Sunday School, January 29, 2017 4 Epiphany A
Theme:
How do we live in a world that sometimes is not fair?
Jesus lived in a world that was not fair for many
people. So how does a person live when
life is not always fair? Do we respond
in a cruel way when we are treated cruelly?
Do we try to fight evil by being evil ourselves?
Jesus had some advice which might seem difficult. He said to love our enemies. He said we should not use evil to defeat
evil; he said we should overcome evil with good. Why did he say this?
He said this because he believed that God had made us and
this world good. So goodness is what is
normal in life. When people are bad,
they are not acting normal. So we need
people who can act with normal good behavior to be examples of how to live.
The Beatitudes are recommended ways for us to learn how to practice
a very good life, a happy life, a blessed life.
What are the secrets to happiness?
1-Not being so proud that one thinks that one does not need
God’s Spirit. If we are poor in spirit
we will appreciate God’s Holy Spirit in us.
2-We need to be merciful and forgiving and that will help us
to know mercy for ourselves.
3-We need to be peaceful and people who make peace with each
other.
4-We need to do everything for the right reasons not for
selfish reasons.
5-We need to be humbly patient and learn self-control.
6-We need to be willing to suffer for doing the right thing.
7-We need to desire what is right more than food or drink.
When we learn to live this way, we learn to live by
overcoming evil with good behaviors.
When we live this way, we have the following rewards: We know we live in
God’s kingdom. We know that we are God’s
children. We know that we can see God at
work in our world. We know that we are
God’s children who have inherited all the beauty of this world. We know that we will have a future
reward. We know that we will have a good
afterlife. We know that we will be
forgiven for not being perfect.
Sermon:
How do we live when
we discover the world is not perfect? We
need some rules to follow?
And when do we
discover that the world is not perfect?
When we find out we cannot get everything that we want.
As children, we
learn that we cannot have everything that we want. And we cannot do everything that we want.
At the playground,
there may be only two swings; but there are 10 children who want to swing. What do we do? We have to learn to share, right?
Maybe we’re playing
baseball, and we want to be the best hitter, but there might be someone bigger
and better at hitting the baseball. Is that
fair that someone is bigger and better?
What do we do?
Maybe we make a
mistake and we push someone out of the way to get to a toy…or maybe someone
pushes us. What do we do? We have to say, “I’m sorry.” And when someone says, “I’m sorry to
us.” What do we do? Do we stay angry or do we forgive?
Remember we might
think that a perfect world is where all of our wishes come true and where we
get everything that we want. But there
is no such perfect world. So, we have to
live with the one that we have. So,
Jesus gave us rules on how to be happy in a world that is not perfect.
Jesus said, we can
be happy, if we know that we are poor without God and without each other. We are rich if we have each other and we have
God. So, I should not pretend to be the
only person in the world who can get everything that I want.
Jesus said we can be
happy, if we know that we cannot have everything at once. If God is our father, then we know that in
this life and in the next life we will have time to receive the joy of
everything.
Since we cannot have
everything, it means that we will lose some things. We will lose favorite toys, we will lose our
health when we get sick. We lose
important pets and people in our lives when they die. And when we lose, we can learn to be happy
when we are able to help other people when they lose things and when they are
sad. There is a joy that comes when we
help others.
Since this world is
not perfect and since you and I are not perfect boys and girls or men and
women, we must learn how to live with our not being perfect. So, Jesus said that to be happy we have to
forgive and be forgiven. We have to have
mercy. That means saying, “I’m sorry”
when I hurt someone or make a mistake.
That means I don’t stay mad at someone when they hurt me and when they
say that they are sorry.
Since there are so
many different people. And many people
want the very same things, and we all believe different things; we can either
fight or argue with people. Or we can be
people who make peace. We make peace by
sharing and by being fair. Jesus said
that we will be happy as children of God, if we learn how to make peace.
Jesus said we will
be happy if we have pure hearts. What
does not mean? I think it means learning
to want things in life for the right reasons.
Wanting to be strong to help the weak.
Wanting to be rich to help the poor.
And if we learn to do all things because we care for others, we will see
God because that is how God is. God is
loving and caring.
