Sunday School, March 10, 2019 1 Lent C

Sunday School, March 10, 2019                       First Sunday in Lent C

Themes and Topics

Learning Self Control

Learning to be one’s own hero

Fasting is a practice of learning self-control

Gospel Story:  Jesus went away to a place to be alone and fast

When you feed a dog, you put the food in the dog dish and set it on the floor.  And what do many dogs do?  They immediately try to eat all of the food as fast as they can.  Now some dog owners will try to teach a dog to wait until he or she give the command to the dog to eat.  A dog owner may try to teach a dog to wait before eating.

When babies are hungry, they want their milk right away.  They don’t want to wait and if mom makes them wait, what do they do?  They cry.

Growing up means we learn how to control our selves when we have to wait for something that we need.

So you may be hungry right now, but mom says the food is still cooking and besides we’re waiting for dad to come home so we can eat together.   So even if you are hungry right now, you learn to wait so that you can eat with the rest of the family.

Learning to wait to eat is “fasting.”  It is learning how to control yourself.  It is learning to not let your desire for something make you unhappy if you cannot get it right away.

Fasting is about learning to wait and have patience so that you can learn to do things together with other people.  Fasting is about learning other people’s schedules.

When you teacher asks you to be silent and raise your hand, this is also fasting because it is waiting for your turn to speak so that you can honor the schedule of your class.

Jesus was a hero because he learned to fast; he learned to do things according to God the Father’s time.  He did not obey the voice of Satan which tempted him to do the wrong things, at the wrong time in the wrong way.

Lent is about learning how to be our own superhero by learning how to control ourselves.

Jesus was a superhero of self-control;  And we can learn from Jesus about being our own superhero as we learn self-control.  An important part of self-control is learn how to share in how we live with other people.

Lent is a season of learning self-control for the purposes of sharing the gifts and good things of our lives with others, especially those who do not have enough.

A sermon about learning to be one’s own hero

  How would you like to be a hero?  How do you think you can be a hero?  Do you have to fly like Superman, Batman and Spiderman in order to be a hero?  Do you have to save someone from drowning to be a hero?  Do you have to rescue some one from a burning building to be a hero? Doing those things would make you a hero, but there is another way to be a hero.

  And Jesus wants us all to be heroes.  How can all of us be heroes?  By being strong.  Let me see your muscles.  But the muscles in our arms are not important muscles that we need.

  We need some other muscles.  We need strength to be able to not do things that are bad for us.  We need strength to be able to do things that are really, really good for us.

  And so we need to do some training to be heroes.  That is what the season of Lent is for..it’s for doing some special training.

  Is it easier to eat four pieces of chocolate cake than to eat our vegetables?  Chocolate cake is good and vegetables are good.  And we need to be heroes by becoming strong enough to choose the right amounts of good food for us.  Say, I am strong.  I am powerful.  I will be a hero.  I will choose good food.

  Is it easier to watch cartoons on TV or clean your bedroom or do your school work?  It is fun to watch TV but when there are other things that we need to do, we need to have the power to choose to do other things to help our families and to help us get good grades at school.  Can you flex your muscles and say: I am powerful.  I will be a hero.  I will choose to do good things.

  Jesus was a hero because he learned to have power to do the good things that he was supposed to do.  When he was given the choice between doing some good and doing something bad, he chose what was good.

  You and I have to practice being good.  And how do we practice being good?  We have to build the muscles of our choosing power.  We have to practice making the right choices.  Our teachers and parents help us to make the right choices.  Even though they are not perfect; they still are able to help you make good choices.  And if we learn to make good choices, then we become powerful and we become heroes of our own lives?

  Can you learn to be a hero today?  Let’s see your muscles.  Say:  I am strong.  I can make good choices.  I can be a hero today. 

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

March 10, 2019 The First Sunday in Lent

Gathering Songs: On Eagle’s Wings, Just As I am, I Am the Bread of Life, Thy Word

Song: On Eagle’s Wings (Renew! # 112)

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in his shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust.”

