Sunday School, May 21, 2021 7 Easter A

 Sunday School, May 21, 2021     7 Easter A

Theme:

Jesus Prayed

Have a discussion about what prayer means.  Discuss communication and relationship.

The longest prayer of Jesus in the Gospel is found in the 17 chapter of John.

Who did Jesus pray to?

His Father

Why did Jesus pray?

Prayer is talking and we talk to the people that we want to know.  Talking is how we express our relationship.

What did Jesus pray about?

He prayed for his disciple.  He prayed that his disciples might have the same close relationship with God as Father as he did.

What is prayer?

Prayer is an important indication of our belief in God.  We talk to those whom we believe to exist.  And we have special conversation with our friends.

Jesus prayed and so should we.

What does the Ascension mean?

The Ascension means that we believe that after Jesus Rose again, he went to the parallel place of heaven.  This this place we believe that Christ still prays for us and with us.  When we pray we want to join our prayers with the prayers that Jesus offers for us.

Sermon

  What are some of most important things that happen in a baby’s that let us know that the baby is growing up?  What about when the baby starts eating cereal and vegetables?  What about when the baby starts to shows some teeth?  What about when a baby starts to crawl? What about when a baby starts to walk?  And one of the most special things is when a baby starts to talk.  And what is the first word that a baby says?  Well all fathers know…a baby’s first word is Da Da.  Or at least that is what we hear.  Moms and brothers and sisters and grandparents may hear something else.

  And why is it important that a baby talks?  Because we can know our baby and our children better when they talk.  When a baby cannot talk and is just crying; we don’t always know why a baby is crying?  Is a baby tired, or hungry, or sick or does he need his diaper changed or is the baby just sad?

  But when a baby and child can talk, we can ask the baby what she wants.  We can ask her if she has a tummy ache.  And when a child can talk we can know more about a child.  So when a child talks to us

it is a great thing for us.

  Did you know that God likes us to talk too?  And when we talk to God, we call that prayer.

  Jesus was God’s Son.  And Jesus talked to God, his Father.  And we have read a part of the prayer of Jesus to his Father today.

  Jesus talked with his Father about things that made him happy.  He thanked his Father.  And he asked for some special favors from God for his friends.

  Your mom and dad and family are very happy when you talk to them.  When you tell them how you feel.  When you tell them that you love them.  When you ask for help.  When you thank them.  When you tell them about the fun you are having.  When you tell them why you are sad.

  God is our Father too.  And God likes for us to talk to him.  When we talk to God with our prayers, we a growing up in the big family of God.  When we talk to God with our prayers, we are showing that we are a part of this large family of God.  And if we act like we are member of this big family of God, then we will treat everyone as a special brother and sister.

  Just as our parents are happy when we first started talking to them.  So God is happy when we talk to him.  That is what Jesus showed when he prayed to God his Father.

  We come to church on Sunday to prayer together and talk to God.  And we do this to remember that we can talk to God anywhere.  We don’t have to be in church to prayer.  We come to church to remember to pray.

  Can you remember to prayer?  Talk to God.  If you do that you can be sure that God is very happy to hear and listen to you.  Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

May 21, 2023: The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah!;  Majesty!, Father, I Adore You; Awesome God   

Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

People: The Lord is Risen Indeed.  Alleluia.

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, Halleluah  (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

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

First 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 First Letter of Peter

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 68

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; * let them also be merry and joyful.

Sing to God, sing praises to his Name; exalt him who rides upon the heavens; * YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!

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 John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.  "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. "

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: Majesty, (Renew # 63)

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

Majesty, kingdom authority flow from His throne unto His own;

His anthem raise. 

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

Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King. 

Majesty, worship His Majesty; Jesus who died,

now glorified, King of all kings.

                           

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of our 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.  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: Father I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)

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

Jesus, I adore you, lay my life before you.  How I love you.

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: Awesome God (Renew! # 245).

Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above. 

With wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God.

(Sing three times)

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Being and Becoming within the Womb of God

6 Easter A May 14, 2023
Acts 17:22-31 Ps. Ps. 66
1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21

Lectionary Link

The only person about whom it can be said that we have lived in, is one's mother.  In our pre-birth state, we lived and moved and had our being within our mothers.  That is a physical and spatial fact.

About God, it is reported in the Acts of the Apostles, that "we live and move and have our being in God."  This means that we are contained in God.  God is the environment of our being and becoming in whom we continue to expand the number of occasions of our lives.

When St. Paul reportedly went to Mars Hill in Athens, he knew that Greeks had many gods and goddesses.  He knew that Romans had conquered territories and had taken  the gods and goddesses of foreign places into their pantheon.  Apparently the Greeks were open to knowing about other gods to also join the pantheon since there was an altar with an inscription which read, "to an unknown God."

St. Paul was trying to bring another paradigm about God to the Athenians.  The God that St. Paul had come to know was the "Mother of all, the container of All."  We live and move and have our being within this Mothering Container of All.  This great Container God is also the very condition for humanity to even be able to designate other divine beings as god and goddesses, or even Emperors as divinized being.

