Sunday School, November 26, 2023 Christ the King A proper 29

 Sunday School, November 26, 2023 Christ the King A proper 29

Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King A proper 29
Lesson
What tricks do your mom and dad do to get you to do something that is necessary but not always fun to do, like cleaning your bedroom?
They might offer you an allowance or what if they said, “We’ve hidden a surprise in your room which you can find if you clean your room.”
This might help you to clean your room because you can find a surprise in doing something that is necessary but maybe not fun for you to do.
Jesus told a story about a king who reviewed some behaviors of his subject.  And he said some had treated him well and some did not.  The people were surprised when the king said that he had treated him well or badly because they did not remember ever seeing him.  The King said that when they treated the poor, hungry and prisoners well, they treated him well too.  And when they neglected the poor, hungry, and prisoners then they were also neglected him.  Sometime we only are nice to people we think are important and we may neglect people who do not seem to be important.  In the early church it was said that we cannot say we love God if we don’t love our brothers and sisters.  God’s presence is hidden within people so that we treat each other well.  Remember God is hidden in each person so that as we treat others well we are also treating God well.  This is a reminder to us to treat everyone well.


Sermon:
Once upon a time there was a great king and whenever he went amongst his subjects, they would always bow and curtsy and pay him great respect.  And they would do anything for him that he asked.  He had great armies and so people were also frightened by his power.
 One day the king thought, “I wonder if the people only like and obey me because I am the king.  What would happen if I didn’t look like a king?   
 So one day he took off his crown and his royal clothes.  He messed up his hair and dirtied his face and he put on the tattered clothes of a beggar.  And he sneaked out of the castle onto the streets of the city.  And he started to beg for food and for money.  His nobility and friends didn’t recognize him on the streets.   They just rode passed him…some told him to get off the streets.  After begging for two days he was very hungry and tired.  And he thought about his experiment.  “People only like me and help me because I am a powerful king.”  He was about to go back to the palace,  but he was interrupted by a man, a poor farmer, who was carrying a garden hoe.  He was coming home from working in the fields.  The farmer invited him to his home and there he shared his family supper with the beggar king.
 The King returned to the palace and the next day he brought the farmer and his family to the palace, and gave him a really good job taking care of the palace gardens.  The poor farmer was surprised by his good luck?  And when he was called before the king, he asked the king, “Why did you choose me to be your gardener?  How did you know me?”  The king said, “Do you remember the poor beggar that you invited for supper?  That was really I.  Everyone else looked at my poor clothes and ignored me, but you fed me?    Why did you feed me?”  The farmer said, “Because you looked hungry and in need.”
 Just like the king hid himself as a beggar, so too God hides God’s own presence  in the world in the lives of people who need help.  God does this as a test for us to see if we will pass the test.  And if we are kind, we pass  the test.
 This week is thanksgiving.  Let us remember to be kind to those who are in need, because the presence of God is found in those who are in need.  Amen.  

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist. 

November 26, 2023: The Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King

Gathering Songs:  Hosanna; Hosanna; The King of Love; The King of Glory Comes
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: Hosanna (Renew! # 71)
1. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Lord we lift your name—with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God Hosanna in the highest!
2. Glory, Glory, Glory in the highest!  Glory, Glory, Glory to the King of kings!  Lord we lift your name—with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God Glory to the King of 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.
First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)
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 Ephesians
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 100
Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; * serve the LORD with gladness and come before his presence with a song. 
Know this: The LORD himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his Name. 
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age. 
Anniversaries:   
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
Liturgist:
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.
Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, `Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, `You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

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. (chanted)

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.

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 Music:  Hosanna! Hosanna!  (Christian Children’s Songbook # 102)

Hosanna!  Hosanna! The little children sing.  Hosanna! Hosanna!  For Christ, our Lord, is King.  “Prepare the way,” the children sing, Hosanna to our Lord and King!  Hosanna!  Hosanna! The little children sing.  (repeat)

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 up 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 can we 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: The King of Love, (Renew! # 106)

1. The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness keeps me ever.  I want for nothing!  I am God’s and God is mine for ever.

2. Where streams of living water flow my happy soul God leads now, and where the greenest pastures grow with food celestial feeds now.

