Sunday School, April 13, 2025 Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

  Sunday School, April 13, 2025   Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Themes

Explain the two meanings of this day, Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday

The day of two crowds

One crowd of the followers of Jesus who came to Jerusalem perhaps from Galilee and the countryside wanted to make him the king of Jerusalem.

The people in Jerusalem who received most of their jobs by being employed in the building projects of the Roman government, were worried about the people who wanted to make Jesus a king.  The people in Jerusalem were worried about the Roman soldiers punishing them because of the popularity of Jesus.

During the day time the crowd with Jesus had their parade.  They put him on a donkey and celebrated him as their king.

At night Jesus was taken by the authorities and arrested and put on trial.  The crowd who went to the trial were a different crowd.  And they wanted to get rid of Jesus and so they told the Roman governor that Jesus was trying to be a rival king to Caesar, the Emperor in Rome.

The Roman government put people on a Cross to die in public so all people would be reminded not to rebel against the Roman government.

Jesus really did not want to be a rival king to the Caesar, he wanted to become a “king of hearts.”  He wanted to be someone who ruled the thoughts and feelings of all people with love and kindness.

Let us wave palm branches today to remind ourselves that Jesus is the king of our hearts.

A Palm Sunday Story

Once upon a time in a village near the city of Jerusalem, the village of Bethphage; a little donkey was born in the pasture.  And that donkey was called by his owner, Shorty, because he was so tiny when he was born.

  But the donkey’s mom, called him Christopher.  When Christopher became old enough to talk to his mom, he asked her, "Why does my owner call me Shorty, even now when I've grown to be a tall and strong donkey?"  Christopher's mom said, "Well once you get a name, it sometimes just sticks and people won't let you be anything else."

  Christopher asked his mom, "Then why do you call me Christopher?"  His mom said, "Well, I'm not sure but I just had this feeling that it was the right name for you."

  Christopher looked in the other pasture and he saw a beautiful big stallion prancing around.  He saw important Roman Generals ride this beautiful horse.  And Christopher thought, "I wish that someone important would ride on my back some day.  And Christopher was a little jealous of the stallion.

  But one day something exciting happened to Christopher.  Two visitors came to the farm where Christopher was kept.  They called themselves disciples of Jesus, and they said there was going to be a parade into the great city of Jerusalem.  They also said that they needed a donkey to carry their king.  Christopher's owner Farmer Jacob, said, "I've got two donkeys, that jennet over there and her colt that I call "Shorty."  If Jesus needs the donkeys, take them.  Jesus is my friend, he healed my son, and I owe him everything I have."

  So the two disciples took Christopher and his mom with them and they went to a place just in front of the sheep gate in Jerusalem.  There was a large crowd gathered who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Holiday.  After waiting for about an hour, the crowd soon got excited.  Jesus arrived and it was time for the parade to start.  The people put some robes on Christopher to make a saddle for Jesus.  Christopher had never been ridden before, and he was nervous.  But Christopher's mom said, "Calm down, Jesus is the nicest man in the world.  You don't need to buck him off."

  Jesus Climbed up on the back of Christopher and the parade started.  The people took some branches from some palm trees and they began to wave and shout and scream, because their superstar was there.  They followed Jesus as he was riding Christopher into the city of Jerusalem and Christopher trotted proudly through the streets.  This was the happiest day of his life.  At night, he and his mom were tied up at the house of one of the disciples in Jerusalem.  Christopher's mom was proud of him and she said, "Well now I know why I named you Christopher.  "Christopher" means, "the one who carries Christ."  And today you have carried Christ on your back, so today you have lived up to your name."  Christopher was so happy he wanted hee haw with joy.  But his happiness didn't last too long.

  He looked out on the street and he saw another parade.  In the darkness he saw a tired and naked Jesus walking with soldiers.  And the soldiers were forcing him to carry this large wooden cross on his back.  He was bleeding and he was too weak to carry the cross, so at one place they forced a man named Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.  The people who were following the soldiers were laughing and making fun of Jesus.  They were saying, "you're going to die Jesus.  You were just pretending to be a king, but you don't have any power, you're going to die Jesus."

  Christopher ran to his mom and said, "If I had known that this would happen to Jesus, I would not have brought him to Jerusalem."

