Moses Died; Long Live the Law

21 Pentecost, Cycle A Proper 25, October 29,2017

Deuteronomy 34: 1-12 Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46
Lectionary Link
  Moses was perhaps the most famous "lawman" of all time.  He is associated with the event that occurred when the wise have evolved to observe human behavior and they knew that humanity needed help to live together well.  When the very best of human behaviors are discovered, such behaviors need to be taught; they need to be promulgated.  What good is a law if no one knows about it?
  Laws can be the rules of tyrants to make societies run to the advantage of the tyrants.  In such cases the rules can actually be laws of oppression.  Such laws may result in the maintenance of order but they do not liberate the person because their force is the fear of punishment, particularly the punishment of exclusion from human society through imprisonment or excluded from life through the punishment of death.
  The way in which Moses received the law was a revelation that God is interested in human beings.  In fact, God cares so much for human beings, God wanted to teach men and women how to live well.  God did not give laws to humanity as an initiatory hazing rite to let humanity know who the boss is and who makes the rules.  God gave laws to humanity as the great insights for human development and evolution in living toward the spiritual side of personality.
  The giving of the law was a gift of God to humanity to learn the very basics of how to live well.  First, live as though one's own ego is not the only one in the world.  Just because each of us has such individual unique existence who can be locked into idio-eccentric views of the world, God gave us laws to deliver us from solipsistic narcissism.   The laws of God require the greatest human attribute of all, empathy.  Going out of ourselves to realize that there are other selves, other creatures who have in similar ways the same kinds of feelings that we do.
  The law, given to Moses, was given to be our teacher of our higher selves, the empathetic Selves that are needed for the enhancement of community life.  How does humanity learn the magic of empathy?  How does the individual become born out of being a solipsistic, narcissistic self and become able to "walk in another person's shoes?"
  If I am an individual ego observing other egos, then as a peer, I can be tempted to think that competition among competing egos is the drive of life; so, I have to take care of number one.
  The Law of God begins by asking us to honor the One God.  Why is this important?  It is important to challenge the lie that can easily come to the human ego; the lie that we are individual and separate beings.
  Honoring the Oneness of God means that we accept God as the Community of all creation; we were created in community with God and for community with God and each other.  The epidermis of our bodies can visually make us think that we are separated individuals moving as willful or random bumper cars through existence.
  But if we can honor and love God as the great Community of all creation, we can stand before the Fire of God have our egos melted soft enough to be fluid within the Community of God.
  Recovering addicts confess the help of a Higher Power to aid in sobriety.  All of us need the sense of the Higher Power of God to be able to confess and live the togetherness of life.  Love God with all your soul.  This is the commandment which is not really a suppressing command, but rather, a confession and a declaration.  The declaration to love God is the liberating experience of being freed from the experience of alienation and living into the full Community of God, who is one.
  And with derivation, by loving God, we proceed to love our neighbors even as we are learning to love and honor ourselves.
  The great law of God as the freedom from individual isolation into the fullness of Community with God and humanity, subtly got displaced into rules, rules of all sorts.  There are 613 rules in the Torah, many of which not even known and certainly not practiced even if a very few really conservative Jews might attempt to honor them.
  When rules get dislodged from the great teaching motives of God's law, legalism become the practice.  Legalism happens when rules get made for administration of community and community roles.  Order for all manner of society, public and private is necessary, but not to the over-shadowing of the winsome teaching purpose of the law.
  When Jesus came, he found lots of people frustrated with the rules.  He found religious leaders more interested in the enforcement of minutiae than proclaiming the teaching purpose of the great law of God.
  The oracle of Jesus in the church reaffirmed the centrality of the great law.  Jesus was not concerned with whether one could wear linen and wool together or doing healing work on the Sabbath; he was interested in the essence of the law: Love God, Love your neighbor.  Love yourself.
  There will always be rules and ordinances for all areas of human existence.   And there is actuarial wisdom to have lots of rules.  Rules and procedure aid communication and assist people being on the same page to complete the tasks required by human society.
  But if rules gets so precious and so private to elite groups who know and keep rules to keep other people out of their society, then the teaching and the affirming purpose of God's law is lost.
  Jesus observed this and so he upheld the essence of the law in its winsome teaching purpose.  Love God.  Love one's neighbor.  Love oneself.
  Friends, these are not negative suppressing juridical pronouncements; rather, they are the affirming confession that we can make and keep to live in the Community of the One God who declares us all to be neighbors, and asks us to live enhanced relationships with each other.
  And God does not forget the individual.  Love yourself.  As you honor God.  As you achieve empathy in loving one's neighbor, you and I can come to honor own unique selves.
  Moses died, but the law lived on.  Jesus died, arose, re-appeared, and ascended and yet the law of Jesus lives on for all who want it.  What is the law of Jesus?  It is same law as Moses.  Love God.  Love your neighbor. Love yourself.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 29, 2017 21 Pentecost, A proper 25

