Sunday School, July 21, 2019 C proper 11

Sunday School,   C proper 11

Themes

What is the most import “computer” center of the human body?

Is it our legs? Stomach? Arms? Heart? Mouth?

No it is our head which houses the most important computer center of our entire body.

So how do we know that our head is the most important computer center of our body?

We know when we learn to think and when we practice thinking and learning.

Paul said the church was like a body made up of many organs and parts.  But Paul wrote that the head of the body, the church was Christ.

And so how do we make the church function the very best?  We keep in touch with Christ as our brain.  We look to his life and his words and his example and the people whom he has inspired. 

We stay in touch with Christ so that we can make the church a group of people who practice love and kindness and service and telling people the Good News of Christ being with us as our Head.

Mary and Martha were friends of Jesus.

Sometimes in our lives we need to be very active.  We need to work; we need to prepare food, wash the dishes and the clothes and clean the houses.  Martha was a very good worker and she was upset when Mary was not working as hard as she was.  Mary was doing something else.  She was sitting and learning from her best friend Jesus.

In our lives we need to know when to work and when to stop working and learn to get to know Jesus as our best friend who can help us grow in being the very best persons that we can be.

Work is good; prayer and learning from Jesus is also very good and most important.  We need to take time to work but never forget the importance of prayer and talking to Jesus.

Sermon

  Ding dong, the door bell rings.  And you open the door and you have surprise visitors; it’s grandmother and grandfather.  They are on a trip and can only spend a few hours at your house.  What do your parents do?

  Do they make you go finish all of your chores?  Do they make you leave the room and wash the dishes?  Do they make you practice your music lesson or finish your homework?

  No, why?  Because grandmother and grandfather are only going to be there for just a few hours and so everyone gets to spend time being with them.

  Well, Jesus dropped in one day at the home of his friends Mary and Martha.  And they were very excited because Jesus was a special person in their lives and they could not see him all of the time, so they wanted to make his visit special.

  Martha loved her friend Jesus and she was a good hostess.  She wanted to treat Jesus as a special guest.  So she wanted to get the house all fixed up and cleaned and she wanted to get the food all prepared.

  But her sister Mary just sat in the living room talking with Jesus.  And that upset Martha because Mary wouldn’t help.

  Jesus was not worried about getting food and he was not worried if the house was not in order or if the good napkins were put out and fresh flowers were in place.

  Jesus only wanted to spend time with his friends:  He wanted Mary and Martha to be with him and talk with him.  And he wanted to talk with him and tell them some wonderful things.

  Did you know that you and I can sometimes be so busy we forget that God is our friend and that God just wants to spend time with us?

  That is why God gave us the commandment about the Sabbath or worship day of Sunday.  It means that we are to stop everything in our lives sometimes and just take time to be with God, to be with Christ.

  And we do this by hearing the stories of the Bible.  We do this by praying with others.  And we do this each day by setting aside some time to just talk with Christ.

  Jesus was happy that Mary took time from her work to talk to him.  And Jesus is happy when we take time to pray and to spend time with God.

  Let us remember what Mary did.  She remembered to take time to be with Jesus.  And so we should do the same.  Amen.

Young Child friendly Eucharist for Year C, proper 11

Gathering Songs: Jesus in the Morning, Only A Boy Named David, I Come with Joy, Christ Beside Me

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

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

Song: Jesus in the Morning, (Christian Children’s Songbook,   # 134)

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noontime.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus when the sun goes down.

Love him, love him, love him in the morning, love him at the noontime.  Love him, love him, love him when the sun goes down.

Serve him, serve him, serve him in the morning, serve him at the noontime.  Serve him, serve him, serve him when the sun goes down.

Praise him, praise him, praise in the morning, praise him at the noontime.  Praise him, praise him, praise him when the sun goes down.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Liturgy Leader: In our prayers we first praise God, chanting the praise word: Alleluia

Litany of Praise: 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

A reading from the Letter to the Colossians

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 52

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; * I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

I will give you thanks for what you have done * and declare the goodness of your Name in the presence of the godly.