  Christopher's mom said, "It is a terrible, terrible thing, but we must trust God.  Jesus is the best and nicest person who ever lived and God will take care of him.

  Well, Jesus went on to die on the cross.  And he was buried in a grave.  But does the story does not end here.  Come back next week and we will tell you the end of the story.  What happened to Jesus after he died and was put in the grave?

  What was the donkey's name?  Christopher.  What does Christopher mean?  It means "The one who carries Christ."  In a way, every Christian could be called Christopher.  Because you and I are asked to carry the presence of Christ into this world by being nice and kind.  Amen.

An intergenerational family Holy Eucharist

April 13, 2025: Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Gathering Songs: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!; The King of Glory Comes, Were You There?; Hosanna! Hosanna!

Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.

People: His mercy endures 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.

Opening 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 you 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

Assist us with your mercy and help, O Lord God of our salvation that we may enter with joy as we think about your mighty acts, which have given us life and an everlasting future; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

First Litany of Praise: Hosanna

O God, you are Great!  Hosanna

O God, you have made us! Hosanna

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Hosanna

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Hosanna

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Hosanna

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Hosanna

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Hosanna

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 118

On this day the LORD has acted; *we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Hosanna, LORD, Hosanna! *LORD, send us now success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *we bless you from the house of the LORD.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

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 Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

  

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Song: 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 his people curing their illness. Refrain

3          Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another. 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 the celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(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:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Were You There? (#172, blue hymnal)

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? …

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side? …

4. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? …

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

Hosanna!  Hosanna!  The little children sing.  Hosanna! Hosanna! For Christ, the Lord, is King. 

Prepare the way, the children sing, Hosanna to our Lord and King. 

Hosanna!  Hosanna! The little children sing.  (repeat)

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Resurrection before Resurrection

 5 Lent C April 6, 2025
Is.43:16-21 Ps.126
Phil.3:8-14 Luke 20:9-19

Lectionary Link

We are lectionary users, meaning that on any given Sunday we put together readings from Hebrew Scriptures, including a Psalm, coupled with an Epistle and a Gospel reading.  Lectionary makers, obviously are motivated by themes and by the Christian Calendar as a practical curriculum for breaking up "Christian and Hebrew Scripture knowledge" into bits to reflect upon because we don't have the capacity to read the entire Bible every time we gather.

So we get the Bible in bits, and sometimes the biblical bits are forced together with or without some obvious connection.  All of the readings cannot "fit together" for a singular unified theme.  So preachers have to select and a preacher can rather arbitrarily, or as we say inventively, put together the themes on any given Sunday.

One of the things we often forget about interpretation of the Bible is that the first key to probable intended meanings has to do with the mutually reinforcing and consistent meanings within the same book itself.  Next, one ponders which of the other books of the Bible did a particular biblical author have access to and can one make any suggestions of meaning based upon such "cross referencing" that one biblical author might perform with another book in the Bible?

The writers of the New Testament, of course, did not have a 27 book New Testament.  But scholars might attempt to date the New Testament writings and ask if a later writer had access to writings from an earlier writer.  What came before the Gospel of John in terms of other writings?  Hebrew Scriptures, of course, often read in the Greek translation known as the Septuagint.  There were inter-testamental writings some of which are included in the Apocrypha.  There were other writings referred to as apocalyptic.  And John being a very late writing, especially its last iteration, meant that Paul's writings, Mark, Matthew, and Luke may have been known by the writer or writers of John.  Also the writers of John wrote in Greek and they were writing for people who knew Greek, which means that they and their listeners and readers would have had had access to the various kinds of literature in the Greco-Roman world of their time.  They did not write in a social vacuum; they wrote using available themes, types, and genre to inventively try to persuade their listeners about their Gospel values.

John is different from the other three Gospels, the synoptics which include lots of verbatim shared phrases.  The anointing of the feet of Jesus in John's Gospel is significantly different than the anointing of the feet of Jesus stories in the other Gospels.

To understand the pericope of Mary of Bethany anointing the feet of Jesus with perfume and wiping them with her hair one looks for contextual meanings within the rest of the writing of John's Gospel, as well as the other New Testament writings.  John's Gospel is different because, the writer wants to share insights about how the writer connects experiences of the Risen Christ with the traditions which center around Jesus.  Like the other Gospel writers, the writer or writers of John present a parable of Jesus' life, his ministry, and his teaching to illustrate the meanings of knowing the mystical reality of the Risen Christ, many decades after Jesus lived.