Sunday School, October 29, 2017               21 Pentecost, A proper 25

Theme:

The Law

Have your class do a comparison of laws and rules.

We have rules of health.  Brushing our teeth and washing our hands.

We have rules of courtesy.  Raising our hands, using polite words like please, thank you and you’re welcome.

We have rules of safety.  Wear a seat belt.  Wear a helmet.  Do play with matches or knives.

We have club rules or family rules.  Like, you have to wear a team uniform.

There are many, many rules.  So many that we don’t always know if we are keeping all of the rules.

We need to know the most important rules.

We need to know how to live well even if we don’t know all the rules.

We need to know how to answer this question all of the time:  How should I live and what should I do?

Jesus provided us a simply way to know what to do all of the time.

He simplified the law to help us to know what to do.

There were 613 laws in the Torah.  Some of the laws were very important and others not as important.  Is more important that we not mix wearing clothes made of wool and linen at the same time or that we not kill, or steal or lie?

When we think about the law, we usually think about the 10 Commandments, because they are a shorter list and easier to memorize.

Jesus told us to remember even a shorter list of laws:  Love God, Love your neighbor.  Love yourself.

Before we do or say anything, if we ask ourselves if our word and deeds respect God, respect our neighbors and respect ourselves, then we will know what to do.

By learning to think in this way, we can learn how to know the right thing to do all of the time.

Sermon:

Do you have rules at home?  Do you forget the rules sometimes?

  Do you have rules at school?  And if you forget the rules, your teachers remind you about them.

  Do we have traffic rules?  Yes, and what if we forget about the traffic rules, who reminds us?  The police do.

  Did you know that there are rules and laws in the Bible?  In fact, in the first five books of the Bible, there are 613 rules.  That is a lot of rules to remember isn’t it.

  So, we need shorter lists of rules.  One of the most famous lists of rules is called the Ten Commandments.

  Are some rules more important than others?  In the Ten Commandments, we probably treat one rule as more serious than all the other commandments.  Can you guess what rule that is?

  Thou shalt not kill.  That’s a very important rule since the life of each person is most important.

  Some of the rules were written to tell people how to eat.  For example, people were not supposed to eat certain kinds of meats like pork or shell fish.

  Thou shalt not eat pork or thou shalt not kill?  Which is a more important law?

  The religious leaders during the time of Jesus criticized him for ignoring some of their rules.  They said he should not work on their day of prayer, and they criticized him for healing on the Sabbath, the day of prayer.  They criticized him for eating with certain people who did not keep the special religious diet.  They criticized him for touching lepers and certain sick people.  Jesus told them that they were forgetting the important rules and making the unimportant rules special, so they could keep people away from their religious gatherings.

  So, they asked Jesus…there are so many laws. What laws are the greatest laws?  And with so many laws, how can I know what to do?

  Jesus said: Love God with all of your heart.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  If you live by these two laws, then you will always know what to do.

  If I hit or push someone, am I loving my neighbor?  If I lie or steal something, am I loving my neighbor?  If I forget God or if I make many things more important than God, am I loving God? 

  So, if you forget all of the laws:  Always ask yourself these three questions: Am I loving God by what I am doing?   Am I loving my neighbor by what I am doing?  Am I doing something to another person that I would not want done to me?