Refrain: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear: under his wings your refuge, his faithfulness your shield.  Refrain

Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all of our sins.

People: God’s mercy endures forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Praise be to God!

O God, you are Great!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have made us! Praise be to God!

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Praise be to God!

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Praise be to God!

Liturgist: A reading from the Letter to the Romans

For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, * abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

He shall say to the LORD, "You are my refuge and my stronghold, * my God in whom I put my trust."

He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter * and from the deadly pestilence.

He shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings; * his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.

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, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God,  and serve only him.'"  Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,  to protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up,  so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

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:  Just As I Am (Renew! # 140)

Just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me,

and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come. I come!

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:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.   

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: I Am the Bread of Life (Renew!  # 246)

Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood, and drink of his blood, you shall not have life within you.

Refrain: And I will raise you up, and I will raise you up, and I will raise you up on the last day.

Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.  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: Thy Word (Renew! # 94)

Refrain: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still you’re there right beside me.  And nothing will I fear as long as you are near.  Please be near me to the end.  Refrain

I will not forget your love for me, and yet my heart forever is wandering.  Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side; and I will love you to the end.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Temptation, Anti-Christ and Mistiming in Life

1 Lent C    March 10, 2019

Deut.26:1-11    Ps. 91

Rom.10:5-13     Luke 4:1-13

Lectionary Link
As I read the account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, it occurred to me that in 

effect, the internal struggle of Jesus was whether to be the Christ or the Anti-Christ.  The 

temptation was the attempt by the great liar and accuser, Satan, the Devil, the Serpent to 

get Jesus to depart from the intended way of God the Father for the chosen messiah.

The New Testament writers referred to the Anti-Christ.  The Anti-Christ would be a very popular public figure who would have the ability to even use the Bible and religion to fool people.  The New Testament writers were very concerned about false messiahs.  And some would like to think that there is only one Anti-Christ.  But the accounts of history show us that the father of lies has been able to so possess political figures and the results have been the committing of some of the worst atrocities in human history.

In the elements of the temptation of Jesus, he is faced with being tricked by the another manifestation of the original trickster serpent of the garden of Eden.  Eat this fruit the serpent told Adam and Eve and you will be wise like God. 

“You’re hungry Jesus.  Just command these stones and they will become bread.”  So Jesus was being tempted to obey the commands of Satan.  An Anti-Christ is one who follows the lying commands of the prince of lies.

How did Jesus answer?  You are not my Father; I obey my Father and his words and I will be patient for the word of my Father to tell me when it is time to me to eat.

The Anti-Christ is a megalomaniac.  He the Faustian man who makes a bargain with the devil; sells his soul to the devil to be the ruler of the world and to attain greatness.

Again, Jesus rebuked refused to make a bargain with devil.  “Why should I worship you, Satan, Lucifer, Devil, for you have been created by God my Father who is higher than you.  Why should I worship someone less than God the creator?  You are but an idol maker.”

The devil and the anti-Christ are those who are so full of pride that they believe that they are worthy of ungodly adoration and popularity, when true fame and glory belongs to God, alone.

When the temptation regarding bodily needs or the temptation to extravagant fame fails what other trick did the devil have?   The devil said, “kill yourself, throw yourself off the high place, and don’t worry because the Bible says that the angel defy gravity, they will catch and you will be rescued.  Kill yourself because the afterlife is better than this life.

And what did Jesus say, “Be gone Satan.”  Jesus would not be the “Anti-Messiah,” he was the true Messiah because he was going to do all things in God’s way and in God’s timing.

Another thing that I found interesting about my reading of the temptations of Jesus again, is to realize how they correspond to the public criticisms of Jesus.

What did people say about Jesus?  He crazy, he’s mad.  He’s suicidal because he said he was going away; is he going to kill himself.  They said he was a glutton and wine bibber, and one who hung out with sinners.  They said he had a pact with Beelzebub to cast out demons.  They said he had blasphemed because he made himself equal to God and took upon himself the right to forgive people’s sins.

