Sunday School, November 24, 2024 Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King, B proper 29

  Sunday School, November 24, 2024    Last Sunday after Pentecost, Christ the King,  B proper 29

Theme: Christ as a King

A time for discussing how Jesus is and was a king.
Does our country have a king?
Did we used to have a king?  Yes, when we were an English colony but we did not want to be ruled by a king.  Americans formed a government without a king because of our belief in democracy.
So if we don't believe in having a king, how can we use the notion of a king as a title for Jesus Christ?

King was an important person in the biblical times.  The most famous king of Israel was David.  The very best kings were so good and right for their times that people believed them to be chosen by God to rule their people.  Samuel anointed or poured oil over the head of David to make him king.  This act of pouring oil, meaning that God's Spirit is electing a person to be king, is where the word Messiah comes from.

Jesus Christ or Jesus the Messiah, means that we confess Jesus to be a Special Chosen person of God to rule our lives.  This does not mean that Jesus has to have a throne and an army and be a ruler of a government.  It means that Jesus has become a model of the very best of person who has persuaded us to be the very best that we can be.  Jesus is a king because he has given us a perfect model on how we are to live our lives.  Jesus is a king because God made him stronger than death in his resurrection.

In the discussion at the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate mocks the meaning of Jesus being King of the Jews.  This is how the Gospel writer of John's Gospel were trying to show us that Jesus was not a King like the Caesar or like King Herod.  These kings rules by using fear to force people to obey them.  Jesus is a perfect king because Jesus as a king works through God's Spirit to persuade us to be better people.

So what kind of king do you like?  One with great armies and one that forces you to obey?  Or one who shows you how to be the best person you can be and persuades you and encourages you to be the best person you can be?

You and I can choose to make Jesus the King of our lives even though Jesus will not force us to do so.  This is the very best kind of king.


  Today is the end of the longest church season.  What is the longest church season?  Pentecost.  If this week is the end of the Christian year, then that makes next Sunday, New Year’s Day.  And what do we call the first day in the Christian New Year?  The first Sunday of Advent.  So what Christian season comes after the season of Pentecost?  Advent.
  We have a special name for this Sunday, the last Sunday in the season of Pentecost.  It is called the Feast of Christ the King.
  And so today we want to think about how Christ is our King.
  We heard the reading from the Gospel today and we wonder how Christ can be our king.  The reading that we have listened to tells us about how Jesus died.  In fact, he died when the soldiers of the great Roman king, the Caesar put him on a cross.  And they put a sign on the top of the cross that was making fun of Jesus.  The sign said: Jesus, King of the Jews.  How can a person who dies this way be a king?
  Let me show you another cross.  This cross is called the cross of Christ the King.  Do you see that Jesus has on wonderful robes and he is wearing a crown?  This cross is different from the other cross.
  How did Jesus become Christ the King?  He became Christ the King, because he did the strongest thing that could ever be done; he came back to life and he promised that God could give us life after our deaths too.  That is a great thing.  And that is why Christ is our king.
  And since we know that Christ is our king and since we know that God is bigger and stronger than death, do you know what that means?  It means that we can live our lives without fear.  We can live our lives with joy, love and faith, because we know that Christ is our King who has been stronger than death.
  So today, let’s celebrate because Christ is our King.  Christ is stronger than death.  And we can live with joy and faith because Christ is our King.  Amen.



Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist
November 24, 2024: The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King

Gathering Songs: Hosanna, Hosanna, Majesty, Spirit of the Living God, The King of Glory Comes

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.

Song: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! (Renew! # 71)
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest!

Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Lord we lift up 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..

Litany Phrase: 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 Revelation of St. John the Divine

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.  "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 132

For the LORD has chosen Zion; * he has desired her for his habitation: "This shall be my resting-place for ever; * here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
I will surely bless her provisions, * and satisfy her poor with bread.

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.

Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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.

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 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 Song: Spirit of the Living God, (Renew # 90)

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.  Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, move among us all; Spirit of the living God, make us one in love: humble, caring, selfless, sharing— Spirit of the living God, fill our lives with love.

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.

Who is the king of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages. Refrain

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

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! 

