Phil (w)Rite

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Aphorism of the Day, February 2026

Aphorism of the Day, February 14, 2026

One of the functions of religion and art is to express deep and varied enchantment with the experience of mere life itself.

Aphorism of the Day, February 13, 2026

The is expressed as a , or as things seem to the eyes of the perceiver. The sun seems to rise and set in the eyes of the perceiver and so it seems perceptually true. Perceptual seeming truths co-exist today in our expressions with scientific truths. We still say the sun rises and sets even on scientific weather reporting sites, thus instantiating the language traditions of perceptual truths continuing even while scientific truth falsify such statements.

Aphorism of the Day, February 12, 2026

At some point, the interior life comes to be signified with the symbols of language from the . The mystery of the interior is that it is the of a new born baby, which becomes coded within a cultural/family context so that the mystery of what has no language grows language ability after being imprinted by exterior language users mentoring. Interior events are then given meaning and religious events attain the designation of being "sublime" and so mark the hierarchic superior valuing place in human experience even to name the greatest Container as God that which none none greater can be conceived.

Aphorism of the Day, February 11, 2026

Much of pre-modern thinking includes the naive assumption of words being exempt from interpretation in their original textual composition event as well as their having self-evidential meaning for their readers. Some today assume that biblical words were pristinely delivered words into human contexts free from human mediated and interpreted articulation and also having self evidential and final absolute meanings. Such view is an administrative projection for establishing authority by being able to project "our understanding" as the correct and God-given one.

Aphorism of the Day, February 10, 2026

are narrative learning, a form of indirect learning, and it is participatory learning since it forces interaction of the readers' language base with the presented language of the story. Such learning is not very precise since it can be as varied as the number of readers/participants. The so called precision only happens when a story is converted to within a community which decides to enforce an interpretation regarding a presented story item in the life of Jesus.

Aphorism of the Day, February 9, 2026

does not have an account of the , but one of the metaphors in John's Gospel is . One can find a contrast of writing styles between using a narrative account and a metaphorical tautology (Christ is the Light of the World) to proclaim and teach Jesus as one who enlightens through bringing insights to launch a new movement in human history.

Aphorism of the Day, February 8, 2026

Using as language users without choice, one can see oneself as a singular being who is becoming in time and retaining would we might call a continuous "same" identity even though this "same" begin is continuously different in each occasion of aging. We have visual and social markers of continuing identity but which can be doubted except when is seen as a more infallible marker of same identity over time. But as a being we are also a community of participating beings in the atoms and cells which comprise us. These other beings are important because if enough of these participating cells die, they are so crucial to the whole, that the whole can experience demise. In a similar way we project a great expanding Container, a Being of beings, all of which are becoming in time. This great Container is unlike lesser beings because the great Being even in the Self-surpassing Becoming, has no significant rival.

Aphorism of the Day, February 7, 2026

In the communion of the parts which make up the "one" person, a few dysfunctional parts can do in the whole, i.e., an appendix as its own communion of cells can cause the death of the whole "one" person. When it comes to the expanding ONE WHOLE CONTAINER of all beings, we assume the relative dysfunctions happening within localized parts, even if perceived as widespread, cannot cause the demise of the ONE WHOLE expanding CONTAINER. As to whether language using conscious beings can all reach an end within this great CONTAINER, we do not, and will not ever know.

Aphorism of the Day, February 6, 2026

A person claims to be one being, but such one being is really a communion of many parts which each have their own oneness of being. The transformation of enough of those parts in the community of beings which make up the person can lead to the demise of the entire person. For those who accept the One non-dual Container of All which has a related presence within each of the All, the One non-dual Container of All is but a community of many ones.

Aphorism of the Day, February 5, 2026

Meditation and contemplation are attempts to live completely in one's own interior "private" space which is falsified by the fact that one's interior is contained by the ALL.

