Faith Is How We Live Expressing What We Are Persuaded About

9 Pentecost, C p14, August 11, 2019

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 Psalm 50:1-8, 23-24

Hebrews 11:1-3 (4-7) 8-16 Luke 12:32-40

Lectionary Link

We have read what might be called the faith chapter of the New Testament, Hebrews chapter 11.  The same section recounts all of the heroes recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures and gives the motivating impulse for their heroism.  By faith, Abraham did such and such, by faith endurance under duress happened.

Faith was a motivating impulse which caused the heroes to act in the present toward a more hopeful future.  Faith is presented as a universal human capacity.  It does not necessarily need to be grounded in a specific ideology, whether Jewish or Christian.  It is a natural human phenomenon that in the religious context is associated with and connected to what  is one's relationship with God.

I am one who thinks that it is useful to return to the classic use of the New Testament word for faith, "pistos."  "Pistos" in Aristotle's "Rhetoric," means persuasion.  The goal of rhetoric is persuasion.

Persuasion is universal in human experience.  We live persuaded lives, whether we think that we are or not.  Persuasion comes to us passively through our cultural and family contexts.  We live according to the values of the social paradigm within which we participate.  Persuasion happens in our lives in the passive ways of our cultural contexts.  We just act out from the persuasions of our community identities whether we know it or not.

Persuasion also is something which is always in development because time and freedom mean that we can surpass ourselves or be diminished in how we are related to the main values of life.  Faith is active in the sense that we have a significant degree of freedom to influence the future of our persuasions.

We live our lives by faith meaning that we make our decision and perform the actions of our lives by what we are persuaded by and how we came to have those persuasions.

Religion, politics, education and business and sales all use strategies of persuasion.  People with preferred values in all of these areas, want to persuade others to adopt those same values.  People who want to persuade regarding life values, adopt strategies to make appeals to others to become members or devotees or followers or subscribers or party members or voters or students or consumers of products.

One of the prominent strategies of the early Christians was to convince people to follow Christ by the presentation of the great models of faithful living.  Of course the greatest model of faithful living is Jesus, Himself.  The Gospels are narrative parables of the life Jesus written to persuade the embracing of an identity with Jesus Christ.  The Acts of the Apostles recount the heroic witness of early Christian leaders.

The early Church became persuaded that the Gentile people could have valid faith, and they understood that such faith of the Gentiles was included in the salvation history derived from Abraham and all of the heroes whose stories are recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures.  What united all of the heroic models is that they acted and spoke from their persuasion which derived from their personal encounter with God.

The number of encounters with God can be as many as there are people.  This means that no encounter can be exactly replicated.  The future of hope means that every person can have an encounter with God and come to be persuaded through further excellence in their lives.

The genius of the Incarnation is the persuasion that the divine has fully embraced the human such that human experience can be a valid way to know and live toward the wider horizon of the divine.

The mystical experience of the early Christians of the Risen Christ meant that identity with Christ became the pursuasive impulse of their lives.  This persuasive impulse inspired them to be able to live congruently within all circumstances, including the event of persecution which inspired apocalyptic language of visualization of justice, and also including the situations of community comfort and apparent success within their social contexts.

For Christians, faith in Christ, living from the impulse of being persuaded by one's identity with Christ, was a highly recommendable way of living.  It was something to be shared with everyone so that they could know the universal benefits of what such faith meant.  It meant love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, self-control and further faithfulness.

The task that each of us has today is to ask ourselves the nature of the faith by which we are now living?  What is our currect paradigm of faith?  How does our life style reflect our persuasion to the dominating values of our lives?  Are we living by greed?  By the fear of lack?  By the insecurity of not having enough esteem, fame or public recognition?  By fear?  By worry?  By anxiety? By poor self image?

The Gospel is that we can by faith live in an identity with Christ and ride His coat tails toward the types of favors which are the blessings of a faithful life.

