EEK! Essential Episcopal Knowledge 601-700

EEK! Essential Episcopal Knowledge  601-700

601-Who is Habakkuk?
A: he is a prophet with a book in the Bible of the same name.  In his writing he warns about the invasion of Israel by the Chaldeans.

602-What is a Habit?
A: Habit is the name for the Religious dress or uniform of those in religious orders.  Monks and nuns wear "Habits"

603-Who was Haggai?
A: He was a prophet with a book in the Bible of the same name.  He wrote during the reign of the Persian King Darius and he wrote to governors in Judah who were supposed to rebuild the Temple.

604-What is the writing called Hagiography?
A:  It is writings about the lives of the famous saints.

605-What is a Hair-Shirt?
A: It is a shirt woven from animal hair and was worn as a humble garment of discipline by penitents and members of religious orders

606-What is a Halo?
A: It is a circle, disc or aura of light around the head of person signifying their holiness or importance.  It was used in Christian art and perhaps was adopted from the Hellenistic period to represent Greek gods and goddesses and other semi-divine figures.

607-What was the Hampton Court Conference?
A: A meeting in 1604 between King James I and the Puritans who wanted reforms in the Church of England.  Results: Slight changes in the Book of Common Prayer and the agreement to issue a new English translation of the Bible, the one issued in 1611 called the King James Version.

608-Why is George Frederick Handel important?
A: He was a composer from Saxony who settled in England and wrote some of the most popular religious music composition, including the oratorio, "The Messiah" in 1741, performed for King George.

609-What is the significance of the Imposition of Hands?
A: It is the liturgical gesture of the laying on of hands and it occurs in the prayer for the sick and in the ordination of priests and bishops.  It also used in Confirmation and Reconciliation of a Penitent as well as the Blessing of a Marriage.

610-What is the Harrowing of Hell?
A: it is the old name of the descent of Christ to hell when he died on Cross where he defeated the power of evil

611-What is the meaning of the heart?
A: Heart in  biblical psychology is the center of the human person and is responsible for motives.  It is the spiritual center of a person which becomes the dwelling place of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

612-What is the meaning of heaven?
A: In the Bible the word heaven can mean both the physical and visible sky as well as the mysterious place where God lives.  It is the place where Christ ascended to.  It becomes more conceivable as "inner space" after the geocentric version of the world was disproved.

613-Why is the Hebrew language important in biblical studies?
A: The Old Testament is the Hebrew Scriptures which were written in the Semitic language, Hebrew.  Hebrew is both a sacred language and a liturgical language for the Jews. 

614-Who are the Hebrew people?
A: Hebrew people refers to the ancestors of the sons of Jacob, the Israelites.  It refers to ancestors of the Jews during the time of the Patriarch Abraham.  Sometimes Hebrew and Jewish are used to mean the same.

615-What is the Epistle to the Hebrews?
A: It is a letter in the New Testament which has been included among St. Paul's letter, but was not written by him.  The writer takes themes from the Hebrew Scriptures and reinterprets them using Christ as the initiator of a new covenant with God's people

616-What is the importance of Hebron?
A: It is the burial place of Abraham.

617-Who was St. Helena?
A: She was the mother of the Emperor Constantine.  She was responsible for the building of churches on holy sites in Jerusalem and is associated with the finding of piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

618-Who was George Herbert?
A- he was a poet and priest who died in the 17th century and is known for his presentation of the life and piety of a parish priest.  He wrote, "The Country Parson."

619-What is the meaning of heresy?
A: It is the open denial and doubt of any defined doctrine of the Catholic faith.  It has been applied by church leaders to describe people who have adopted theological errors.  One who embraces heresy was called a "heretic" and heretics were often punished or killed.

620-What does hermeneutics mean?
A:  It is the science of the interpretation of the Bible

621-What is a hermit?
A: Hermit comes from the Greek word for desert.  A hermit is monk or nun who goes somewhere to live alone to pray.  A hermitage is a place where a hermit lives.

