Sunday School, February 10, 2019, 5 Epiphany C

Sunday School, February 10, 2019: The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany C

Themes

Theme:  Speaking the language of fishermen

When Jesus taught people he used language that they could understand.  With farmers he spoke about sowing seeds and about grapevines.  With shepherds he spoke about raising sheep. With fishermen, he spoke about fishing.  Jesus told them that he was a fisherman and he did not fish for fish, he fished for people.  Fishing might be fun to do for recreation but if it is your every day job, it might not always be so fun, especially if the fish are not biting.  Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James and John that he could teach them how to fish for people.  What did he mean by this?  It meant that he would teach them how to make friends in a special way by teaching them how to bring good news to the lives of other people.  Jesus told people God love them and forgave them.  He told them they did not have to fear death because God would preserve their lives after death.  He taught people.  Teaching people makes their lives better.  When we learn new things, we can do new things and it is like light comes on.  Jesus was a teacher and he brought light to James, John, Peter and Andrew.  They saw that Jesus was such a good teacher for them, they wanted to learn how to teach and help others.  So that is how Jesus taught them to fish for other people.

How can you fish for other people?  How can you make friends?  How can you help other people learn about God?

Learning how to be friends with others is learning how we can share good news about God’s love and care.

Sermon

What is the biggest light in our life?  We see it every day unless it is covered by clouds.  What do we call that big light in the sky?  It is the sun.  The sun is really a star that is just close to us than the other stars.  What do we need the sun for?  Many things: heat, light, growing our plants.  If we did not have the sunlight, we could not live. So it is very important.

  Today we have read from the Psalm that God, the Lord is our Light.  And we read in our Gospel story how people called Jesus as great light.

  How can God and How can people be like a light?

  A light allows us to see things that we cannot see if we don’t have a light.  A light allows us to see things differently.

  When it is dark in your bedroom sometimes a shadow can look like a big tree or something else?  But when you turn on the light you find out it was just a shadow of the curtain.

   God helps us to see things differently.  God’s light is shared with people.  God’s light was in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is light because he showed us how to live better lives.  His life was like a light because he taught people and he healed people and he helped people.

   So you have people who are like lights in your life?  When you lose your toys, your mom says, did you look under your bed?  And her words are like a light shining to help you find your toys.  Your parents are like lights for you because they care for you and teach you new things.  Your teachers are like lights for you because they teach you new things.

  Do you know what Jesus said to his friends?  He said, “You are the lights of this world.”  What did he mean by that?

  He meant that we all have to live in a way to show others how to live better lives.  How do we live our lives to be like lights?  By loving and caring for one another and by making friends.  Jesus told his friends who were fishermen that they should fish for people.  What does that mean?  Does it mean we should try to catch people with a net or try to get them to swallow a fish hook?  No.  Jesus liked to speak in riddles; to fish for people was his way of saying, they needed to become very good at making friends.  How do we make friends?  By loving and caring for them, by helping them,

  Today we have learned how our lives can be like a light.  By teaching others.  And we’ve learn how to fish for people.  By learning how to make friends.

  Okay let turn on our lights now.  Let me see you shine.  And lets go fishing.  Let go and make some friends.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 10, 2019 The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Holy, Holy, Holy; Here I Am Lord; Eat This Bread, I Will Make You Good Fisher Folk

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.

Song: Holy, Holy, Holy  (Renew # 204)

1.      Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

Liturgist: A reading from the prophet Isaiah.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:  "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."  Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 138

I will give thanks to you O LORD with my whole heart; * before the gods I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your Name, * because of your love and faithfulness.

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed 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.

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 our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth 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 Hymn: Here I Am, Lord (Renew!, # 149)

1        I, the Lord of seas and sky, I have heard my people cry.  All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.  I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright, Who will bear my light to them?  Whom shall I send?   Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard You calling in the night.  I will go, Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold Your people in my heart.

2        I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.  I have wept for love of them.  They turn away.  I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts of love alone.  I will speak my word to them.  Whom shall I send?   Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard You calling in the night.  I will go, Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.

3        I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame, I will set a feast for them.  My hand will save.  Finest bread I will provide till their heart be satisfied.  I will give my life to them.  Whom shall I send?   Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.

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,

(Children may 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: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:           Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: Eat This Bread   (Renew! # 228)

            Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry.

            Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

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

     remembering that the blessing in the bread and wine spreads into each time,

place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: I Will Make You Good Fisher Folk (All the Best Songs for Kids, #131)

1.      I will make you good fisher folk, good fisher folk, good fisher folk,

I will make you good fisher folk if you follow me.

If you follow me, if you follow me,

I will make you good fisher folk if you follow me.

2.      Hear Christ calling, “Come unto me, come unto me, come unto me.”

Hear Christ calling, “Come unto me, I will give you rest.

I will give you rest, I will give you rest.”

Hear Christ calling, “Come unto me, I will give you rest.”

Dismissal:  

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

People: Thanks be to God!

Love's Epiphany: "It's like déjà vu all over again."

