Sunday School, October 15, 2017 19 Pentecost, A proper 23
Theme:
Being a part of the team.
Jesus told a parable about a person who did not come dressed
properly to a wedding.
Should a dancer wear a football uniform to participate in a
ballet dance recital?
Should a baseball player wear a football uniform to play
baseball.
Should a soccer player play in ballet shoes and wear a tutu?
No. Why?
There are uniforms appropriate to each occasion.
A person expresses their willingness to be on a team by
following the team rules.
In an ancient wedding, the wealthy wedding giver would
provide wedding dress for everyone so that no one would look wealthy or poor; everyone
would be in the proper wedding uniform to celebrate the people who were getting
married.
Jesus told us this parable to show us that we cannot always
just do what we want or feel like?
Why? Because we live with each other. We have to live for God and for each
other. And this means that we respect
the customs and rules as members of the human team and people who accept the
same and equal gift of God’s grace.
Sermon:
How many of you have
watch the Disney movies about princes and princesses? Have you seen Cinderella?
The King and Queen
had a big party called a Ball, and everyone wanted to be invited. And remember, Cinderella was sad because she
was not allowed to go to party.
One time, Jesus told
a story about King who was having a big party.
He was having a party because his son was getting married. And so he invited his closest friends to the
wedding. But none of them came to the
wedding. So he sent his servants to his
friends and told them that the wedding had started and he wanted them to be
there. But his friends were very rude;
they still did not come to the wedding.
They ignored the invitation went on with their regular business, and
they even harmed the servants who had invited them.
So what did the King
do? He punished those people who refused
to come to the wedding. And he then he
sent his servants out into all of the streets and he invited everyone to come
to the wedding.
Jesus told this
story to teach a lesson.
If you live in a
kingdom, would you ignore the king? No
because in a kingdom, the king is the most important person.
If God is the
creator of the world, and if we live in this world that God created, should we
ignore God?
No, of course
not. When we come to church on Sunday,
the bread and the wine is a reminder that God is always inviting us to a
party. In this party each Sunday, we
celebrate that God loves us so much that God is with us. God gave us his Son Jesus to be with us. God gives us his very life of the Holy Spirit
to be close to us.
When we eat the
bread and drink the wine? How close does
that bread and wine get to us? Very
close. In fact the bread and wine
actually becomes a part of us.
So in this party
each Sunday, we celebrate that God has become so close to us that God is a part
of us.
So we should always
celebrate the invitation that God gives us to know and to love God.
And we should not
live our lives ignoring God who created us.
We need to learn how to honor God in our lives by learning how to love
and obey God.
Let us always
remember to honor and obey God in our lives.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
October 15, 2017: Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost
Gathering Songs: He’s Got the Whole World, Alleluia, Give
Thanks, He is Lord, When the Saints
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: There is One Lord (Renew # 161)
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; there is one God
who is Father of all.
Sung twice, and between the three solo verses and once after
the final verse
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us
pray
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow
us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
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 Letter to the Philippians
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let
your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally,
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on
doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my
shepherd; * I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie
down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul
* and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
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.
Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding
banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to
the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves,
saying, `Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my
oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to
the wedding banquet.' But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm,
another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and
killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those
murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is
ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets,
and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' Those slaves went out
into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the
wedding hall was filled with guests.
"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man
there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, `Friend, how did
you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. Then the king
said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are
called, but few are chosen.
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.
Offertory Music: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Give Thanks, (Blue Hymnal, #
178)
Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the Risen Lord,
Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to his Name.
1-Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. Refrain
2-Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died
and has risen. Refrain
3-We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live forever. Refrain
4-Come, let us praise the living God, joyfully sing to our
Savior. 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 Song : He Is Lord (Renew! # 29)
1-He is Lord. He is
Lord. He is risen from the dead and He
is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
2-He is King. He is
King. He will draw all nations to him,
He is king. And the time shall be when
the world shall sing that Jesus Christ is King.
3-He is Love. He is
Love. He has shown us by his life that
He is Love. All his people sing with one
voice of joy that Jesus Christ is Love.
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: O When the Saints (Christian Children’s
Songbook, # 248).
1-When the saints, go marching in. O when the saints go marching in. Lord I want to be in that number, when the
saints go marching in.
2-When the boys go marching in…
3-When the girls go marching in...
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us
go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be
to God!
