Prayers for Epiphany, 2023

Shrove Tuesday, February 21, 2023

God of compassion and forgiveness, let our day of shriving be followed with genuine amendment of our lives so that we do not mock and abuse your generous mercy.  Amen.

Last Monday after the Epiphany, February 20, 2023

God of mountain top experiences, we want to live on the mountain top and not face the conditions of probability which result in loss, grief, and woe; give us grace to know that the light of the mountaintop still shines within us in the deepest valley of life.  Amen.

Last Sunday after the Epiphany, February 19, 2023

Risen Christ, your story was told including the story of Jesus on the Mount of the Transfiguration; let us bear your uniqueness as God's Child in our lives being transfigured by the Holy Spirit, and made evident in lives of justice and love.  Amen.

Saturday in 6 Epiphany, February 18, 2023

God of the mystery of negligible in all that we know, keep us humble about what we think that we know so that we can be open to the new which shatters our preconceived notions.  And let us also remember there is much more that we don't and cannot know, and if we cannot know, let our continuing ignorance be complemented with works of love and justice.  Amen.

Friday in 6 Epiphany, February 17, 2023

God who is highest, let us have mountain top experiences which enlighten us to bear up with the clouding mysteries of life, and let us have the light of wisdom to guide our transfiguration in betterment.  Amen.

Thursday in 6 Epiphany, February 16, 2023

God, who has made us as people with language, we are thoroughly categorized by meanings of how we use and are used by our language; give us grace and wisdom as organizing the persuasions of our lives around what is good, just, and kind for everyone.  Amen.

Wednesday in 6 Epiphany, February 15, 2023

Gracious God, the designation for the one for whom no greater can be conceived, you gave us Jesus to be the Superlative for human living; give us grace to live toward him as a standard of being good, just, merciful, and kind.  Amen.

Tuesday in 6 Epiphany, February 14, 2024

God on a day of secular love anchored by sentiments of Eros and Cupid, we look to you who is Love itself inspiring us to go beyond the mushy and sentimental and do the hard word of justice, which is realized love.  Amen.

Monday in 6 Epiphany, February 13, 2024

God of light, we seek the path of continuous transfiguration even as our bodies diminish with the passing of time.  Let light be the continuous insights that we attain in the ever adjustment to all the factors in our environment today.  Amen.

Sunday, 6 Epiphany, February 12, 2023

Gracious God, you ask that we be perfect, not to torment us about our imperfection, but to encourage us about our perfectability; give us grace to accept the path of repentance as continual renew of our lives toward what is better.  Amen.

Saturday in 5 Epiphany, February 11, 2023

Gracious God, who in this world can claim to have perfect inner life unless below our inner life we can know Holy Spirit as the pure heart of life itself.  Help to know the depth of the Clean Heart of the universe.  Amen.

Friday in 5 Epiphany, February 10, 2023

Gracious God, we cry to have clean hearts created in us and right spirits renewed within us, because we struggle to align good behavior with good inner motives.  Let our failures bring us to accept grace even while we keep at the practice of trying to do what is good, loving, and just.  Amen.

Thursday in 5 Epiphany, February 9, 2023

Jesus Christ, your words state that we must have clean and pure inner lives to accompany our lawful behaviors; we confess that we often are possessed by wrong motives and uncharitable thoughts to the point of needing continuous forgiveness.  Give us grace in our efforts to allow the Holy Spirit to be the clean heart in our lives.  Amen.

Wednesday in 5 Epiphany, February 8, 2023

Gracious Christ, the words you left to us in the mouth of Gospel Jesus remind us to true up our stated ideals with the actual practice of those ideals.  When we fail to practice, let us not call the ideals bad or unattainable, but let us keep on the path of excellence while accepting your excellence as a substitute for our lack, even while we continue our journey on our best versions of love and justice.  Amen.

Tuesday in 5 Epiphany, February 7, 2023

Gracious God of time, if our future acts contradicts our current acts, let those contradictions be defined as more loving and more just.  Amen.

Monday in 5 Epiphany, February 6, 2023

God beyond all appearances, help us to be more concerned about our mere appearance of being good and lawful; give us spiritual grace to continually challenge the merely good, with the surpassing better.  Amen.