To Live in a World of Change is to Have Birth Pangs

26 Pentecost B 28 November 17, 2024
1 Samuel 1:4-20 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 Mark 13:1-8

Lectionary Link

In our appointed readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, we have an account of the marvelous birth of Samuel to Hannah.  In place of the Psalm, we have the famous Song of Hannah.  Apparently childless women in her time were treated as those who had been cursed by God so as not to fulfill their societal and family expectations.  A married woman was expected to have children and not to be able left her open to hidden and not so hidden scorn and derision of her society.  Hannah made a bargain with God, "Give me a child and I will give that child back to you."  Hannah bore the boy Samuel and gave him to the service of God at the shrine in Shiloh with Eli.

The song of Hannah is about her rescue from her social shame of being childless and it includes rebukes for those who disparaged her former condition.  It is a song of judgment against the proud.

It certainly can be seen as a model for the Song of Mary, another woman who had a miraculous conception and birth.  Mary's song is also a song of judgment against the proud and powerful.

The Song of Hannah and the Song of Mary accompany the arrival into the world of two history changing people, Samuel and Jesus.  The songs appear in literature of communities which are assessing significant changes which have taken place in their past and they attribute the changes to the arrival of these two figures, Samuel and Jesus.

Samuel arose as a prominent Judge of Israel, who combined the roles of prophet, judge, and priest in his roles.  He lived before Kings Saul, David, and Solomon and before the Temple was built.  He interrupted the priest lineage of Eli, because the sons of Eli had corrupted the practice of the priestly leadership of Israel.  Samuel was one to reestablish creditability to leadership in Israel and he is the crucial prelude for the age of a divinely established monarchy in Israel.

The writers of Book of Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark reflect upon the meaning of the changes which had happened within the people who were followers of Rabbi Jesus and who had become dispersed throughout the cities of the Roman Empire.

The were assessing what they had lost and learning how to cope with the loss and also find new meanings for living forward into the future as vulnerable communities within the Roman Empire.

What had the writers of the New Testament lost?  They had lost their sacred homeland, sacred city, and sacred Temple.  Jerusalem and the Temple had been razed in the year seventy.  The holy city and environs were uninhabitable.  All the communities associated with Judaism, including the Jesus Movement had become dispersed and forced to re-define their lives in new places.

For the writer of the Gospel of Mark, the Risen Christ was presented in story form as an oracle to the disciples.  The Risen Christ as an oracle in Mark gave words of assurance.  "Yes, the Temple and Jerusalem are destroyed and because of this crisis there will be lots of people giving proud and certain answers for why things have happened and they will want your loyalty for their claims of being God's chosen leaders.  Don't listen to them; what has happened is only another example of what has always being happening in the changes of natures and the changes in human societies.  To live with change is to always be living with birth pangs."

Birth pangs is a metaphor for living in the world of change.  It is the combination of joyful hope and the pain of the not yet.

Without a holy city and a holy Temple, the writer of the Book of Hebrews wrote about the spiritualization of the Temple and the priesthood.  The Temple had always been in the invisible heaven, the priest had always been the heavenly Advocate Christ.  The heavenly Temple as a worship center and the heavenly priestly advocate Christ, had to have earthly history for the meaning to unfold within human experience.  When earthly models of Temple and priest get altered by events of human war, the center of worship and the priestly is still eternally retained only to find new and other expressions within the visible world.

In the new Christly era of the Jesus Movement, the body of each person is a Temple of the Holy Spirit.  The collective body of believers is a nomadic, movable, and portable temple of people who are called to be priestly in the various locations throughout the world.

The birth pangs of changes have given birth to new meanings of temple and the priestly and they were painful because it included the destruction of the Temple and the holy city of Jerusalem, and the loss of the priesthood.

As those early members of the Jesus Movement endured their birth pangs of changes forced upon them by outside forces, and gave birth to new ways of making worship completely portable and of expressing priestly vocations, let us do the same with the current birth pangs forced upon us by the changes in our lives.

Let us endeavor to find ourselves as the temples of the Holy Spirit, and let us find ways to be the priestly intercessory persons to which we are called in the places where we find ourselves.   Amen.

Sunday School, November 17, 2024 26 Pentecost, B proper 28

  Sunday School, November 17, 2024    26 Pentecost, B proper 28

Theme

How people are more than their important buildings

Think about this?

What if your home was destroyed or burned down?  Would you feel badly?  Yes, of course.  How would Americans feel if the White House of the Capitol were destroyed?  Really sad.  And if these important buildings were destroyed by an attack by people who hated us, we would feel not only sad but angry.

If our home is destroyed but all of the members of our family are safe, then we would be relieved because a house is just a building which can be rebuilt.  A home is a house which belongs to one’s family, if a family is still alive and together, a family can build another house and make the house into a new home.