  Jesus helped us to simplify the laws by giving us these two laws:  Love God with all your heart.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Can you remember these two laws?

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 29, 2017: The Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Seek Ye First, The King of Glory

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: He’s Got the Whole World  (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 90)

He’s got the whole world in his hands, he’s got the whole wide world in his hands, he got the whole world in his hands, he’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands….

He’s got the boys and the girls in his hands..

He’s got the moms and the dads in his hands…

He’s got the cats and the dogs in his hands..

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 90

Show your servants your works * and your splendor to their children.

May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; * prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.

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 Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, `The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet"'? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. 

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. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

Offertory Music:    Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! (Renew! # 71)

1          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!

2          Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted oh Lord my God! Glory to the King of kings!

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 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 up 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:       Alleluia.  Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal  # 711)

1.         Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.  And all these things will be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia.

Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

2.         Knock and the door shall be open upon you.  Seek and ye shall find.  Ask and it shall be given unto you, Allelu, alleluia. Refrain

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: The King of Glory Comes, (Renew! # 267)

Refrain:  The King of Glory comes the nation rejoices.  Open the gates before him lift up your voices.

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

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

Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another.  Refrain

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

   

Icon, before It was ICON

20 Pentecost, Cycle A, Proper 24, October 22, 2017
Exodus 33:12-23  Psalm 99
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10  Matthew 22:15-22

Lectionary Link

What happens if one avoids paying taxes and gets caught?  A person can be prosecuted and charged for tax evasion.  As long as there has been human society, the issue of taxes has been a prominent human issue.  All of us know that taxes are necessary, we just don't think that our own money is necessary for taxes, but it's okay if its someone else's.

If one wants to start an argument in a room, bring up the issue of taxes.  Taxes were controversial in biblical New Testament times, and from the Gospel lesson today we have the famous statement: Render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesar; Render unto God, the things that are God's.

This Gospel story is set up almost like a Socratic vignette and it highlights the wisdom and the riddle speech of Jesus.

What are some assumptions that undergird this story?  If the Jewish religious leaders could trick Jesus to dissent from the taxes of the Caesar, they could get him to incur wrath of the Roman authorities.  What was the cry during the Passion? "We have no king but Caesar!"  If Jesus was making himself a rival to the Caesar, he would be seen as a political dissident in Palestine.

In the wisdom response of Jesus,  he uses a Greek word that has become common parlance for us today.  Icon.  When the Genesis story was translated into Greek, the word for image was the Greek word that comes into English as "Icon."  Adam and Eve were made as "icons" or "images" of God.  Remember in the Genesis story God takes dust and breathes Spirit life into the dust and creates a "living soul."  So that Spirit life of God breathed into the flesh was the image or icon of God upon human beings.

This should help us understand the numismatic pun of Jesus.  He ask for a denarius a coin with the Caesar image and this image on the coin legitimized the Caesar's right to collect taxes wherever this coin was use.  Whose image is on this coin?  The Caesar's.  Whose image is on the Caesar, a human being living the tradition of people created by God?  God's image is even on the Caesar.  So, Jesus was saying let the Caesar have his coins but let God have everyone on whom God's image is found.  Can we appreciate the wit and wisdom of this rejoinder?

For you and me in stewardship season, if you are worried about taxes or the church taxes called the tithe then consider this: If you and I acknowledge the image of God on our lives then we belong to God, and that means everything we have belongs to God too.  So, acknowledging God's image on our lives means that we offer our possessions for the ministry of God in Christ in our time and place.

There is a further aspect of this story that we should consider.  The Gospels are stories of Jesus which teach the messages of the early church in story form.  St. Paul lived in Rome; he wrote a letter to the Roman churches.  He was aware of the debauchery of the Caesars and the cult worship of the Emperors but at the same time he told the Roman church to pray for the Roman authorities as God ordained agents for keeping order.