Many decades after Jesus, the world still existed; the Son of Man had not come in the clouds to catch up those who lived, and to raise those who had died.  The theology of the delay of the Lord's Day had become a theology of having a foretaste of abundant resurrection life even while waiting for a hoped for messianic age.

The anointing of the feet of Jesus by Mary of Bethany is presented within a sequence of the sure providence of Jesus the Christ on his way to becoming the ever present Risen Christ available by the Holy Spirit as the mode of living before death.

The anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany comes after the raising of her brother Lazarus.  The other Gospels mention Mary and Martha but not their brother Lazarus; such seems like quite a failure not to mention Lazarus since it would seem that being raised from the dead would be a rather significant unforgettable event.

The writer of John is using the Lazarus story for at least two purposes.  First, the Lazarus of the Gospel of Luke is in fact a leper in a parable of Jesus who dies at the same time as a Rich Man whose gate he begged at while he lived.  The Rich Man in the parable, called to Lazarus across the chasm which separated him from Lazarus who had gone to reside in the bosom of Abraham.  He said, "please send someone back from the dead to tell my family so they will be warned to avoid the eternal torment that I am experiencing."  But the Rich Man was told that if  family did not believe Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even someone who came back from the dead.

Isn't it interesting that the writer of John tells the story of Lazarus, friend of Jesus and brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany.  Jesus intentionally delays coming to Lazarus while he is sick knowing that he would die so that a greater work, a greater healing of death could be accomplished.  Jesus went with his clueless disciples to the tomb of Lazarus and called him back to life.  And he told Martha, "I am resurrection and I am life."

What was the result of the coming back to life of Lazarus?  In John's Gospel, the writer says that even Lazarus coming back from the dead did not convince those who hated Jesus, in fact, they plotted even more to kill Jesus after Lazarus came back from death, thus proving the words of the parable of Jesus about Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke's Gospel.

So interestingly, the writer of John responds to the parable in Luke with the Lazarus account.  But more importantly, the writer of John is using the story of the resurrection of Lazarus as illustration of the experience of resurrection life before we physically die.  Lazarus was brought back to life, but he was going to know physical death again.  Lazarus is illustrative of all who experience the  zoe or abundant life of the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit, Risen Christ, Abundant Life is the experience of the coming of Christ in a significant way before the long delayed advent of a messianic age.  In fact, the delay happens so that many people can come to know the experience of this resurrection abundant Holy Spirit life of the Risen Christ.

And what is the fitting response to this resurrection life?  Excessive, effusive devotion and gratitude.

Mary of Bethany after her brother of Lazarus is brought back to life, is moved to such excessive devotion.  It would have been enough for her to do the typical duty of wives, or slaves in performing foot-washing for a guest or honored person, but Mary full of gratitude for having the life of her brother restored, poured perfume on the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair.  Such excess was shown to make people uncomfortable, particularly Judas,  but Jesus praised her for her pre-anointing of his body on its way to death and resurrection.

To read this, one needs to appreciate the theology of the writer of John.  It is such a providential resurrection theology, that the writer wants to show how death and resurrection are always already realities of the experience of knowing the Risen Christ.  Like the mystical theology of Paul, the writer of John believed in the always already process of abundant life as identifying with the death and resurrection of Christ.

We need to appreciate that the writer of the Gospel of John is intoxicated with the mystical experience of the Risen Christ and this experience has been a profound experience of the coming of Christ, that can be known before the longed for Messianic Age of the reconciliation of all things.

So how can you and I appropriate this Gospel for ourselves, seeing that our life context is so different than the writer of John's Gospel?  How do you and I make do in significant ways since it is obvious we don't yet live in the Messianic Age of the wolf and lamb living together as playmates?

We live by articulating our persuasion about what resurrection life means for us who woefully lack the perfect Messianic conditions.  Abundant life for us means that we have internal insights about how to articulate in word and deeds approximations of love and justice as that which is most messianic and blessed.

Let us be excessive in gratitude about having received a kind of resurrection life which inspires us to approximate the abundant life leading to loving and just results in our world today.  Amen.