The most important building in the time of Jesus was the Temple in Jerusalem.  In the year 70, the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.  The Temple was the religious Home for Jesus and the Jews and for the earliest followers of Jesus.

Did the Jewish people die out after the Temple was destroyed?  No.   Did the followers of Jesus quit after the Temple was destroyed?  No.  Why, because people are more important than buildings.  The gatherings of the peoples of God continues even after the Temple was destroyed.

For the Jews a synagogue can refer both to a building where they meet but it also refers to a gathering of people.

For Christians, a church can refer to both the building where they meet to pray but church also refers the gathering of Christians who come together to pray.

So the lesson is that People are greater than buildings since the gathering of people will continue even after churches and temples are built, destroyed, torn down, renovated and re-built.  People build buildings.   People build temples and churches.

The writers of the Gospel of Mark knew that their prayer communities would be changing after the Temple was destroyed.  First, it meant that people were going to be more important than a building.  Second, it meant that people were going to be the living bricks of a moving building, because the gathering of Christians spread throughout the world.  It meant that people would not limit God’s presence to being in just one special building; it meant that God’s Spirit could be present wherever God’s people were gathered to pray.

The letter to the Hebrews writes about Jesus being a heavenly priest and as a heavenly priest Jesus can make his church anywhere in the people who are gathered to pray.

Yes, we are sad about the destruction of the temple and the destructions of homes and churches, but we are also glad that the People of God are more important than the places that they gather to pray.

A Children’s sermon about warnings and emergencies

  What is a fire drill for?  Do you have fire drills at your schools?  Why do you have fire drills?

  Why do we have first aid kits?

  Why do we have police men and women?

  Why do we have firemen and women?

  Why do we have hospitals?

 We have fire drills, fire men and women, police men and women, and hospitals, because bad things can happen.  Emergencies can happen.

  Do we want fires to happen?  Do we want people to get sick?  Do we want to have accidents?

  No of course not.  But do fire happen?  Do people have accidents?  Do people get sick?

  Yes, they do.  And since these bad things can happen, we need to be prepared.

  How do we prepare?  First we prepare by knowing how bad things happen, and by knowing how bad things can happen, we work to prevent bad things from happen.  We practice care and safety.  We wear helmets when we bike and skate.  We look carefully when we cross the street.  We don’t play with matches or knives.

  We practice prevention and safety.

  Jesus Christ gave him followers a message about emergencies, about safety and prevention.

  Jesus said that if we don’t learn to live right now, we can have a very difficult time in the future.

  Would you rather have a healthy and happy future or a future with lots of emergencies?

  We want to have a healthy and happy future?

  Then you and I need to learn how to live now with safety and prevention.

  We can make our world and our lives safe by taking good care of each other and by being kind and helpful to all the people we meet.

  With kindness and love, we are living with safety, and we are making a better future and we will avoid emergencies in the future.

  Jesus warns us about future emergencies so that we might live now with safety and prevention.  Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

November 17, 2024: The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Deep in My Heart; Butterfly Song; Father, I Adore You; Shalom, My Friend

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.

Song: Deep in My Heart (Christian Children’s Songbook # 46)

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, deep in my heart. (Where?)  Deep in my heart (Where?) Deep in my heart.  I’ve the joy, joy, joy, joy, deep in my heart.  (Where?) Deep in my heart to stay.

I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, deep in my heart. (Where?)  Deep in my heart (Where?) Deep in my heart.  I’ve the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, deep in my heart.  (Where?) Deep in my heart to stay.

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding, deep in my heart. (Where?)  Deep in my heart (Where?) Deep in my heart.  I’ve the peace that passes understanding, deep in my heart.  (Where?) Deep in my heart to stay.

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.

Litany Phrase: 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 Hebrews

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 16

I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; * my heart teaches me, night after night.

I have set the LORD always before me; * because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; * my body also shall rest in hope.

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.

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."  When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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.

Song: If I Were a Butterfly (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.  And if I were a robin in the tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  And if I were a fish in the sea, I wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee, but I just thank you Father for making me, me.

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.  You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.  And if I were a octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain.

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm.  And if I were a billy goat, I’d thank you Lord for my strong throat.  And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy wuzzy hair, and I just thank you Father for making me, me. 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 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.

Children 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 so that we may love God and our neighbors.

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,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

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….

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: Shalom, My Friends, Shalom, (Renew # 294)

Shalom, my friends, shalom, my friends, shalom, shalom.  Shalom, my friends, shalom, my friends, shalom, shalom.

