Sunday School, November 20, 2022 Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King

 Sunday School, November 20, 2022  Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King 

C proper 29

Theme:

How is Christ a King?

Did Jesus live in a palace?  Did he have a large army of soldiers?  No.

How is it that Jesus is a king and how is it that he has a kingdom?

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within you.  He said it was among us.

What is so special about an invisible kingdom and an invisible king?

The kings of this earth are leaders who have power.  They can force people to obey them.

Jesus is the king of persuasion.  He wins our hearts.  He teaches us to things which are good for us.  He does not force us.  He allows us freedom to choose whether we want to be a part of his kingdom.

Jesus is not like any king that this world has ever had.

If it seems as though Jesus is a king without any power, just remember he had the power to come back to life again.  He had the power to reappear to his followers again and again.  He has the ability to be with us by the Holy Spirit and help us have power to be better people.

Christ is a king, a very different king than the other kings of this world.

The fact that Jesus has not been seen for 2000 years and yet he still remains followed and loved by more people than any other king or person on earth, shows us what a special king that Christ is.

Sermon

Bring two crosses, a crucifix and a Christus Rex

Use the sermon to speak about how we speak of Christ as a King after his resurrection.  After his resurrection, we understand the cross in a different way.

Text: 

  Today is the end of the longest church season.  What is the longest church season?  Pentecost.  If this week is the end of the Christian year, then that makes next Sunday, New Year’s Day.  And what do we call the first day in the Christian New Year?  The first Sunday of Advent.  So what Christian season comes after the season of Pentecost?  Advent.

  We have a special name for this Sunday, the last Sunday in the season of Pentecost.  It is called the Feast of Christ the King.

  And so today we want to think about how Christ is our King.

  We heard the reading from the Gospel today and we wonder how Christ can be our king.  The reading that we have listened to tells us about how Jesus died.  In fact, he died when the soldiers of the great Roman king, the Caesar put him on a cross.  And they put a sign on the top of the cross that was making fun of Jesus.  The sign said: Jesus, King of the Jews.  How can a person who dies this way be a king?

  Let me show you another cross.  This cross is called the cross of Christ the King.  Do you see that Jesus has on wonderful robes and he is wearing a crown?  This cross is different from the other cross.

  How did Jesus become Christ the King?  He became Christ the King, because he did the strongest thing that could ever be done; he came back to life and he promised that God could give us life after our deaths too.  That is a great thing.  And that is why Christ is our king.

  And since we know that Christ is our king and since we know that God is bigger and stronger than death, do you know what that means?  It means that we can live our lives without fear.  We can live our lives with joy, love and faith, because we know that Christ is our King who has been stronger than death.

  So today, let’s celebrate because Christ is our King.  Christ is stronger than death.  And we can live with joy and faith because Christ is our King.  Amen.

Intergenerational liturgy with Holy Eucharist

November 20, 2022: The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Feast of Christ the King

Gathering Songs: Majesty; Peace Before Us; Lord, Be Glorified; Lift High the Cross    

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: Majesty (Renew! # 63)

Majesty, worship his majesty.  Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise. 

Majesty, kingdom authority flow from his throne unto own; his anthem raise. 

So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. 

Magnify, come, glorify Christ Jeus the King. 

Majesty, worship his majesty; Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for 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 of Paul to the Colossians

He 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 46

Come now and look upon the works of the LORD, * what awesome things he has done on earth.

It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; * he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.

"Be still, then, and know that I am God; * I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."

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.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

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

Song: Peace Before Us (Wonder, Love and Praise, # 791)

1-Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet.  Peace within us, peace over us.  Let all around us be peace.

2-Love  3-Light   4-Christ

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 by your Holy Spirit 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:  Lord, Be Glorified (Renew! # 172)

In our lives, Lord, be glorified, be glorified, in our lives, Lord, be glorified today.

In our homes, Lord, be glorified, be glorified, in our homes, Lord, be glorified today.

In your church, Lord, be glorified, be glorified, in your church, Lord, be glorified today.

In your world, Lord, be glorified, be glorified, in your world, Lord be glorified today. 

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: Lift High the Cross (Renew! # 297)

Refrain: Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim ‘till all the world adore his sacred name.

Come, Christians, follow where our savior trod, our King victorious, Christ, the Son of God.  Refrain

All newborn servants of the crucified bear on their brows the seal of him who died.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

  

Important Edifice and Paradigm Shift

23 Pentecost, Cp28, November 13, 2022
Isaiah 65:17-25 Ps. 98:
2 Thes. 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19

Lectionary Link

In terms of geo-political power, what did the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the year seventy mean?