Sunday School, April 6, 2025 5 Lent C

  Sunday School, April 6, 2025   5 Lent C

Themes:

What is good about never being finished?

St. Paul was very successful but he did not think that his success made him finished.  He wrote that he forgot what was past and he would keep pressing on until he died and then after he died he believed that he still had a future in continuing to press on.

So we should remember that our lives of faith, love and kindness are never finished.  We may be happy about our good successes and we may be sad about our failures, but we need to continue to have hope that our lives are never finish.  This means we keep looking to do the next best thing that we need to do in our lives.

Remember our lives are never finished because we have hope for a future.  And the future is calling us to be better than we have been in the past.

The Themes for the readings from Isaiah and the Psalms show us how God’s people still had hope in some very difficult times.  Even when they did not have a place to settle and live they had hope that God would help them find a home.  Even when their homes had been taken away and when they had been carried away into captivity, they still had hope that their homes, their temple and their special city of Jerusalem would be rebuilt for them to return to.

So when things are not going well, it is hope and thinking about how God will make things better which inspires us to keep going.

The Gospel Lesson

Sometimes when we are really thankful, we want to do something special for something special that someone did for us.

Mary of Bethany lost her brother Lazarus when he died.  But her friend and teacher, Jesus healed her brother’s death and made him to live again.  Mary was very thankful to Jesus for his special gift to her.  She invited Jesus to dinner and in front of everyone she wanted to honor Jesus, so she poured perfume on his feet.  Usually, they just used water to wash the dusty feet of guests, but Mary used more than water, she put perfume on the feet of Jesus as way of honoring Jesus.  Judas did not understand Mary’s love of Jesus and he told her that she used her money wrongly by buying such an expensive gift.  But Jesus defended Mary.  Jesus understood how much Mary appreciated what he had done for her and her family and so he accepted her gift.

Sometimes when you do something nice for someone, you too, need to know how to receive the thanksgiving from others.  When we offer thanksgiving and when we receive thanksgiving we are celebrating what is very best about friendship, family and living in community.

Sermon

  What if you only had the end of a story and not the beginning?  Would it make the story harder to understand?

  You remember the story of Cinderella.  What if you had only the part of the story of the prince’s helpers coming to Cinderella’s home with a glass slipper.  If you didn’t know the beginning of the story, how would you know the meaning of the glass slipper.

  Today, we have read in the Gospel the end of a story.  Jesus was at the home of his friend Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha.  And Mary does a very strange thing.  She puts expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus and then wipes his feet with her hair.  Back in the time of Jesus, that is how she showed Jesus that she was really, really, really thankful for some thing special that he had done for her.

  And what had Jesus done for Mary, Martha and Lazarus?  If we read the chapter before the chapter that we read today, we know what Jesus did for Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  Jesus had brought Lazarus back to life after he had died.  So now we know why Mary wanted to show Jesus how thankful she was.

  This Gospel story is important for us because it teaches us something that we believe as Christians.  We believe that after we die that God will do some thing wonderful so that we can live on in another way.  And if we know that God is stronger than death, we know that we don’t have to live in fear.  We can live in hope, because whatever bad that can happen, God can do something better.

  And so like Mary, we try to find some very special ways to thank Jesus for bringing us this wonderful news about our after lives.  We come to church to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.  We worship God and this worship is a way of honoring God and respecting God.  When we worship God, we are telling Jesus thank you for the wonderful news that he has brought us about the resurrection.

  And since we have this good news, we know that it is greater than our fears.  And this good news helps us to have hope and faith and love in our lives.

  I don’t recommend that you get perfume and put it on some one’s foot.  I don’t recommend wiping feet with your hair.  But in our way and in our time you and I can find special ways to honor God and show Jesus that we love him for the special things that he has done for us.

  So I want you to think about some special things that you can do for Jesus today, to thank him.

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

April 6,  2025: The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Gathering Songs: Only a Boy Named David,  I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,  Let Us Break Bread Together, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Three

Song: Only a Boy Named David (All the Best Songs for Kids,  # 112)

Only a boy named David, only a little sling. Only a boy named David.  But he could pray and sing.  Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook.  Only a boy named David and five little stones he took.  And one little stone went in the sling, and the sling went round and round.  And one little stone went in the sling, and the sling went round and round.  And!   Round and round and round and round and round and round and round.  And one little stone went up in the air and the the giant came tumbling down.

Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all of our sins.

People: God’s mercy endures 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.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Praise be to God!

O God, you are Great!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have made us! Praise be to God!

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Praise be to God!

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Praise be to God!

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Praise be to God!

Liturgist: A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Phillipians

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 126

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, * then were we like those who dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, * and our tongue with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations, * "The LORD has done great things for them."

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.

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Hymn: I Decided to Follow Jesus (All the Best Songs for Kids,  # 130)

1-I have decided to follow Jesus;  I have decided to follow Jesus;  I have decided to follow Jesus.  No turning back, no turning back.

3-Though none go with me, still I will follow.  Though none go with me.  Still I will follow.  Though none go with me, still I will follow.  No turning back, no turning back.

4-Will you decide now to follow Jesus?  Will you decide now to follow Jesus?  Will you decide now to follow Jesus?  No turning back, no turning back.

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.

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: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Let Us Break Break Together,  (Blue Hymnal,  # 325)

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

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

3-Let us praise God together on our knees.  Let us praise God together on our knees.  When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun.  O Lord, have mercy.

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:   Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Blue Hymnal, # 376)

1-Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God glory, Lord of love.  Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, praising thee, their sun above.  Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of clouds away; giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.

3-Thou are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, well-spring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest!  Thou our Father, Christ our Brother: all who live in love are thine;  teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! 

Aphorism of the Day, March 2025

Aphorism of the Day, March 31, 2025

Heroic literature is written with accounts of portents, signs of the momentous to come.  Such devices are to emphasize the "wonder" which the writings promotes for the hero.  After something happens, writing about it in the "future anterior" tense, i.e. "it will have happened in this way," is the typical way of using "prophecy" to certify providence.  The Gospels are often heroic literature inventively unique using models from stories in the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Greek classics as would have been available in the Greco-Roman setting for anyone reading and writing in the koine Greek.  The Gospel writers knew their reading and listening audience to know the effective way to promote their hero Jesus.

 Aphorism of the Day, March 30, 2025

In the quest to have the best and final version of "reality" we end up by only having one's latest version of one's very partial patch of reality.  It's always good to be humble about one's version of anything, as but the latest until the next latest version arises.

Aphorism of the Day, March 29, 2025

If God's version of the world is love, how can we imitate this within the many versions of the world that we come to have?

Aphorism of the Day, March 28, 2025

Language is the mode of what I would call "versioning."  With language we provide language products in writing, speaking, body choreographed deeds, our versions of what we think life and living is.

Aphorism of the Day, March 27, 2025

If Jesus was said to be God emptied into the human, then humans are "emptied" into the limitations of their social and cultural contexts.  We should read the Bible as writings of people "emptied" into the limitations of their cultural contexts.  To try to make biblical writings as evidence of eternal omniscience is violate a believable notion of inspiration.

Aphorism of the Day, March 26, 2025

I tried to escape language by quiet meditation but I realized that everything always already was pre-coded by having language.

Aphorism of the Day, March 25, 2025

Having language is the supreme inwardness of humanity.  Being a language processor is the basic mysticism of life.

Aphorism of the Day, March 24, 2025

I write this even though I could have written that instantiating continuing authorial choices which are made in having language as the most mystical yet accessible inwardness of human being.

Aphorism of the Day, March 23, 2025

The purpose of rhetoric is persuasion.   Rhetoric is language crafted for persuasion.  The Bible is language crafted to persuade people.  The Bible is rhetoric.  The Greek word for persuasion in Aristotle's Rhetoric  is pisteuo, the same word in the New Testament is faith or belief.  Rhetoric is sometimes used as a pejorative of language being used to "con" people.  Rhetoric as the art of persuasion is positive if one is trying to convince people about what is good and just.

Aphorism of the Day, March 22, 2025

The Bible as "Word of God" should be understood as the textbook of faith for various religious Christian and Jewish groups.  It became such with lots of faith in human beings who collected, read, and voted on which writings would comprise the various canon of Scripture which are used in various religious groups.  Why would we regard any humans as worthy of "voting" on what would comprise "God's word?"  We need to be as humble about how God's words came to their various collections as we need to be about any interpretation that we might presume about the ancient words themselves.