Let us hook our persuasion on the Risen Christ.  The Risen Christ is the vision of the hopeful surpassing of ourselves in excellence in a future state.  This is the kind of faith that is our salvation and our healthy, holistic living.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 11, 2019 9 Pentecost C proper 14

Sunday School, August 11, 2019   9 Pentecost  C proper 14

Themes

The Gospel reading is about Jesus telling his followers that they needed to always be ready.  One of the reason we go to school and learn things is so that we can be ready for the many things which are going to face in life.  We might live in fear if we are not prepared for some very challenging situations.

Why do we do our math problems?  Yes, so we can pass a test, but also so we know how to take care of our money or use math to build a new kind of airplane in the future.

What is the best way to be ready and be prepared to live our lives in the very best way with God and with each other?

The answer is to live by faith

Hebrews chapter is call the “faith” chapter.  It defines faith and then gives the examples from the lives of many Bible heroes of faith, people like Abraham, Noah, David and others.

How is faith defined?  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.

What does that mean?

Hope is about the future and the future has not yet happened.  And because it has not happened we can be fearful about what might happen.  If we are fearful about might happen, we might just try to hide in our rooms and not do anything.

Faith is not fear; it is a different way of living toward the future.  With faith, we get up and do good and wonderful things which are aimed toward future good goals and targets.

Faith is acting because we are aim our lives toward very good goals and targets.

We study and we practice now not because we are afraid of the future but to prepare ourselves to be better at the good things which we want to do.

So, remember Jesus wants us to be ready and prepared for the future.  And we do this by living with faith.  Faith is living in a positive way with positive goals.

A sermon

Do you know what a wish is?

 What are some things we might wish for?

 Do you wish have a certain toy?

 Do you wish to be a good soccer player?

There was a boy who once saw a beautiful bicycle and he wanted this bicycle a lot.  So he asked his parents to buy him this bike, since he did not have much money and the bike was very expensive.

  His parents said he could have the bike but first he had to complete some chores and some projects.  They said if you finish these projects then we will get you bike.

 Some of the chores were easy, but some of the chores were harder.  He had to make his bed every day.  He had to keep his room clean.  He had to help watch his younger brother when they played in the back yard.  And sometimes the boy did not do his chores and his parents reminded him about the bike and his promises.  So he kept doing his chores, though he was getting very impatient.

  One day, day his dad told him to go into the garage and get a hammer.  And when the boy went into the garage, he saw the new bike.  Of course he was excited.  But then he asked his parents, “Why did you make me work for this bike?”

  And his parents said, “We wanted you to have faith.”

  We wanted you to believe us that we would get you the bike.  But we also wanted to teach you a lesson about wishing and dreaming and hope and faith.

  When you are young you can wish for something and think that because mom and dad gives it to you right away…you can think that everything in life is very easy.

  But not everything in life is easy.  Sometimes you have to work and you have to work hard to get something.

  Like if you want to be good in soccer or baseball, you just can’t wish to be good, you also have to work hard and practice, practice, practice.

  Faith is important because when you see what you want to do, you need to have faith to work hard to do what you really wish for in life.

  So faith is when we see what God wants us do and we work to do it, even if it very hard and difficult.  When we have faith, it means that we do not give up working for some very important things.

  So faith is very important in life, because everything does not just happen with magic in life.  Your parents are trying to teach you to have faith, when they encourage you to work for the good things in your life.  And if it seems hard, just remember you are learning to live with faith and you are building faith muscles to do lots of great things.  Amen.

Eucharistic Liturgy for Intergeneration Worship, including young children
  using the option on page 400 of the Book of Common Prayer for non-principal Eucharists

Gathering Songs: Awesome God, My Jesus I Love Thee, Let All That Is Within Me,  Lord Bid Your Servant

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: Awesome God,  (Renew!, # 245)

Our God is an awesome God.  He reigns from heaven above.  With wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God.

(Sing three times, repeat ending on third verse)

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and 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 Hebrews

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. .By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 33

Our soul waits for the LORD; *he is our help and our shield.

Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *for in his holy Name we put our trust.

Let your loving-kindness, O LORD, be upon us, * as we have put our trust in you.

 Liturgist: Before we offer our thanksgiving, is there anything special you are thankful about 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!

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

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

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.

Liturgist: As we offer our prayers for people in need, 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:           My Jesus, I Love Thee, (Renew!  # 275)

My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine.  For thee all the follies of sin I resign.  My gracious redeemer, my savior art thou.  If ever I loved thee, my Jesus tis now.