Sunday, 5 Epiphany, February 5, 2023

God who inspires the Law, we find ourselves often keeping the law in our outer behaviors even while inwardly we host thoughts and feelings contrary to law and order.  Give grace to our inner selves to submit to the order of love and kindness always.  Amen.

Saturday in 4 Epiphany, February 4, 2023

God who is light and sent Jesus to be the Special Light of our world; help us to be filaments of the light of Christ and show forth wisdom, love, and justice in all our words and deeds.  Amen.

Friday in 4 Epiphany, February 3, 2023

God, who desires peace, you inspire continually laws to help teach best behaviors in human situations; help us to be in the process of law-making as we work to make our behaviors to comport with the highest expressions of love and justice in the actual situations of our lives.  Amen.

Thursday in 4 Epiphany, February 2, 2023 (The Presentation)

Gracious God, your Child Jesus was submitted and submitted to ritual behaviors of his faith community as he was Presented in the Temple.  Help us to know the soundness of our ritual practice as they mark our progression in faithful living.  Amen.

Wednesday in 4 Epiphany, February 1, 2023

God, you gave us light to see and yet we do not always see well enough to make love and justice operative in our lives; give us the graces of continuous insights so that our words and deeds may be wisely informed toward the ends of love and justice.  Amen.

Tuesday in 4 Epiphany, January 31, 2023

God, you give us laws to teach us recommended behaviors in the direction of perfection; give us grace to be on the path of being better each day and let us so encourage everyone in the betterment path as individually tailored to their life situation.  Amen.

Monday in 4 Epiphany, January 30, 2023

God in all, your omnipresence is the salt of life which seasons all creation.  Help us to savor the divine season of your presence so that we too, might be salt for the seasoning of our world with love and justice.  Amen.

Sunday, 4 Epiphany, January 29, 2023

Jesus Christ, you left the sayings of the beatitudes to oppressed people who had no earthly power; give us who have been free from persecution to be those who use our earthly lives to end oppression.  Amen.

Saturday in 3 Epiphany, January 28, 2023

God, save us who do not know the conditions of the beatitudes from being those who in positions of wealth and power knowingly or unknowingly force persons to have to live the truths of the beatitudes for their very survival.  Amen.

Friday in 3 Epiphany, January 27, 2023

Lord Jesus Christ, you left your words of blessings with wisdom for living as oppressed people and we ask for the beatitudinal grace for all oppressed people, but we ask also for us who have materially benefited from the oppression of our forebears to have the courage and grace to right the wrongs of the past in the current life conditions of the heirs of oppression.  Amen.

Thursday in 3 Epiphany, January 26, 2023

God of the impossible, you sent Jesus to confound us with impossible standards, not to frustrate us but to show us that we are always on a road to being better and we tolerate ourselves by relying on the grace of divine completion.  Amen.

Wednesday in 3 Epiphany, January 25, 2023 (The Conversion of St. Paul)

Gracious God, we thank you that in the conversion of St. Paul, you used a Christ-centered rabbinical tradition to bring more peoples of the earth into the knowledge of their place in your love for all.  Amen.

Tuesday in 3 Epiphany, January 24, 2023

Gracious God, help us to live the ideals of the beatitudes and keep from being those who force others to live the beatitudes to survive our oppressive and persecuting behaviors.  Amen.

Monday in 3 Epiphany, January 23, 2023

Give strength God, for those who live in the situations of oppression and persecution; bring to an end tyranny through people who have the power to stop it and set free all oppressed peoples.  Amen.

Sunday, 3 Epiphany, January 22, 2023

Christ who is our Light and our Epiphany, keep calling us over and over again with new calling to new situations and keep us from being stuck in old callings from yesterday in  different times and places and so let us be renewed in new epiphanies.  Amen.

Saturday in 2 Epiphany, January 21, 2023

Eternal Word of God, new epiphanies arise in what comes to language in the experiences of language users and we need insight to interpret the significance of what is new as it is blended by the versions of what has happened before.  Give us the wisdom of interpretation of new insights which promote the ends of love and justice.  Amen.