Liturgy Leader: I invite you to let us know what you are thankful for today

   As we thank God let us chant Thanks be to God

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

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!

(Sing Birthday blessings or wedding blessings to those present who are celebrating)

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

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.

Liturgy Leader: Next in our prayers, we remember people who have special needs.  As we pray let us chant:  Christ Have Mercy

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

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

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.

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, the gifts of bread and wine will be presented at the Eucharist. We ask you to 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: I Come with Joy, (Renew! # 195)

I come with joy a child of God, forgiven, loved and free, the life of Jesus to recall, in love laid down for me.

I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed, the new communion of love in Christ’s communion bread.

As Christ breaks bread, and bids us share, each proud division ends.  The love that made us, makes us one, and strangers now are friends.

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: Christ Beside Me (Renew! # 164)

Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, king of my heart.  Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me, never to part

Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand, Christ all around me, shield in the strife.  Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising light of my life.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Neighbor: Being the One Who Gets to Love

5 Pentecost, Cp10, July 14, 2019 

Deut. 30:9-14   Ps.25:3-9  

Col. 10:25-37  Luke 10:25-37 

Lectionary Link
The parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke has the sublime elements that one could call brilliant, wise genius, for those who really seek creative advancement in the best of recommended behaviors for persons who are on a path of seeking to surpass themselves in future states of excellence.

The set up for the parable has elements which could be compared with some of the Socratic dialogues penned by Plato.

What is the set up?  A lawyer in the time of Jesus within the communities of Judaism would be practitioners of the laws which governed behaviors of observant Jews.  It would have been a different legal practice to deal with interaction with the outsiders who lived under the laws of the Roman Empire.

A religious law expert asked the question regarding the link between one's life and one's afterlife.  "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  There is, of course, a basic contradiction in the question itself.  People who inherit are called heirs.  How do heirs inherit?  By being born into a family as a child.  A child is an automatic heir.  So why does a child heir have to do something to receive the inheritance?

What this contradiction exposes was how the lawyer regarded the divine law.  He regarded the Torah to be a collection of recommended behaviors that if one could follow, it would allow the inheritance of a continued personal life in the afterlife.  Jesus asked the lawyer what the written law said about his question.  The lawyer gave the summary of the law, "Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself."

But then the lawyer revealed his misunderstanding of the law of God.  He understood human limitation and sought to allow such a limitation to be put on the law of love.  In the Christian community, the law of love was said to be the fulfillment of the law.

The lawyer was thinking if I counted up all of the loving deeds that I did for my neighbor, would there be neighbors who I would not have to love.  What about my natural enemies, like the Roman soldiers or what about the Samaritans whom we occasionally had to confront?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is penetrating in many ways.

First, it presents a Samaritan, the lawyer's natural enemy as the one who is the loving neighbor.

Second, it presents the obvious observers of the law, a priest and a Levite as those who did not want to get involved in the plight of the victim of the attack.  Their laws of ritual purity prevented them from being good neighbors.  How?  If the victim was dead, then they would pollute themselves by coming in contact with a "dead" body.  There lives would be inconvenienced by having to go through ritual purification  to cleanse themselves of their unclean act of touching a dead person.  If they didn't know the victim and if he might be dead, why bother?

Third, a Samaritan had their own version of Torah religion.  They were not any less religious than observant Jews.  But this Samaritan who would not be considered a candidate for eternal life for the lawyer, is presented as the one who fulfills the love of God.  And being a loving person of all is what fulfills God's law of love and that loving behavior is what expresses eternal life, or that which truly lasts forever.

In short, Jesus taught that eternal life, is the love of God flowing through us as God's children who have inherited this privilege to be lovers of God and each other.

Who is my neighbor?  Jesus  said that is the wrong question.  The question is when and where and to whom do I get the privilege to be neighborly.

Jesus affirmed the active definition of the word "neighbor."  Neighbor is the subject, the verb and the object.

A neighbor, neighors other neighbors, and so neighbor as a verb is conjugated, "I neighbor other neighbors.  You neighbor other neighbors.  We all neighbor other neighers."  And this is how we prove that the eternal life of God's Spirit is in and through us.