I love thee because thou has first loved me.  And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;  I love thee for wearing the thorn on thy brow, if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

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)

Liturgist continues:

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, when we will bring you the gifts of bread and wine. We will 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Let All That Is Within Me, (Renew! # 269)

1-Let all that is within cry holy.  Let all that is within me cry holy.  Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb that was slain.

2-Glory   3-Jesus

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: Lord, Bid Your Servant Go In Peace, (Renew! # 295)

1-Lord bid your servant go in peace; your word is now fulfilled.  These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn, this child so long foretold.

2-This is the Savior of the world, the Gentiles’ promised light, God’s glory dwelling in our midst, the joy of Israel.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

"I Have, Therefore I Exist?" Think Again

8 Pentecost, Cp13,August 4, 2019

Ecclesiastes 1:2,12-14;2:18-23  Psalm 107:1-9,43

Col. 3:1-11  Luke 12:13-21

  Lectionary Link

    One of my favorite skeptics is the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes.  He seems to be one who had the resources in life to make a grand experiment and concludes that life is not all that it seems to be, especially if you think that being or existence is having things.
  Each person in life has the main longevity question: How long will I live?  And when the longevity issue hangs over one's head the question becomes what do I do in the years of the life which I have.  One cannot be sure that the writer of Ecclesiastes believed that one could "have" eternal or everlasting life.   Perhaps for the writer, immortality was connected to the traces of oneself that one would leave in this world after one died.  One's immortality was objectified by the traces of oneself in one's offspring and in the possessions that one had accrued.
  The teacher of Ecclesiastes was a skeptic about the value of leaving possession behind for one's heir.  Who would know whether they would use them well, squander them or bankrupt their lives with being "born on third base and believing that one had hit a triple."
  The teacher of Ecclesiastes did not think that "having" was "being"  and even though we say that we "have life," existence itself cannot be a self controlled personal possession.
  Probably the hidden message of Ecclesiastes is that Someone greater has us and if we are owned by the Great One who endures and lives longer than anyone to be the true possessor of all things, then we should aspire to learn the rules, the laws of the Great One and adopt the attitude of the kind of fear for such a being, that is known as profound respect or learning to live with awe before the Awesome One.
  And if the teacher of Ecclesiastes tells us that we "can't take it with us," how should we then live?  We should live as though we are a personal possession of the enduring One who truly can make the claim to have everything.  What can one give as a gift to the One who has everything?  Awesome respect, ultimate regard, worshipful living.
  Awesome respect for God and ultimate regard for God and worshipful living toward God, in short, loving God, is how Jesus taught we could be rich toward God.
  In the metrics of the external world we have come to determine the value of our life by how much we possess.  Who are the famous people of the world?  The ones who can buy their fame by what they possess through wealth, power and education.  Everyone seems to want the metrics of possessing success.  We are what we have can be the temptation for what self worth means.
  The parable which Jesus told emphasizes that no one has the ultimate metric of longevity.  No one is everlasting like God is everlasting.
  We can build our bank accounts, our educational degrees, our possession of homes and lands and businesses; we can pile up honorific titles and political positions but death, sudden death will end our possession resumes.   And the questions become: What do we want to leave objectively in our world after we die?  And how do we want to enter the mode of God's preservation of us when we die?
  Injustice and uneven distribution of the goodness in life inspires the notion of posthumous liminal phases of equalization for the dignity of all people.  How do we want to enter the liminal phase of post-life?  In need of serious rehabilitation because of the selfish havoc that we have reeked in the wave of possessing without sharing purposes?
  If God is the only one who is truly great enough to possess all because of divine eternality, then it behooves us to live not has possessors of our lives, but as good stewards of everything in our life on behalf of God.
  Today the Gospel of Jesus invites us to some conversion.  It is no longer, "I have, therefore I exist," but rather "God has me, therefore I exists for God."  Jesus came to teach us this lesson of learning to be loving heirs and sons and daughters of God.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 4, 2019 8 Pentecost, C proper 13

Sunday School, August 4, 2019   8 Pentecost, C proper 13

A lesson about Greed

Jesus taught a lesson about how the things that we own can own us instead.