So the very things that Jesus was tempted about were things that people accused him of being. 

Where do you and stand with the temptations of Jesus and with our own temptations today as we enter symbolic season of Lent, 40 days, dedicated to deal with the temptations in our lives?

The essence of temptation is really about mistiming, doing good and bad things at the wrong time.  It’s okay to eat, but we have to do it in the best way for our bodily health and for the health of the 5000 plus who need to be fed in our world.  We must learn to distinguish genuine self esteem which comes from knowing that our heavenly parent loves us, from the narcissistic unquenchable need for public fame based upon the pride which got Lucifer cast from heaven.  We cannot exchange the esteem based upon the love of God for the vainglory which is the major drug of sick personalities.

And finally, just because the Scriptures includes poetry which has angels catching falling people, it does not mean we should mistake science for poetry or poetry for science.  We can be both scientists and poets at the same time using the proper discursive practice for the proper rhetorical occasion.  When people mistake science for poetry and vice versa, people who do not want to believe in God say that religious people are crazy.   

You and I need to learn to resist being “anti-messiah.”  We need to develop the relationship with God to know the inner affirmation which creates an esteem that does not need to be replaced with vainglory.  We need to know the timing of God’s wisdom in our lives so that we live with the mystical sense and the faith to know how we should act at all times, learning what is most appropriate and graceful for each situation.

Let us learn how to resist the internal liar and accuser who would try to get us out of step and timing with the mission of the messiah that awaits us each day.  Amen.

  

Hypocrisy=Separating Loving God from Loving Neighbor

Ash Wednesday        March 6, 2019

Isaiah 58:1-12        Ps.103       

1 Cor. 5:20b-6:10    Matt. 6:1-6, 16-21

Lectionary Link

For those of us who might be crassly literal about our Gospel reading for tonight, we might think that the words of Jesus falsify my ministry, and the ministries of all clergy who are the visible leaders of their flocks. We  want as many people as possible to be seen praying on on the streets where our houses of faith are located.  And we won't even judge your motives for being seen at our places of worship; unless you're only there to sell us Amway products.

The words of Jesus paint a target on us as religious leaders since we are one's seen in holy haberdashery and how can we avoid being seen wearing such colorful vestments.  We have the "uniforms" which announce that we are "religious."

I really don't think the words of Jesus are about the only authentic prayer and piety being done in one's private rooms or closets.  If Jesus only wanted private prayer, we'd all be bedside Baptists or pillow Presbyterians, lonely Lutherans, marooned Methodists or erstwhile Episcopalians.  Is Jesus implying that only private piety is valid?  Is Jesus discouraging any public display of piety?  No PDA's, no public displays of affection for God.  Is Jesus saying this about public displays of public affection for God, "Get a room, a very private room?"

What Jesus is highlighting is that we can have pious public behaviors for all of the wrong reasons.  What Jesus highlights is the issue of letting good motives of the heart be expressed in the outer lives where we live in the main location of our lives.  We don't mainly live in private rooms or on street corners, but we live in our bodies and our bodies can have many locations and our bodies can be in private rooms or on street corners.

So what is the issue?  The issue is the motive of our hearts in our piety and practice of our religious faith.  Having a right heart is the issue.  Having a clean heart is the issue.  One of the Psalms for Ash Wednesday is the cry, "Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me."  Isn't having a clean heart the main issue in how we express our piety? 

Lent is a season when we ask God over and over again to do some spring cleaning in our hearts.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote the heart of each person is, above all things, exceeding deceitful.  Jesus said out of the heart comes all manner of evil.  Sigmund Freud said, the unconscious mind is polymorphously perverse.  Martin Luther indicated that we are continuously depraved even as our depravity co-exists with God's grace whose Holy Spirit within us becomes the only clean heart we can ever have; but we have to learn to get out of the way so  the Holy Spirit as a pure heart can be expressed within us.