Let us go forth to be active neighbors today and so fulfill the eternal life of God.

Sunday School, Eucharist for Children, C proper 10

Sunday School,   C proper 10

Exploring the Theme of the Parable of the Good Samaritan

What is a neighbor?

Sometimes we think that neighbors are people who live close to each other.

Sometimes we think that neighbors are just the people who we feel familiar and comfortable with.

When Jesus said that we are to “love our neighbor as ourselves,”  a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”  He was really asking Jesus, “Who am I required to love in order to please God.”

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to show a different meaning for “neighbor.”

Neighbors are not just people who live close to each other and are familiar with each other.  A neighbor is one who cares for anyone who is in need.

So a neighbor is doing and not just being.  This means we have to work in our lives to practice kindness all of the time so that we are always in good practice of being a neighbor.

Sermon

  What is a neighbor?

  Sometimes we use neighbor to mean only the people who live close to us.

  But sometimes people who live close to each other are not very friendly.

  Jesus told a story to help teach a young lawyer about the meaning of being a neighbor.

  One day a man was traveling to Jericho.  And he was attacked by robbers.  They hurt him and took all of his belongings and left him in the ditch.

  Two very important people, a priest and Levite saw the poor man in the ditch and but they did not stop to help him; they walked by because they thought that the man was dead.

  Then a man, a Samaritan, came and saw the man. (The Samaritan was a man who would not be liked by the lawyer).  The Samaritan nursed and cared for the man and carried him on his donkey to a place where he could heal.

  After Jesus told the story, he asked the lawyer.  Who was the neighbor?  And the lawyer answered, “The Samaritan, the one who showed care and mercy.

  Jesus taught an important message about the meaning of being a neighbor.

  A neighbor is not just someone who lives close to us.  A neighbor is you and I, and anybody when they show love and kindness and mercy to people who are in need.

  Today, we want God to make us good neighbors, because we want to be those who respond to people in need.

Child friendly Holy Eucharist, using the rubrics on page 400 of the Book of Common Prayer with guidelines for non-principal Eucharist

C proper 10

Gathering Songs: Kum Ba Yah, This Little Light of Mine, Seek Ye First, Praise Him

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

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

Song: Kum Ba Ya, (Christian Children’s Songbook  # 150)

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah.  Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah.  Kum ba yah my Lord, kum ba yah.  O Lord, kum ba yah.

Someone’s singing Lord, kum ba yah.  Someone’s singing Lord, kum ba yah. Someone’s singing Lord, kum ba yah.   O Lord, kum ba yah.

Someone’s loving Lord, kum ba yah.  Someone’s loving Lord, kum ba yah. Someone’s loving Lord, kum ba yah.  O Lord, kum ba yah.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Liturgy Leader: In our prayers we first praise God, chanting the praise word: Alleluia

Litany of Praise: 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

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the LORD your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 25

Show me your ways, O LORD, * and teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.

Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.

Liturgy Leader: I invite you to let us know what you are thankful for today

   As we thank God let us chant Thanks be to God

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.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, `Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

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.

Liturgy Leader: Next in our prayers, we remember people who have special needs.  As we pray let us chant:  Christ Have Mercy

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 Song: This Little Light of Mine, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 234)

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.  This little light of mine, I am going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, No!  I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m going to let it shine.  Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine.  Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

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 or said)

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.

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 a 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 gifts of bread and wine will be presented. We ask you to 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.

We remember that 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 the holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Seek Ye First, (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you, allelu, alleluia. Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you; Allelu, alleluia.    Refrain

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

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

Closing Song: Praise Him, All Ye Little Children (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 184)

Praise him, praise him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love.  Praise him, praise him all ye little children, God is love.  God is love.

Love him, love him all ye little children, God is love, God is love.  Love him, love him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love.

Thank him, thank him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love.  Thank him, thank him all ye little children, God is love, God is love.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

The Gospel Needs Strategies

4 Pentecost, C p 9, July 7, 2019

2 Kings 5:1-14  Psalm 30

Gal. 6:1-18    Luke 10:1-12,16-20 

Lectionary Link

The church history professor with tongue in cheek asked the seminarians, "Why was the Episcopal Church so late to arrive on the frontier?"  Answer:  "They were waiting for the invention of the Pullman Car."  Obviously, they would leave evangelical poverty to others.  The laborer is worthy of his hire meant something different for those Pullman Car Episcopalians.