4 Epiphany  C   February 3, 2019

Jer. 1:4-10     Ps.71:1-6

1 Cor. 13:1-13   Luke 4:21-32

Lectionary Link

I have been preaching the lectionary now for almost 38 years.  What does that mean?  It means that I am given four assigned readings each Sunday, two from the Hebrew Scriptures and the Psalms, one from the Epistles and one from the Gospel.  The assigned readings are supposed to fit the day and/or the season.  Some associations are "no brainers" like guess what readings and topics we are assigned on Easter and Christmas and Pentecost?  But in the ordinary times during the seasons of Epiphany and Pentecost, the associations don't seem so obvious.  Sometimes the readings like the ones for today are like disparate pictures thrown into a collage and handed to the preacher daring us to find connections and themes to try to bring in aesthetic insights into the Scripture collage of today's appointed readings.

And what is is our collage for today?  Let start with one of the greatest poetic utterances about love ever written.  And this was written by Paul who is also known for his highly didactic or teaching discourse or for his reproving exhortations to his misbehaving congregations.

His poem to love follows some church discipline issues in the Corinthian church.  Apparently the Corinthian church was a very spiritually gifted church, so gifted that people competed about the value and importance of their gifts.  But this situation is often the condition of the world; we have the creativity to go to outer space, create the internet and build nuclear weapons to destroy the world but we don't seem to be creative enough to feed and clothe or give housing and health care to everyone in the world.  So what's the problem?  The problem is that we need the regulating influence of great love.  Paul wrote about this great regulating influence of love.  And what can love regulate?  Love's influence embraced, has the power for people to check their egos at the door and rather than compete with their gifts, love inspires people to harmonize their gifts for the common good.

I have always been floored by this writing by Paul because of the startling profundity.  Like when he writes, "love believes all things."  What does that mean?  For me, it means that love is like the sun shining on the good and evil and all of the conditions of freedom found in our world.  So love is profoundly honest to the free conditions of the world.  This does not mean that love accepts everything as equal in value; love is accepting the entire field of values but love is the lure for us to choose the highest values.

Since love believes in all things, it instructs to be honest about all of the contradictions within the field of freedom.  The Gospel poses such contradictions, like the familiar love, familial love, hometown love that can morph into hateful jealous love and jealous love is a woeful contradiction.   Jesus preached in his hometown synagogue and proclaimed that his life calling was to bring good news.  How did many in his hometown respond?  "Jesus, you've gotten too big for your breeches.  You're just Joe and Mary's boy."  What did the hometown folk full of badly skewed jealous love do?  His hometown folk wanted to throw him off a cliff and kill him before his time.  And isn't this what probably killed Jesus?  Jealousy about the genius and profundity of his wisdom, authority and deeds.  The good news of the life of Jesus became a threat to people who were jealous and threatened by such profound goodness.

There are better responses to the great love of God in Jesus Christ.  Being jealous is a total waste and misuse of life energy.  What is a better response?  To be called by great love to find one's ministry, mission and purpose in life.  The love of God calls us to find out who we really are as our destiny and when we discover our destiny we have the eternal sense that it always was supposed to be.  The prophet Jeremiah and the psalmist confessed that when they discovered their calling they felt like God had known them from the womb and from the time when they were completely clueless about their destiny.  When we are clueless about our purposes and destinies, we can be sure that God who is love has and knows our purpose and destiny.  And we await for the epiphanies to discover our purpose and destiny.  We await to say in the words of the master of malapropisms, Yogi Berra, "It's like deja vu, all over again!"

As gifted and as talented as we might be as people, the love which Paul wrote about is also very honestly humble: "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

According to Paul, love makes us humble relativists.  In classical and many forms of modern philosophies, it is a supreme insult to be called a relativist.  But St. Paul makes the profound confession of a relativist; he wrote, "now I see only in part."  Paul and anyone can only see in part.  Relativism is admitting to having only partial knowledge.  No human being has the capacity to be all-knowing.  We can only know in part; we can only be relativists.  But what can we also know?  We can know that our part is related to the greater whole, the greater plenitude.  And so it is more honest to confess that the greater Plenitude knows us than to say that we know the fullness of Plenitude.  So the love written about by St. Paul invites us to the natural humility of admitting our partial knowledge.

And if our knowledge and our gifts are partial, it does not mean that they are insignificant.  Each one us is invited to an epiphany of the love Christ to discover our purpose and our destiny for being here in the congregation of fellow Christians.  We are to arise and take up our gifts for the benefit of this parish and we are to look to this great love to orchestrate our gifts so our egos don't get in the way.  This is how we are to grow to be more perfect in love together.

When Jesus went to his hometown, people who were jealous wanted to kill him out of their lives.  Jesus comes to this place, here and now as another one of his hometowns.  Let us welcome him as the Lord of Love who is with us to help us find our personal destiny and our destiny as a parish going forwards.  Amen.

Sunday School, February 3, 2019 4 Epiphany C

Sunday School, February 3, 2019  4 Epiphany C

Themes

A wrong excuse:  I’m too young to do something important for God

Being envious

Love

Sometimes we think that we live in a world controlled by adults and so only adults can do important things.  Only adults need to do important things for God.  A child might think, “I’m too young to do something important for God.”