Aphorism of the Day, March 21, 2025

Were not the Gospels written in part because the imminent end of the world in the generation of Jesus was delayed?

Aphorism of the March 20, 2025

The essence of human existence is being a language processor.

Aphorism of the Day, March 19, 2025

Why aren't there people who are claiming to have experiences of the god Mithra today?  Probably because there is no continuous interpreting community to indicate to people that their inner experiences of the sublime can be articulated as being a Mithra experience.  The strength of Christianity stems from the pervasive presence and institutionalization of continuing interpretive communities in which the experiences of members are given the interpretive framework to name the deep echoes of the inward sublime.  The social imprint of interpretation upon the individual experience is crucial.

Aphorism of the Day, March 18, 2025

Why does it seem like the Bible often has God presenting humanity with the "nuclear option?"  People and events are so bad, this earthly popsicle stand has to be blown up and destroyed.  The Flood and the development of various forms of the apocalyptic are varieties of the nuclear option.  Is this the visualization form for sufferers who believe the death of all things is at least the end of pain, suffering, and injustice?  However the continuation of time for life reveals the nuclear option as mere visualization, even if it means only the cockroaches or rocks survive.

Aphorism of the Day, March 17, 2025

Ironically, the writing of the Gospels at a much later date than Paul's authentic writings are proof of an institutionalizing "church" which wasn't really needed in Paul's era because the imminent return of Jesus meant that family, marriage, and institutions would not be recommended because one would be "caught up in the air" at his return.  Why bother to plan to stay around if one was to be "caught up in the air?"  If Paul wrote twenty years after Jesus, wasn't the significant/permanent "delay" in the parousia already underway.

Aphorism of the Day, March 16, 2025

Not knowing the specific writing contexts for the biblical texts contributes to making them more mysterious.

Aphorism of the Day, March 15, 2025

The paucity of ancient literature and widespread illiteracy meant that the few literary productions bore a more "omni-competent" role in their setting.  They had to be be more things to more people, than any piece of writing today which has limitations in its public function.  

Aphorism of the Day, March 14, 2025

How does one translate the fact of the imminent apocalyptic views of Jesus and Paul into our current world view with credibility?  One way is to note that the apocalyptic has moved into the cinematic where threats of endings and time travel are part of artistic entertainment.  Ancient consciousness was more unified in its language productions and not so specialized in genre or the division between political and spiritual in the statements by people who were regarded to be the more omni-competent in their midst.

Aphorism of the Day, March 13, 2025

Many would like to force a harmony upon the biblical writings partly by positing ages of dispensations when God is "doing" different things at different times, and thus not "contradicting" an earlier divine view with a later one.  Biblical writings represent a collection of writings and the canon determiners decided that a variety of view points should be included within them because people could be inspired in different ways influenced by their particular situations.  This accounts for the apparent co-existence of final eschatology and realized eschatology within the Gospel writings.

Aphorism of the Day, March 12, 2025

Reported communication with the divine in the Bible happens through visions, dreams, apparitions, divinations, filling with the Holy Spirit, and the result is language forms that are not like the language scientist use to report their empirical findings.  There is no reason to defend biblical language as being the language that we use in scientific reporting, and there is no reason to say the biblical writers were writing history as a modern historian does or as an eye-witness journalist would do.  Scholars sift through biblical writings along with other writings of the period and archaeological evidence to find believable facts among the better designated spiritual aesthetic writings of Scripture.  Poetry can have some "historical facts" but such facts are not the writing purpose of poetry.

Aphorism of the Day, March 11, 2025

The New Testament in part is the mystical subjective experiences of Christian leaders giving administrative/institutional credibility for others to affirm similar subjective experiences as long as they do not contradict certain parameters in the interpretations of such experience as set by the leader.  Note that the writings of Paul include his expressive disagreement with and condemnation of people who had other "Christian" experience and explanations because they did not have his (Paul's) Gospel.

Aphorism of the Day, March 10, 2025

If in biblical times the sky that was seen was the literal abode of heavenly beings and for the Greeks the planets were gods all revolving around the earth and there was a third heaven up there, how does one translate the theological thinking which derived from having such a cosmology to our modern age where being heliocentric in our solar system seems a rather trivial insight in what we now know the universe to be?