When we read the Gospels, we are used to the "big 12" getting all of the attention.  It could be that 12 was more symbolic as the early church tried to reinterpret the church as the new 12 tribes of Israel with 12 corresponding leaders.  We know that there were women who were considered close associates of Jesus and we read today about the seventy who were sent in pairs to get the message out about the kingdom of God being near.

We know that some religious groups still are very literal about going two by two in their mission, as we all know when we see two young men in white shirts and ties and riding mountain bikes on the streets.

Rather than being literal about how mission work should be done, whether from the comfort of a Pullman car or with evangelical poverty, the big point being made is that the Gospel needs strategies.  In legal theory it is said that a law that is not promulgated is invalid; meaning if no one knows about the law, how can they know be held responsible for keeping the law.  The Gospel which is not promulgated is a Gospel that is not given the opportunity to be responded to.

The Gospel always needs strategies of promulgation.  I would like to share some insights from our biblical readings today about potential strategies for the spreading of the Gospel.

First, everyone one needs good news.  And what does good news mean for someone who is sick and afflicted?  It means health.  The fullest meaning of salvation is holistic health.  Health, salvation and good news is not just for us; it's for everyone.  Foreigners outside of Israel got sick too.  Even a foreign general like Naaman needed good news of possible recovery.  He was even willing to go into foreign territory and submit himself to their strange folk remedy to seek health. The prophet Elisha had to be big hearted enough to represent a God who offered health and salvation to all.  What is the insight for us?  We need to know that God wants us to reach outside of our familiar crowd to offer the best news that we have.

The second insight that I'd like to share is St. Paul's law of karma.  "You reap what you sow."  This has nothing to do with whether God forgives us our sins; it has to do with the unavoidable outcomes of what we do in our lives.  Our deeds are always affecting future outcomes.  If we keep our good news locked up in insider arcane theology and liturgies, we may find ourselves like the spiritual equivalent of the Shakers.  They died out because they didn't propagate; if we don't sow the seeds of the Gospel in inspired ways, we too can be responsible for our own diminishing numbers.

The Gospel evangelical mission commissioned by Jesus offers us several insights.  Jesus said that he had a message that everyone needed.  There is a harvest because the knowledge of the nearness of God's kingdom or realm is something which everyone needs to know.  As much as our nationalities are important to us, everyone needs to know citizenship in a larger realm, the realm of God.  We are God-ites first before we are Americans.  We live and move and have our being in God; that is our primary identity and it is really good news if we can come to experience this God-identity.  In a Roman occupied country, what value did their national heritage do for Jews and for their spiritual freedom?  Jesus was inviting everyone to the nationality of God; there was no greater citizenship identity to have than to accept one's citizenship in the realm of God. 

What were the strategies for the evangelical mission?  Get the message out quickly.  Travel light; don't get bogged down in over administrated logistics.  Live off the land.  Don't worry about rejection; just move on to the next opportunity.  Go in pairs so you have fellowship and encouragement and someone to consult with on the mission.  Finally, don't make success or failure the issue; the message of being a citizen in God's realm is its own reward.  Your name is written in heaven, whether you have the metrics of success or failure.

So, what insights might we ponder today for Trinity Cathedral?  What are our strategies for the Gospel future here?  Lots of people want to know the way to San Jose.  We are in the middle of great wealth, great intellectual property, and great technological information revolution.  How can we let it be known that God's realm is very near?  How can we let it be known that we live and move and have our being, not in San Jose, not in the Silicon Valley but, first in God?  How can we make relevant the basic identity with God's realm in this temporal realm and location?