Friday in 2 Epiphany, January 20, 2023

God of Light, let new epiphanies happen today to bring our lives to peace and love and justice in what we do and say.  Amen.

Thursday in 2 Epiphany, January 19, 2023

God, who can become apparent, give us grace to board the epiphany train as we seek to be conduits in the manifestation of the love and justice of Christ to our world.  Amen.

Wednesday in 2 Epiphany, January 18, 2023 (The Confession of Peter)

Gracious God, without knowing what he was saying, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, even as Jesus told us that God's realm was to be known as near and apparent in his life.  Give us grace to live in God's realm and give us lifestyle wisdom to make God's realm apparent to others.  Amen.

Tuesday in 2 Epiphany, January 17, 2023

Charismatic Christ, be our coach to release our charisma so that we might be winsome livers of the high Christly values of love and justice today.  Amen.

Monday in 2 Epiphany, January 16, 2023 (Celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Gracious God, we thank you for the epiphany which Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to America and the world as he rebuked us with peaceful kindness and called us to be our better selves.  In his life, the realm of Christ came near to us and we ask for grace to accept the conditions of that realm, the conditions of love and justice.  Amen.

Sunday, 2 Epiphany, January 15, 2023

Gracious Christ, as we bear your name as your follower let our deeds also be Christ-like so that we may bear your name with the integrity of your love for all.  Amen.

Saturday in 1 Epiphany, January 14, 2023

Gracious God, your singular name which refers to superlative great being is an abstraction or reduction from your continuous omni-becoming of creative love.  Give us grace to be more concerned about doing Christ-like behaviors than being called a a name which identifies with a certain religious group.  Amen.

Friday in 1 Epiphany, January 13, 2023

God, let the epiphanies of Jesus Christ help each person in the world to find their calling to make this life better for everyone.  Amen.

Thursday in 1 Epiphany, January 12, 2023

God, who is the continuous Epiphany of all epiphanies; provides us each day in revelatory moments new insights to live better as individuals and societies, and let the standard of what is best for us be love and justice.  Amen.

Wednesday in 1 Epiphany, January 11, 2023

Gracious God, give us the wisdom not to make equivalent all evil and all good and so discern the direction of our moral progress and moral judgements in the direction of being better today than yesterday for the most number of people possible.  Amen.

Tuesday in 1 Epiphany, January 10, 2023

God of Epiphanies, give us the grace of interpreting our knowledge of you in ways which manifest the love and justice of God to the people we encounter.  Let us not count as epiphanies things which are not worthy of your loving kindness.  Amen.

Monday in 1 Epiphany, January 9, 2023

God of Epiphanies, you continually bring us to new conversions with new knowledge and new information about the realities of life and living; give us openness of heart to new epiphanies as we journey toward our better selves.  Amen.

1 Epiphany, The Baptism of our Lord, January 8, 2023

Christ, the Eternal Word, you were a participant in the human ritual of baptism as witness to your full solidarity with our humanity;  give us grace to fulfill the baptismal ideals in our daily living as proof that God the Holy Spirit has baptized our inner lives.  Amen.

 Saturday after The Epiphany, January 7, 2023

God of all, we thank you for the poignant reminder that you are for and with all and that you cannot be limited to any one particular culture, language, or social group.  Keep us true to your omni-accessibility. Amen.

The Epiphany, January 6, 2023

God who is Omni-Manifest in all things, we thank you for being particularly manifest in Jesus Christ as God-Person reaching out to all people to find their own God-personhood through the indwelling of the Risen Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Transfigured Jesus; the Setting of Highest Values

Last Epiphany A February 19, 2023
Ex.24:12,15-18, Ps.99
2 Peter 1:16-21 Matt. 17:1-9

Lectionary Link

How are human values set and established?  How do we know what is best?

The writings of the New Testament are in short, writings about how Jesus Christ is the best exemplar for enlightened humanity.  Jesus Christ is at the mountain top of human values.

The New Testament writers wrote in many discursive styles to proclaim the value of Christ.  In the collection of writings there are stories of Jesus which were circulated to tell the value of Jesus Christ.

The irony of the New Testament is that they are writings which did not come about until more than two decades after Jesus lived, and the first Gospel was not written until after thirty five years after Jesus was gone.