3. Though often foolishly I strayed, still in true love God sought me; and told me to be unafraid, and home again God brought me.

4. In time of death I’ll have no fear with you, dear Lord, beside me; your rod and staff my comfort still, your cross before to guide me.

5. You spread a table in my sight the bread of life bestowing; With promise of eternal light My cup is overflowing!

6. Though all of my remaining days, Then guide me, leave me never, Good Shepherd, my I sing your praise within your house forever.

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: The King of Glory, (Renew! # 267)

Refrain: The King of Glory comes, the nation rejoices.  Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.

1-Who is the King of glory how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages.  Refrain

2-In all of Galilee, in city or village, he goes among the people curing their illness. Refrain

3-Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another.  Refrain

Dismissal    

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

People:      Thanks be to God!  

Kingdom of God within the Borders of the Epidermis

25 Pentecost A p. 28 November 19, 2023
Judges 4:1-7 Psalm 123
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30

Lectionary Link

The parables of Jesus are wisdom allegories to teach in very indirect ways.  They are not like a syllogism of logic that starts with premises and end with logical conclusions.  Rather, they are units which evoke experiential musings.  As stories they relate the inexactness of life situations and asks of listeners and reader to learn the intuitions of the art of living.

The parables are as instructive in what they leave out and they are open-ended in their meanings.  They are teasers and koans to return to in continuous reflection and they take on different meanings which mirror the particular message that we might need at different times in our lives.

The well known parable of the talents is assigned in the fall when most parishes are conducting their stewardship campaigns in doing financial planning for the next year.  Certainly many can and do use the parable of the talents to promote stewardship in the mission of the church.  

Stewardship is not just for raising money for the parish, because it is a very basic message of Jesus.  Life is a gift that is given but it is very undeveloped.  Human lives must be developed, and done so in optimal ways.  The epitaph that none of us wants on our tombstone would be: He had lots of potential.  Imagine a gardener inviting you to his house to view his seed collection.  Lots of seeds but no garden.

In the parable of the talents, the mostly absent boss hands out money to his servants to invest, in amounts of five, two, and one talents.

Those with five and two talents, invest their talents and when the boss returned they had doubled their talents, and were praised highly for their investment efforts.  The servant who had been given one talent confessed that he was afraid of losing it, so in fear he buried it in the ground so that he would at least not present his boss with a loss of his asset.  And so, his one talent was taken from him and given to the one who had doubled his five talents.

This parable bespeaks the law time and growth where change is inevitable and so the quest is to influence the outcomes in time.  This parable is about the seeming cruel law of atrophy; use it or lose it.  We must work in ways to influence positive outcomes in our lives and the belief of Jesus is that we as human beings have significant freedom to influence outcomes in our lives.  Remember that this Gospel literature is being read by an oppressed community who might be intimidated by their circumstance.  What freedom do we have in light of the Caesar's control of our lives and community?

But where is the strength of the realm or kingdom of God most poignantly to be active and influential?  Within the borders of the epidermis of the human body.  The kingdom of God needs have no rival within the epidermis of the human body.  Don't let the outer environment intimidate or steal from the individual who resides at the volitional command center within the borders of the epidermis.

The parable of Jesus is meant to inspire human agency within the realm in which each person has volitional control, namely, within one's own person.

Rather than treat the parable of Jesus as being cruel in its punishment of the man with the uninvested talent, we should merely let the parable inform us about probabilities within the field of freedom in our lives.

One of the important lessons in life is not to let fear paralyze us from developing the gifts of our lives.  Fear is being persuaded more about a negative outcome rather than a positive outcome.  The opposite of fear is faith, and faith is acting toward hopeful outcomes.

This parable highlights one of the central transformations espoused in the Gospel: transforming the energy of fear into the energy of faith.

Fear is based upon the belief that we have no agency to develop better outcomes in our lives.  Faith is being persuaded that we can continuously cooperate with events of grace to invest and invest and invest the gifts of our lives toward better outcomes.

I think the message of Jesus is about the discovery of the events of grace which provide the stimulating power to act persuasively toward better outcomes in our lives.

