Sunday School, May 5, 2024 6 Easter B
Theme:
Jesus came to start a friendship organization.
Jesus called his disciple friends.
His disciples were his students.
When they reached at certain level of training, Jesus gave them a graduation ceremony.
He told them, “You are no longer a servant or student, you are my friend.”
Why is this important that the disciple/students received their friends diploma?
As friends of Jesus, they were going to stay around after Jesus was gone. Jesus knew that he was leaving and he trained his disciples to become his trusted friends. As friends, they would be the teachers in charge of training new students.
Jesus called his disciples “friends” because he believed him them. He knew that he could trust them to help build the friendship groups called the church.
All of us are to be students of Jesus. We are supposed to learn and grow and we are supposed to be the friends of Christ who he can trust to become teachers for others.
When you study you follow rules. Jesus gave his disciples rules or commandments to follow so that they could graduate from his class and become teachers who were his trusted friends.
Let us remember that we are disciples of Jesus and we are following the commandments and rules of Jesus because we love him and we want to learn from the rules and the commandments of Jesus. Why?
So we can be the trusted friends of Jesus and we can graduates and become teachers for other people to follow the rules and commandments of Jesus.
Sermon on the kinds of Love
In our reading from the Bible today we have read the best definition of God. How do we talk about? What do we say God is like?
The best definition of God is to say: God is love. Can you say that? God is love? Do you know what love is? Yes, you do. You know that your parents love. And they will love you no matter what you do.
But we need to understand what love is. Did you know that in the Greek language, there are four words for the one English word love?
The first word is storge. Can you say that? Storge means to like the things and people that are familiar to us. We tend to like what we do everyday because if we didn’t, we would stop doing it.
The next word for love is eros. Eros means desire. And desire is a very important love. We know desire because it is like when God made the world, God plant something in us like magnets. And some thing like a magnet within us makes us need and like some things and some people. When you are thirsty? Some thing like a magnet within you attracts you to what? Water. When you are hungry, some thing in you attracts you to what? Food. What you and I need is like a magnet within us and it attracts us to what can satisfy our need. And people like all animals need to survive, and so we also need to be married and create babies so there will always be enough people. That is the love call eros.
Another love is phileo. Can you say that? Phileo is a kind of love that we have for our friends. It is the kind of love that we have in our play and in our hobbies. Why do some people like sports but not gardening? Why do some people like to play with dolls and not trucks? Why do some people like princesses and not super-heroes? Why do you choose to play with some children and not others? Why do some people like horses, but not snakes
Storge, Eros and Phileo love are good loves. But they need another love to help them work best. How are you going to treat the people that you don’t like? Some times our liking does not last very long. We may like our friend, but if we get in an argument with them…we may say, “I don’t like you anymore.” What happens to our love when we say that? Why does our love go away so suddenly? And how do people get treated when our love goes away?
That is why, we need another kind of love. We need a love that is called agape. This is the love that is inspired by God. This is the love that God has for us. And this is love that God gives to us, if we will receive it.
God loves people that we don’t like. God loves things in this world that we don’t like or don’t think to take care of.
God commands us to love our neighbor. When? Not just when we feel like it. We have to love our neighbor even when we don’t like them, and they have to love us even when they don’t like us. Why? Because this kind of love protects us. It protects everyone equally. This kind of love is more than a feeling. Jesus commanded this kind of love because he wanted us to practice respect and fairness for everyone. And this is kind of love that God wants us to know. Sometimes it is hard to love someone that you don’t know or like, but we need to love in this, because this kind of love protects us and everyone. This is the love that God asks us to learn. Are you willing to learn this kind of love today?
God will help us. Today we celebrate special people in our lives who have a special love for us. We celebrate our mothers. Their love is special because they love us even when we do not behave our best. The love that God has for us is like the love that our mothers have for us. Amen.
Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist
May 5, 2024: The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Gathering Songs: Sing a New Song, Peace before Us, What Wondrous Love, I Love You Lord
Song: Sing a New Song (Renew! # 21)
Refrain: Sing a new song unto the Lord; let your song be sung from mountains high. Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing Alleluia.
Yahweh’s people dance for joy; O come before the Lord. And play for him on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound. Refrain
Rise, O children from you sleep, your savior now has come. He has turned your sorrow to joy, and filled your soul with song. Refrain
Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord. The trumpet sound; the dead shall be raised. I know my Savior lives. Refrain
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.
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 First Letter of John
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 98
Sing to the LORD a new song, * for he has done marvelous things.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; * lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
Sing to the LORD with the harp, * with the harp and the voice of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn * shout with joy before the King, the LORD.
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, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."
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
Song: Peace Before Us (Wonder, Love and Praise, # 791)
1 Peace before us. Peace behind us. Peace under our feet. Peace within us. Peace over us. Let all around us be Peace.
2 Love, 3 Light, 4 Christ
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Holy 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 anctify 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: What Wondrous Love (Renew! # 277)
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul. What wondrous love is this O my soul. What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul. To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down, when I was sinking down sinking down. When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing. To God and to the lamb I will sing. To God and to the lamb who is the great I AM—while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing, while millions join the theme I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on; and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
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 Love You Lord (Renew! # 36)
I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul, rejoice.
Take joy, my King, in what you hear: May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.
Repeat
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Alleluia! Alleluia! Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!