622-Who was King Herod the Great?
A:  he was appointed King of the Jews by the Romans in the year 40 BCE.   He ruled at the time of the birth of Christ and his kingdom became divided between his sons, Philip, Archelaus and Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist.

623-What does hierarchy mean?
A: It refers to the ordained ministers of the Church.  The ordained ministry includes the hierarchy of Bishops, Priests and Deacons.

624-What is a High Altar?
A: It is the main altar of a church since churches came to have many side altars or altars in adjacent chapels.

625-What does "High Church" means?
A: In the Anglican and Episcopal Church, it means that one adopts rituals, disciplines and theology that are more often associated with the Roman Catholic Church.  "High" refers to a "high" conception of church authority more like is found in the papal model.

626-What is a "High Mass?"
A: It is a very festal celebration of Holy Eucharist and is appropriate to the Major Feasts of our Lord.  It is also called a Solemn High Mass, and is more common term used for Christians who embrace "High Church" practices.

627-What is a High Priest?
A: In the Bible Aaron was the first High Priest.  It later became an lifetime position and hereditary.  In the Gospels, Annas and Caiphas are listed as those who presided during the time of the trials of Jesus.

628-Why is Hilda the Abbess important in English Church history?
A: In 664 she hosted the Synod of Whitby at her convent.  At this Synod the Celtic Church gave up their customs to comply with the customs of the Roman Catholic Church.


629-Who was Hillel?
A: He was an influential rabbi during the time of Jesus who founded a school of rabbinical thought.  Sometimes Jewish student centers on University campuses are called Hillel Houses.

630-What is the Code of Holiness?
A: They are a collection Mosaic laws found in the book of Leviticus.

631-Who in the church is addressed as "His Holiness?"
A: This has become since the 14th century an exclusive title for the Pope.

632-What city is called "The Holy City?"
A: Jerusalem

633-Who are the members of the Holy Family?
A: The Infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph

634-When people refer to the "Holy Father," who are they referring to?
A: The Pope

635-Who is the Holy Ghost?
A: The Holy Spirit using an older English word for Spirit

636-What does the Holy Innocents refer to?
A:  It refers to the children who were ordered to be killed by King Herod after the magi told him about the birth of Jesus as perhaps a rival King..  The feast of the Holy Innocents is commemorated on December 28th.

637-What is the Holy Land?
A:  It refers to Palestine, the place of the great events in the life of Jesus.  It has been called this since the Middle Ages.

638-What is the Holy Roman Empire?
A: It refers to the Empire of the West which began with the coronation of Charlemagne in the year 800 and brought to an end by Napoleon in 1806.

639-What is Holy Saturday?
A: It is the day before Easter or Easter Even.  It commemorates the time when Jesus is still in the tomb.

640-What is the Holy See?
A:  It is the See or official seat of the bishop of Rome and refers to the papacy.

641-What is the Holy Sepulchre?
A: The site of the place where Jesus was buried and "discovered " by St. Helena who built a church there.  It is a place where Holy Week rites of different churches are observed.

642-Who is the Holy Spirit?
A: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, also call the Holy Comforter.  The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church is celebrated on the feast of Pentecost or fifty days after Easter and after the Ascension of Christ, when Christ sent the Spirit to the Church as evidence of the continuing presence of God in the Church.  The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of God who moved over the face of the deep in the creation story.

643-What is Holy Water?
A: Holy water is water blessed by a priest for Holy Baptism or to be used in other rites of blessing within the church.  Holy Water fonts are often found at the entrance of a church for members to dip their finger and place on their foreheads as a remembrance of the waters of baptism by which they were made children of God.

644-What is a Homily?
A: A homily is another name for a sermon; often meaning a "shorter" sermon given by a preacher.

645-What is homiletics?
A: Homiletics is the study and teaching of effective methods for preaching.