Aphorism of the Day, February 4, 2026

Before the , each person has their own memory base of words and constellations of words to draw from in speaking and writing new syntheses in their "new" language products, many of which turn out to be but the rote mimicry of cultural cliches. Memory base of words are often random and intermittent is the conscious retrieval process because a person cannot have the "machine like" efficiency of the retrieval algorithms of AI. wrote drawing from the storage of words in their own memory base to create synthetic products in words for their writing situation. is evidence of community writing because it represents something like a growing baton passed on in the human relay as each recipient of the baton adds to it in his or her leg of the race in a new time and place until a particular canonical mechanism is responsible for saying that the race is over. But it really isn't over because the continual presence of writerly readers(qua ) continue to add to the biblical traditions.

Aphorism of the Day, February 3, 2026

The and the may be at odds. The Matthean Jesus requires the fulfillment of ever jot and tittle of the Law, whereas to dietary requirements and circumcision, says persons are exempt. The resolution is by having two "classes" of Christians or life style tracks, Jews who follow Jesus and practice ritual adherence, and Gentiles who follow Jesus and are exempt from Jewish ritual adherence.

Aphorism of the Day, February 2, 2026

The mystery of events of elation and happiness sometimes are mostly unknown. One can seek endless explanations and interpretation including the just the right physiological and body chemistry balance or of fortuitous events, but lots of events of happiness will probably remain mysteriously random.

Aphorism of the Day, February 1, 2026

Time means that what we call the for verb should actually be articulated or understood as the continuous present tense. We posit a present tense because by attaching words to time we wrongly assume that we can make something "static." The present tense as "static" is but an abstracted word which pretends to "freeze frame" time.

Quiz of the Day, February 2026

Quiz of the Day, February 14, 2026

Russian text is named after a missionary partner of this saint?

a. Anskar

b. Boniface

c. Methodius

d. Vladimir

Quiz of the Day, February 13, 2026

Which is true about biblical "eugenics?"

a. Jacob married a Hittite woman

b. Moses married an Egyptian woman

c. Jacob married two of his first cousins

d. We don't know if Seth and Cain married their sisters

Quiz of the Day, February 12, 2026

The antipathy between and was about

a. Rachel preference of Jacob over Esau

b. Isaac preference of Esau over Jacob

c. control of the land of Edom

d. getting the preferred family birthright blessing

Quiz of the Day, February 11, 2026

Greek ego eimi phrases would be found where in the Bible?

a. Genesis

b. Matthew

Quiz of the Day, February 10, 2026

What biblical person could have had the nickname of "Red?"

a. Joseph

c Esau

d.Jonathan

Quiz of the Day, February 9, 2026

Of the following, who is not a biblical twin?

a. Jacob

b. Esau

c. Thomas

d. Perez

e. Miriam

Quiz of the Day, February 8, 2026

was

a. 's brother

b. Bethuel's son

c. Jacob's father in law

d. Leah's father

e. Rachel's father

f. a bride switcher

g. all the above

Quiz of the Day, February 7, 2026

Biblical "proof" for the doctrine of transubstantiation would come from which New Testament books?

a. The Gospels and 1 Corinthians

b. The Gospels and Titus

c. The Gospels and Galatians

d. John and 1 Corinthians

Quiz of the Day, February 6, 2026

Which of the following Jewish feasts is not mentioned in Gospels?

b. Booth

c. Dedication (Hanukkah)

d. Purim

Quiz of the Day, February 5, 2026

Which of the following is associated with being a family burial place?

a. Hebron

b. Bethel

c. Machpelah

d. Gehenna

Quiz of the Day, February 4, 2026

Who described the divine request to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as the "teleological suspension of the ethical?"

a. Hegel

b. Nietzsche

d. Kant

e. Hume

Quiz of the Day, February 3, 2026

Of the following, who did not have specific covenant with God?

a. Abraham

c. Ishmael

Quiz of the Day, February 2, 2026

What didn't happen at the presentation of ?