What does this indicate?  It indicates that Jesus became better known as the Risen Christ than as the historical Jesus.

The writers needed to connect the fame of the Risen Christ within spreading communities with the actual person of Jesus.  So we have the Gospels written later in the Greek of educated people who lived in the cities of the Roman Empire.

The writers were those who had inherited stories and writings and word of mouth sermons about the person of Jesus.

They wanted to inspire because they had been inspired by their mystical experiences of the Risen Christ.  But their mystical experience had to be connected with the historical person of Jesus and they did this through the Gospel genre.

They used writings styles and rhetorical techniques derived from the story traditions found in the Torah and the other writings of the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as the models used in the Roman Empire settings for valorizing the emperors.

If something marvelous happens,  and if great person arises to be known because of unique wisdom, wonderful deeds, and charismatic winsomeness of people, a new standard becomes set for human living.

Values are set by the standard of the very best exemplar?  But how does one speak about a new very best exemplar?

The new standard, the new best person's story is told in comparison and in light of great people of the past.  In the time of Jesus for the Jewish people,  Moses, David, and Elijah were perhaps the reigning heroes of greatness.

If the story of Jesus as the newest greatest  one, was to be told, his story was told with reference to the great ones in the lore of the people.

The story of the Mount of the Transfiguration is story told to present Jesus as the successor in the train of Moses and Elijah.  These two figures summed up two sections of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets.  Moses and Elijah were mountain men, they were water men,  they were fire and light men, and they were voice of God men.

The Gospel writers, who believed that Jesus was the successor of Moses and Elijah presented a visionary event wherein Moses and Elijah were conversing with Jesus.  Moses and Elijah were approving of Jesus and were passing the mission of salvation history onto Jesus as God's chosen and unique Child.

Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai to receive the law from God in clouds, dazzling fire and  light and on top of a mountain to signify spatially, closeness to heaven.  From his encounter with God, Moses' face shone so much that he had to cover his face among the people.  Moses had heard the voice of God on many occasions.  He had a way with water in the provision of water from the rock and in the crossing of the Red Sea.

Elijah went to mountains.  He called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel.  He parted the waters of the Jordan.  He heard the still voice of God in the mountain cave.

The Gospel writers, more than thirty five years after Jesus were telling the story of Jesus across the stories of Moses and Elijah.

Their message was this: In Jesus, a new human superlative had become evident and the proof was in the aftermath of the life of Jesus in the successive manifestations of experiences of the Risen Christ.

The experiences of the Risen Christ had become a social movement phenomenon, and the Gospel story of the transfiguration connects these experiences with the person of Jesus who was the logical successor of Moses and Elijah in the understanding of the Gospel writers.

We are invited today to connect our experiences of the Risen Christ with what is happening in human history.  We do this by modeling our lives after Jesus as our Exemplar of superlative human values.  We do this by living lives of love, justice, kindness, and care.  From the mountain tops of our mystical experience, we must descend in transfiguring ways to change human history toward the values of love and justice.

In this way, we can honor the power and grace of the transfigured Jesus, who wants to transfigure us and the world through the love of God.  Amen.

Sunday School, February 19, 2023 Last Sunday after the Epiphany A

 Sunday School, February 19, 2023    Last Sunday after the Epiphany A

Theme

Comparing the Giving of the Law of Moses to Jesus

How did Israel receive the Law?  Moses went up on Mount Sinai

What was Mount Sinai life when he went there to receive the law?  It was cloudy and had the fiery light of God’s presence.

What happened to Moses face after he received the law on the mountain?  His face was shiny bright.  In fact, it was so shiny that he had to put a veil on his face to keep from blinding the people of Israel.

Mount of the Transfiguration

Who was on the Mount of Transfiguration?  Peter, James, John, Jesus and Moses and Elijah appeared too.  And the voice of God was heard.

What was the Mountain top experience like?  It was covered with clouds.  It had a bright light which was the shiny face of Jesus.

What happened there? Jesus was talking with Elijah and Moses.  Peter was nervous and he wanted to build three tents,booth as worship shrines for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.

What was the most important event on the Mountain?  The voice of God announced that Jesus was God’s Son and that God was pleased with Jesus and the Voice told everyone to listen to Jesus.