It meant that the Roman had political and military power in Palestine.  They would not tolerate local revolts by zealots who believed that they were called to be in a holy war to rid their homeland and holy city from foreign occupation.

What happens when one loses a holy war?  Lots of forced issues like mourning the loss of life of those who died in battle.  There is the practical issues like fleeing harms way for family, for children and the elderly and without the ability to take much of the familiar things into exile.

Then there is the emotional, the psychological, and the theological.   There is doubt and disillusionment.  Were we wrong to resist the Romans?  Were we wrong to have faith that God would fight for and with us in miraculous ways to save us and our homeland, and especially the holy Temple?

And if God did not intervene to save the divine dwelling place the Temple itself, what does this say about our understanding of God and God's purposes for us?

The retroactive channeling of the words of Christ within a narrative of Jesus predicting the destruction of the Temple gives us a picture of the early communities of the Jesus Movement coming to grips with the reality of the destruction of the Temple.

The Jews had before been in exile from their land and Temple in the past and so they had previous dealt with the loss of the Temple as the center of their ritual and liturgical life.  The locus of God's presence had to become understood as decentralized and found in the gathered people who gathered to both collate and read the holy words of divine presence in the texts of the Torah and the writings.  The people in exile had to format their very identity as one that could be known and perpetuated in the Holy Texts, read and continuously commented on within their gatherings, their synagogues.

The presentation of Jewish heritage was taught as once having a traveling tabernacle with a traveling divine presence which went with the ark of the covenant.  And then when Israel got their land and city, the Temple became what was to be the permanent residing place of God's presence.  But what if the Temple lost its permanent status and was destroyed and the people of Israel were carried away from their homeland into exile?  What would that say about their God?  Could their God still be crucial to their very identity?  In exile, would they become assimilated into foreign cultures and religion?  Would they intermarry and lose their ethnic identity.

The Jewish people were kept together in exile by their sacred text tradition; they found the divine presence within the holy writings as they gathered within their foreign setting.  What was born was a new Judaism which could provide people with an identity without being in the homeland with a Temple.  The Jews had been forced into a new paradigm in the time of exile and the loss of their most important architectural symbol, the Temple.

How did the early Jesus Movement then understand the destruction of the Temple?  They understood the time to be a time of crisis.  Crisis time is a time of change.  It can be a time of loss, suffering, pain and community conflict.

The year 70 meant for both synagogue and the Jesus Movement, an exile from Jerusalem and home bases in Palestine.  It meant disagreements among the parties within Judaism, even severe disagreements such as the ones which impelled Saul of Tarsus to persecute the followers of Jesus.

Pain and suffering can make us suffer so much that we use our imaginations to visualize the end of suffering.  In our pain and loss we can generalize the importance of our pain and loss to the entire cosmos.  We can come to believe that all creation is taking note of our suffering and loss.  This generalization is the apocalyptic imagination of visualization comfort and end of suffering.  We should be careful about literalizing a discourse which is essentially an analgesic discourse.

What is the Gospel for us today as we are experiencing the diminished importance of some familiar edifices of identity within our faith communities.

We are encouraged to endure.  We are encouraged to visualize new paradigms of faith strategies to prove that God's omnipresence is adjustable to new situations.  The Gospel today is that temples and holy edifices cannot exhaust God's presence because each person's body is a temple of Holy Spirit.

May God inspire us to derive new strategies and paradigms to bear the winsomeness of the grace, love, and peace of the message of Jesus Christ.  May God give us grace to accept our bodies as dwelling places of God's Spirit.   Amen.

Sunday School, November 13, 2022 23 Pentecost, C proper 28

 Sunday School, November 13, 2022  23 Pentecost, C proper 28

Theme: Buildings and Homes

What is the first question that we ask when a house is destroyed by fire or a flood?

Do we ask first if all of the furniture and the belongings are safe?   No, we ask if all of the family members are safe.

Why?  Because a building can be reconstructed.  Things can be replaced.  But people cannot be replaced.  We know it is a very sad time when someone loses their home, but the loss of lives is even sadder.

There are important buildings in every state, city and country.  In America we think that the Capitol Building and the White House are important building.  If these buildings were destroyed it would be very sad and painful for our country, but if the buildings were destroyed, would our country be destroyed?   Probably, not because our country is not buildings, it is all of us as people and as Americans.  As Americans we could rebuild buildings, even important buildings.  In fact we are building them all of them because we are fixing them up and remodeling them. 