The message of the parable is an invitation for us to move on from the paralysis of fear to the grace activation of faith, whereby we choose to live celebrating our agency to be better today than yesterday, starting with the kingdom which is found within the borders of our epidermis.  And if we can bring better outcomes within our interior lives, we can begin to effect positive changes in the exterior environments and communities of our lives.

May God help us to the graceful insight of faith as the ideal transformation of the negative energy of fear.  Amen.

Sunday School, November 19, 2023 25 Pentecost, A proper 28

  Sunday School, November 19, 2023    25 Pentecost, A proper 28

Theme:  Use it or lose it

The Parable of the talents

Jesus told a story about people who were given money.

Some invested their money and received more money.

One person buried his money in the ground and when he did not invest it, the person who gave him the money took it away and gave it to the one who invested wisely.

This story is about some important things in life:

Everyone is given gifts.  Our gifts are different in what they are and in our ability to use them.

Jesus does not ask that we compare ourselves with each other.  Jesus asks that we compare ourselves with ourselves in the future when we have developed and learned and practiced.

How do you know if you can play soccer, play the piano, dance or sing, or invent things if you never try them or practice?

Practice makes perfect and if we don’t practice, we will never know what gifts we have or how good we can be with our gifts.

Jesus wants us to develop ourselves to max. We are not to hide our gifts but to use them, share them and develop them and perfect them.

Atrophy is the law of nature which says, “Use it or lose it.”   That is the message of the parable of the talents.

Sermon:

  Sometimes it hard to understand things in lives.  And Jesus knew that things were hard to understand, so he told stories to help people understand some of the difficult things in life.

  He told a story about a rich man who gave some money to three of his workers.  He gave five thousand to one, two thousand to another and one thousand to another.  He left town and when he came back he ask his workers what they did with their money.  The one with five thousand earned five thousand more.  The one with two thousand earned two thousand more.  But the one with only one thousand, did not earn anymore.  He simply hid his money so that no one could steal it.

  Jesus told this story to remind us that God is the owner of our lives and that we are all supposed to be working for God.  And God has given us many gifts.  But we still have to find our gifts and practice to use our gifts.

  If I have a gift to run fast, but never practice.  Will my gift be useful?  If I have the gift of singing or dancing or doing mathematics, but never practice, what will happen?

  I am going to teach you a word.  The word is Atrophy.  Atrophy means that if you don’t practice and use your ability, you lose your ability.

  Did you know that if you stay in bed too long without exercise, that your legs will not work?

  Jesus reminds us to work and practice our gifts.  The people who practice their gifts do not lose their gifts and they enjoy their gifts because they help many people.

  So remember today.  God has given you many gifts.  And the fun in your life is discovering your gifts.  But you also must practice your gifts as well.

  Say:  God has given me gifts.  I will practice my gifts.  I will help God and other people with my gifts and abilities.

Liturgy for the Day

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November 19, 2023: The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: The B-I-B-L-E, I Am the Bread of Life, Peace Before Us

Liturgist:         Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People:            And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: The B-I-B-L-E, (All the Best Songs for Kids   # 119)

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me.  I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.  

The B-I-B-L-E, It is God’s word for me.  I will obey God’s holy word, the B-I-B-L-E.  

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me.  I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.  

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.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

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

Liturgist: A Reading the First Letter to the Thessalonians

For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 123

So our eyes look to the LORD our God, * until he show us his mercy.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy, * for we have had more than enough of contempt,

Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, * and of the derision of the proud.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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.

Jesus said, "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, `Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, `Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, `Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master replied, `You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "

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. (chanted)

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.

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 Music:  For the Beauty of the Earth,    # 416  (blue hymnal)

1-For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, Refrain: Christ our God to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

2-For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light, 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 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 up 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.

(Alll 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:  Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart   (Renew!,  # 266 )

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ his Son.  (sing twice)

And now let the weak say, “I am strong”; let the poor say “I am rich” because of what the Lord has done for us.  (sing twice)

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the holy one, give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ his Son (sing twice) Give thanks!

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

Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet.  Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace.

Love before us,…

Light before us…

Christ before….

Dismissal   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Kingdom of Heaven, to Be or Ever Has Been?

24 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 27, November 12, 2023
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Psalm 78
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-1


Lectionary Link

We have read the parable about the bridesmaid who were prepared and those who weren't and this wisdom parable of Jesus presents to us some insights about the realm of God in our lives.