The Great Mothering God, in whom we live and have our being and becoming, has given us permission to be designated as God's offsprings.

And so we arrive at the use of the familial terms of God as our Parent God.  To name God as Father and Mother and to know ourselves as God's children is to introduce the language of personal intimacy and mutual knowability between God and humanity.

St. Paul was introducing the Athenians to a personal and knowable God, but also an infinite and expanding, creating, God who contains all that has been and yet will be.

The paradigm for God that St. Paul proposed came from his experience of the Risen Christ, whom he connected with historical person of Jesus.  St. Paul learned the traditions of Jesus from persons who had been with Jesus in his earthly life.

The Gospel of John presents some the traditions of Jesus which were written to serve the Jesus Movement, in the post-resurrection and ascension phase of the life of Christ.

The Gospel of John presents a Jesus tradition of preparing his disciples for his departure when they would not see him or have the same sensorial accessibility with him.

In the tradition of Jesus preparing his disciples for his departure, he offers them some comforting promises.

He said that he would send them an advocate, even the Spirit of truth who would be in them.  He was promising that the same familial Spirit which was in him, would be in them as well, verifying that they too were children of God.  He would reveal the truth of their identity as children of God.

Jesus doubled down on this by saying, "I will not leave you as orphans."  You will not be without a parent.  The heavenly parent will alway be with you, in you, and all around you as the omnipresent sustaining of life itself.

And so the Gospel for us today is this: We live and move and have our being and becoming within God.  And further, we can know that God lives and moves and has the divine becoming within each of us, which can be realized in deeply personal ways tailored to the specific circumstances of each of our lives.

Let us accept the fact that we are contained by such great Plenitude today.  We cannot get outside of the Plenitude.  Let us also accept that the Plentitude is morphed and funneled to be known within us and we can know this as we surrender to the Spirit of peace, love, kindness, and justice in our lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, May 14, 2023 6 Easter A

 Sunday School, May 14, 2023    6 Easter A

Themes:

How do we share good news with other people?

Do we just tell them about ourselves?

Do we try to find out about other people and find agreement with people?

St. Paul went to the place that was thought to be the “smartest” city on earth, the city of Athens, Greece.  Athens was made famous by the famous philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

St. Paul’s good news was telling people that they could know themselves as sons and daughters of God.

In Athens, he reminded them that one of their poets had written that men and women are divine children.

Then St. Paul shared with them how Jesus came as God special son to help us know that we too were sons and daughters of God and that we are a part of God’s loving family.

Jesus told his disciples that he would not leave them to be like orphans.  

What is an orphan?  An orphan is someone who has lost his or her parent.

Jesus promised his disciples that they would not be orphans even after  he left this world.

How would the disciples know that they were God’s children?

Jesus promised that they would have within them, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit would be an advocate.  An advocate is like a coach, teacher and cheer leader and Jesus said that we can know that inside of us we have someone who is giving us encouragement all of time.

We practice worship and prayer so that we practice and learn to hear the encouragement of God’s Holy Spirit inside of us to give us assurance that we are children of God, our heavenly parent.  We are not orphans because God is our heavenly Father.

Sermon

Did you know that you live in many places at one time?

  But if I am right here, how can I live in many places at one time?

  Where do you live?  What is your address?  So you live in the home with an address?

  But you also live in a town or city.  What is your city?

  You also live in a county.  What is your county?

  You also live in a state.  What is your state?

  You also live in a country.  What is your country?

  You also live in a hemisphere?  What is your hemisphere?

  You also live in a world?  What is our world called?

  You also live in a solar system.  What is the big star that is in the center of our solar system called.

  You also live in a galaxy.  What is our galaxy called?

  You also live in a universe.

  But you also live somewhere else even bigger.

  St. Paul, “Wrote that we live and move and we have our being in God.”  So God is our biggest address, because God made the world.

  We just don’t live in places; we also live with people.

  Who do we live with?  Our families.  What is your family name?

  We live with residents of our city.  We live with residents of our state.  We live with residents of our country, our hemisphere and our world.  Some people think that there are other planets in the universe that have intelligent life too.  And we live with being that we cannot always see; the Bible calls those being angels.

  And finally, we live with God.  God is a Father of the greatest and biggest family of all because God made us all.

  Jesus told his friends that even though he was going away, he would not leave them without a family.  He said he would leave them in the family of God.  And how would they know they were in the family of God?  He would be with them and inside them.

  Jesus said that he would send the Holy Spirit to let them know that they were in God’s family and to let them know that God was with them always.

  So today can you remember your biggest address?  Where do we live?  In God.

  And what is the biggest family that we belong to?  The family of God.

  Let us thank God today for being members of such a great family.  And how did Jesus tell us we should live in God’s family?  We should live with love for one another.  Can you remember that?  Good.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

May 14, 2023: The Sixth Sunday of Easter 

Gathering Songs: Seek Ye First, Jesus Stand among Us,  Let Us Break Bread Together, I Want to Walk 

Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

People: The Lord is Risen Indeed.  Alleluia.