Having the expression of public piety without the social and communal ethical and just results is what seems to driving many Americans to the religious category of "nones."  Not catholic monastic sisters but persons who have deny membership in any religious group, church, synagogue, mosques.  Social researchers who ask the "nones" about why they refuse identity with religious groups, often respond that religious people behave and think badly.  The "nones" believe that they can be spiritual or ethical without being religious.

This situation is a challenge for us who are not "nones."  We are threatened with our irrelevance and obsolescence of our public piety.

But this is hardly a new issue for any community of faith.  The issue was raised by the prophets and by Jesus and by many other writers of the New Testament.  It has to do with pretending to keep the first great commandment without keeping the second great commandment.  It is pretending that we can love God without loving our neighbor.

I can put on a good show of my love of God as a I participate in pleasing liturgies, even as I walk out of worship and ignore the crying needs of so many people who live close to me.  Jesus shocked the law abiding young rich man when he told him to sell what his possessions give to the poor.  Ratify your love of God by loving your neighbor as yourself.

The writer of the Epistle of James noted the hypocrisy of gathering for prayers while one's brothers and sisters were living in poverty.  The writer of the Epistle of John wrote that we cannot say that we love God whom we can't see if we don't love our brothers and sisters whom we can see.

So what is the clean heart issue in making our piety both privately and publicly valid?  The issue is love.  St. Paul wrote that we can all of the religious gifts and look very religious, but if we don't have love, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. 

What do we have to say to the "nones" today?  Public religious piety in the history of churches has gone on while ignoring or supporting slavery, while living with the subjugation of women, while refusing the protection of children, and while refusing the just inclusion of LGBTQ persons in our faith communities.  If public religious piety does not result in the comprehensive care of the people in our world and the wise stewardship of the earth's resources, then we are guilty of being noisy gongs and clanging cymbals.  The "nones" are saying to us, "Who needs you?"  Even our secular constitution and our democratic ideals are making the law of love known as justice extend to more people than our religious communities are reaching.

We begin this season of Lent convicted by our need to sew together continually the first great commandment and the second great commandment.  This is always the challenge for us to live authentic private and public lives of piety.  We can only validate our love of God by loving our neighbors; all of our neighbors.

Tonight, let us not despair because of our failures.  Let us be thankful for when love has prevailed; when our private and public pieties have been made valid by God's grace.  But let us not be hypocrites to the "nones" of the world; let us not display our religious piety if we are not rigorous in our attempts to love our neighbors as ourselves as we seek to care for them with the very same care and acceptance which we want for ourselves.

May God help us during this Lenten Season to hold together the first and second great commandments, and if we are successful at love, we can know that our public and private prayers and religious ministries have been valid.  Amen.

Epiphany Is More Than Being a Spectator

Last Epiphany C         March 3, 2019

Exodus 34:29-35     Ps. 99

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2    Luke 9:28-36    

 Lectionary Link

How do you and I move from being spectators of what is great to becoming agents of excellence?

The season of the Epiphany is about how Christ became manifest to the world.  How did Christ become the spectacle of greatness?  How did he become the example of who we want to model our lives after?

When did Jesus become best known to this world?  It really did not happen in his lifetime on earth.

Jesus became manifest to the people in the Roman Empire, as the Risen Christ when they were having spiritual experiences of Christ.

The early church leaders were asking why were these epiphanies of the Risen Christ happening?  How are these epiphanies of the Risen Christ connected to the life of Jesus of Nazareth?

The New Testament writings and the Gospels were written to try to explain how the manifestation of the Risen Christ in the Gentile world was connected to the person of Jesus of Nazareth?

Was there any evidence of the resurrection and the post-resurrection appearances before they happened?

The Gospel claim: Well, we knew that Jesus was very special, because we had a visionary event with Jesus on a mountain top.  And this visionary event was like the event which Moses was involved in on Mount Sinai.  This visionary event was like the events which surrounded the great prophet Elijah.  It was a shining event.  The face of Jesus shone, just like the face of Moses had shown when he had his meeting with God to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai.

