Sunday School, September 1, 2019 12 Pentecost, C proper 17

Sunday School, September 1, 2019   12 Pentecost, C proper 17

Theme: Hospitality

What does hospitality mean?

It means welcoming people into one’s life.

How do we practice hospitality?  How do we make people feel welcomed?

Have you ever arrived at school or at the playground or dance class and you did not know anyone? 

Sometimes it is not easy to be the new visitor to a place where you don’t know anyone.

How can you feel welcome or comfortable in a new place?

You can feel welcome when someone whom you do not knows is friendly to you and tries to introduce you to help you make some new friends.

And how can we practice hospitality?   We can practice hospitality by being friendly and kind to new people who have just arrived and have not made any friends yet.

Do you know what the Holy Eucharist is?  It is a celebration meal and it is a meal of welcome for all people to come and eat together and share in what we believe.  We share that God loves us and cares us and has made us sons and daughters of God.  So everyone is in God’s family and everyone is welcome to God’s meal, the Holy Eucharist, the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends.  He told them to keep having this meal as a way of welcoming new people to know that Jesus loves them and cares for them and that he is a close to them as the bread and wine that they eat and drink at the special meal.

We come to church on Sunday to remember that God practices hospitality.  God practiced hospitality by sending his Son Jesus to live with the people of this world.  He sent Jesus to form a group of people who would always be in this world to remind everyone that God is a welcoming God.  God always invites everyone to come to the welcoming meal of the Holy Eucharist.

A sermon about being welcomed

  Have you ever felt left out?  Not included?

  When I was a little boy, I moved with my family to a new town and so I had to go to a new school.  I did not have any friends in the new school.

  I felt very lonely on the first day of school.  At recess when everyone was playing outside, everyone was playing with someone except me.  Everyone one seem to have a friend, except me.  They were playing games and they were playing with the dodge ball, but I didn’t get asked to play.  So I did not know if I would like my new school.

  When it came time for lunch, I went to the cafeteria.  I got my tray of food and when I went to sit down, the tables were already filled with students who were eating together.  There was only one table open and nobody was sitting there.  So I went to the table and sat down to eat my lunch alone.

  Suddenly, a boy tapped me on the shoulder and he said, “Do you want to sit with us at our table?”  And I said, “There isn’t any room.”  But he said, “I will get a chair and put it at the end of the table.”  So I did not have to eat lunch alone.  I was invited to eat lunch by this kind boy and he became my friend and I made new friends in my new school.  And I did not have to be lonely.

  Jesus told his friends that they should be like the boy who welcomed me to eat lunch with them.  Jesus said we should welcome those who are lonely and don’t feel like they have any friends.

  Yes it is nice to have friends and to spend time with our friends, but it is good if we are always making room for new people in our lives.

  Today, we are here for a special meal.  It is called the Holy Eucharist.  We eat bread and drink the wine.  It is the special meal that Jesus started and he told us to keep having this meal.  And he told us to invite everyone to this meal.

  And so we have the meal every week and we invite everyone because we know that Jesus is friendly and Jesus invites everyone to his meal, because everyone is welcome at the table of Jesus.

  Let us always remember how friendly Jesus is.  Let us remember how friendly God is.  And let us learn how to be very friendly and welcome people into our lives.  Since we like to have friends, let us learn how to make friends and invite others to be our friends.

  How many of you like to have friends?  How many of you can be a could friend?  Let us learn how to invite new friends into our lives today? 

Intergenerational non-principal Eucharist, using the instruction on page 400 of the Book of Common Prayer 

September 1, 2019: The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: This is the Day; O Be Careful; Father, I Adore You; Give Me Joy in My Heart

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: This is the Day (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 232)

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

(Repeat)

Liturgist: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist: Let us pray

Lord of all power and might, the maker and giver of all good things: Make to grow in our hearts the love of your Name; help us to be truly religious; nourish us with all goodness; and let our lives grow the fruit of good works; 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 Hebrews

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 112

Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord * and have great delight in his commandments!

Their descendants will be mighty in the land; * the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches will be in their house, * and their righteousness will last for ever.

Light shines in the darkness for the upright; * the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

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 was went to the house of an important religious leader. Jesus was invited there to eat the meal on the day of worship, the day they called the sabbath. Since Jesus was becoming popular, the other guests were watching him closely. And Jesus was watching their behavior too. He saw how many guests wanted to sit in the best seats at the main table. So to teach them, Jesus told a parable. A parable is a story that hides a message within the story. Jesus said, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the best place, because a more important person may come and they might ask you to go to a seat that is not at the main table. It’s better to take a lower seat and then be invited by the host to a better seat. For if you are excessively proud, then you will feel put down and forsaken when a humbling event happens to you. But if you are humble, you can truly know how people feel about you when you are promoted to a higher place.” Jesus also said, “When you give a party do not just invite the people who can return the favor, also invite the poor and those who are impaired. And so you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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: O Be Careful (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 180)

1-O be careful, little hands what you do; O be careful little hands what you do; For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful, little hands what you do.