And then there is a
very hard rule. Jesus said, we are happy
if we aren’t the bully. It is better to
be weak than to be strong and hurt other people. Jesus said that we will find a great reward,
if we refuse to be the bully and suffer for doing what is right.
So, Jesus gave us
rules for living in a world that is not perfect. And we are not perfect either. But even though we don’t live in a perfect
world, we can follow these rules of Jesus and still learn to be happy.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
January 29, 2017: The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Gathering Songs:
Here In This Place, Christ
Beside Me, Just a Closer Walk, Peace
Before Us
Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
People: And Blessed be God’s Kingdom, Now and 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.
Song: Here In This Place (Renew # 14)
Here in this place new light is streaming, now is the
darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought
here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in the lost and forsaken, gather us in, the blind and the
lame; call to us now, and we shall awaken, we shall arise at the sound of our
name.
Here we are young, our lives are a mystery, we are the old
who yearn for your face; we have been sung throughout all of history, called to
be light to the whole human race. Gather
us in, the rich and the haughty, gather us in, the proud and the strong; give
us a heart so meek and so lowly, give us the courage to enter the song.
Here we will take the wine and the water, here we will take
the bread of new birth, here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call
us anew to be salt for the earth. Give
us to drink the wine of compassion, give us to eat the bread that is you;
nourish us well, and teach us to fashion lives that are holy and hearts that
are true.
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us
pray
Almighty and everlasting God, you are able to rule all
things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayer requests, and
especially in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Litany of Praise:
Chant: Alleluia
O God, you are Great!
Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's
weakness is stronger than human strength.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.
Peope: Thanks be to God
Please read with me from Psalm 139
Put your trust in the LORD and do good; * dwell in the land
and feed on its riches.
Take delight in the LORD, * and he shall give you your
heart's desire.
Litany of Thanksgiving: Chant: 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 Matthew
People: Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and
after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Jesus taught his disciples these
lessons: You will be happy in God’s
kingdom if realize that you are not the only person in the world, but you are
rich with friends and the presence of God.
You are happy and comforted when you help others, because your sad
experience now helps you to minister to those who are sad. You are happy when you don’t hoard the gifts
of this earth, since God is your father, you will inherit everything. You are happy when you desire justice as much
as you desire and need food and water, because you will be full of joy. You are happy when you forgive others because
then you will know that God forgives you too. You will be happy when you do
everything with the best motive for then you will see God everywhere. You are happy if you are always making peace,
because that proves that you are sons and daughters of God. You are happy if you are mistreated when you
are standing for justice, because doing justice means that you are a citizen of
the kingdom of heaven. You are happy and
can rejoice even when things are said against you because you follow me;
remember that you are not alone. Many
great prophets have been mistreated too.
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 of Asking:
Chant: 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 sick. 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 with you always.
People: And also with you.
Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the
receiving of an offering
Offertory Song: Christ Beside Me (Renew! # 164)
1 Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me—King of my heart;
Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me—never to part.
2 Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left
hand, Christ all around me—shield in the strife: Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising—light of my life
3 Christ be in all hearts, thinking about
me, Christ be on all tongues, telling of me; Christ be the vision, in eyes that
see me, in ears that hear me, Christ ever be.
4 Christ beside me,
Christ before me, Christ behind me—King of my heart; Christ within me, Christ
below me, Christ above me—never to part.
Doxology (Stand)
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.
All are born into the family of God by Baptism.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to
his family 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 up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give him 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 may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)
Our Father (Sung): (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 by 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: Just A Closer Walk With Thee (LEVAS # 71)
Chorus: Just a closer walk with thee, Grant it Jesus, is my
plea, Daily walking close to thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak but thou art strong; Jesus keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Through this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord,
who cares? Who with me my burden
shares? None but thee, dear Lord, none
but thee.
When my feeble life is o’er, time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er to Thy kingdom shore, to thy shore.
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: Peace Before Us (Wonder Love and Praise # 791)
1-Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our
feet. Peace within us, peace over us,
let all around us be peace.
2-Love before us…. 3-Light before us….4-Christ before….
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