646-Why is Richard Hooker important in Anglicanism?
A: He is a 16th century English Theologian who presented the best case for the authority and purpose of the Church of England as established in the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559.

647-What is the meaning of Hope?
A: It is one of the theological virtues, a desire for future good which is not yet actual in one's life.

648-What is the meaning of the word Hosanna?
A: It is a request in prayer from the Hebrew which means, "Save us!"  It is the cry used by the multitude at the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem while riding a donkey.  It is used in the Holy, Holy, Holy hymn during the Eucharist in the phrase, "Hosanna in the highest."

649-What are the Canonical Hours?
A:  They are the hours of daily prayer for the monastic communities.  In Latin: Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.

650-Who were the Huguenots?
A:  They were French Protestants from the 16th century who were often persecuted and even massacred.

651-Who was John Huss?
A:  He was a Bohemian reformer who lived from 1369-1415.  He was excommunicated by the Pope.  He is a national hero of the Czech people.

652-What is a hymn?
A: It is sacred poetry set to music and used in the liturgy of the church.  Hymn books are companion books to the Book of Common Prayer.

653-Who was Ichabod?
A: He was the grandson of the priest Eli and his father was a corrupt priest.  His name means, "the glory has departed" ans describes what befell the priestly family before Samuel rose to be the Judge of Israel

654-What is the iconoclastic controversy?
A:  It is the controversy in the Greek Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th century regarding the veneration of the sacred and holy paintings, the icons.  The Iconoclasts opposed the veneration of the icons.

655-What is Christian iconography?
A: In general it refers to the pictorial or symbolic representation of Christian ideas or persons.  It can refer more specifically to the sacred artistic painting known as "icons," the veneration of which is a devotional practice in various Orthodox Churches.

656-What is an Iconostasis?
A:  It is a screen of icons which divide the sanctuary of an Orthodox Church from the Nave

657-Why is Ignatius of Loyola well known as a saint?
A: He is the founder of the Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus.  The Jesuits in the United States are known for their secondary education institutions as well as their colleges and universities.

658-What does the IHS stand for in Christian symbols?
A: It is an abbreviation for the name of Jesus meaning, Jesus, Savior of Men.  'Iesus Hominum Salvator.'

659-Who wrote the Christian devotional Classic, "The Imitation of Christ?"
A: Thomas a Kempis in the 15th century.

660-What does immersion mean in the practice of baptism?
A: It is submersion of a baptismal candidate's entire body in water during baptism.  The Greek word for baptism means "to immerse."  Immersion is practiced by various Christians, but particularly the Baptists.

661-What does immortality mean?
A: It refers to the continuation of another quality of life after one dies.  The Christian belief in the resurrection of the body is a belief in the reconstituting of the whole person.  Reincarnation is the way other religions conceive of life after life.

662-What does incarnation mean?
A: Incarnation refers to the Christian belief that Christ as the Word of God was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.  Incarnation means, "made flesh" but refers to the belief that God became human.

663-Why is incense used in the church?
A: Incense was used in the worship of the Jewish Temple but its use in the church may have derived from the custom of incense being carried before Roman officials.  Incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints rising to God and is used at various places in the liturgies of the church.  Sometimes incense is associated with High Church ritual practice.

664-What is the name of the incense burning vessel?
A:  Thurible

665-What does one call the person who carries a thurible?
A:  Thurifer

666-What is an indulgence?
A:  It is the forgiving by a Church leader of an imposed penalty for a sin.  The Reformation was partially due to the practice of the "selling" of indulgences by clergy of the church.

667-What does Infallibility mean?
A:  It was a declaration in 1870 by the Roman Catholic Church regarding the definition of the Pope as being without error in his declarations on matters of faith and morals

668-What is Infant Baptism?
A: It is the practice of baptizing babies and young children.  Some Christian churches believe that baptism can only be done if a person is of age to choose to be baptized.  The Episcopal Church allows the practice of  Infant Baptism.