What does this mean?  It means that early church had made some peace with the Roman situation.  Taxes built the roads which brought people to the cities.  The church grew as religious social clubs in the cities and the house churches were "under the radar" gatherings for members to embrace their new life in the cities.  The home churches accepted Gentile members without requiring them to live the separate and segregated ritual purity life as was the practice of the members of the synagogue.  So, the message of Christ had more appeal in the Roman situation than what was offered by the synagogue.  The Gospel could travel to the ends of the Roman Empire on Roman roads guarded by Roman soldiers.  So the Roman law included Roman taxes and St. Paul and the early church had made peace with the Roman situation.

The saying of Jesus, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar," is an origin narrative given the authority of Christ for church members to live with a certain public conformity to the laws and taxes of the Roman Empire.

For us today, we find that the Gospel has found success in many countries and cultures.  The churches in many places have had to deliberate on how and when to Render unto Caesar or to kings and governments, the things that pertain to the secular common good.  Every situation is different and Christians need wisdom in different times and places on how to live with "secular" situations.  Different Christian groups are always fighting with the government and courts about "what people of faith are obligated to render unto Caesar, or the laws of our land."

But the more profound issue of this Gospel is the stewardship issue.  Do you and I want to acknowledge or deny the image of God upon our lives?  Perhaps we want to say in a evolutionary sense, "I am more monkey than divine."  If I am more monkey than divine, then I don't need to acknowledge the full ownership of my life by God.  And that is the issue: Do we think that we are closer to  a Darwinian beast trying to be the fit survivors who dominate by taking more for ourselves?  Or do we uphold a doctrine which predates Darwin?  One can hold to evolution and still understand that there is a divine image that directs all of time and human life in the most significant way.

My prayer for all of us is that we would humbly acknowledge the divine image upon us and find it in our spirits energized by God's Holy Spirit.  And then from the Holy Spirit, we can properly render unto God the things that are God's.

And with joyful freedom we can know the things that are given to us can be used in specific ways to fulfill the calling and mission of our parish in this place.  We can represent the image of God on our lives by giving our time, talent and treasure to the common good of our society in general but also the common good, and even the survival, of our local parish.

Friends, let us render unto God the things that are God's.  Let us render unto God our entire lives.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 22, 2017 20 Pentecost A proper 24

Sunday School, October 22, 2017          20 Pentecost A proper 24

Theme:

Why do children look like their parents?

Imagine sitting all children on one side of the church and all parents sitting on the other side of the church.  Then have a stranger come into the church and try to match parents with their children.

They would get many matches correct.  Why?  Because sometimes a child’s nose, eyes, or face shape looks just like one or both of their parents.  One could say that a child bears the image of the child’s parent.  And so we could guess which child belonged to specific parents.

Jesus used the word image to talk about a coin.  It was a Greek word, the same word that we know from computer use, the word “icon.”  When Jesus was asked about paying taxes to the Caesar, he asked for a coin.  Just like our coins have pictures of president’s one them, the ancient coins had pictures of the Caesar, the King of the Roman Empire stamped on them.  When the Emperor’s image or icon was stamped on the coin, it meant that the Emperor could collect taxes.

Jesus knew the Genesis creation story.  In the Genesis creation story, it says that Adam and Eve, the first people were made in the “image” of God.  This means that in some way people are like God.  How?  We have a spirit inside of us and this spirit is how we are made in God’s image.

Caesar was a man just like Adam and Eve.  So the Caesar was made in God’s image, even if he did not admit it or worship God.  Jesus was making a pun:  If the Caesar image was on the coin, then he could have the coins for collecting his taxes.  But God’s image was on the Caesar, so Jesus was saying that the Caesar and everyone really belongs to God. 

The purpose of our lives is to learn to live to show that we belong to Christ and this is message that Jesus was teaching with his riddles.

Sermon:

  If I had all of the children sit on this side of the room and all of the parents sit on this side of the room.  And then I have a stranger who did not know anyone here come into the room and look at you.  Do you think that this stranger could tell which children belonged to which parent?  And how could a stranger match you and your parents?  Because you look like your parents…you have their noses, their eyes, their hair color.  So you look like your parents.  You in some way are an image of your parents.  And so you belong together as a family.