Certainly, you continue in your ministry to those who speak Spanish.  We can seek to provide a welcome to an incredibly diverse crowd in our neighborhood.  God's love is able to be translated into every language.  You work to have a voice to deal with the great and looming housing crisis.  Trinity has a moral voice to offer at the table for those deciding the provision of housing for everyone who needs to live and work in this city.  Trinity has the mission to offer the complementing experience of the sublime experienced in music, art, and poetry.  Trinity has the big chair, the cathedra, the seat of our bishop.  While the geographical center of our diocese is further south, Trinity Cathedral is at the heart of the population center of our diocese.  The call for Trinity is to be a center that befits a cathedral at the population center of our diocese.  Perhaps Trinity has a role to be a satellite learning center for our Episcopal seminary in Berkeley.  Wise learning needs to go forth from this place.  Trinity Cathedral has a mission to the largest religious group in society today, those whom the pollsters call the "nones."  Those who say they are not religious but spiritual.  Trinity Cathedral, in a university city with plenty of religious skeptics can create the intellectual forum for a new hearing of the Gospel in Episcopal overtones, and give people a reason not to reject Christ because of really bad behaviors and really bad thinking by the people who often misrepresent the Gospel in the loudest way.  Trinity Cathedral can offer a graceful aesthetic liturgical presentation of good thinking attaining corporate prayer.  And Trinity has the mission to represent good stewardship of the earth and of human resources.    In one of the wealthiest places, one is seeing a failure in philanthropy, a failure in the stewardship of wealth being applied in creative ways.  If Trinity Cathedral lives in an environment which boasts a commitment to a free market;  then this parish needs to influence participants in this free market to make the best use of freedom by including the creative care of the common good of the many as the very best function of the free market.

Friends, I presume too much as an outsider,  so forgive me as a one-shot preacher, but I believe the Gospel would provoke us all to develop strategies, tactics and actions plans for letting the people in this city know that God's realm is very near to them.

And so I commend you here at Trinity to rejoice in all that you've done to make God's realm evident here, but now in your current transition to seek Jesus as the Lord of the harvest to inspire some new strategies for the future harvest to be known here through your ministry.  Amen.

Sunday School, July 7, 2019 C proper 9

Sunday School, July 7, 2019                    C proper 9

Theme:  The kingdom of God is near

Imagine being born in the United States and not being aware that one is an American citizen.  What if you went to mom or dad and ask them, “Can I be an American citizen?”  Your parents would say, “Dear, you are already an American citizen.  You have been an American citizen since you were born.  Why don’t you know and believe that you are an American citizen?”

Jesus chose messengers because he knew that many people were living without the knowledge of the most important information of their lives.  Jesus wanted people to know that the kingdom of God was very near.

Since God created the world, it means that the world is God’s kingdom.  And so all people born in God’s kingdom are God’s children and citizens of God’s kingdom.  Jesus found that there were many people who did not know that they were in God kingdom.  Jesus found that many people had been tricked by religious leader to believe that God did not care for them and that God was not their Father.  Jesus gathered his friends and he taught them to go and tell people about God as their Father and about everyone living in the Kingdom of God.  He also sent his friends to tell people the truth about their own lives; to tell all people that they were children of God in God’s kingdom and that no one, not even religious leaders could tell them otherwise.

Today after the 4^th of July  when we remember that we belong in our country as citizens, we also need to remember that we are citizens of God’s kingdom.

Jesus told his friends that even though they did great and important things, that the best thing of all to remember is that “their names were written in heaven.”  This means that being a citizen of God’s kingdom is the greatest thing in life and this is something which we celebrate when we are baptized.

A sermon

Imagine that all of you are princes and princesses and that you live in a castle as your home.  And your mom and dads are kings and queens.

  That would be like living in a Disney Movie, wouldn’t it?

  If your mom and dad were king and queen and you lived in their kingdom, how would you find out that you lived in their kingdom?

  Well they would tell you wouldn’t they?  As soon as you could walk and talk and understand, you would be told about your family kingdom so that you would know.  Wouldn’t it be terrible to be a prince or a princess but not know that you were living in a kingdom?  If you were a prince and princess, wouldn’t you want someone to come and tell you about your kingdom?