What is the meaning of the events of the Mount of Transfiguration?

Peter, James and John who were Jews were to understand that Jesus was a friend of two of the greatest Jewish heroes, Moses and Elijah.  Moses and Elijah had returned to endorse Jesus as their friend and leader.  And the voice of God announced the most important identity of Jesus to be that He was God’s Son.

How can I understand the meaning of transfiguration?

Transfiguration is the word metamorphosis and this refers to the natural process of the cycles of growth in life.  Our lives are in the process of metamorphosis like the larva, caterpillar, and cocoon waiting to become butterflies.  There is a butterfly “spirit” within us that is waiting to break out of us in our resurrection from the dead.  Until then we are being transformed or changed into becoming more like Jesus, who has also called us to be beloved sons and daughters of God.  We have God’s Spirit within us a wonderful Light that helps to change or transform our lives to be more like Jesus.

The story of Jesus tells us that Jesus was God’s special Son and that the Light of the Holy Spirit was in Him.  It also means that we are invited to let the light of the Holy Spirit rise in us to change ourselves to be like our Brother Jesus, who reminds us that we are beloved sons and daughters of God.  And we can know that God loves us and is pleased with us too.

Sermon

Today is the last Sunday of the season of the Epiphany.  Can you tell me what the color is for Epiphany?  Green.  How did you guess?  And what season comes next?  The season of Lent.  And what day does it begin on?  Ash Wednesday.  And why do we call it Ash Wednesday?  We do some face painting on Ash Wednesday.  We draw a black cross on our foreheads to remind ourselves about the parts of our selves that last forever and the parts of our selves that wear out.  Do your clothes wear out?  Do your shoes wear out?  Do cars get old?  Do our bodies wear out?  Our bodies do wear and someday they will just stop working.  And if we wait long enough, they will turn back into dust.  And so on Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent by reminding ourselves that part of our life is going to wear out.

  But you know we have another part of our self that is never going to wear out.  And that part of our self is what we call “Spirit.”  Our spirit is the part of us that will live forever.

  Our spirit is all of that stuff inside of our bodies that we cannot see.  Our spirit is like the light in the light bulb.  On the outside a light bulb is just a piece of glass.  But when you turn the light bulb on it becomes warm and bright.

  You and I have to learn how live our lives like a light bulb that is always turned.  We have to learn to make our spirits light up our bodies?  How do we do this?  We can do this in many ways.  With curiosity.  With learning new things.  With laughter.  With wonder and surprise and excitement.  With kindness and love and care.   In many ways we can make the life of our bodies shine with the life of our spirit.

  Today we read a story about Jesus when his face shone like a very bright light.  You see, Jesus had such a strong and wonderful Spirit, he was able to make his face shine when his friends saw him in a very special way.  Jesus was a very special friend.  His friends called him the Light of the world, because he helped them to learn and live their lives better.  We need to follow Jesus and learn how to be lights in this world for each other.  We need to learn how to make our spirits so strong and so full of knowledge and love and kindness that we become lights in our world for the people in our world.

  Can you learn how to shine like a light today?  Okay let’s turn on our lights…now.  Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 19, 2023: The Last Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs: I’ll Be a Sunbeam; This Little Light, Climb Climb Up Sunshine Mountain, Shine, Jesus, Shine,

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: I’ll Be a Sunbeam (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 112)

1-Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for him each day; in every way try to please him, at home, at school, at place.  Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.  A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

4-I’ll be a sunbeam  for Jesus, I can if I but try; serving him moment by moment, then live with him on high.  Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.  A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, who before the passion of your only­ begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A Reading from the Book of Exodus

Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 99

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

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

"O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; * you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

 Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

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

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.  As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – 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.

Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

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

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

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

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

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

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of 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 so that we may love God and our neighbor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion  Song:   Climb Up Sunshine Mountain, (The Christian’s Children Song Book # 1)

            Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, heavenly breezes blow,

            Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, faces all aglow. 

            Turn, turn from sin and doubting, look to God on high;

            Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, you and I.

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: Shine, Jesus Shine  (Renew! # 247)

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

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

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

The removal of “alleluia” until Easter

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