669-What is an infidel?
A: An infidel was a pejorative title for one who did not profess any belief in the Christian faith.  It was more common when Christians did not respect persons who were not members of their own faith communities.  Infidel could mean anyone who was non-Christian.

670-What does Inquisition mean?
A: It refers to the official effort of the church to punish members who disobey church laws and express disagreement with the church's doctrine.  The Inquisitions have a cruel history and they have come to be regarded as the corruption of a church which did not permit diversity.

670-What is I.N.R.I.?
A:  It is the letter abbreviations of the inscription on the cross of Jesus for the Latin words meaning, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

671-What is the liturgical event of an installation?
A:  it is when a clergy is formally made the Dean of a Cathedral or a priest is made the head of a parish.  The Celebration of a New Ministry is the name of the liturgy for such occasions.

672-What are the Words of Institution?
A: They are words, "This is my body...This is my blood"  in the Eucharistic prayer.

673-What does Intercession mean or intercessory?
A: It is the kinds of prayer offered when praying for others in need.

674-What is Intinction?
A: Intinction is the dipping of the communion bread into the chalice instead of drinking from the chalice.

675-What in an Introit?
A: It is music or an act of worship before the liturgy begins.  It may be done in place of a prelude or follow a prelude.

676-Who is Isaac?
A:  He is a Patriarch of the Old Testament, son of Abraham and Sarah, husband of Rebekah and Father of Jacob and Esau.  He was born to Abraham and Sarah late in their lives.

677-Who is Isaiah?
A:  He was a prophet who had a vision and calling from God.  His writings are found in the Book of Isaiah and include many of the ideas which formed the Christian notion of the Messiah.

678-What is Israel?
A: Israel was the new name given to Jacob when he wrestled an angel.  The sons of Jacob became the tribes of Israel.  Israel became the name of the Promised Land which the tribes of Israel inhabited.  Israel became divided into two kingdoms, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

679-Who was Jairus?
A: He was the ruler of the synagogue whose child was healed by Jesus.

680-Who are the three saints named James?
A: James, the brother of John and son of Zebedee and one of the twelve, James the son of Alphaeus and one of the twelve, and James, brother of Jesus who was a leader in the early church in Jerusalem.

681-What is the letter of James?
A: It is a general epistle and gives practical advice about living without hypocrisy.  "Faith without works is dead," is one of the well known teachings of the Epistle of James.

682-What does Jehovah mean?
A: It was how the Hebrew name for God was translated into European languages.  Today scholars use "Yahweh" as being closer to the pronunciation of the Hebrew name but the Jews out of respect for the holy name of God do not pronounce the Hebrew name of God as Yahweh.  They use the name Adonai instead.  Many Christian hymns used the word Jehovah as the name of God.

683-Whho was the prophet Jeremiah?
A:  He was a prophet from near Jerusalem in the 7th cent. B.C.  He prophesied about the destruction of the temple and angered the king.  He writes with passion and love about the destruction of Jerusalem.  His writings can be found in Jeremiah and Lamentations.

684-Who was St. Jerome and what is he best known for?
A: He was a Biblical scholar from the fifth century who translated the Bible from the original biblical languages into Latin.  This edition of the Bible is called the Vulgate.

685-Why is Jerusalem important?
A:  It is a special and holy city for three religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  It is also known as the City of David when it became his fortress.  Solomon built the temple there on the place which Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac.  It is perhaps the most loved and fought over city in the history of the world.  Jerusalem was the place of the most important events in the life of Jesus, his ministry, trial, death and resurrection.

686-Who is the prophet Joel?
A:  he is a prophet who wrote about a plague of locusts and who speaks of a time when the Spirit will be poured out on all flesh.  Joel is quoted in Acts to explain the day of Pentecost.