  When Jesus came, he found that many people did not know about a great and wonderful kingdom.  So Jesus called and trained disciples and friends to go to as many places as possible and tell people about one thing:  He told them to tell all people that the Kingdom of God has come near to you.  Jesus told everyone that the Kingdom of God belongs to children.  Why did he say this?  Because you don’t have to do anything to be in God’s kingdom.  When you are born as a baby and as a child, you are already in God’s kingdom.  Why?  Because God owns everything and everything and everyone belongs to God.

  When Jesus came, he saw that people had forgotten this.  He saw that people were telling lies.  What kind of lies were they telling?  They were saying that the world belonged to the Roman Emperors.  They were saying that God’s world belonged to the people of one religious belief like the Pharisees or the Sadducees.

  Jesus did not like that the wrong information was being taught so he sent his followers to bring the correct message.  He said to tell everyone that the kingdom of God has come very near to them.

  Jesus came to remind us that even though we have parents; we are also sons and daughters of God and so we live in God’s kingdom from the very day that we are born.

  So why do we come to church?  Why do we baptize?  Why do we have Holy Communion?  We come to church to remember that we live in God’s kingdom as children of God.  We are baptized as a celebration of our membership in God’s family.  We have Holy Communion each Sunday; we eat the bread and drink the wine because we Jesus asked us to do this to remember the kingdom of God.  And we are supposed to do this until everyone understands that they live in God’s kingdom.

  So we too are to remind people that we live in God’s world and God’s kingdom.  When Jesus came, he reminded people that God’s kingdom was very near to them.  We need to remember and remind people today of that same message.  The kingdom of God is very near to us.

The Call of Christ and Living Excessively

3 Pentecost, C p 8, June 30, 2019 

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14  Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

Gal. 5:1, 13-25   Luke 9:51-62  

Lectionary Link

Today's lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures is a story about the departure of Elijah and the changing of the guard; the passing on of the prophetic mantle to his disciple Elisha.

Elijah had been tempted to become a pouting, doubting old prophet.  He ran in fear from the forces of Ahab and Jezebel even after he won an incredible showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.

Elijah ran away in ministerial despair, presuming that he alone was left as the only faithful person in all of Israel.  Elijah, like any minister, might have felt obsolete when not enough of the faithful didn't throng around him proving that his ministry was a success and not in vain.  And God told Elijah, "You are not alone, there are more than 7,000 who have remained faithful....don't pout, just because you can't see them."

Obviously, God wasn't angry with Elijah; why would he get to avoid death and take a chariot of fire to heaven?  His disciple Elisha did not want him to leave and so he demanded to see Elijah leave as a sign that the prophetic spirit would remain alive and active in his ministry after his teacher prophet Elijah was gone.

And sure enough, the spirit which worked for Elijah was going to work in and through Elisha too.  And maybe Elijah should have shared some of the load with Elisha earlier and with others in the company of the prophets so he didn't feel so alone.

The God of Elijah was the God of Elisha, but God did different things through Elisha because Elisha lived in a different time and a different place than Elijah did.  Ahab and Jezebel died; Elisha had other challenges to prove the faithfulness of God.  God is the same in different times but how God works through different people in different time changes.  God is equal in all time; how God gets funneled into actual outcomes depends mainly on the "funnel shape" of the people involved.  The prophetic mantle gets passed on to another generation and how ministry is done will be different but God's grace remains the same.


In agriculture, there is the repetition of cycles; prepare the soil, fertilize, plant, prune, cultivate, and deal with the weather and the harvest is sometimes extra bountiful and sometimes sparse.  But every phase has to be faithfully executed even when we cannot know the exact success of the harvest.  As one looks at the ministerial cycles of parish life, one can observe going through many cycles.  It may be easier to be faithful when there is a very bountiful harvest, but we need to remember that faithfulness has to be the same and consistent during any phase of the cycles of ministry.

I would like to challenge us with insights from the Gospel reading for today and from the Epistle.

First, let us appreciate how infinitely flexible and adaptable the call of Jesus Christ is to each one of us today.  Second, one of the secrets in life is to discover where we can be completely excessive without addiction, guilt,  or regret.

We, in the church, have often limited the call of Christ to the specific ordained ministry.  When the church required the standard of poverty, chastity and obedience for the clergy, there was this notion that the call of Christ was something heroic and therefore only for a few people who could leave the ordinary life to live such a life of "heroic" sacrifice.