Salaam, my friends, salaam, my friends, salaam, salaam.  Salaam, my friends, salaam my friends, salaam, salaam.

Share peace, dear friends, share peace, dear friends, God’s peace, God’s peace.  Share peace, dear friends, share peace, dear friend, God’s peace, God’s peace.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Widows, Institutions, and Loss of Advocacy in the Empire

25 Pentecost 27 B November 10, 2024
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Psalm 127
Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44

Lectionary Link

Today's lections present us with some significant losses and the various responses to these situations of loss.

We are presented the situations of two widows, Ruth and the unknown widow observed by Jesus and his disciples dropping her coins into the Temple treasury, and Jesus breaking the confidentiality of her giving by commenting about it to his disciples.  Surely, evidence of a teaching story.  How many of us tithers would like Jesus to observe what we were dropping into the offering plate and making remarks to others about the status of our giving?

Widows get their titles from having lost their husbands.  Ruth was a Moabite who married someone from Judah living in her country.  After her mother-in-law and sister also lost their husbands, they were left without the kind of family protection that was needed for widows.  Ruth decided to go with Naomi to her Judah home, as a foreigner, and she was a fortunate widow in embracing the poverty as a gleaner of the leftover grains in the field of Boaz.  Her scheme devised with Naomi attracted Boaz and he married Ruth and she became the mother of Obed, father of Jesse, father of David.  For Ruth, the family rescue and advocacy system worked, but family and tribal systems do not always work to care for widows and vulnerable persons.

Institutions with their laws, arise to require an extra-family solutions to situation of care which don't get accomplished within a family.  The laws and the institutional alms of the Temple addressed the situations of needs for orphans and widows in society.

Now fast-forward to the widow in the Temple giving her last two copper coins.  This story is replete with ironies.  One could highlight the character of the widow.  She may be the epitome of the mysterious truth that generous people are never poor, at least they never see themselves that way.  They always see themselves as having something to give.  Another irony is that the person who is supposed to be taken care of by the institution is proportionately outperforming rich fat cats in her maintenance of the Temple, perhaps even their alms fund to help other widows.

In the writing context of the Gospel of Mark, within the Jesus Movement community, the presentation of this story had other meanings and messages.  The writer of Mark knew that the Temple had been destroyed; the Temple institution was finished.  The answer for the demise of the Temple and the priesthood was the belief that the institutions were under judgment.  Sometimes we might over-simplify the notion of divine judgment treating such judgments as though God was in heaven micro-managing the sins and intervening with corresponding punishment.  The Greek word word for judgment is the word that we get the English word "crisis" from.  Judgment is crisis and crisis is judgment.  The Temple community, the synagogue communities, the community of John the Baptist, and the Jesus Movement were all under crisis because they did not have advocacy within the Roman Empire.  The status for "minority" religious and ethnic groups which were viewed as potential threats to the Emperor and his surrogates was always tenuous.  One could say that living in the Jesus Movement during the time of the Roman Empire in the late first century could be defined as crisis living.

Crisis living requires adjustments.

How did the Jesus Movement interpret the demise of the Temple?  What would the Jesus Movement do without a Temple and a Temple priesthood?  The writer in the letter to the Hebrews understood that the earthly Temple, in a platonic-like philosophy of forms; the Temple was understood to be but a copy of the true heavenly one.  And the eternal priesthood deriving from the mysterious Melchizedek, had a phase of being copied in the Levitical priesthood, but the Risen Christ assumes the fullness of the priesthood as the great heavenly High Priest.  And the new Temple became dispersed within the bodies of people who were now inhabited by the Risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  As Paul declared, "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  And the High Priestly Christ makes the members of the church priestly in their perpetual intercessory ministry within this world.

Crisis requires adjustments for us today too.  Our world empires and forms of political governance often make us live in and with crises.  In times of crisis, it often happens that the most vulnerable do not adequately get taken care of.  The institutions of governments do not always succeed at some basic care needs for many people who do not have advocacy, so the church as the new extended family needs to be present to help the vulnerable in the ways that the gathered church can help.  A gathering for a meal in house churches within the Roman Empire gave the church members opportunity to assess the situation of vulnerability of each person gathered and respond by giving the needed care.

Today, as ever, we need to assess the current crises which face us in our various locations and situations.  We need to accept our priestly intercessory roles in taking care the vulnerable in our midst.

May Christ our High Priest, given us wisdom in the crises which confront us today.