687-Who is St. John?
A:  John is the Apostles who was the brother of James, son of Zebedee.  He is associated with the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation.  The Gospel of John and the Epistles of John may have come from a community of this person referred to as the Beloved Disciple.  Because of the different quality and style of Greek writing, many scholars do not believe that the Book of Revelation was written by the same authors within the community of the Beloved Disciple who wrote the Gospel of John.

688-Who was John the Baptist?
A:  John the Baptist was desert man prophet and reformer of Judaism who preached a message of repentance.  He required that people be baptized in the Jordan River as proof of their commitment to this path of repentance.  Jesus was related to John the Baptist through Mary his mother, and he was baptized by John before beginning his ministry.  Many followers of John the Baptist became followers of Jesus.  John was beheaded by King Herod.

689-Who is St. John of the Cross?
A: Juan de la Cruz was the of the Discalced Carmelites in Spain in the 16th century.  He wrote spiritual works entitled "The Ascent of Mount Carmel," and "The Dark Night of the Soul."

690-Where is the Jordan River?
A: The Jordan River flows through the middle of Palestine.  It was the place of the last crossing into the Promised Land for Israel.  John the Baptist preached near the Jordan and baptized his followers in it.

691-Who is Joseph of Arimathea?
A:  He is the man who requested the body of Jesus from Pilate and provided his own tomb for the entombment of the body of Jesus.

692-Who is Joshua?
A: Joshua is the leader who succeeded Moses and led the people of Israel into the Promised Land.  The book of Joshua traces the history of Israel after Moses died.

693-What does Jubilate means?
A:  It is Latin and means "O Be Joyful" and is the opening words of Psalm 100.  It is used as a Canticle for Morning Prayer and is often sung.

694-Where is Judaea?
A:It is name for the southern part of Palestine used after the return from the Babylonian exile.  It is the location of Jerusalem and the  place of some of the ministry of Jesus.

695-What is the Tribe of Judah?
A: Judah was a son of Jacob and he became the head of the tribe of his name.  His tribe became strong in the time of David and with the tribe of Benjamin became a separated kingdom from the 10 other tribes of Israel.

696-What is Judaism?
A: Judaism is the faith and practice of the Jewish people.  Judaism was the faith community of Jesus of Nazareth and he believed that he offered reform to the practices of the Jews in Palestine.

697-Who was Judas Iscariot?
A:  Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.  He made a secret agreement with the Jewish authorities to identify Jesus for the arresting soldiers.  He identified Jesus by kissing him.  He later killed himself.  He was replaced by Matthias in the group of twelve disciples.

698-What is the Book of Jude?
A: It is a small book, next to last in the New Testament.  It issues a warning against those who have false teachings.  Since the book of Jude is so small, Jude is regarded to be the Saint of lost causes.

699-What is the book of Judges?
A: The book of Judges is the 7th book of the Bible.  it is a history book which covers events from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy in Israel during the period when Judges were the leaders of Israel.

700-What does the word Kerygma mean?
A: It is the Greek word for preaching.  Preaching was the proclamation of the Gospel.

Service As Meritocracy

21  Pentecost b P.24  October 18, 2015
Job 38:1-7, (34-41) Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45

Lectionary Link 

             I came across this quote from P. J. O’Rourke who once remarked, “Everyone wants to save the planet; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.”   It seems that the typical business plan involves creating thousands of vice presidents positions and middle management positions in the company and pay them lots of money to demand more production from the low wage earners who actually do the work.  And better yet if we can find people in other countries who are willing to work for lower wages.

             I suspect that the early church was like every family and organization; value systems and systems of reward and honor sometimes get skewed.  Washing dishes and fixing meals and cleaning and taking out the trash and taking care of the sick and elderly and teaching children do not always bring public honor even while they have irreplaceable value in maintaining the life of the common good.
           The preachers in the early church believed that they could preach and speak in the name of Christ.  They like St. Paul believed because they had the Holy Spirit, they also had the mind of Christ and so they could channel Christ as an oracle in their preaching and teaching.  They molded the oral traditions of Jesus which had been handed on to them to make application within their communities which grappled with the same issues which all human communities grapple with.  And this is how the quilt work teaching narratives of the Gospels were put together.  If one takes the theology and issues found in the writings of St. Paul and then looks at those issues being interwoven with an oral tradition of Jesus, one can catch a sense of how the Gospels functioned within the early Christian communities.  I say this because the writings of Paul came before the writing of the Gospels.

