Sunday School, October 29, 2023 22 Pentecost, A proper 25

  Sunday School, October 29, 2023               22 Pentecost, A proper 25

Theme:

The Law

Have your class do a comparison of laws and rules.

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

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

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

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

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

We need to know the most important rules.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sermon:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 29, 2023: The Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost

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

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

People:            And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

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

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

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

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 90

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

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

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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

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

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

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

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

1          Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise; Be exalted, oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest!

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

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

 this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

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

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

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

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

Post-Communion Prayer

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

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

And His Presence has been known to us.

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

    and sisters in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

   

Kingdom of God and a Worldwide Theocracy

21 Pentecost, Cycle A, Proper 24, October 22, 2023
Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 1
Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22

Lectionary Link

Governments and nations built around divine laws are often called theocracies.  Some Islamic states aspire to have the religious law of Sharia be also the governing law of the entire country.  And in thinking that, what God thinks is best for us is also best for everyone else in the world.  There is an impulse in regional theocracies for them to spread and become universal.

The telling of the event of Mount Sinai originated within the people of Hebraic traditions and it revealed the divine right of the Law of God which is accompanied by an account of the relationship between Moses and God.  God is too great for human comprehension and so the saying, "No one has ever seen God."  No one has the capacity to equal God's greatness.  In the story of Moses' relationship with God, he was not about to see the face of God or directly perceive God even though he made the impossible request to do so.  In the story, Moses is given permission to see the back side of God.  This bespeaks the Orthodox expression that God cannot be known in God's essence, but only through the divine energies, the emanations or the things around God which can be known or revealed to humanity.  The invisible, unseeable God can be known in the Godly effects.

The theocracy of Hebraic religion is the discovery of divine laws or rules of recommended behaviors for people who center their lives around a belief in the One God.  Such laws within community could be construed to be political structure for the stable perpetuation of that community throughout time.

But was such a theocracy for the Jews to be just for them?  Or were they to be a hybrid proto-community for bringing such a theocracy to the entire world?  The prophets proclaimed the Temple to be a house of prayer for all peoples.  The self evidential logic around the belief in One God, is that the One God is for all.  The people of Israel were to be the politically exemplary society to bring the witness of their One God to the entire world.

The record of the Hebrew Scriptures indicates that by their own assessment of their own history, they failed to live up to the standards of God's law that had been given to them.  Often the kings of Israel and Judah did not keep even the first and most important commandment, namely the requirement of loyalty to the One God.

Nations with other gods who also gave their rulers divine right of rule impinged upon the people of Israel who did not ever seem to be able to achieve complete success in implementing a theocratic society built around a divinely revealed Law.

One might say that the Roman Empire was quite successful in attaining a worldwide theocracy simply because the belief in many gods and goddesses could be compatible with the main political theocracy, the cult of the Emperor.  If the Caesar is declared to be a god and son of a god, a savior of the world, and the one to enforce peace, one could see an effective political theocracy.  The wedding of the cult of the Emperor with the genius of Roman law truly provided the world with a worldwide structure.  The Emperor's cult was perhaps a proto-catholic religion to unite the cult of Emperor devotion with political and military power.

Jesus of Nazareth, born into family and country with a failed theocracy provides us a tradition of a hidden total kingdom of God, co-existing with the existing Roman kingdom of a successful theocracy of the cult of the Caesar.

The early followers of Jesus and the Jews had to forge their identities with the acceptance of being oppressed communities that had to survive within the successful theocracy of the Roman Emperor cult.  One of the ways in which the Emperor related to all of the people of the empire was through collecting taxes.

One of the most visible signs of unity in the kingdom of the Roman Empire was the image or the face of the Emperor superimposed upon the coinage.  The image, the icon, of the Emperor was proof of the Emperor's powerful presence throughout his world empire.  It was proof that he had power to collect taxes, that is, to exact from the life revenue of everyone within the Caesar realm.

One can see the obvious question that would come to Jesus and his followers.  One of the most basic messages in the logia or sayings of Jesus was his proclamation of the kingdom of God.  "So here we have it Jesus, the kingdom of God or the kingdom of the Caesar god, how do you negotiate between these two perspectives?"  And should those who claim allegiance to the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus pay taxes to the Caesar-god of the empire?  Is one betraying the One God proclaimed and exemplified by Jesus if one pays taxes to the Caesar-god?

This was the question posed to Jesus and I think it highlights perhaps a dilemma for people who believed in One God who were being oppressed and forced into compliant empire behaviors by the Caesar-god and his forces.

The question to Jesus was about whether the Caesar should be resisted and rebelled against.  And the answer of Jesus is really a wisdom insight based upon some very ancient Hebraic wisdom.  What is that insight?  Caesar is only a human being, not a god, but the image of God resides on the Caesar.  So it is the duty of Caesar and all people made in the image of God to pay their lives as God's coinage to God.  Let Caesar have his coins in his empire game; the image of God is upon everyone and so everyone including the Emperor belonged to the One God.