Jesus spoke about the destruction of the most important building in Jerusalem for the Jews.  The most important building was the Temple.  The Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.  But was this the end of God’s people.  No.  God’s people continued to meet in synagogues and the followers of Jesus met in house churches.  The destruction of the Temple did not mean the destruction of God’s people.  In fact, Jesus taught us that God dwells within each person.  St. Paul called the body of each person, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  So when Christians gather each person is a temple of God’s Holy Spirit.  This means that God can be everywhere people are.  We don’t have to go to Rome or to Jerusalem to meet or to find God.  God is present wherever we are and is especially known when people gather together to form what St. Paul called the body of Christ.  The Body of Christ is the Church, not the temple or any building.  Just as a body has parts which do different things for us, so in the Body of Christ, we are all parts of the body of Christ who do different things but we worked together as we are led by Christ.  St. Paul call Christ, the head of the Body of Christ.

Jesus also said that even though we have some very hard and difficult times in our lives we can still know that God is close to us.  He said that even when people do some bad things to us, we should remain true to what Jesus taught us about love and kindness.  He said that we can endure, we will preserve our souls.

Let us remember even when we lose important things like the Temple, God is still very near to us and in us.  Let us also remember that when people want to hurt us, we cannot become like them and act in hurtful ways as a response.  If we remain strong in goodness, we will prove that our souls will last because of being faithful to goodness and kindness of Christ.

Sermon

One of the nice things about our country is that we have the freedom to worship God.  So when you came to church today, the army or the police did not stop you and say, “You can’t go to church.”

  But did you know that in other places and at different times, people did not always have freedom to worship God in the way that they wanted to?

  Wouldn’t it be frightening if we came to church one day and a big bulldozer was knocking over the church building and we were told that we could not pray here anymore?

  A long time ago, in the land where Jesus was born, the people of his land lost their freedom of worship.  The land of Israel was control by a powerful army of Roman soldiers.  The King of Rome, called a Caesar decided that everyone should worship the Caesar.

  But the followers of Jesus did not want to worship Caesar.

  The armies of Caesar attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple where Jesus used to go to pray.

  And so the followers of Jesus had to run for their lives and they faced great danger.

  And they became great heroes because they would not worship the Caesar, they continued to worship God and follow Jesus Christ.

  They kept our religion alive because of their faith.

  And so we need to remember to keep our religion alive too.  We do that by coming to church to worship God and following the teaching of Jesus.  And parents teach their children to follow Jesus, so that when they grow up, they can teach their children too.

  So today, we gather today, to keep alive our faith and pass it on for the future.

  Let us be thankful for great heroes who kept our faith alive in some very difficult times.  And let us remember to keep our faith alive when we are given such easy freedom to worship.

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November 13, 2019: The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light; Jesus Stand Among Us, Hosanna

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’s 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

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; 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

For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people;

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 98

Sing to the LORD with the harp, * with the harp and the voice of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn * shout with joy before the King, the LORD.

Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, * the lands and those who dwell therein.

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.

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down." They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!' and, `The time is near!' Do not go after them.  "When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.  "But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls."

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: I Want to Walk as A Child of the Light (Blue Hymnal # 490)

1-I want to walk as a child of the light, I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to give light to the world.  The star of my life is Jesus.

Refrain: In him there is no darkness at all.  The night and the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God.  Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

2-I’m looking for the coming of Christ.  I want to be with Jesus.  When we have run with patience the race, we shall know the joy of Jesus.  Refrain

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.

The Prayer continues with these words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Beaking 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:    Jesus Stand Among Us, Renew! #17

1          Jesus stand among us, at the meeting of our lives, be our sweet agreement at the meeting of our eyes; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

2          So to You we’re gathering out of each and every land.  Christ the love between us at the joining of our hand; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

3          Jesus stand among us, the breaking of the bread, join us as one body as we worship Your, our Head.  O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

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: Hosanna (Renew! # 71)

1-Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, Oh Lord my God!  Hosanna in the highest.

2-Glory, Glory, Glory to the King of kings!  Glory, Glory, Glory to the King of kings!  Lord we lift up you name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God!  Glory to the King of kings.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Resurrection and God of the Living

22 Pentecost C 27 November 6, 2022
Job 19:23-27a Psalm 17:1-9
2 Thes.2:13-3:5 Luke 20:27-38

Lectionary Link

Legal precedence is using past juridical deliberations to inform in a deliberation on a present legal situation.