2-O be careful little feet where you go……

3-O be careful little eyes what you see…

4-O be careful little lips what you say….

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 God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

the bread and drink the wine, we can know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as

this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

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 so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

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

People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Words of Administration

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

1-Father, I adore you; Lay my life before you. How I Love you!

2-Jesus, I adore you; Lay my life before you. How I Love you!

3-Spirit, I adore you; Lay my life before you. How I Love you!

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: Give Me Joy in My Heart (Christian Children’s Songbook, #53 tune only)

1-Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising. Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give joy in my heart, keep me praising. Keep me praising till the break of day.

Chorus: Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna to the King of Kings! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna to the King!

2-Give me in peace my heart, keep me loving, Give me peace in my heart, I pray. Give me peace in my heart keep me loving. Keep me loving till the break of day. Chorus

3-Give me love in my heart, keep me serving. Give me love in my heart, I pray. Give me love in my heart keep me serving. Keep me serving till the break of day. Chorus.

Dismissal:

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

People: Thanks be to God!

The One Who Heals, Prays Thrice

11 Pentecost, C p 16,  August 25, 2019   

Jer. 1:4-10   Psalm 71:1-6

Hebrews 12:18-19,22-29  Luke 13:10-17

Lectionary Link

The very quotable St. Augustine of Hippo is responsible for giving every singer extra credit in their religious behaviors by saying, "The one who sings, prays twice."   And this accounts for why the primo uomo (male counter of prima donna) tenor of the parish choir only came to church half of the time, because he felt like he would get equal attendance credit to match the attendance of the average bloke in the pews.

In our appointed Gospel for this day, we read that Jesus is criticized by religious leaders for doing the "work" of healing on the Sabbath.  Jesus then exposed the hypocrisy of separating religious ritual behaviors from the doing of religion in one's life.

I would update the quote of St. Augustine in this way by saying, "The one who heals, prays thrice. The one who practices social justice, prays thrice.  The one who loves one's neighbor as oneself, prays thrice."

In religious terminology, one calls "right thinking or right believing, " orthodox thinking and believing.  And religious authorities are often quick to defend what they believe to be orthodox, even if orthodoxy has come to be the enforcement of all of the rules and minutiae of the religious institution.

How easy it is for religions to reduce orthodoxy to the religious administration of the community.  And in subtle ways, orthodoxy can become reduced to preserving the roles and the authority of the religious leaders; orthodoxy can be divorced from the performance of what is good for the well-being of people.

One of the most forgotten kinds of prayer is what is called oblationary prayer.  Oblationary prayer is when one offers the deeds of one's life as a continuous prayer to God, especially as one actively performs the love of one's neighbor as oneself.

Jesus was healing on the Sabbath.  Jesus was doing the oblationary prayer of healing on the Sabbath.  And isn't the Sabbath supposed to be a day of prayer?

Our society requires many people to do oblationary prayer on Sunday, the day of worship.  Doctors, nurses, and all first responders are required to do oblationary deeds on Sundays.  What if we called 911 on Sunday and the operator said, "I'm sorry but the fire personnel, the EMT and the police cannot help you today, but we will get back to you on Monday?"
This would be ridiculous, right?  This highlights the silliness of not including oblationary prayer as prayer which is valid at all time, including on the days that are designated for the special liturgical prayers of the gathered community.

One might also posit that the very purpose of Sabbath or Sunday prayer is to inspire the continuous practice of oblationary prayers, the active prayers of healing, kindness, justice, and love, always and everywhere in our lives.

The Gospel lesson for today reminds us not to separate oblationary prayers of healing and justice from our liturgical and ritual prayer lives.  If we do, we truly are caught in hypocrisy.

What is the Gospel for us today then?  If we heal, practice love and justice in the deeds of our lives, we truly are "praying thrice."

May God's Holy Spirit remind us to practice the oblationary prayers of healing, justice and love, always and everywhere, so that we can "pray thrice."  Amen.

Sunday School, August 25, 2019 11 Pentecost, C proper 16

Sunday School,  August 25, 2019      11 Pentecost, C proper 16

A Good Sabbath Law

The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy

This was a special rule given to the people of Israel to give a day of worship to God; for them the Sabbath begins on Friday evening

For Christians, the special day of worship is on Sunday because we celebrate Easter on the first day of the week.

What is the meaning of the Sabbath?