The prophet Jeremiah tried to use this excuse when God called him.  “He told God, “I am only a boy; I can’t do something for God that is as important as what an adult could do.”

Assignment:  What can children do for God in their home and family, at school and in their parish church.  Acolytes, liturgists, watching younger children and special community projects.  Make a list of what children do in your parish church and inform the adults about the importance of the children in the church.

Jesus went back to his hometown and his hometown were envious of his fame and so they did not accept him.

Sometimes if our brother or sister or close friend receives awards, attention or honor, it is hard for us to accept, because we know the person really well and we don’t think that he or she is “that much better” than we are and so it is a temptation for us to be jealous and envious of the gifts and talents of those who are close to us.  We also need to remember that the reason we have gifts and talents is to share them with our community to make our community better and not to make us feel more important than others.  Jesus came to his hometown to share his gifts but his old friends did not accept what he wanted to give them because they were jealous.

St. Paul wrote about Love:  He said that “Love is not envious.”    This is also what he wrote about love: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”  St. Paul wrote to a church in Corinth where people where arguing about who had the best gifts and talents.  He wrote that gifts and talents were not worth anything if they were not accompanied by love.  He wrote that Love is the greatest thing. We should all try to grow in love.

There are three kinds of love that are found in the New Testament:

Love as the magnetic attraction between people.

Friendship love, like when we have favorites or best friends.

But the third kind of love is the kind of love that God has for this world and the kind of love that Christ has shown us.  It is a special love which means we have to treat everyone fairly and with justice even if they are not are favorites or if they are not attractive to us.

We have to love people whom we don’t like or attracted to us.  This is that third kind of special love.

Why do we have to love people whom we don’t like or are not attracted to?  Because we want them to do the same for us.  Not everyone is attracted to us and not everyone likes us as their best or good friend, but we still want them to treat us with kindness and respect and fairness.

Sometimes it is hard to respect people who are not our favorites but this special kind of love is the love from God.  God is love because God’s heart is big enough to make everyone God’s favorite.

We need to continually learn how to make our heart grow larger to be able to love more and more people.

A Sermon:

  How would you define a good student?  Someone who studies hard, does their homework and is always ready to learn new things.

  How would you define a good baseball player?  Someone who can throw a baseball far, hard and accurate.  Someone who can hit homeruns.  Some who can run fast.  Someone who can win the world series.  They are the best baseball players.

  How would you define or talk about a good dancer?  Some one who practices a lot of ballet steps and movements.  Some one who becomes so good that they can dance on the stage with a famous ballet company.

  How would you define a good inventor?  Some one who can design and make new things?

  How would you define a good artist?  Someone who learns how to paint or draw and learns how to create beautiful paintings and sculptures.

  But how would you define a good Christian?  How would you define someone who is following the teaching of Jesus Christ?

  St. Paul wrote about it.  He wrote about the greatest ability in the world.  And do you know what St. Paul said was the greatest thing in the world?

  He said that love was the greatest thing in the world.  St. Paul wrote that we can have many talents and skills, but if we don’t have love, then our talents are not worth anything.   What makes our lives perfect is when we add love to all of our gifts and talents and abilities.

  What is love?  Love is how we should live with God and how we should live with each other.  What is love?  Love is how we act when we are patience, kind, forgiving, cheerful and respectful.

  Jesus said that there are only two rules in life:  Love God with all of your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.  And so if we want to be good Christians, then we will spend our lives learning how to love God and one another.

  Are we to ever stop loving?  No, because love never ends.

  Remember to be a good Christian, we have to always be learning how to love.  God gives us many gifts and talents, and with all of our gifts and talents, we also need to learn how to love.  Love is what is perfect in life.  Whatever we do in our lives, we need to have love accompany it.

  So what is the greatest thing in the world?  Love.  And God is love and God ask us to learn how to love in our lives.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 3, 2019 The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Jesu, Jesu; I’ve Got Peace Like a River; The Gift of Love; If You’re Happy

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.

Song: Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love, (Renew! # 289)

Refrain: Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.

Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet, Master who acts as a slave to them.

Neighbors are rich and poor, neighbors are black and white, neighbors are near and far away.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

Liturgist: A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 71

For you are my hope, O Lord GOD, * my confidence since I was young.

I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother's womb you have been my strength; *my praise shall be always of you.

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and began to say, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown.

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.

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.

Youth 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 Hymn: I’ve Got Peace Like a River (All the Best Songs, # 195)

1-I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.  I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.

2-I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.  I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.

3-I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.  I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.

Children’s Choir:  Amazing Grace

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

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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,

(Children may 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: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: The Gift of Love   (Renew! # 155)

1-Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire and have not love: my words are vain; as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

2-Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess, but not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin.

3-Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole.  Let inward love guide every deed; by this we worship, and are freed.

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: If You’re Happy and You Know It  (Christian Children’s Songbook  # 124)

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

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

3-Make a low five….

4-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!

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!