Daily Quiz, April 2015

Daily Quiz, April 30, 2015

Which of the following is not true about Sarah Josepha Buell Hale?

a. first woman American Novelist
b. wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
c. Campaigned to make Christmas a National Holiday
d. was a very influential editor
e. campaigned for the completion of the Bunker Hill monument
 

Daily Quiz, April 29, 2015

What is common between the following women, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Hildegaard of Bingen and Thérèse of Lisieux?

a. all Dominican
b. all Franciscan
c. all Patron saints of Europe
d. all are Doctors of the Church

 
Daily Quiz, April 28, 2015

Which two Gospels include the "Beatitudes?"

a. Matthew and Mark
b. Luke and Mark
c. Luke and John
d. John and Mark
e. Matthew and Luke
f. John and Matthew


Daily Quiz, April 27, 2015

Christina Rosetti who adopted Anglo-Catholic pieties was a co-founder of what avant-garde artistic movement?

a. Dadaism
b. Cubism
c. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
d. English Romantic

Daily Quiz, April 26, 2015

Which of the following is not a name for God in the Hebrew Scriptures?

a. El
b. Yah
c. Adonai
d. Elohim
e. Beth

Daily Quiz, April 25, 2015

Which of the following is not true about St. Mark?

a. He was one of the twelve disciples
b. He was the cousin of Barnabas
c. He came to be regarded as the author of the Gospel with his name
d. He was a companion of Paul on a missionary journey

Daily Quiz, April 24, 2015

The St. George Cross is not found in which of the following flags?

a. England
b. Bermuda
c. Canada
d. Episcopal Church
e. New Zealand

Daily Quiz, April 23, 2015

Who is the patron saint of England and known for dragon slaying?

a. Michael
b. Gabriel
c. George
d. David


Daily Quiz, April 22, 2015

What well-known conservationist is a saint in Episcopal Calendar of saints, "Holy Women, Holy Men," on Earth Day?

a. John Jay Auduban
b. John Muir
c. Anson Adams
d. Charles Willson Peale

Daily Quiz, April 21, 2015 

Which of the following is not true of St. Anselm?

a. he was Archbishop of Canterbury
b. he was Abbot of Bec 
c. he was a Benedictine
d. he was a teacher of Thomas Aquinas
e. he was the founder of Scholasticism

Daily Quiz, April 20, 2015

St. Anselm was known in theology for what topics?

a. teleological argument for the existence of God
b. ontological argument for the existence of God
c. satisfaction theory of the atonement
d. predestination
e. a and d
f. b and c

Daily Quiz, April 19, 2015

Who is the prophet who interpreted the meaning of the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar?

a. Amos
b. Obediah
c. Belteshazzar
d. Micah

Daily Quiz, April 18, 2015

What is the village of Emmaus known for in the Gospel of Luke?

a. a miracle of Jesus
b. the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan
c. the destination for two disciples of Jesus after the crucifixion
d. the tomb of Lazarus

 Daily Quiz, April 17, 2015

Who were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?

a. Officers in King David's army
b. Assyrian military commanders
c. friends of Job
d. Hebrew boys in Babylon who were thrown into a fiery furnace

 Daily Quiz, April 16, 2015

The expression "feet of clay" comes from the dream of what biblical figure?

a. Daniel
b. Joseph
c. Nebuchadnezzar 
d. the Pharaoh

Daily Quiz, April 15, 2015

Ancient Israel had a combination of taxing and tithing for social welfare.  The practice of gleaning was incumbent on land owners to leave some produce to be harvested by which of the following groups of people?

a. poor
b. widows
c. orphans
d. resident aliens
e. all of the above


Daily Quiz, April 14, 2015

According to the Hebrew Scriptures which of the following was not a method taxation?
(in ancient society when sanctuary and public policy were united, it is hard to distinguish a "religious tax or tithe" from tax in general.  If a king serves by "divine" right, then taxes to the up keep of a King has "religious" implications.