Aphorism of the Day, March 9, 2025

The milieu of thought and cultural practice of biblical cultures is so far removed from us today that we have to do drastic translation and with interpretive sifting find what is applicable in terms of enduring love and justice in our own cultural context today.  To try to assume a one to one correspondence in ancient culture practices and best practices today is naive.  One often needs to heed what Joseph Campbell said, "Yesterday's virtues can be today's vice."

Aphorism of the Day, March 8, 2025

Does existing in language qualify as meaningful existence even if it cannot be empirically verified?  What about Love, which we seem to name under a constellation of interacting human behaviors and feelings, yet cannot really put into a laboratory?  God or gods are words which seem to have had meaningful use for people for a long time.  We can give non-corporeal things linguistic categorical status which are meaningful in social interaction without confusing them with how we use language in the scientific method.

Aphorism of the Day, March 7, 2025

Everything that comes to language is "equal" in having come to language.  But everything that comes to language is not "equal" in having the same kind of supposed extra-linguistic existence.  A tree, a unicorn, and God have come to language but they have significantly different status in sensorial knowable existence.  Does something have to have empirically verifiable experience to be meaningfully true?  Various notions of God have vast socially verifiable results in communal behaviors in the actual history of people's lives.  It is unrealistic to argue against the fact of the functional reality of notions of God that have come to have traditions within human language users.  Ultimately we are arguing about language with language about language products by language users.  And the Gospel of John states that the Word was God.

Aphorism of the Day, March 6, 2025

How do we translate meanings from the cosmological geocentric world view of the biblical writers to our world in knowing that our earth is but a speck in the vast universe?  What remains is that we, like biblical writers, are prisoners of our anthropocentric views.  We understand that the exterior world is also a human interior world in that it is mediated through human language which is an interior phenomenon.  We have language lenses through which we see the world and we see the world differently according to the lenses through which we bring to language production what we think we are seeing and experiencing.  We see things scientifically, mythically, ethically, juridically, socially, and aesthetically and these ways of seeing come to language in different ways including how we understand and manipulate the exterior world.  Most of our human problems occur because of the confusion in practice of how we see the world.  The biblical writers for us hindsight critics understand that they were limited by what they did not yet know.  We too are limited by what we do not yet know, and when we are not humble, we minimize the truth of what we do not yet know, which will of course later deconstruct our best knowledge.  However, when it comes to love, kindness, and justice we should boldly act now on our highest insights about these human interaction virtues and let the future bring judgment on how we performed love, kindness, and justice.

Aphorism of the Day, March 5, 2025

Lent is a season to learn how to fast from certain things so as to be open to better actuarial living responses to the probabilities of life.

Aphorism of the Day, March 4, 2025

There was a man so driven

On Tuesday to be quite shriven

He overdid Mardi Gras

with way too much foie gras

And now he needs to be forgiven

Aphorism of the Day, March 3, 2025

What often happens in poetry is the confounding of the literal mind to point to the truth of the complexity of an infinite number of things being in relationship with each other and so in humility we are brought to honor the mystery of not knowing.

Aphorism of the Day, March 2, 2025

Life as metamorphosis or transfiguration means changing appearances with such phase differentiation that unless one observes the transition, one could not believe in continuity of a constituted being.  Is the butterfly the same being as the egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis?  Yes, the same but in significantly different appearance.  St. Paul had a vision of human beings with spiritual bodies which have continuing existence after death.  The Transfiguration was presented as a pre-resurrection event of the surfacing of the the inner spiritual body of Jesus making his face shine.  It is an illustrative account to promote human life as a transfiguring life with the reappearance of the Risen Christ being spiritual proof of afterlife continuity in another phase of being/becoming.

Aphorism of the Day, March 1, 2025

If life is but the continuous transfiguration of energy from one appearance to another, what is it about human life which remains?  Having language.  The Bible witness is about language about language......naming continuous naming.   Creation happens by God speaking, meaning the divine and language are coextensive.  Christ is the Eternal Word who is God.  The light of the shiny face of Christ on the mountain in terms of appearance was phase specific in contrast to how Jesus must have appeared on the cross.  What always remains as all and in all, in that anything can be known at all, is having language.