We can become a slave to the things that we own.

How so?

When we buy something then we are responsible to take care of it.  Anything that we own requires that we spend time to care for it and protect it.

And so we may end up spending more times with things we love rather than spending time with the people we love.

We can end up by taking care of the things of our lives and not taking care of people in this life who are more important.

There is a judgment that will happen to everyone to test whether their life treasure will die or whether their life treasure will live on forever.

If a person teaches someone to read, the student will also grow to teach another person to read, and each person who teaches someone to read is giving an eternal gift forever.  So teaching someone is a gift which lasts forever.

If someone gives money or a car to someone, these things get spent or wear out or just take more time to store and attend to.  Things require our time and devotion and care.  And it is easy to take care of things that give us pleasure right now, but do not give anything to other people.

Being rich and having treasure toward God happens when we love our neighbor as ourselves.  When we love, we created domino effect into the future.  With love, we inspire others to love too and so the future becomes “rich” with love.

Let us remember not to be a slave to the things we own.  Let us see that what we own, we are truly in control of so that we can use all of our lives to love God and our neighbors.  This is how we create everlasting treasure which will never end.

Sermon on being rich toward God

  Once upon a time there were two brothers, Mark and John;  and they both grew up wanting to be great builders.  They studied architecture; they studied how to build houses.  And so they set out to become great builders.

  Mark decided that he wanted to build the perfect house that he could live in.

So he began to build this perfect house.  This house was built in the mountains where very few people could come.  It was very hard to get to and it took many, many years to build.  In fact, Mark was quite old when he finally finished building his perfect house.  And it had cost him all of his money to build this perfect house.  And after finishing his perfect house, Mark died, and he had only been able to live but a few months in this perfect house.

  And when Mark died, his family did not want to live in the house because it was so far away from everything, so Mark’s perfect house, remained empty, unused, and unseen.  And no one even wanted to buy the house.

  John, his brother also became a builder.  And John did not build a big perfect house.  John went to poor neighborhoods and poor countries and he taught many people how to build houses that they could live in.  And when John would finish teaching poor people to build houses for them selves in one country, he would go to another poor country and help people learn to build houses for the homeless.

  And one day, John too died. But when he died, he had built hundreds and thousands of houses.  And the people whom he taught to build, kept building more houses, and they also taught other people to build houses.  And so even though John was dead, he was still building houses.

  Mark built one perfect house that was not worth much.

  And John built lots of houses for lots of people.  And he taught people how to build houses and taught them how to teach others to built houses.

  Between Mark and John, who was the best builder?  Which builder was best for this world.

  When Jesus taught us how to be rich toward God, he meant that when we love and give to others, we are building things that will last forever and ever.  If we teach someone who teaches someone who teaches someone…then in some way, what we do will last forever.  That is how we can be rich toward God and that is how we help our world survive and be a better place.  Let us learn how we can make our lives good and useful for God and each other.  Amen.

Holy Eucharist, intergenerational and young child friendly

July 31, 2016: The Eightth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs:The Butterfly Song,If You’re Happy, Father I Adore You,  How Great Thou Art

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: The Butterfly Song,  (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

1. If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  If I were a robin in the tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee.  But I just thank you Father, for making me, me. 

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave me Jesus and you made me your child, and I just thank you Father for making me, me.

2. If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  If I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  If I were an octapus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

3. If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm.  If I were a billy goat, I’d thank you Lord for my strong throat.  If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy wuzzy hair, and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; 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: 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

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 107

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy * and the wonders he does for his children.

For he satisfies the thirsty * and fills the hungry with good things.

Whoever is wise will ponder these things, * and consider well the mercies of the LORD.

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!

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

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, `What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

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 Song:

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

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

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

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

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.

The Prayer continues with these words

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Father, I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)

Father, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you.

Jesus….

Spirit…

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: How Great Thou Art, (Renew!  # 250)

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder.  Considered all the worlds thy hands have made.  I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout, the universe display.  

Refrain:  Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee.  How great thou art!  How great thou art!  Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee.  How great thou art!  How great thou art!

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!