a. drafted or forced labor for projects such as building the temple
b. emergency levies for going to war
c. poll tax based upon census
d. required gleanings/leftovers in the field for the poor
e. returning of one's sold family property in a Jubilee year
f.  grain, oil, and wine and other offerings to the sanctuary
g. use of trade route tax


Daily Quiz, April 13, 2014

Historical questions about the relationship between tithe and tax in ancient Hebrew communities regard whether tithe or taxes were ever completely voluntary.  The sociologist Max Weber stated that penalty for non-payment of tithe was what?

a. expulsion from the tribe
b. family shunning
c. ritual declassifications or forms of what we would call "excommunication"
d. imprisonment


Daily Quiz, April 12, 2015

The "Pascha Nostrum" is the canticle used in the place of the "Venite" during Easter Season?  The "Pascha Nostrum" derives from what source?

a. writings of St. Paul
b. the Epistle to the Romans
c. the First Epistle to the Corinthians
d. all of the above

Daily Quiz, April 11, 2015

Thomas, Mary, Philip and Judas share what in common?

a. members of the twelve disciples
b. eye witnesses to the death of Jesus
c. all received post-resurrection appearances of Christ
d. all are list as authors of a "Gnostic" Gospel


Daily Quiz, April 10, 2015

According to the book of Daniel, who is the Prince and Protector of the People?

a. the Son of Man
b. Michael
c. the Messiah
d. Enoch

 Daily Quiz, April 9, 2015 

Ezekiel had a vision of the valley of the dry bones and what did the breath of the four winds do to these bones?

a. blew them away
b. made them into skeletons
c. resurrected dead Israelites to return them home
d. made them into dancing skeletons

 Daily Quiz, April 8, 2015

According to Bede, the word Easter is believed to derived from a month named after the goddess Eostre; what is a more common derivation word found in other languages for the Easter feast?

a. Triduum
b. Pasch/Pascha/Pesach
c. Passover
d. Aneste

 Daily Quiz, April 7, 2015

How long does the season of Easter last?

a. an octave
b. a fortnight
c. Forty Days
d. Fifty Days

Daily Quiz, April 6, 2015

The Gospels record that Jesus had post-resurrection appearances in Jerusalem and Galilee.  How long would it take to walk from Jerusalem to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee about 111 miles over varied terrain?

a. 22-31 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 14 hours
d. 7 hours

Daily Quiz, April 5, 2015

Of all of the Scripture readings in the Great Vigil, which lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures is required by the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer?

a. The creation story from Genesis
b. The Dry Bones of Ezekiel
c. The Deliverance of Israel in the Red Sea crossing of Exodus
d. Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis

Daily Quiz, April 4, 2015

What is the prayer which is chanted at the lighting of the Paschal candle called?

a. The Canticle
b. Exultet
c. Jubilate
d. Solemn Collect


Daily Quiz, April 3, 2015

In which Passion Gospel account does Pontius Pilate ask Jesus, "What is truth?"

a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John

Daily Quiz, April 2, 2015

In which Gospel does the "Last Supper"  does not seem at the time of Passover meal?

a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John

 Daily Quiz, April 1, 2015

In which Holy Week/Easter liturgy does the following take place: lighting of the Paschal Candle, reading the lessons of Salvation history, baptism/renewal of baptismal vows and Eucharist?

a. Good Friday
b. Maundy Thursday
c. Easter Vigil
d. Tenebrae

Good Shepherd and Power

4 Easter b  April 26, 2015

Acts 4:5-12  Psalm 23 
1 John 3:1-8     John 10:11-16
 

The German philosopher Nietzsche is credited with developing the notion of the will to power to account for the deep motivation for life within human beings.  It was perhaps in part a response to the theory of Darwin  with a "power" factor present in those fit ones who end up adapting to survive and express an ability to dominate their environments enough for the maintenance of their lives.