Often too many people want to be chiefs and bosses, and not enough people want to keep the trains running on time.  Too many people want to be seen as being real important and sometimes we define importance by being seen with the really important people.  In employment we hear the cliché:  It is who you know and not what you know that matters.  One cannot get a position without knowing people who have power to appoint people to a position.

James and John and Peter and the twelve went on to become servants and leaders of the early church.  So how do these leaders teach the members of their communities who are spiritual neophytes?   They use the example of their own past spiritual immaturity to help teach lessons within their communities.

St. James and St. John could say, "People, I remember when we did not fully grasp the purpose and the message of Jesus.  We walked with Jesus and we were excited that we were able to follow him.  We saw all of the wonderful things which Jesus did.  He did everything with such authority and grace and we wanted him to become a earthly King who could appoint us to influential positions within his kingly court.  But that is exactly how the rest of the world thought.  Everyone was looking to move up in life to the next position of power and authority.  When we saw the success of Jesus, we misinterpreted how Jesus planned to be successful.  And so we became like everyone else; we thought about self-promotion.  Yes, we thought of something before the rest of the disciples did; we took Jesus aside and asked if we could sit at seats of honor when he attained glory.  And Jesus said it was not his place to assign seats of glory; such things only happen in the fullness of the mystery of God.  In play of freedom in this world, it will happen that sometimes good things will come our way and sometimes, as taught to us by the life of Job, bad things will come our way.  The freedom of what can happen in this world means that we cannot always choose every situation.  But Jesus taught us something about freedom, he taught us about our own freedom.  He said that we should use our freedom to serve one another.  Jesus washed our feet; he modelled the role of service to show us that true freedom means the power to serve."

         We can understand how the early immaturity of the disciples was used by the church to teach the lesson of service.  If this were not the case, it would seem rather inappropriate simply to remind the church about how immature these famous apostles had once been.
         What does this mean for us today?  It means that service is the best expression of human freedom.  Service does not mean that we all have to be dishwashers all of the time, or even some of the time.  The freedom of service means that we use our personal gifts and ability, to help the common good, rather than use them for simply personal promotion.
         Today, we ask what is needed in our parish community to help us to be the very best Christians possible.  All of the ministries of the church are important.  All of us have been gifted by the Holy Spirit in our baptisms and the secret of the church is the secret of Jesus Christ: Find a way to use our gifts to serve one another.
          May Jesus Christ teach us to use our freedom to serve today.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 18, 2015 21 Pentecost B proper 24

Sunday School, October 18, 2015  21 Pentecost B proper 24

Themes:

God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind and stated the obvious:  “Job, you are not God.  You are not big enough or smart enough to understand everything or why everything happens.”

Discussion:

What do we do when we feel small?

How do we accept the fact that we have limitation?

How do we accept the fact that we cannot know why everything happens?

It should be easy for us to realize that we are small because the world that we live in is so big and great, it overwhelms us with awesomeness.

We want to know that this great big world which can be frightening can also be very friendly to us.  We believe in God because we believe that what is Awesome can also be friendly.

One of the ways in which we don’t handle our smallness is that we want to prove that we are better than other people.  Perhaps if we can make ourselves more important that other people we will not feel so small.

The disciples James and John wanted to have a higher place in the life of Jesus than their friends.  So they asked Jesus if they could be the closest and most important people to him.  Jesus reminded them that this was not the way to become important or to feel important.  The way to become important was to serve and help each other.  Because we are all so small in this Awesome Great World, we need to pull together and help each other.  This is how we can feel good and important.  We can become very important if we help others.

