Does God Have Favorites?

16  Pentecost P.18  September 9, 2018

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23  Ps. 146: 4-9

James 1:17-27        Mark 7:31-37     

Lectionary Link

Does God have favorites?  How would we know if God had favorites?  Are you one of God's favorites?  If I believe that I am one of God's favorites, does that mean other people cannot be God's favorites?

The natural way for us to think about God having favorites is to assume that God shows preference by giving people, events of good fortune or good luck.  When we read the Bible, we might think that the Jewish people are God's favorites.  In fact we often hear the Jews called God's chosen people. 

Did some fortunate and wonderful things happen to the Jews?  Yes, indeed.  They were given the law and having the ancient writings of the Hebrew Scriptures have made them stand out in a special way among the peoples of the earth.  But the Bible also shows that the Jews probably had more bad luck than good luck.  They had their land taken away from them for the majority of their history.  Lots of bad things happened to Israel and the people of Israel.

Today, we can think that God favors people who are successful in their lives with wealth, knowledge and power.  And we might want to be associated with lucky and successful people.  And we might want to avoid people who are poor, uneducated and people without status and power in society. 

Our readings from the Scriptures today invite us to think about what it means to be God's favorites.  The writer of James tells us we're not supposed to treat people poorly because they aren't our favorites.  We're supposed to be impartial in our works and deeds toward others.  Why should we be impartial in how we treat other people?  Because everyone is equal in dignity of being people who can have faith.  Having faith, is what makes us equal in dignity.

The Gospels are the oracles of Christ in the early church.  In the oracles which came to writing, the early preachers used the life of Jesus as a way to teach the Gospel message.  What is the Gospel message that we have read today?  It is having faith in Christ which gives us the experience that we are God's chosen and favorite.

A Syrophoenician woman was not regarded to be a favorite person of God in the time of Jesus in Jewish society.  She was an outsider, a foreigner and how could she be one of God's favorites?  The words of Jesus to this woman seem cruel.  This woman had a child who was deeply troubled with an unclean spirit.  All this woman wanted was the health of her child.  She had heard about Jesus and she believed Jesus could heal her daughter.

The words of Jesus are a teaching event.  "Dear woman, do you want me to heal your daughter?  Don't you accept the prevailing belief that only God's favorite children, the Jews,  get to have the benefit of sitting at table for the family meal?  What makes you think that you can be a part of the family?"

The woman said, "Well, I don't have to be a favorite child sitting at the table; just let me be like one of the dogs under the table that can eat a crumb which falls from the table.  That crumb will be enough for me if you will heal my daughter."

And Jesus said, "Wow, your faith has saved your daughter."

What was the church trying to teach with this Gospel?  They were trying to say that God's favor could not be limited to the Jewish people; God's favor was upon the Gentiles and anyone who exercised their faith in Christ.

What is the message for you and me today?  Do you want to be God's favorite? Then exercise your faith toward Christ.  That is how you are God's favorite.  Having faith does not mean that you will always be lucky or successful or wealthy, but having faith is the gift we have to help us to live the very best we can through whatever might happen to us.

And if we have faith in Christ, then we are God's favorite.  And if we have faith in Christ, we know that everyone else can also have faith in Christ, and so we will treat everyone with equal dignity, because we know that they can have faith and be God's favorite too.  And we can know that faith and good works go together because having faith in Christ is the best work of our lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, September 9, 2018 16 Pentecost, B proper 18

Sunday School, September 9, 2018     16 Pentecost, B proper 18

Themes

The writers of the Bible often wrote that God is interested in the health of all people.  God is interested in physical health of people.  God desires for people to be healed from their diseases.

God desires people to have enough food, clothing and shelter to be healthy.

So if God desires health and for people to have enough, how is this health going to happen?

In the past, people were afraid for sickness and disease.  People worried about infectious diseases.  Sometimes people who were sick were declared to unclean and so they had to be isolated from other people.

Jesus came to show and prove that God is interested in the health of everyone.

Jesus showed that being God’s chosen people did not just belong to the Jews, it belonged to anyone who has faith. 

Jesus healed the spirit of the young girl.  The girl’s mother had great faith even though she was not a Jew like Jesus and the disciples.  Jesus honored her faith and her daughter was healed.  Jesus had such love and kindness that he could calm the heart of a very troubled young girl.

Jesus also healed a man who could not hear or speak well.  Often the healing stories of Jesus were used as riddles to show how when we can hear the good news about God love, then our hearing is healed.  And when we share the good news of God’s love our tongues can speak well because when we learn how to use our tongues properly, then our tongues are healed.

The writer of the letter of James wrote about how it is not enough to say that we have faith in God; we also have to show that we have faith by doing what God wants.  And God cares for the needy and the sick.  So we need to show how we have faith in God who cares for the needy by being the people to do what God wants in helping those in need.  In this way we show that we have faith by what we do and say in our lives.

Homily

  Can a person say something without speaking?

  Can a person say something with his or her body without saying one word?

  Can you read the body language of a person?

  Let’s see if you can read body language?