  We’ve read a story today about some people who tried to trick Jesus about taxes.  Do you know what taxes are?  Taxes are the money that we pay to the government to pay for the army, the roads, the courts and all of the things that the government does for us.  It is a law that if we make money, we have to pay taxes.

  So some people came to Jesus and asked him if he paid taxes to the King, called the Caesar.  Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him into saying that people should not pay taxes and that would get him into trouble.

  What did Jesus do?  He taught them a lesson.  He asked them to show them a coin.  I’m going to show some of the coins that are just like the one Jesus asked for.  These coins are more than two thousand years old.  If you look carefully at these coins you can see that the head of the King called Caesar is stamped on these coins.  And these coins were used to pay taxes to the King.

  Jesus asked his questioners?  Whose image is on this coin?  And they said, “It’s the King’s image.”

  And Jesus said, “Then give the coins that belong to the King to him, but give to God the things that belong to God.”

  Now this was a very smart saying.  Do you know why?

  Jesus had read the book of Genesis about the creation of the world.  And in the book of Genesis it is written that men and women are created or made in the image of God.  So if men and women are made in the image of God, who do they belong to?  To God.

  Was Caesar the King a Man?  Who did he belong to?  To God, because he was made in God image.

  The most important lesson in life is to learn that we belong to God because God made us.  And how do we show that we appreciate God?  We worship God.  We praise God.  We thank God.  And obey God’s rules about how we should live.  And we are to love God and love our neighbor.  That is how we show that we belong to God and how we give the very best of our lives.

  Do we have to pay a tax to God, since we are like God’s coins?  Yes, we do pay a tax to God by loving God and loving our neighbors as our self.

  Jesus came to remind us that we are all children of God and so we need to learn to live as children of God.  Can you remember that?  Amen.

Family Eucharistic Liturgy

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 22, 2017: The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; As a Deer, Now Let Us from This Table Rise; Down in My Heart

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: Hallelu Hallelujah  (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord.   Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah!  Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

Grace to you and peace. We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 99

The LORD is great in Zion; * he is high above all peoples.

Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; * he is the Holy One.

"O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; * you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."

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 Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

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. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

Offertory Music:  As the Deer Pants for the Water, (Renew # 9)

1          As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you; you alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.  Refrain: You alone are my strength, my shield, to you alone may my spirit yield; you alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you!

2          I want you more than gold or silver, only you can satisfy; you alone are the real joy-giver and the apple of my eye.  Refrain.

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of 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 up 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, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia.  Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn:  Now Let Us from This Table Rise, (Renew! # 242)

Now let us from this table rise, renewed in body, mind, and soul; with Christ we die and live again, his selfless love has made us whole.

With minds alert, upheld by grace to spread the word in speech and deed, we follow in the steps of Christ, at one with all in hope and need.

To fill each human house with love, it is the sacrament of care; the work that Christ began to do we humbly pledge ourselves to share.

Then grant us courage, Father God, to choose again the pilgrim way, and help us to accept with joy the challenge of tomorrow’s day.

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: Down in My Heart, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 45)

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart.  WHERE? Down in my heart.  I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart to stay.

I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart.   WHERE?  Down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart.  I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart to stay.

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding, down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart.  I’ve got the peace that passes understanding, down in my heart.  WHERE?  Down in my heart to stay.

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Elitism? Many Called, Few Chosen?

19 Pentecost, Cycle A  Proper 23, October 15, 2017

Exodus 32:1-14  Psalm 23

Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14

Lectionary Link

In religious polls and surveys, people are asked about their religious faith and group participation.  We are told today that the largest religious group in America now is not the Protestants, not the Catholics, or Muslims, or Evangelicals or Charismatics or Pentecostals.  The largest group is actually a negative.  It is the group of "nones," the non-affiliated and those who have no interest in the traditional faith communities.

Is this a bad thing that we are becoming people who don't identify with religion, faith communities or even the reality of God?  Or are people just able to be more honest today?  Faith and religion used to be so apple pie in America that one could not be honest about being disinterested in God and religion.