  Will to power may have been one of philosophical notions which inspired the early pioneers of psychology.  Psychology turned the microscope of science around and made the human interior life the object of scientific study; the interior life of power known as motivational forces.  Psychology involved looking at the motivations for human behaviors in a systematic way.  Religion had been doing this for years but psychology has attempted to do this without the "God-factor."

  What motivates human life and human behavior?  Does the will to power provide the engine that accounts for all human actions?  Is the will to power expressed in the pleasure principle and the knowledge principle?

  Whatever we call life force or power, the human adventure involves the shaping of the use of the force and power of life.  Our human vocabulary is full of power words:  Oppression, repression, suppression, control, authority and so on.

  The human vocation is in some way about sublimating and transformation of power through human action, word and thought but not just doing it for individual personal dominance but doing it for the good of the community.

  The salvation history of the Bible is about being saved by, with, and from the expressions of power.  The history of the revelation of God is a history of a model of power to provide the human community with wisdom for the behaviors which we define as being for the well-being of the community and the world.

  The history of knowing God as the pure power of creativity and freedom is the beginning of the story of salvation.  And if God is the pure power of creativity and freedom, what kinds of relationship can we project upon our relationship with God?  One of the most famous projections of a relationship with God is found in the 23rd Psalm, the famous confession of a poet who wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd."  Einstein said the most important question in life had to do with whether the universe was a friendly place.  The Psalmist of Psalm 23 believed that God as Ultimate Personal Being was like a good shepherd.  If there is a large gap between the life of a sheep and a shepherd, there is also a great gap between the greatness of God as witnessed by the Plenitude of this universe and our smallness within the context of Plenitude.  It is wonderful if within our human experience we can arrive at a faith relationship with God as a shepherd who provides for us in manifold ways:  for our physical needs of food, drink, clothing and shelter.  For our leisure and needs of peace and calm and safety, especially a sense of protection from those who have the power to exploit us.  For our being anointed with oil of health, for being provided a table of fellowship, and for a sense of permanent residence in God's dwelling place.  We like the twenty third Psalm because we believe it is healthy for our lives to believe that ultimate Being and Plenitude is well-disposed towards us.

  The Twenty Third Psalm expresses what we need to believe about our relationship to the Great Plenitude.  We need to project a great and caring personal response to us.

  In the person of Jesus Christ, the great Plenitude of a Caring God receives a earthly personality within an actual human situation and so the notion of a loving and caring God is brought more closely to us.

  Today is  Good Shepherd Sunday.  We see that the Gospel writer further personified the notion of "The Lord is my Shepherd, " into Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

  Good Shepherd Sunday is an appropriate occasion for us to assess our relationship to power.  If God is pure Power, Creative Power, Creative Freedom who has shared a degree of this power within all of the creative order, it is a most important task in life to learn how to be related to the articulation and expression of power in our lives.

  The Gospel of the Good Shepherd presents us with various notions of power: vulnerable powerless sheep, mercenary but self-serving power, exploitation.  And finally the positive expressions of power are found in sacrifice and the power of care.

   The metaphor of the sheep is used to highlight the various conditions of human vulnerability.  Sheep are often regarded to creatures which need care because of their peer driven habits of ignorance.  Sheep will follow each other without knowing impending danger.  Human life is conditioned by what we don't yet know.  Human life often is just about going along with the crowd that we are with at any given time.  We can be led into harmful situation because of our vulnerable ignorance.

  Since we are not all-knowing persons who are omni-competent to every situation, we know that we often need care and expertise beyond our particular pay grade.  Life situations often leave us in need of wise care.  So we can identify with the metaphor of the sheep.