a. Anna prophesied

b. Simeon sang

c. Mary fulfilled her purification ritual

d. Jesus was washed/cleansed

e. Jesus was offered as first born male on 40th day

Quiz of the Day, February 1, 2026

What was the reason given in for the destruction of ?
a. Lot's sin
b. the wickedness of the cities
c. the homosexual behaviors
d. the failure of

Thursday, February 12, 2026

The Transfiguration and Christo-centric Mystagogy

Last Epiphany A February 15, 2026
Ex.24:12,15-18, Ps.99
2 Peter 1:16-21 Matt. 17:1-9

Lectionary Link

How has humanity come to derive from the white noise experience of the pre-linguistic inner consciousness to come to express our highest values? How have we known concurrent inward and outer events of human experience as being sublime to the degree of being able to establish the highest values which become lures for people to work to transform, even transfigure their lives in excellence?

The event of the Transfiguration, which we observe today on the Last Sunday of the Season of the Light of Christ, the Season of the Epiphany is found recorded in the synoptic Gospels. It is not recorded in the Gospel of John, however, Jesus as the Light of the World is a prominent metaphor in the fourth Gospel.

The event of the Transfiguration is a visionary event of a person and it was memorable enough not to be kept as a private experience; it was given descriptive language so that it could have a public audience for the purposes of establishing Jesus Christ as a high water mark in human excellent, so excellent that only the language of divinity could be used to single out his uniqueness in contrast to the rest of the children of Adam and Eve.

Visions consists of the similar matter of dreams; they defy the logical and regular seeing and hearing that we assume in everyday life.

What unique features are involved in the writing of the visionary experience of the Transfiguration, the Greek word being the same from which we derive the word metamorphosis. Such a word would imply the appearance or the perception of a phase of how the Christ was, is, and will be. If an egg to butterfly cycle is repetitive; the birth of Jesus to the resurrection of Christ would parallel the spiritual cycle of perceived identities with Jesus in a spiritual process of continuous metamorphosis. In St. Paul's mystical cycles of identity with Jesus Christ, he could say that Christ was born in him, he could say that he was crucified with Christ, that Christ was tempted as he was tempted, that Jesus suffered and was persecuted as Paul suffered and was persecuted, that Paul was raised with Christ in his resurrection, and that Paul had ascended with Christ to sit with him in heavenly places. In short, the mystagogy of the early Pauline churches was to find identity in the cycles of the phases of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel writers placed these phases into narrative form for mystagogical formation, or the intentional path of spiritual metamorphosis of being continually renewed and remade as a result of participating in the Spirit at work as illuminated by the phases of the life of Jesus of Nazareth through the Christ ascended and seated at the right hand of God the Father. Indeed, this is the poetry of the mystagogy.

The visionary event of the Transfiguration as it came to language was an attempt to show that the eventual resurrected and ascended Christ was already present within Jesus in the experience of the Transfiguration.

The language of the Transfiguration functions to proclaim the unique greatness of Jesus as someone who was not just a child of humanity, Son of Adam and Eve, but as a Uniquely identified and realized Child of God.

What are the elements of the Transfiguration? There is the functional use of mountain and elevation as signifying "nearer to God experiences." Mountains reach into the sky and are the highest projection points into the heavens, thus they are used in language to articulate in a comparative way the closest to the divine in human experience. In the event of the Transfiguration, Jesus and his "inner circle disciples" retrace the spiritual journey which Moses took for his theophany on Mt. Sinai to receive the law and they retrace the climbs of Elijah for this fire from heaven event and still small voice events.

The Mount of the Transfiguration is said to be enveloped in clouds or perhaps fog. Clouds and fog mean that human sight is limited; we cannot know everything in the vast mystery of God so that in our experience our sight is veiled or clouded. The question is whether we can see things about God adequately amid the mystery of God's greatness. The Gospel imply that we can see things adequately even within our obvious human limitations.