The punchline of the parable of Jesus is this: many are called but few are chosen.

This very harsh and even cruel parable is about the harsh reality of being chosen.  The reality of spirituality is that few are chosen.  The people who seem to be the chosen of society in their status and wealth and social prestige turn out to be those who are not chosen in their actual inner lives of faith.  There are many religious people who believe that being chosen means that they have public and political power.  They seek alliances with government as their affirming sign.

Saul of Tarsus seemed to be an obvious chosen one.  He was a devout Pharisee.  He could not see or understand the invitation of God that was coming through Jesus.  He was angered by the invitation, so much so that he persecuted the Christian evangelists and even seem to preside over the stoning of St. Stephen.  Saul was being called but he was not yet chosen.

The parable of Jesus gives us insights about the cruel reality of being chosen.  It indicates that most people are "nones."  Practicing a belief in God and the Gospel are completely irrelevant to their lives.  The parable also indicates that people can be called and seem to be religious but not experience being chosen.

How do you know that you've been chosen?  One is not chosen if one can easily avoid God.  One is not chosen if business, money, leisure and many other things have more appeal than God.  If one does not connect with God, one replaces the divine with many surrogates, many replacement idols.

Being called and chosen is a not an automatic thing.  Everyone is call but not everyone is chosen and that is the harsh reality of life.  It is the harsh reality that makes it often seem as though God, goodness and faith are actually losing in public life.

Not everyone all at the same time can be in the right conditions of being chosen.  That is just the sad fact of the Gospel.  It obviously was a concern of the early church leaders.  Why wasn't God universally winsome to everyone.  Why can't everyone just be automatic God-lovers?

I don't think the question is why people are not chosen, but when will they be chosen?

Saul was called but not chosen.  He persecuted the followers of Jesus until he had his dramatic conversion and discovered himself to be chosen.  And as the Apostle Paul he testified that he came to be chosen by God and that the experience of being chosen was opened for anyone to have, but it was not automatic.

This world is full of lots of called people.  All churches and communities of faith are full of lots of called people.  But not everyone knows the experience of being chosen.

What is it to be chosen?  It's when gentleness and kindness just seems right.  It is when freedom from worry happens.  It is when peace guards one's heart.  It is when thanksgiving arises as natural as the morning dew.  It's when one can rejoice even when there seems to be no reason to rejoice.  It is when generosity seems obvious and joyful and not a heroic gesture or a sacrifice.  Chosen people love to give as though it was natural as breathing.  Chosen people come to church not to get but to minister.  They are not religious consumers or people looking for entertainment at church.  Chosen people know the esteem of being loved by God as being sufficient to everything in their lives.  I feel sorry for people who cannot know the experience of being chosen in the way of knowing God's love, even as I know that I can't make it happen for them.

Many are called but few are chosen.  This is the harsh reality of life.  And we do well to ask ourselves if we are chosen?  Am I chosen?  Do I live my life as though I am chosen?  Am I playing a religious game for appearances to seem chosen?  Am I keeping involved in religion as I wait to be surprised to be chosen by God.  Lots of people who don't experience being chosen, graduate from religious practice because it was just something to have on the resume of appearances.  It is something to have as part of the village to raise one’s children and to move on from.

So welcome to the harsh reality of the parable of Jesus.  If one can avoid God, then go ahead and do so.  If lots of things are more desirable than God then go ahead and follow them; if they can be idols, golden calves, in the place of God, then let them be so.  If generosity is not joyful, cheerful or fun, don't do it.  Don't play at religion.  Don't throw a pittance at God or religion as false guilt of not really being engaged by the reality of God.  The only thing that I would say about being chosen is to keep the future open.  The future can bring the failure of idols when addictions set in.  When selfishness reaches the point of destructive excess, people may be open to being chosen.

People can have the experience of being chosen and lose it if it is not practiced.  Being chosen is not a onetime event.  Being chosen can still be a future experience for each of us.

The parable of Jesus today invites us to consider the harsh reality of coming to the place of being chosen.  And the Gospel for each of us today, is that we might come more fully into the reality of being chosen.  Amen.