  We also know that we can be abandoned by people who do not truly care for us.  Hired-hand shepherds do not own the sheep and so they will not defend the sheep with their lives. We do not belong to lots of people and so we can be exploited and abandoned by people in life.  Mercenaries will abandoned the battle when real trouble arises because it’s not their country they are fighting for.  We know that power is bought and sold in this life; people are paid to be in control and it is just their job but they do their jobs without a calling of belonging to people and having people belong to them.  The good shepherd stands in contrast to those who only have a job but not a calling.  The good shepherd stands in the contrast to the exploiting wolves and foxes who would prey upon the ignorance and vulnerability of the weak. 

  One expression of power is almost the anti-thesis of the will to power; it is the expression of sacrifice.  Sacrifice is the laying down of one's life for others because those people are valued and cared for.  Good human community requires the anti-power of sacrifice.  Sacrifice is the power of self control when one learns that all of one's life force cannot just be used for the singular and personal maintenance of the trinity of Me, Myself and I.  So one has to have the power to die to one's selfish self and check one's ego at the door in order to belong to family and community and in order allow the community truly to be organized to care for those who cannot care for themselves.  The community exists because of the balance of power relationships between those who need care and those who can give care.  The great failure in our world today is that wealthy and powerful have begun to act as though the needy people of the world exist mainly for the well-being and the growth in wealth of those who already have too much.  This imbalanced reciprocity is headed for disaster.  We desperately need enlightened leaders of government and economy to restore the humane value of balanced reciprocity between those with wealth and power and those who are poor and weak.  This is what the model of power of the Good Shepherd teaches us.

  Finally, the Good Shepherd is the presence of God's Power in our midst totally given over to care to those with much less power.  The Great God of Power exhibits within Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd the calling that each of us should have to the power in our lives.  If we have power, wealth and knowledge, we should make it available to help those who do not have power, wealth and knowledge.  Jesus is the good shepherd because each of us is called to be a good shepherd too.  We are called to be rightly related to the moral prerogatives of power for the benefit of the common good.  The common good is also our own personal good, because we know both sides of power.  We came into this world as powerless infants needing the sacrificial caring power of others.  We are often in situations of needing the power of care to be shown to us.  But when we have power, wealth and knowledge, we also need to be those who reciprocate toward the common good of all.

  The Good Shepherd philosophy and model teaches us that the common good and the personal good are one and the same when we practice this perfectly balanced reciprocity of giving and receiving of care.  And that is the Gospel for us today.  Let us strive for this perfect balanced reciprocity of giving and receiving of care and let us fulfill the vision of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sunday School, April 26, 2015 4 Easter

Sunday School, April 26, 2015  4th Sunday of Easter   B Good Shepherd Sunday

Sunday School Themes

Good Shepherd Sunday

Psalm Twenty Three is a famous poem which begins with “The Lord is My Shepherd.”

Discuss how our lives might be like the lives of sheep when we compare our lives with the life of God.

Do we feel like our needs are provided for:  food and drink, medical and health care, fellowship and celebration needs?

Do we feel like we are going to live beyond our own lives?  Can we feel like “we are going to live the house of the Lord forever?”

If we can believe and know that we are cared for by God, we too will care for others.

Jesus is called the Good Shepherd.

The word Pastor means Shepherd so church leaders are sometimes called shepherd.

A bishop’s staff or stick is called a crozier or a shepherd’s staff

Jesus as a Good Shepherd means that he sacrificed his life to care for his friends.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd means that we are to use the strength and our abilities to care for others.

We can be both sheep and shepherds.  Sometimes we are in need and we need someone strong to care for us.  But sometimes we are strong and have the ability to care for those in need.

We need to learn how to be both like sheep and like a good shepherd.

Puppet Show

Characters:

David the Shepherd

Sheep, Lion, Crocodile

Fr. Phil

Father Phil:  Boys and girls, today is good Shepherd Sunday.  And a long time ago when the Bible was written, there were lots of sheep to take care of.  When the people of the Bible tried to teach about being a good leader, they said being a good leader was like being a good shepherd.  And Jesus was a good shepherd because he was a good teacher and leader.  But there was also a famous shepherd boy who became the King of Israel.  His name was David.  David, hello, do you have time to talk?