Jesus was called a great High Priest, not because he tried to be great, but because He was God who decided to appear in the small world of men and women as a Person.  As a Person he showed us that the Awesome and Great God is friendly, kind and loving.  Jesus was a Great High Priest, not because he asked to be great but because he was great in serving others.

So how can we handle our sense of being small in this great and awesome world?  We can know that there is a Great and Awesome God who is a Friendly Presence in our World and who gave us Jesus to show us how friendly God is.

We can handle our sense of being small by serving each other through love and kindness.

Sermon on “Me first” or “We first”

The disciples of Jesus were fighting about having the best seats, closest to Jesus.  And were saying, “Me first.”

  Have you ever said, “Me First?”  Do you ever want to have the best seat?  Do you ever want to be the first in line?  Do you ever want to have the biggest piece of cake?  Do you ever want to win the race?  Do you ever want to win all of the games that you play with your friends?  Do you ever want to have more toys than all your friends?

  As little babies we are born in this world saying, “Me first.”  As babies we need to have food and clothes and a house and everything given to us.  As babies we cry when we need things and mom and dad wait on us and give us everything that we need.

  So as babies, we always act like we are saying “me first.”

  So how do we know when we are growing up?  We are growing up when we get taller and stronger, when we learn to walk and talk and go to school.

  But there is another way that we grow up.  It’s when we learn to say, “We first” and not just“me first.”

  It is very hard to change from “me first” to “we first.”  If we have a younger brother or sister, we have to let Mom and Dad share their time with baby brother and sister.  And so we learn how to share.  We learn how to say “we first” not “me first.”

  When we go to school, there may be only two swings on the playground and there may be 20 students.  So one person cannot be on the swing for all of the time.  We have to share the swings so that everyone gets a turn.  We learn to say, “we first, not “me first.”

  Remember if God said, “me first.”  God would not have created this world.

  Remember if parents said, “me first,” they would not ever have children.  Because to have babies and children, a parent cannot say, “me first” but “we first.”

  Jesus tried to teach his disciples a lesson.  He said to live best is to change from “me first” to “we first.”  “We first” means that we learn to share with other people.

  We come each Sunday to this meal the Holy Eucharist to remember that Jesus is teaching us to go from saying, “me first,” to “we first.” Because when we share, we are all first and best together.

  Can you say, “We first?”  I will learn how to share.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 18, 2015: The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: The Lord Is Present, I Got Peace Like a River,  I Love you Lord, Awesome God

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  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: The Lord Is Present  (Renew! # 55)

The Lord is present in his sanctuary, let us praise the Lord.  The Lord is present in his people gathered here, let us praise the Lord.  Praise him, praise him, let us praise the Lord.  Praise him, praise him, let us praise Jesus.

The Lord is present in his sanctuary, let us sing to the Lord.  The Lord is present in his people gathered here, let us sing to the Lord.  Sing to him, sing to him, let us sing to the Lord.  Sing to him, sing to him, let us sing to Jesus.

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.

Litany Phrase: 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 book of Job

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements-- surely you know!  Or who stretched the line upon it?  On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? "

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

 

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 104

Bless the LORD, O my soul; * O LORD my God, how excellent is your greatness! you are clothed with majesty and splendor.

You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak * and spread out the heavens like a curtain.

You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; * you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on the wings of the wind.

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 Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."  When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. 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.

Song: I’ve Got Peace Like a River (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 122)

1          I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.  I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river.  I’ve got peace like a river in my soul..

2          I’ve got love…. 

3          I’ve got joy……

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All  may gather around the altar

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

The Prayer continues with these words

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 Song:  I Love You, Lord (Renew! # 36)

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul, rejoice!  Take joy, my King, in what you hear:  may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

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: Awesome God (Renew! # 245)

Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God.

(Sing three times)

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!