Within the mystery of the overwhelming greatness of God, there still is light that shines and language which declares a revealed heaven to earth supreme value. The light is found exuding from the face of Jesus signifying how he stands out among the disciples and the two apparitional figures of Moses and Elijah. Moses face once was said to shine, but now it is the face of Jesus which shines. The nervous speaking of Peter who wants to build shrines for permanent communion locations for heavenly convocations is interrupted by the Big Voice. The Big Voice is God the Father, and the words identify the owner of the voice. The Voice declare Jesus as the Beloved Son, and gives a command to the disciples: "Listen to him, " meaning that Jesus is a speaker who has a message; he is Christ the Eternal Word who is an indication that Jesus is the bi-lingual being of humanity and divinity who can translate the divine values into human terms.

The Transfiguration event also can seem to have the elements of what we might call a séance, since the long departed figures of Moses and Elijah are present, and though having died still are able to be alive and present in dream like fashion. Why was there such a séance? What is the visionary purpose of presenting this? Also, why was David missing? Since David is the chief model for messianism, it would seem logical that he would be present. It may be that Jesus being in the lineage of David is presented as representing the Davidic line himself. Moses and Elijah are in religious culture of the time chief representatives of the Law and the Prophets as found in two of the important sections of the Hebrew Scripture. Even though Moses and Elijah do not speak on the Mount of the Transfiguration, their mere presence is a testimonial affirmation that Jesus Christ is their logical successor. And if Moses and Elijah gathered communities people who followed God, Peter, James, and John could represent a new community of those who were in continuity with the faithful followers of God who were recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The record in the Gospel of the Transfiguration is full of symbolic meaning, but for us today it is a message to us that we can spiritually interpret our life experiences as being in continual identity phases with the life of Jesus Christ.

He is born in us after being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Like the virtually unknown youthful Jesus, the life of Christ has some gradual development in obscurity. But we have revelatory moments in knowing his words as spirit and life. We have our times of temptation like he had. We have the death events in identity with his dying in dying to our selfish selves so that we might be living sacrifices in service of others with love and justice. We have identity with his resurrection in what we might call our own intuition of personal immortality even to believe in afterlife continuity of our personal identity somehow, someway. If Moses and Elijah has recognizable re-appearances, so too might we have re-constituted re-appearances in a dream world of a higher substantiality than even our impermanent physical life.

So, the event of the Transfiguration is the mystagogy of spiritual metamorphosis into which we have been given an orientation. In this mystagogy we have committed ourselves to live in identity with the phases of the life of Jesus Christ as they become individualized and personalized within our own lives in our own life settings.

Today, we say, "Get with the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory." And hang onto the identity with Christ as we cycle through the phases of our own spiritual metamorphoses. Amen.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Sunday School, February 15, 2026 Last Sunday after the Epiphany A

Theme

Comparing the Giving of the Law of Moses to Jesus

How did Israel receive the Law? Moses went up on Mount Sinai

What was Mount Sinai life when he went there to receive the law? It was cloudy and had the fiery light of God’s presence.

What happened to Moses face after he received the law on the mountain? His face was shiny bright. In fact, it was so shiny that he had to put a veil on his face to keep from blinding the people of Israel.

Mount of the Transfiguration

Who was on the Mount of Transfiguration? Peter, James, John, Jesus and Moses and Elijah appeared too. And the voice of God was heard.

What was the Mountain top experience like? It was covered with clouds. It had a bright light which was the shiny face of Jesus.

What happened there? Jesus was talking with Elijah and Moses. Peter was nervous and he wanted to build three tents,booth as worship shrines for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.

What was the most important event on the Mountain? The voice of God announced that Jesus was God’s Son and that God was pleased with Jesus and the Voice told everyone to listen to Jesus.

What is the meaning of the events of the Mount of Transfiguration?

Peter, James and John who were Jews were to understand that Jesus was a friend of two of the greatest Jewish heroes, Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah had returned to endorse Jesus as their friend and leader. And the voice of God announced the most important identity of Jesus to be that He was God’s Son.

How can I understand the meaning of transfiguration?

