the Roman Mystery religions with their gods and goddesses and their temples.  In his world, people were devoted to the Caesar as a god and son of a god.  The Caesars had propaganda about their being saviors and peacemakers through military might.  If St. Paul walked only by sight, he would see small house churches of diverse people beginning to gather because they too had this inward conversion experience to Jesus Christ as the new value in their lives.

St. Paul did not live to see these little house churches take over the Roman Empire and move into the basilicas; but he was so convinced about the profoundness of Jesus Christ that he saw things differently.

This seeing by faith is also found in the parables of Jesus.  What did Jesus see with eyes in his time?  Caesar was the king of the world and the Roman Empire was the main kingdom visible everywhere.  But Jesus taught his disciple to walk by faith and not by the sight of the obvious.  He taught using parables to teach a different kind of seeing from the heart.  He taught about being able to see or perceive the kingdom of God.

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God was so obvious that it was easy to miss.  Coming to faith is like the harvest of life.  One is in the cycle of life to achieve the harvest of coming to faith to be able to see the obvious presence of God everywhere even when it looks like the kings of the world are prancing as those who presume to be in control.  People with faith know that God will outlive all kings and us.  People of faith know that we have inherited a Plentitude of life which we did not make or create.

Jesus said the kingdom of God was like the small mustard seed, tiniest of seeds and yet suddenly it takes over and one can suddenly discover a yellow meadow of paradise, one variety which became large shrub trees.  Jesus valorized the individual deeds of faith, love and kindness because when they are collected they become impressive character.  When the small deeds of love and kindness are really seen, then one realizes that they are the hidden scaffold which preserve and sustain the world even while the television and the media tells us it is the  kings, politician and the publicly famous who sustain the world.  Mustard seed thinking works in our personal lives and in the world at large.  We only attain character by the repetition of deeds of faith, love and justice.  People may dream for things to be better and when the reward is not easily seen or instant, they give up in disappointment and discouragement.  People give up on churches and parishes because they stop seeing their own small deeds of faith as valuable to build the character of the whole.

St. Paul and Jesus invite us not to live by sight alone; they invite us to this interior seeing, the seeing of faith, because we have been converted and persuaded by the surpassing love and greatness of Jesus Christ.  Today, you and I are invited to this seeing with eyes of faith and we can have this kind of seeing because we have been converted by surpassing love of God in Christ.  Amen.