  Happy….sad….surprised….Angry…

So our body is always talking, even when we don’t say a word.  Your body is talking right now.

  Where are you right now?  You’re in church.  You’re not in bed.  You’re not at the lake.  You’re not at the football game.  And that tells me something.  It tells me that you want to honor God by coming to worship God and obeying the command of Christ to receive communion together.

  What if I say that I love God and my neighbor and I steal something from you.  Or I hit you.

  What if I say I love God but I never pray or go to church.  What is wrong with that?  It means that my body language is saying something different than my words.

  The writer of the epistle of James said:  Be doers of the word of God and not hearer only.

  You hear many things that your parents and your teachers tell.  They want you to learn many good things.  Sometimes it is easy to be lazy and not do those good things.  And so it is easy to hear words about the good things that we are supposed to do, but it is sometimes harder to actually do them.

  But your parents and teacher would not be nice if they were asking you to do impossible things, would they.  Do your parents ever ask you to do impossible things?

  God does not ask us to do impossible things;  God only asks us to do things that we can do.

  Jesus asked us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

  What can you and I do that shows that we love God and our neighbors?  How can we let our body talk?

  So let us remember that it is very important to do God’s word, and not just hear it. 

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

September 9, 2018: The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs:  If You’re Happy; Alleluia, Give Thanks to the Risen Lord; Alleluia; I’ve Got Peace Like a River, May the Lord

Song: If You’re Happy  (Christian Children Songbook  # 124)

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.  If your happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.  If you’re happy and you know then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.

If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it make a high five.  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it.  If you’re happy and you know it, make a high five.

If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it shout, Amen!  If you’re happy and you know it then your face should surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it shout Amen!

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

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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 letter of James

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 146

Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God;

Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever;

Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger.

The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.

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.

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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: Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks, Hymn # 178, in the Blue Hymnal

Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the Risen Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to his Name.

1.Jesus is Lord of all the earth.  He is the King of creation.  Refrain

2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. Refrain

3. We have been crucified with Christ.  Now we shall live forever. Refrain

4. Come, let us praise the living God, joyfully sing to our Savior. 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 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.

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 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:  Alleluia (Renew!  # 136)

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

He’s my Savior, Alleluia….

He is worthy, Alleluia…

I will praise him, Alleluia…

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: May the Lord (Sung to the tune of Eidelweiss)

May the Lord, Mighty God, Bless and keep you forever, Grant you peace, perfect peace, Courage in every endeavor.  Lift up your eyes and seek His face, Trust His grace forever.  May the Lord, Mighty God Bless and keep you for ever.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Religion, Faith and Authentic Living

15  Pentecost Cycle B proper 17   September 2, 2018

Song of Solomon 2:8-13 Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10

James 1:17-27  Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Lectionary Link

I might love and appreciate music;  I might even try to participate in it in my amateur ways and yet I am not a musician.  Some people are not only gifted but also they have fully embraced the practice required to be a musician.  I can be a listener and hearer of music, but I cannot do it as well as fully trained and gifted musicians.

I admire people in many other disciplines, scientists, mathematicians, inventors and I can read and hear them, but I cannot do science or math or invention in the same way.

In life, as much competence as we try to attain, we still cannot be omni-competent in all of the disciplines of life.

But that brings us to the life of faith and religion.  Faith and religion is accessible to everyone.  No one has to take special training in faith or religion.

Faith and religion require of us all authentic living.  How do we attain authentic living?  By not only hearing the word of God, but also doing it.

Everyone is required in life to live up to their greatest ideals; no one is exempt.  The word of God and faith is accessible to everyone.  You don't need to go to seminary, you don't need to go to confirmation class, you don't need to go to church; hearing and obeying the word of God is accessible to everyone, everywhere and at all times.

One of the main problems that Jesus had with the religious leaders of his time is that they had put religious rules and rituals in place of the commonsense practice of doing goodness, kindness and justice to everyone.

When we replace being good in word and deed, with simply the ritual practice of religion, we have missed the point of faith, religion, the law, the prophets and the message of Christ.

Why are we tempted to replace being good with religious rituals?  Because being really good and just is much harder work.  It is harder work for our naturally selfish selves.  It is easy to come to church and to Mass while we know outside of our church walls there are many people without enough food, clothing and shelter.  Religious ritual is easy; actually loving our neighbors and doing justice for everyone is really difficult.

The Gospel words of Jesus today remind us about the purpose of religion, faith, the law and the prophets.  The purpose of faith is to grow and learn how to not only hear the word of God but also do the word of God in acts of love, sacrifice and justice.  Jesus did not have many good things to say about the interior life which motivates the bad thoughts and deeds of our life.  He was saying that we can't use religious behavior to be something like lipstick on a pig.  Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit for us to attain the source of a clean heart to motivate us beyond mere self interest and self love, to practice the religion of loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbors.

You and I come to this altar today, not because life is as easy as coming to this altar; we come here because we are desperate for God's help to be authentic people.  We come here to ask for grace to help us not only to hear God's word but also to do God's word in the way in which Jesus Christ lived.  Amen.