It is about changing our lives by spending time with God and designating special time for God.

But Sabbath rules can be used wrongly.

Can doctors and nurses take care of sick people on Sundays, holidays and on Christmas?

Can firefighters put out fires on Sunday?

Can first responders save lives on Sunday?

Why?  Because it is more important to choose to save lives than to take time off to go to church and worship God.

What Jesus taught us about the Sabbath is that it is about honoring God in the all of the times of our lives, not just on Sundays.

When we practice healing, help, kindness and love, we are honoring God with Sabbath time. 

The reason we have a special day of worship on Sunday is to remind ourselves that all of our time belongs to God and so we should use all of the time of our lives for love and kindness and justice.

What happens when we put yeast in bread dough?  It makes it rise.

What happens when we put a sugar cube in a cup of tea?  It dissolves and makes all of the tea sweet.

This is what the Sabbath rule is supposed to do for us.  We are supposed to make a special time for God each week so that we can have the practice of remembering God in all of the times of our lives.  Just like the little yeast spread to the entire dough, Sabbath time spreads to and influences all of the time of our lives.

Sermon:

  How many of you have rules in your family?

  Do your rules ever get broken?

  Do your parent want you to eat the food that is put on your plate?

  But do they make you eat food if you have a tummy ache or if you are sick?  Why not?  If you are sick, then rules about eating change.  Why?  Because the rules have to change to help a person when they are sick. Right.

  Do your parents make you take a bath?  Do you have to take a bath if you are sick?  No.  Again the rules change when you are sick.

  Does a police car have to stop at a red light if they have turned on their flashing lights and sirens and if the police car is rushing to an accident?

No, the police get to break the law.  The same is true for fire trucks and for ambulances.  So there are special situations in life that make us change or adjust the rules.

  In the time of Jesus there was a law about the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was a day of rest, a day of worship.  And no one was supposed to work on the Sabbath.  But what did Jesus do?  He healed a sick woman on the Sabbath.  And the religious leader got mad at him for breaking the rule.  And Jesus told the religious leader that he was being silly about the rule of the Sabbath.  You give water to your animals on the Sabbath and that is work but you still do it.  So why is it wrong to heal a sick woman on the Sabbath?

  Jesus showed that laws are good, but they still have to used in the right ways so that they truly help people.

  What if I am playing soccer with you and there is only one soccer ball and it is mine.  So, when we play soccer, I get to touch the soccer ball with my hands.  And you say, “That’s not fair.”  And I say, “Too bad.  If you don’t want to follow my rules, then I am going to take my ball and go home.”

  What kind of rule would that be?  It would be a selfish rule that served only me.  And because I owned the only soccer ball, I controlled the game.”  That would not be a fair rule, would it?

  Jesus said that the leaders were not fair in their rules.  They made rules that were good for them and their jobs, but not good for ordinary people who wanted to know that God loved and care for them.

  So you and I need to remember that laws and rules are good, but we have to know how to use them so that they truly help us to love God and help us to love and help other people.  That is what Jesus taught us about the law.Amen

  

August 25, 2019: The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost 

An intergenerational Eucharist written to include young children

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, The Wise Man, Eat This Bread, Soon and Very Soon

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: Hallelu, Hallelujah, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!

Liturgist: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist: Let us pray

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; 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 Prophet Isaiah

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 103

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, * and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits.

3 He forgives all your sins * and heals all your infirmities;.

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.

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all 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: The Wise Man, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 250)

1. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down

and the floods came up. The rains came down and the floods came up. The rains came down and the floods came up. And the house on the sand went Crash!

2. The wise man built his house upon the rock. The wise man built his house upon the rock. The wise man built his house upon the rock. And the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down as the floods came up. The rains came down as the floods came up. The rains came down as the floods came up. And the house on the rock stood firm.

3. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. And the blessings will come down. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. So build your house on the Lord.

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 God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael. - 5 -

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

the bread and drink the wine, we can know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as

this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Breaking of the Bread

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

People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Eat This Bread, (Renew!, # 228)

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

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

Post-Communion Prayer

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

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

And His Presence has been known to us.

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

and sisters in Christ.

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

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: Soon and Very Soon (Renew!, # 276)

1. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Alleluia, alleluia, we are going to see the king.

2. No more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king. Alleluia, alleluia, we are going to see the king.

3. Repeat verse 1

Dismissal:

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

People: Thanks be to God!

 .

Ironic, Not Irenic Peace

10 Pentecost, Cp15, August 18, 2019

Jeremiah 23:23-29  Psalm 82

Hebrews 12:1 – 14  Luke 12:49-56

 Lectionary Link

For the past few weeks, we have been reading in series, the chapters in the Epistle to the Hebrews on faith.  We read that faith is the conviction of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  In short, faith is living toward a hopeful future with the assurance that the future is going to complete the past in a positive and wonderful way.