There was a time in Judaeo-Christian development when a belief in the resurrection from the dead was regarded by some to be an unacceptable innovation in what could be believed.

In religious and rabbinical scholarship during the first century, the innovation that became known as the resurrection was a topic of conversations.  Parties within Judaism disagreed upon the meaning and the validity of holding to the view of a resurrection into an afterlife.

The two major parties within Judaism in the early first century the Pharisees and the Sadducees disagreed about the meaning and validity of the resurrection.

The Sadducees did not believe that there was proper precedence for supporting the belief in the resurrection.

It was not a matter of whether one wanted to believe in it; it was a matter of how one used the written authoritative writings to establish the validity of a belief.

So why did the Pharisees and the Sadducees disagree about the validity of the resurrection?  It mainly had to do with the accepted canon of Scriptures used by the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Pharisees accepted the Hebrew writings of the Psalms, the history and wisdom books, as well as the writings of the prophets.  They found in the prophets precedence for believing in life after life, such as the Ezekiel vision of the dead bones coming back to life.

The Sadducees school of thinking only permitted the use of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures.  They were "originalists" who challenged what they believed to be doctrinal innovation.

Imagine now the dialogue presented with in the communities which read the writings of the Gospel of Luke.  These communities were resurrection communities; they believed that they existed because of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ.

But there persisted in the dialogue between Christ-communities and synagogues profound differences about the resurrection beliefs of the followers of Christ.

This difference is re-visited in a presentation of a Jesus story in a rather Socratic dialogue with some members of the Sadducees.

Now if the Sadducees did not believe in future subjective immortality as is implied with the Christian tradition of the resurrection, what did the Sadducees believe about a person's after life?

A person could be objectively immortal in what a person leaves in this world after death, and most importantly, in one's offspring.  One becomes objectively immortal in one's offspring.

And so the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, presented to Jesus a riddle to stump him about his resurrection thinking.

To stump Jesus, they used some minutiae from the Torah.  Levirate marriage was a rarely used requirement of a brother to marry the widow of his brother and the children of that marriage would be designated as offspring of the deceased brother.  So seven brothers died and all had had the same woman as their wife.  "Jesus, you believe in the resurrection, tell us who this one woman will be married to in the resurrection, the one that we don't believe in?"

Ironically, none of the seven brothers who died left any offspring for themselves or for their previously deceased brother.

Jesus gave an answer which might not be satisfactory to us.  He said that in the resurrection there is no marriage because people will be more like angels, children of God.  We may want the afterlife to be a more exact continuity of the situation we are in when we leave this life.

What might be the function and purpose of the presentation of this interchange within the early churches?

The early church believed that resurrection life was a different kind of life, continuous in some ways with this life, but significantly discontinuous in other ways.

The experiences of the Risen Christ for the disciples was significantly different than the experience they had with Jesus before he died.  The stories of the post-resurrection appearances of Christ indicated that the Risen Christ is continuous with the life of Jesus before he died, but these appearances are also an indication of the differences between the Risen Christ, and Jesus before he died.  The Jesus of Nazareth had surpassed himself significantly as he became known as the Risen Christ.  Jesus of Nazareth was limited to one place in space and time; the Risen Christ could be known by anyone and anywhere.

The words of Jesus further expand upon the nature of God.  Resurrection life goes with a belief in an inclusive Ever Living God.  If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived and believed in a living God, then that living God still includes their continuing lives.

The gist of the Gospel message for the early members of the communities where Luke's writings were taught is this:   Believers in Jesus Christ are those who have had experiences of the Risen Christ and those experiences are connected and continuous with Jesus of Nazareth, but those experiences are spiritual experiences, Holy Spirit experiences, which means they are different from the experiences of those who lived and walk and talked with Jesus of Nazareth.

The early churches believed that the experiences of the Risen Christ provided an expansion of the meaning of the ancient confession of God as the God of the living.  A God of the living includes the lives of those who have died.   

For us today, this Gospel is a message of hope because it is the proclamation of an endless future, a different future for both those who live and those who have died.  At the same time it is an affirmation of the connection between this visible life and the life of the future, between those who live and those who have died.

The Gospel invitation for us today to expand our belief to confess God as a God of the living, and to follow Jesus in his Risen Life of that same God of the living. Amen