Those with apocalyptic propensity prefer to use this as the preparation for some cataclysmic end of the world has we know it.  And there are many Christians who resort to a sort of apocalyptic fatalism, one in which their perceived foes are punished and they who are God's preferred get spirited away to rapturous bliss.  The obsession with this kind of apocalypticism is so pronounced, it really seems at odds with a creating loving God who called creation good.  The apocalyptic sects of Christian religions are not environmentalists; "why save the environment if we are soon going to leave this wretched place for a better world?"  As proclaimed "dominionists" they believe the world should be dominated for their benefits and there is very little notion of stewardship care for this world which the creator God of Genesis called "good."

I believe the injunction to be prepared has a fuller meaning than than what the distorted views of the apocalyptic crowd proclaim.

When Jesus proclaimed the Realm of God, he was not proclaiming something new, he was observing what was always already, namely, if this world derives from the plenitude of God then the plenitude of all that is, is the realm of God.  Or, as St. Paul of the Acts of the Apostles reminded us, "we live, and move and have our being in God."  God is our Realm and our kingdom, past, present, and future.

Then why does the notion of the kingdom of heaven seem to be limited to an event or "events" in time?  The events in time have to do with the human perception of what is always, already.   We are always in the Realm of God but we don't always perceive it or live as though we are in God's Realm.

Being prepared for the kingdom or realm of heaven is about how we live toward the future.  The words of Jesus, "the kingdom of heaven will be like this," namely it is a future continuous tense.  The realm of God will be.....

And how are we to live toward what will be?  We are to live in ways of being ready for the future.  In the past, we have lived and moved had our being in God, in the present we live and have our being God , and it will also be such in the future.  

Being prepared is about holistic integration of our lives.  It is to be very practical.  The Boys Scout Motto is "Be prepared."  If one is going camping then one needs to be logistically prepared, with proper attire, proper supplies, and proper skill sets to meet the challenges of the trail and the remote places of the camping sites.

The issue of the wise and foolish bridesmaids in the parable was simply a matter of logistics of having an ample supply of oil for the lamps.  Those who did not have enough oil had a good excuse: "How were we to know that the bridegroom would be delayed?"

And isn't this a main issue of life?  How do we know the timing of future event so as to be properly prepared?

The warning words of Jesus for his early followers was this; you don't need to be prepared for some event of final salvation as to be able to live spiritually healthy lives no matter what befalls. 

The kind of preparation which Jesus asks for is not a fatalistic waiting for some final end of life as we know it, but rather an attitude of faith which can adjust to the actual conditions of life as we know it.

This is a wholistic and holistic kind of faith preparation.  It is integrative of the ways that we have to be prepared to live, and move, and have our being in God, even as such living includes living with all the people of our daily lives and world.  It includes using our past experiences and the experiences of others to anticipate the probabilities of what may yet happen to us.  It is practical and commonsensical; as such it means that human beings are mainly the answers to their own prayers.  There is enough to go around in the world; it is human failure which accounts for great personal needs of so many.  Therefore preparation of realization of the Realm of God is spiritual and moral, because the material world, the world of science and brute facts has to be accompanied with the moral and spiritual realization of the worthwhileness of everyone in God's realm.

From a cursory observation we can say that we are not prepared yet for the Realm of God, because the will of God in the heavenly realm is not yet being done on the earth of the visible realm.

The preparation for the kingdom of heaven for us is to bring the parallel heavenly values of love and justice to the actual surface of this visible world.  We cannot be complainer about not knowing that such things would happen to us; we must be those who are studying the ways of love and justice to be made known in whatever may come.

It is not realistic for us to complain about not knowing the specifics of future events, since the future will be much like the past and the present with the array of probable occurrences.  Preparation is not about pretending that we know specifics of the future, it is about knowing that God is equally present in all times.  If we are prepared in knowing God is present now, then we can carry this preparation to know that God will be present in our futures as well.

The message of the Gospel for us today is that being prepared means living in being God aware.  We prepare for the future by living God aware lives.  Let us be prepared by knowing God as the common great feature of all the times of our lives.  Amen.