St. Paul said that we all have a spiritual body which can live forever.  On the Mount of the Transfiguration, the spiritual body of Jesus was able to become a blazing light which lit up his face for the spectators, Peter, James and John.  Before the post-resurrection appearances of Christ and before the appearances of the Risen Christ in Paul and Jewish and Gentiles members of the early church, the transfiguration was an event for the disciples which anticipated the resurrection state of Christ.

Moses had spectators for his epiphany.  Jesus had spectators for his epiphany.  Elijah had his spectators for his epiphany on Mount Carmel.  The spectators were able to witness the glory of the God, the profound fame of God becoming made known.

There is a kind of atrophy which can happen because of the writing of the Bible and the writing of history.  The atrophy is because of the cult of hero worship.  Other people have become great for us to adore and worship, and so we have the lifelong task of being spectators of the heroes, prophets and saints; we can easily be but spectators of Christ and the saints and the spiritual heroes.  Spectator means that we are watchers; we look on and admire greatness.  The danger of being mere spectators is that we absolve ourselves of moving in the direction of the greatness in what it would mean for you and me in our quest for continual excellence.

The cult of heroes and our entertainment culture is based upon creating a large passive audience to support the people who can become popular.  But this violates the kind of greatness that Jesus was representing.

There are two approaches to perfection; individual and communal.  One notion of perfection has to do with the individual quest for greatness in the competitive sense.  I want to be more perfect than anyone else because I want to stand out.

The other approach to perfection is communal.  I want to discover perfection as completeness within my family and community.  My perfection is the experience of the community succeeding in excellence.  This loss of the individual identity within community success is not very popular in our culture, a culture of the worship of heroes and famous people.   But where is communal perfection significant?  It is when mom and dad find total joy in seeing their children succeed and show significance signs of growth.  It is when leaders of schools, parishes and communities take more pride in the group achievement than their own personal resumes.  It happens when a business cherishes the input of all workers to achieve success together.

Christ came to give his life for many.  He did not come just to make us adoring spectators; he came so that he could re-appear to all of us and discover the Holy Spirit as our internal engine to propel us toward excellence.  He came, not to make us spectators; he came to make us agents of his values in our time and place.

Transfiguration is Latin based word for the Greek word from which we derive the English word, metamorphosis.  Transfiguration is both an event and a process.  In the life of a butterfly, what do we often associate metamorphosis with?  We tend to focus on the event of the butterfly breaking out of the cocoon.  But metamorphosis includes the eggs, the larva, the caterpillar and the cocoon phases of life and those phases don't seem as glamorous as the butterfly.

What is the purpose of the butterfly?  Is it to be just a beautiful climax in the cycle of life?  A butterfly is one who can produce the eggs to begin the process all over again for many future butterflies.

Let us acknowledge the transfiguration as both an event and a process.  Let us not be merely spectators of the butterfly event; let us be a part of the process in seeing the birth of many who will come to know the transfiguration energy of Christ in their lives.

Today, we are not here to be mere spectators of Christ; we are to let the transfigured reality of Christ shine through our lives so that others might be able to catch a glimpse of the excellence to which they are called.  Remember that the Risen Christ has a very unique and special way to be transfigured through each of us.  Let us allow the same energy which transfigured Christ, to transfigure us so that others can see Christ, too.  Amen.

Sunday School, March 3, 2019 Last Sunday after the Epiphany C

Sunday School, March 3, 2019  Last Sunday after the Epiphany C

Themes:

The last Sunday before the Lenten fast from the word Alleluia.

Saving this special word of celebration for the Easter celebration.  During Lent we do not use this special word of celebration.

Event: Make a “mock” coffin and put the word “Alleluia” in it and put it in a “burial place” for Lent.

Other themes:

Mountain tops in the geography of the Bible.  Important things happened on the tops of mountains.

The Story of Moses:  He received the Law, the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai.  When he received the Law, he got so close to God that his face shone.  Mount Sinai was covered with clouds so that people could not see the presence of God.