The Gospel reading for today provides us inappropriate responses to the call of Jesus based upon some wrong understandings of the call of Jesus.

The first misunderstanding is that the call of Jesus is necessarily a call to the heroic abandonment of one's everyday life.  One bold person said, "Jesus I will follow you wherever you go."  If I might paraphrase the response of Jesus,  "Hold on buddy....I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight and I travel fairly light.  Perhaps you want to come with me as a way of escaping some important situations in your life.  Start first with finding my call within the particulars of your life as it is now.  Being faithful and obedient doesn't mean being heroic and leaving everything."

You and I might associate the call of Christ as something too heroic and so we excuse ourselves from activating our full response to the call of Christ in situations of our normal everyday lives.  We might view the call of Christ as something entirely negative, as having to give up too much.  Imagine this view of Jesus.  "Jesus, I can't follow you because you are not going to be good for my life and the life of my family."  Imagine Jesus thinking, "Tell me what you really think of me?"  The call of Christ is not the false choice between heroic obedience or nothing at all.  The call of Jesus is precisely adjustable to exactly where you are right now.  So you don't need to be heroic to respond and obey exactly where you are.  You remember the Gospel reading last week?  The man who was freed from the many demons in his life, wanted to follow Jesus.  What did Jesus say, "No, go home and tell everyone what God did for you.  Imagine what kind of witness you will be to the people who knew you in your former state."

The second misunderstanding regarding the call of Jesus is this:  The call is so heroic that it will interfere with all of the family loyalties which I must honor.  "Jesus let me wait until I have been able to bury all of my grandparents and parents.  Jesus, let me wait until I have honored and kept all of the farewell events with the people who are close to me."  What did Jesus say?  He said, "Don't let the normal rites of passage which occur in your life or the lives of your family and friends be an excuse not to respond to my call."  The call of Christ is within and adjustable to birth events, maturation events, sickness, vocational change, failure, success, marriage, divorce, graduations, aging and finally death itself."  Don't limit the call of Christ to that which is not inclusive of all of the events which can occur in anyone's life.  The call of Christ is totally integrated and totally accessible to us within everything that can possibly happen to us.  In my last 18 years of ministry, both of our parents have died and I've lost two younger siblings, and the call of Christ to me never diminished because of these losses.  Let us remember not to use any life excuse to refuse to respond to the call of Christ.  Accept the fact that the call of Jesus Christ is adjustable to you in your current circumstances.  And accept the fact the call of Christ to you in service in your parish church is adjustable to you in your life as it is now constituted.  Christ is not asking you to give heroically; Christ is only asking that you give exactly how you are currently constituted.  Do not say that the call of Christ is incompatible with your life.  That would be a lie.

Finally, I would like to end with the secret of life as written about by St. Paul.  St. Paul tells the secret of where we can be completely excessive in life.  Manifesting the fruits of God's Spirit is where we can live our lives completely open throttle and completely excessive.  "There is no law against the fruit of the Spirit."  Where we have been successful in the past, it has been a manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is given without measure; the Spirit is an inexhaustible reservoir of continuous gifts.  In parish ministry, we have have experienced the outcomes of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, patience, self-control, kindness, generosity and faithfulness.  I believe in all of these.  I believe that these can never be exhausted.  I believe in the Holy Spirit who will continue to manifest these wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit here and there will be dynamic and actual outcomes of blessing.

My charge to each of you:  Accept, receive, respond to the call of Christ even now as it is precisely adjusted to everything in your life.  Don't make the call of Christ into something that is inaccessible and then excuse yourself for not responding.  And finally, live in the excess of God's Holy Spirit who endlessly provides the wonderful fruits, love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, generosity, self control and faithfulness.  With the call of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit you have a wonderful future.

The call of Christ is adjustable to your life even now.  Respond and follow right where you are.  Do you want to live excessively?  There is no limit to what the fruits of the Holy Spirit can produce in us.  Let us ever access these inexhaustible fruits of the Holy Spirit of God. Amen.