In today's installment on faith, the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, recounts the great events experienced and endured by the heroes written about in the Hebrew Scriptures.  The heroes of the past experienced things that we did not; conversely we have experienced things which they never experienced.  The writer states that our faith of the present perfects the faith of the past.  There is a reciprocity across time of the faith of people of the past with our faith today.  It means that we in our assessment of the people who have come before us, the great people of the cloud of witnesses, we need to interpret them in charity and endeavor to escape our temporal provincialism of believing that because we are prisoners of our own time, we are necessarily better than the people of any other time.

The faith of the people of the past was necessary for us to come to the experience of faith that we live and articulate today.  It should be rather awesomely humbling to think that our faith perfects the faith of the people of the past.  Too often we view perfection as an individual attribute rather than the perfection of completeness within the community of faith. Jesus is the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith as the Risen Christ and as the Eternal Word of God from the beginning.  In faith, we are always living into the perfection of being made complete as a community of faith.  So faith is both personal, individual and communal.  The two cannot be separated.

The witness of the faith heroes include stories of great heroism and endurance.  Sometimes we would like to think that life of time and change should be a life of ease with continuous smooth transitions.  But in our actual experience, personal growth and community growth is fraught with great eruption caused by the necessity to make creative advance.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace.  He is the one who said to his disciples, "Peace be with you."  Peace indeed is most desirable in our inward lives and in our interactions with each other.  But peace should also be viewed as something like the function of rest in music.  The contrast of the rest of silence in music with the sounding of musical notes is what creates the fullness of musical experience.

In today appointed Gospel, we read that peace is not the static indifference of things always being the same.  Time and change involves dynamic movement and within the community, the dynamic movement can mean significant paradigm changes and shifts in the foundational definitions and practices of people.  The tectonic paradigm shifts can result in anything but peace.

Jesus himself in his time was the pioneer of faith; he was the pioneer and the instigator of a major paradigm shift for the people of his time. Jesus said, " Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son  and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Can you imagine the members of the community to whom the Gospel of Luke was composed?  What were they going through?   Their families were divided by the message and the practice of the Gospel.   Some people remained ritually observant Jews within the synagogue, and they could not accept the changes and the dispensations permitted by Peter and Paul for the Gentiles members of the Jesus Movement.  There was conflict; there was mutual excommunication of one another.  The Christian expositors were totally re-writing the meanings of the Hebrew Scriptures with new meanings which arose because of Jesus Christ and because of the mystical experiences which the early Christians had of the Risen Christ.  The religious setting could not remain the same.  There was anything but peace.

"But I thought that my new mystical experience of the Risen Christ should be universally winsome and persuasive and accepted by my family who were members of the synagogue.  Why can't they understand and embrace my new faith experience."  The members of the synagogue wanted their heretical Christian relatives to be re-programmed and be purified of their heretical ways.  Anyone who has moved away from one's cradle religious loyalties has probably known the intensity of conflict which can occur between people who live in different faith paradigm.

The words of Jesus about the lack of peace, were the oracular words of the Risen Christ within the early churches, assuring people that paradigm shifts do not always happen with peaceful and smooth transitions.  Why?  Religious experiences are very individual and personal and they occur in serendipitous and  uneven ways.  Why, because each person has individual circumstances and individual personality which qualify their receptivity to new and different experience.

So the words of Jesus about conflict, were the oracle words of the Risen Christ in the community of Luke's Gospel to assure people about the normalcy of the results of time, change and freedom.  Yes, the peace of Christ is still possible.  It is the silence, like musical rests, which makes possible both the notes of harmony and the cognitive dissonance of open disagreement coming to conflict.

Faith, conflict and disagreement are real to life.  Jesus was real to the conditions of life.  We are called to be "child-like" in our faith, but not childishly naïve about the reality of the life of freedom, time and change.

Faith then is learning to live with the conditions of freedom, time and change.  How can we do that?  Faith is focus upon perfection and completion.  Faith is focused upon the model of what is complete and perfect and ideal; what is not yet.  This means we should live as those who mean to complete the faith of people of the past.  It means that we should live toward the people of faith who will complete what we do not attain perfect outcomes in our time.

If we are settling for old answer to old questions which prohibits us from interpreting the events of our time with wisdom, perhaps we need to experience the conflict caused by trying to give and live old answers to new question.  Perhaps we often need to lose our peace of tacit complacency in order to embrace the dynamic peace of Christ which enables us to ride the roaring waves of the cauldron of time, change and freedom. Amen.