(David is busy rescuing a sheep from a lion)

David, are you there?

David (out of breath after rescuing a sheep):  Sorry, I had work to do.  I had to chase the lion away from my sheep.

Fr. Phil:  David, that is dangerous.  You could get hurt by the lion.  You must be very brave.

David:  Well, I want to take care of my sheep.  I get to know all of my sheep and so I don’t want them to get attacked and hurt.

Fr. Phil:  So, you are good shepherd.

David:  Well, I try to be.  I like to be out in valleys and mountains with the sheep.  It gives me time to pray.  And also I can write some poems too.

Fr. Phil: Have you ever written a poem?

David: Yes, I wrote one that begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want for anything.”  I wrote that because I am out alone with the sheep and I have come to know God.  And so I feel like God, the Lord is my shepherd; and because I feel like God takes good care of me, then I want to be a good shepherd and take good care of my sheep too.

Fr. Phil:  Well, you were a good shepherd.  And God noticed because God made you to be King of Israel.

David:  Being a good king is like being good shepherd.  You have to care for people.  A good King, a good leader is like a good parent.  A good leader takes care of people who need care.

Fr. Phil: Well, people and sheep often need lots of care.  Babies need care, sick people need care, and hungry people need care.

David:  Yes, since the Lord God is good shepherd, God wants all of us to be good shepherds.

Fr. Phil:  Do you mean that these boys and girls can be good shepherds too.

David:  When they help their moms and dads they are good shepherds.  When they take care of your younger brothers and sisters they are good shepherds.  When they do their chores they are good shepherds.

Fr. Phil: So some times we are sheep and some times we are shepherds?

David:  Yes, that is true.  When we need help, we are like sheep.  And when we help others we can be shepherds.  Oh, Oh, I have to go.  I see that a sheep has wandered near the river and I see a crocodile.  See you later.

(David leaves to rescue the sheep from the crocodile)

Fr. Phil:  Boys and girls, David was a good shepherd because he discovered that he sometimes was like a sheep and God was his good shepherd.  God sent Jesus to be a good shepherd for us.  So when we need help we can ask for help.  And when we are strong, we can be good shepherds too.  Can you remember to be a good shepherd?

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

April 26, 2015: The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Opening Song:  Morning Has Broken,

Liturgist: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

People: The Lord is Risen Indeed.  Alleluia.

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

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

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

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of John

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; *I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father, also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –  

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

 Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:                        And also with you.

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

Song: Baa, Baa, Little Lamb (Tune: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep)

Baa, baa, little lamb, did you lose your way?  Yes sir, yes sir, I was lost today.

Far from my shepherd, far from my home.  Far from my flock, I ran off alone.

Baa, baa, little lamb, did you lose your way?  Yes sir, yes sir, I was lost today.

Baa, baa, little lamb, who found you? My Good Shepherd who loves you too.

Left His flock of ninety-nine, Looked for me with love so kind.

Baa, baa, little lamb, your Shepherd looked for you.  Yes sir, yes sir, And He found me too.

Dear little children, does your Shepherd love you?  Yes sir, yes sir, He loves you too.

If we sin and go from Him, Jesus brings us back to Him.

Dear little children your Shepherd loves you.  Yes sir, yes sir, and He loves you too.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Holy Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.  Blessing and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit 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:  The King of Love, (Renew! # 106)

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

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

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

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:  His Sheep Am I,   by Orien Johnson

 In God’s green pastures feeding, by His cool waters lie; Soft in the evening walk my Lord and I.  All the sheep of His pastures fare so wondrously fine.   His Sheep am I.  Refrain: Waters cool.  Pastures green.  In the evening walk my Lord and I; Dark the night, Rough the way,  Step by step, my Lord and I.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God! Alleluia!  Alleluia!