Sunday School, September 29, 2024, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 21
Sunday School Themes:
One could unify the themes of the Bible readings under the topic of what is healthy for each person and for our families and community.
It is healthy to have heroes like Esther who lived in a minority community that was targeted for persecution. She used her favor with the king to make an appeal to him to save her people. Healthy communities need heroes who will serve those who are threatened.
From the book of Numbers: Community health comes when the various work of the community is spread among many people. Moses was happy to share the leadership with many people who had God’s spirit with them to help lead the community. In the baptism of each person, we believe God affirms the gifts of each person to help them make the community better through their gifts and their work. So ask God to help us each to find our gifts so we can use them to make our home, family and church better communities.
In the letter of James, we are told that health is about learning how to share our illnesses with each other in our community so that the community can pray for those who are sick. People who know that their family and friends are praying for them get better more quickly. Health also means we learn to correct each other in love and care so that we don’t get destroyed by our mistakes.
In the Gospel, we know that health is to avoid jealousy about the good works of other people. Health is being thankful for all people who are doing good, even if they are doing it just a bit different than we are.
Health is also about fasting or learning to stop doing things that are harmful so that we can change and do healthy things. Jesus used his riddles: If you use your eyes wrongly, take them out. If you use your hand for bad things, then cut it off. Jesus was saying that sometimes fasting or quitting something entirely is the only way to stop a bad behavior and begin to take on a good behaviors. Health can be inspired by thinking about bad consequences. What happens if we refuse to exercise something? We lose the function of it. We waste. Jesus showed us that hell is wasting our lives. And we can live healthy lives if we avoid wasting our lives through laziness or bad behaviors. Gehenna or the word for hell was the “garbage” dump for Jerusalem, a place where the carcasses of dead animals were burned.
Jesus said that we should be like salt. Salt makes food taste better. We should be people in this life that makes life seem to “taste” better for everyone. Christians should be “spicy” people because we should make this life better for everyone. To be healthy in life we need to be “spicy.”
The last thing for the health of the community is to be at peace with one another. Living in peace is one of the most healthy things of all for our families and communities. We can live better when life is peaceful.
A Children’s sermon on “fasting” and “hell”
One of the things that my father often said to me when I was doing something wrong was: Cut it out, Phil.
What does cut it out, mean? It doesn’t mean that I have to get a knife or some scissors and start cutting. It is a very shocking way to say: Stop it! Stop it! Right now!
Jesus used some very shocking language too. Remember that he often spoke in riddles. And we have read some of the shocking language of Jesus today.
He said if your hand is doing something bad, cut it off. If your feet are taking you to a bad place, then cut them off. If your eyes are looking at bad things, then tear it out. That really sounds shocking, doesn’t it?
But it was really just like my dad saying, cut it out. It is a very strong way of saying Stop, the bad thing that you are doing.
And now I am going to tell about another word that Jesus used. And it is a shocking word too. It’s so shocking you do not have permission to use this word by your parents or teachers. It’s the word, “hell.”
Now most of think that hell is the bad place that bad people go to after they have died.
But what did hell mean for Jesus? For Jesus, hell referred to the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. It was place where they took the bodies of dead animals to burn them. It was the place they took human waste.
So for Jesus, what did hell mean? It meant waste.
And Jesus did not want anyone to waste their lives. If our hands are doing bad things, then we are wasting our lives. If our feet are taking us to bad places, we are wasting our lives. If we use our eyes only to look at bad things, then we are wasting our lives.
And so Jesus uses some very strong language to remind us, not to waste our lives. If we are wasting our lives, Jesus says, stop it. Change your direction, do something good; not something bad.
So let us be thankful that Jesus uses very strong language to warn us not to waste our lives. Why should you study hard in school? So you don’t waste your mind. Why should you learn to do house work? So you will not be lazy and learn to do things for yourself. Why should you exercise? So that you can be healthy. Why should you eat good food and take care of your bodies? So you can live healthy lives as long as possible. Why should you be careful about what you watch on TV? Why should you be careful about what you say? You don’t want to waste any ability that you have. Jesus wanted to save his friends from wasting their lives, because he knew how much good they could do with their lives.
And Jesus does not want us to waste our lives either. So that is why we work hard to train our hands and feet and mind to do good things and to think good things.
A family Eucharistic Liturgy
Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist
September 29, 2024: The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah, Peace Before Us, Father I Adore You, I Want to Walk
Song: Hallelu, Hallelujah (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: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. 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.
Liturgist: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia
O God, you are Great! Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A reading from the Letter of James
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 19
The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.
The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes.
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 Mark
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. " If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
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.
Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.
All may gather around the altar
Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and drink the wine, we can know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as
this food and drink that becomes a part of us.
The Prayer continues with these words
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.
On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.
Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
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 Hymn: Father, I Adore You (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 56)
1 Father, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you.
2 Jesus….
3 Spirit…
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, (Renew # 152)
1 I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to bring 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: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