This subtle wisdom answer reveals the secret of the growth of early Christianity.  The words of Jesus were not to overthrow the Caesar but to appeal the total divine ground on which everyone always already lives.  This Gospel of Matthew came to textual form after Paul wrote for his community in Rome to pray for the authorities in Rome.  The Jesus Movement was an under-the-radar-movement which ironically rode the coattails of Roman world expansion such that the Roman ability to connect the entire known world through roads, transportation, and administration became also the media for the spread and the travel of the message of Jesus Christ which was this, the image of God is upon everyone, and Jesus came to make that evident.

Today people may still try to make their local practice of religion with all its specificities into the one practice of religion for everyone.  The positive feature of this insight is that it is charitable to regard one's best gift and insight as being available to everyone else.  The negative is that it is too easy to over identify the cultural details of one's own situation as being coercively absolute for everyone else.  The fracture of the Christian religion into so many expressions is proof of the arrogance of trying to make the very local, the universal for everyone.

The Gospel for us today is this, like Moses, we are only located to see a very partial facet of the "back side of the divine," and we should not presume otherwise.  Like St. Paul, we can remain as humble relativists in confessing, "Now I only see in part."  We only see the part of the Whole, and we should be humble about this, and in our humility we should affirm that the kingdom of God is so vast and such an inward iconic reality, that it can co-exist with the incredible faith differences which occur in our world.

The Gospel Jesus says to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars; the anthropomorphic stamped upon every human product.  At the same time, we have the privilege to render unto God the things that are God's because the image of God is a rendering or a branding of everyone as belonging to God.  The Gospel message of Jesus is that you and I have the privilege to be a part of everything including ourselves being rendered back to the everlasting God because the endless future One is the only One with the duration to truly include and collect all in All.

Let us be those whose lives are gladly without resistance or competition, rendered back to God today.  Amen.

Sunday School, October 22, 2023 21 Pentecost A proper 24

  Sunday School, October 22, 2023   21 Pentecost A proper 24

Theme:

Why do children look like their parents?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sermon:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

October 22, 2023: The Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost

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

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

People:            And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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

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

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

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

First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

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

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

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

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

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

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

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

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 99

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

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

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

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

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

Since God is so great and we are so small,

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

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

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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

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

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

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

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

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People:            And also with you.

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

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

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

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

Doxology

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

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

Prologue to the Eucharist

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

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

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

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

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

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

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

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

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

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

You have made us in your image

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

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

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

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

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

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

 this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

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

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

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

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

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

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

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

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

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

Post-Communion Prayer

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

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

And His Presence has been known to us.

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

    and sisters in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dismissal:   

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

People:      Thanks be to God! 

Who Is Invited to the Wedding?

20 Pentecost, Cycle A  Proper 23, October 15, 2023
Exodus 32:1-14  Psalm 106
Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14

Lectionary Link

The biblical record is a history of sorts of various people who discover relationship with God.  History is presented in before and after linear ways and in such presentations, one can be left the impression that God becomes something more after than what God was before.  And this may seem true in the progressive understanding of God in human awareness.

The parable of Jesus about the invitation protocols for a great wedding feast illustrates the difference between prior understandings of God and more enlightened understandings of God.

Since the Hebrew Scriptures indicate that a people had a distinct identity built around the story of their discovery of and relationship with a singular unique God, such a storied relationship could give them or any people a sense of being first and favored of all humanity in the eyes of God.

By the time Jesus was telling his teaching stories, much of his crowd were aware of the favored people, such that people believed that God had A listers, B listers, C listers, and outcasts.

We perhaps need to understand the parable in a reverse way.  God is love.  There is and has never been outcasts with God.  Everyone has, always, already been invited to the God wedding, the wedding of divine with the created order by virtue of creation bearing the image of God.

But this divine wedding of God has not always had ideal and universally promulgated invitations.  Israel discovered their invitation in their covenant with God as consummated in their receiving of the laws as their wedding vows with God.

In the record of the people of these covenant vows with God, they are honest about their failure to keep the vows even while maintaining their sense of having an exclusive lock upon who has access to this great on-going wedding feast of God's immanence in the created order.

In a linear presentation of the history of relationships with God, it can seem that many people have not heretofore been invited to the knowledge of this great marriage of God and creation.  The fact that the seeming previously uninvited are finally invited, is not the truth of an always inviting God; it is truth of how people come to the awareness of God.  It is the history of how some people presume to hoard or presume an exclusive relationship with God which is not offered to others.

The parable of Jesus establishes the fact that God invites everyone to the divine presence in the created order.  This universal invitation challenges those who believe that they have some exclusive privilege with God.

The parable also highlights in a rather enigmatic way God's egalitarian and social leveling ways.  In the wedding of God, God provides the dress for all to meet the dress code, the equal grace that is provided for all, irregardless of their ethnic, social, or economic condition.  In the parable one guest treated it as though it were the Met Gala, in wanting to stand out in his unique garb trying to make his statement about being "better dressed" than the others.  The punishment seems harsh but it is only evocative about there being no replacement for the equality of grace in the invitation and the entrance into the realm of God.

We are invited today to regard God, the way that Jesus did, first as the One who has always, already universally invited all to be aware of the divine realm in which we live and move and have our being.  And we are invited to don the social leveling garment of grace which has been provided for us and everyone to meet the appropriate dress code for the perpetual celebration of the marriage of divine with the created order.  May God help each of us know that we and everyone else has been invited to this great event of Love of God for us and our world.  Amen.