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: Seek Ye First (Blue Hymnal  # 711)

1-Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Allelluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia. 

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

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.   Amen.

First 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 Acts of the Apostles

The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him-- though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For `In him we live and move and have our being';

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 66

Come and listen, all you who fear God, *and I will tell you what he has done for me.

I called out to him with my mouth, * and his praise was on my tongue.

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 John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.  "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

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:  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.

                                            

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of our 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, 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: Let Us Break Bread Together (Blue Hymnal, # 325)

1-Let us break bread together on our knees; let us break bread together on our knees; when I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

2- Let us drink wine together on our knees; let us drink wine together on our knees; when I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun, O Lord have mercy on me.

3- Let us praise God together on our knees; let us praise God together on our knees; when I fall on knees, with my fact to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.  

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: 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 want to see the brightness of God.  I want to look at Jesus.  Clear sun of righteousness, shine on my path, and show me the way to the Father. Refrain

Dismissal:    

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

People: Thanks be to God!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Way, Truth, Life, Home, and Inheritance

5 Easter a May 7, 2023

Acts 17:1-15 Ps. 66: 1-8
1 Peter 2:1-10 John 14:1-14

Lectionary Link

When the most important person and mentor of one's life leaves, what does one need?  One needs direction, honesty, and an assurance that there is greater life than the death of the loved one.  And what if we've have gotten location and identity by being with someone so important?  What if our life has been poignantly defined by living in proximity with the most important person in our lives?  Our personal neighborhoods change when our loved one is gone.  How can a home be a home when the one who made it seem like home is suddenly gone?  When someone important dies, one can believe that significant resources for living have been lost.  How do we access the inheritance of the loved one whom we've lost?

How did the writer of John's Gospel, writing decades after Jesus, present Jesus?  Jesus was presented as one who prepared his disciples for his eventual absence.  And by logical extension, the first readers of the Gospel of John were to know that the preparation for the absence of Jesus of Nazareth pertained to their lives as well.  And by further extension, you and I can find insights on how we can live today without having seen, walked, or talked with Jesus of Nazareth.

The Gospel writers believed that they could write about Jesus in such a manner that he could be known as the exemplary person on whom one's life could be modeled.  In short, Jesus was the way; he was the one who provided the direction for how to live best in the way love, peace, joy, and justice.  Probably the most important gift that any of us has had are exemplary mentors who have provided us with living examples of how to live well.  Jesus is the way, because he was the exemplary person who has given us a direction of excellence into which we can continuously grow.

Further, we need to know what is true.  Truth has many nuances.  It cannot be reduced to scientific laws or logical arguments.  The truth of Jesus has to do with the aspect of living honestly with oneself.  Jesus was honest to God, honest to himself, honest to his friends, and honest to the world in which he lived.  How do we live in the truth of Jesus?  By honestly discovering ourselves to be children of God and from this discovery, live with this distinction in such a way as to invite this same insight for others.  We should strive to be able to say, "If you have seen us, you have seen something of the likeness of God and Christ."  If we can attain to honesty about our heavenly parentage, the likeness and image of God on our lives,  then we emulate the truth of Jesus.

When the life of Jesus ended upon the cross, did that mean the end of the kind of qualitative life of Jesus was gone?  No, Jesus promised the continuance of abundant life, resurrection life, even the life of the Holy Spirit.  The early followers of Jesus lived with the sense of the continued presence of the Risen Christ.  This continued presence was the abundant life which Jesus provided for his disciples, for the early Christians and for us today.

When Jesus died, did the disciples lose their home?  Where are we going to live after Jesus is gone?  Wherever Jesus went, he created a home for his disciples.  Sometimes we like to reduce the words of Jesus to funeral services and speak of eternal life in some heavenly dwelling.  When he was on earth, Jesus told them that the Son of Man had no place to lay his head.  He was an itinerant and nomadic Jesus in his ministry.  He had no home, but he found many homes with many friends.  What Jesus taught us about God is that God is an itinerant and homing God, one who indwells the lives of all.  Jesus presented God as a homing God; one who would be pleased to dwell in the lives of all.  This is a connection of creation theology with incarnational theology.  The likeness and image of God dwells within creation and especially within people.  Jesus is the one who taught us to bring our God-identity to the surface to become manifest in our words and our deeds.

In his farewell to his disciples, Jesus was saying, just as I have found the likeness of God my parent within myself, so too can you find this same resource within yourselves.

Today, we live in the same promises of the farewell discourse of Jesus.  We have the example of direction for our lives; we have his honest to God living, we have access to the abundant life within seeming ordinary life, we don't need to worry about a home because God has made a home within us, and finally, we can live off the continuing inheritance of the image of God upon our lives which can be known as the rising Holy Spirit.

As we always live in the grief of having lost Jesus of Nazareth, we live in hope and joy of the continuity of the values of the life of Jesus today.  Amen.