Transfiguration is the word metamorphosis and this refers to the natural process of the cycles of growth in life. Our lives are in the process of metamorphosis like the larva, caterpillar, and cocoon waiting to become butterflies. There is a butterfly “spirit” within us that is waiting to break out of us in our resurrection from the dead. Until then we are being transformed or changed into becoming more like Jesus, who has also called us to be beloved sons and daughters of God. We have God’s Spirit within us a wonderful Light that helps to change or transform our lives to be more like Jesus.

The story of Jesus tells us that Jesus was God’s special Son and that the Light of the Holy Spirit was in Him. It also means that we are invited to let the light of the Holy Spirit rise in us to change ourselves to be like our Brother Jesus, who reminds us that we are beloved sons and daughters of God. And we can know that God loves us and is pleased with us too.

Sermon

Today is the last Sunday of the season of the Epiphany. Can you tell me what the color is for Epiphany? Green. How did you guess? And what season comes next? The season of Lent. And what day does it begin on? Ash Wednesday. And why do we call it Ash Wednesday? We do some face painting on Ash Wednesday. We draw a black cross on our foreheads to remind ourselves about the parts of our selves that last forever and the parts of our selves that wear out. Do your clothes wear out? Do your shoes wear out? Do cars get old? Do our bodies wear out? Our bodies do wear and someday they will just stop working. And if we wait long enough, they will turn back into dust. And so on Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent by reminding ourselves that part of our life is going to wear out.

But you know we have another part of our self that is never going to wear out. And that part of our self is what we call “Spirit.” Our spirit is the part of us that will live forever.

Our spirit is all of that stuff inside of our bodies that we cannot see. Our spirit is like the light in the light bulb. On the outside a light bulb is just a piece of glass. But when you turn the light bulb on it becomes warm and bright.

You and I have to learn how live our lives like a light bulb that is always turned. We have to learn to make our spirits light up our bodies? How do we do this? We can do this in many ways. With curiosity. With learning new things. With laughter. With wonder and surprise and excitement. With kindness and love and care. In many ways we can make the life of our bodies shine with the life of our spirit.

Today we read a story about Jesus when his face shone like a very bright light. You see, Jesus had such a strong and wonderful Spirit, he was able to make his face shine when his friends saw him in a very special way. Jesus was a very special friend. His friends called him the Light of the world, because he helped them to learn and live their lives better. We need to follow Jesus and learn how to be lights in this world for each other. We need to learn how to make our spirits so strong and so full of knowledge and love and kindness that we become lights in our world for the people in our world.

Can you learn how to shine like a light today? Okay let’s turn on our lights…now. Amen.

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 15, 2026: The Last Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs: I’ll Be a Sunbeam; This Little Light, Climb Climb Up Sunshine Mountain, Shine, Jesus, Shine,

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: I’ll Be a Sunbeam (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 112)

1-Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for him each day; in every way try to please him, at home, at school, at place. Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

4-I’ll be a sunbeam for Jesus, I can if I but try; serving him moment by moment, then live with him on high. Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

Liturgist: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist: Let us pray

O God, who before the passion of your only begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; 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 Book of Exodus

Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God

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.

Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People: And also with you.

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

Song: This Little Light of Mine (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 234)

1-This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

2-Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

3-Don’t let anyone, blow it out. I’m going to let it shine. Don’t let anyone blow it out. I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

4-Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine. Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

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 God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

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: Climb Up Sunshine Mountain, (The Christian’s Children Song Book # 1)

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, heavenly breezes blow,

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, faces all aglow.

Turn, turn from sin and doubting, look to God on high;

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, you and I.

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: Shine, Jesus Shine (Renew! # 247)

Lord the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining. Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us. Set us free by the truth you now bring us. Shine on me. Shine on me.

Refrain: Shine Jesus Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory. Blaze, Spirit, blaze set our hearts on fire. Flow, rivers, flow, fill the nations with thy grace and mercy. Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.

Dismissal:

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

People: Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The removal of “alleluia” until Easter

Announcements, Snack and Fellowship