Elijah had special experiences on top of mountains.  On Mount Carmel, he challenged the prophets of the god Baal.  And the God of Elijah sent down fire from heaven.  When Elijah was in a Mountain cave, he had a special experience of God speaking to him in a “still small voice.”

Moses and Elijah had special endings to their lives on earth.  Moses had an unwitnessed death and God buried Moses.   Elijah was carried away into heaven on the chariots of fire.  So Moses and Elijah were like “space men.”  They could travel back and forth from the heavenly space to the earthly space.  So Moses and Elijah met with Jesus and three of his disciple on the Mount of Transfiguration.  In this special event, the voice of God declared Jesus to be God’s chosen Son.  This declaration was witnessed by Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John.

Mountains are the highest places on earth.  They symbolize the place where earth touches the sky.  They symbolize the event of the God experience of men and women.

Each of us has a “mountain top” within us where God meets us and shows us how important Jesus is to our lives.

Sermon

Today the Last Sunday of the Season of Epiphany.  And it is also called transfiguration Sunday.

  We have read the story about how the face of Jesus shone very bright.  And we have made some sunshine haloes to wear today to remember the transfiguration of Jesus.

  Do you think that you could ever make your face shine like a light bulb?

  Let’s try something.  Let us try to make our faces look real sad.  Can you do that?  And what if we walked around all of the time with sad faces?  Would you like that?  No, the world would seem dark, if we had to have sad faces all of the time.

  Okay, let switch.  Let make happy faces and faces of surprise and excitement.  Isn’t that better?  When we have faces of happiness, joy and gladness, doesn’t it make it seem as though our faces are shining?

  When do you have a happy face?  When good things happen to you.  When some one is kind and nice to you.  We smile and we get happy.  When we are happy our face is full of light.

  So we should learn to make our faces shine with happiness.  And we should learn how to make the faces of other people shine with joy and happiness.

  The word Gospel means good news.  To receive the good news about God’s love makes us happy.  It makes our faces shine.  And there are many people who help us to have good news in our lives.

  But getting good news and being happy is not enough.  We need to do something else.  We need to learn how to make the faces of other people shine with happiness.  How can we do that?

  By being kind.  By helping.  By loving.

  When you play nicely with your friends and brothers and sisters, you make them happy.  You make your parents happy when you help with house work.  You make your parent happy when you study hard.  And your parents love to make you happy by doing nice things for us.

  So remember today, the Transfiguration of Jesus when his face shone with a bright light.

  We too can have faces that shine with happiness and joy because of the good things in our life.  And also we can help the faces of other people shine with happiness and joy as we practice love and kindness.

  Okay let me see your best happy face!  Wow is room getting bright.  I’m going to have to put on my sun glasses. 

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

March 3, 2019: The Last Sunday after the Epiphany C

Gathering Songs: Climb up Sunshine Mountain; Shine, Jesus, Shine; You are My All in All; Awesome God

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: Climb, Climb up Sunshine Mountain (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 30)

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain heavenly breezes blow.  Climb, climb up sunshine mountain faces all aglow.  Turn, turn from sin and doubting, look to God on high.  Climb, climb up Sunshine Mountain, you and I.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, who before the passion of your only­ begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; 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 Book of Genesis

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 99

The LORD is great in Zion; * he is high above all peoples.

Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; * he is the Holy One.

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.

About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

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: Shine, Jesus Shine (Renew! # 247)

Lord the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining. Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us. Set us free by the truth you now bring us. Shine on me.  Shine on me.

Refrain: Shine Jesus Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory.  Blaze, Spirit, blaze set our hearts on fire.  Flow, rivers, flow, fill the nations with thy grace and mercy.  Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.

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

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.

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: 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: You are My All in All (WR#427)

You are my strength when I am weak, you are the Treasure that I seek, you are my All in All. Seeking you as a precious jewel, Lord, to give up I’d be a fool, you are my All in All! Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is your name. Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is your name.

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: Awesome God (Renew! # 245)

Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love.

(Sung three times)

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!