Sunday School,
February 24, 2019 7 Epiphany C
Themes
Our country is
sometimes called the “melting pot.”
Why, because we are a country made up of people who have come here from
many other places in the world, people who look different and who have spoken
different languages and have different religions and belong to different
Christian churches.
Why do we like
our country? Because we have this great
ideal. We want to grow toward life, liberty
and happiness and justice for all.
Jesus started
this great ideal a long time ago. He
said to love our enemies. He said we should
treat other people in the same way that we want them to treat us.
The early church
was a new community of people learning how to live together in love. Jews, Gentiles from all parts of the Roman
Empire, rich and poor people, all were learning how to love each other and live
together.
How do we learn
to live together in love? We learn to
forgive each other. We to practice pay
back.
When someone does
something to hurt us, one of the first responses is to want to “pay them back.”
Did you ever
watch a football game or hockey game and see a player get angry and hit another
player? And the player who got hit, hits
back. And the referee calls a penalty on
the person who hit back. Why? The referee did not see the first hit. The referee only saw the pay back and so the second player received a
penalty. And it is not fair, but it
shows that if we always want to “pay back” people who hurt us, then we usually
get in more trouble than the person who hurt us.
Family members
are close and share many nice things, but family members still often fight with
each other. Why? Because we still have disagreements.
Jesus said that
we have to learn how to live with each other and learn how to be different and
how to disagree without being disagreeable or hurtful.
Why should I
forgive other people? Well, I will find
out that I am not perfect and that I will need to be forgiven by others
too. So, we need to obey Jesus and adopt
forgiveness as the rule of our community.
Why do the rules
of Jesus seem difficult? Because it is
difficult to live with people who are different from us. But it is very important that we value our
relationships with each other, because we all need other people.
The rules of
Jesus seem difficult because living in a community can sometimes be very
difficult. This is why we need God and
we need to ask God for forgiveness and then we need to forgive each other.
Jesus Christ came
to say that God belongs to everyone. And
if God belongs to everyone, everyone needs to learn how to live together, even
if people seem to be so different as to be called enemies. We still have to share this life with other
people, even those who are different from us so Jesus founded a way to live
together and this way of living together became called the church or a
fellowship.
The church is a
group of different people learning to live together and practice forgiveness
because we have been called by Jesus to live a life of forgiveness.
Sermon
The story of Joseph
is a story of forgiveness. Joseph had
many brothers. His father was named Jacob. The brothers of Joseph were jealous of Joseph
because they thought their dad Jacob favored Joseph. Jacob gave a special rainbow-colored coat to
Joseph. Joseph was a dreamer and he used
to kind of brag in front of his brothers about his dreams. His brothers became angry and to get rid of
him, they sold him into slavery and took his coat and put some animal blood on
it and showed the coat to their dad and they said that a wild animal had killed
Joseph. Jacob thought Joseph was dead
and he was sad. But Joseph went to Egypt
as a slave, but he was so clever he became the chief minister for the Pharaoh. When a bad drought came, the brothers of Joseph
came to Egypt to get food and supplies, and Joseph saw them but they did not recognize
Joseph because he had grown up and he looked like an Egyptian. When the brothers of Joseph discovered who
Joseph was, they thought that Joseph would punish them for selling him into
slavery. But Joseph forgave them. He said God had helped him to become
successful so that he could help his brothers and his father Jacob survive a
very hard time of drought.
Forgiveness is
never easy. That is why we ask God to
help us forgive. And we believe that
forgiveness helps heal relationships.
Forgiveness is like a band aid on wound.
Forgiveness is what heals hurt in our families and our communities.
Amen.
St. John the
Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service
with Holy Eucharist
February 24, 2019 The Seventh Sunday after the
Epiphany
Gathering Songs: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, Jesus Bids Us Shine, Spirit
of the Living God,
May 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.
Song: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (All the Best
Songs for Kids #130)
I have decided to follow
Jesus, (3x) No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me,
the cross before me (3x) No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with
me, still I will follow (3x) No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now,
to follow Jesus? (3x) No turning back, no turning back.
Liturgist: The Lord be with
you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
O Lord, you have taught us that without love
whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue,
without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the
sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and 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 Genesis.
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am
Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him
because they were so upset to see him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I
am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be
distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me
before you to preserve life from famine. So it was not you who sent me here,
but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and
ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him,
'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me,
do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me,
you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks,
your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there, since there
are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all
that you have, will not come to poverty.'" And Joseph kissed all his
brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
Liturgist: The
Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For they shall soon wither like the grass,
* and like the green grass fade away.
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good; * dwell in the land
and feed on its riches.
4 Take delight in the Lord, * and he shall give you your
heart's desire.
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.
Jesus said, "I say to you, Love your
enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also;
and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give
to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask
for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Love your enemies,
do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and
you will be children of the Most High. Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you
will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be
given to you."
Liturgist: The
Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon
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: Jesus Bids Us Shine,
(The Christian Children Songbook, #132)
Jesus bids us shine
with a clear, pure light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In this
world of darkness, we must shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine
first of all for Him, Well he sees and knows it if our light is dim; He looks
down from heaven, sees us shine. You in
your small corner and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine
as we work for Him, bring those that wander from the paths of sin; He will ever
help us if we shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.
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: 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: Spirit of the Living God, (Renew # 90)
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the
living God, fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the living
God fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God move among us all; Spirit of the
living God, make us one in love.
Humble, caring, selfless, sharing; Spirit of the living God,
fill our lives with love.
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: May the Lord (Sung to the tune of Edelweiss)
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!
