Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments and Church and State

As regards the Ten Commandments and the State, it should be the Synagogue/Temple and State rather than the Church and State since the New Testament Christ-paradigm is a significant re-appropriation and re-interpretation of the Decalogue and all matters of the Hebrew Scriptures.

It is disheartening to observe the naïveté of persons who wish for the Ten Commandments to be displayed as icons of identity in government facilities meaning they would like for America to be a Christian-theocratic state.  This misses the obvious textual origins of the Ten Commandment, as well as the intentions of the founders of our form of government.

Does anyone believe that the American founders wanted something like the established religion of the Church of England in the English monarchy?  Do they think that our founders wanted a State-preferred and promulgated Christian religion, but just without the monarchy?

What is truer to our founders' wisdom is a form of government which prevented mainly Christians in disagreement about doctrine and practice from harming or even killing each other because of religious differences.  We know that when America had "local theocracies" like in Salem, Christian leaders were not prevented from persecuting and killing of people who were believed to have "heretical" practices, as defined by the local religious council that defined such heresies worthy of death.

The truth of Christian history in Europe is that Christians did not practice charity with each other especially when religion and politics got involved.  How many Christians were persecuted and burned at the stake by other Christians?  The American founders pondered the history of the failure of Christian charity of Christians hurting, persecuting and even killing each other as well as Jews in the name of their religious-practices.  For our founders, this lack of Christian charity or a more universal justice necessitated an outside neutral referee which the Constitution of the United States was intended to be.  The founders of our country were not anti-religion or even pro-religion, but pragmatic community builders who surveyed the kind of political practices needed for people with different religions, faith practices, and ethical values to live together without harming each other and further to promote the kind of humane values which people of any persuasion could enjoin.

The founders and anyone with any insight into applied jurisprudence knew that the Ten Commandments are unenforceable.  They are based upon ideal behaviors generated at a particular context in human history.  Is it always possible for children to honor parents?  Can the injunction against lying even be practically legislated except within the perjury rule of the courts?  Does the State want to legislate marriage relationships? And the last commandment is the most impossible one to enforce.  How could the State enforce the command not to covet?  Desire is an internal and invisible phenomenon and cannot be externally controlled.  It is one thing to regard the Ten Commandments as a model for recommended behaviors for the art of living in community, and therefore a teaching tool toward our better angels; it is quite another thing to regard the Ten Commandments as constitutionally and juridically practical to be enforced in American society.  One can have regards for the insights of the Ten Commandments without naively trying to make them the chief model of our Constitutional democracy.

Any attempt to depart from the wisdom of our founders regarding the separation of church and state is the subtle way of saying, "the homogeneous practices for me and those in my closest community" should be the enforced practice for everyone else.  

I would beseech us to allow the genius of our American system with a government to referee so as to keep us from any form of theocracy. 

Christ As Jacob's Ladder?

 2 Epiphany B  January 14, 2024
1 Samuel 3:1-10  Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 6:11b-20  John 1:43-51

Lectionary Link

 

The Gospel of John is full of metaphors for Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? Son of God, Son of Man, Word, Word made flesh, The Way, the Truth, the Life, Light of the World, The Door/Gate, The Vine, The Good Shepherd, The Resurrection, and The Bread of Heaven. When the poetic Pauline declares Christ to be all and in all, this poetic exaggeration finds another Johannine expression in Christ being the eternal Word of God, from the beginning who gives being to everything.

There is another metaphor in John's Gospel which is often missed and not highlighted. The Gospel of John presents a dialogue between Jesus and the regionally biased Nathaniel who asked skeptically in hearing about the boyhood town of Jesus, "can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

Jesus impressed this skeptic with perhaps a phrase for which it is impossible for us to know its specific meaning. "I saw you Nathaniel when you were under the fig tree." It could be that Jesus was such an observer that he could perceive the character of a person from afar, perhaps even in the deliberateness of some very seemingly ordinary behavior.

The metaphor that I would like to highlight from the dialogue of Jesus with Nathaniel is this: Are you impressed Nathaniel because I said I saw you under the fig tree? You will see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

We need contexts to understand this seeming cryptic saying. This is a not so cryptic reference to the famous Jacob's ladder. Jacob had his famous dream in Beth-el in his dream about a ladder from heaven on which angels were ascending and descending.

Now if the oracle Christ of the Johannine community is indicating that Jesus as the Son of Man is the connecting ladder between the invisible and the visible sphere on which the messengers of God travelled, what would be the meaning of such an inference?

The meaning of Christ as ladder from heaven evokes images of what Christ as the eternal Word would mean? Word is the invisible ladder of connection between the interior invisible world and the external visible world. And upon this Word ladder which is the entire linguistically possible universe, specific messengers travel to make general words specific applied words in the external contexts of people's lives. The meaning of the word angel is messenger; particular words are messengers or context specific words to provide value, meaning, and guidance for people in their external worlds.

But aren't angels actual beings which can be seen? Indeed they are in that they are the holographic appearances of words or messages for people who also experience words through projected image modes. What we see from dreams, dream-states and visionary states is real, holographic and pictographically constituted, and it is related to what we actually see while being significantly different. Seeing is actually a language or text in "pictures or images." They are picto-syntax and picto-grammar in nature because language co-exists with seeing. Scientists can dream and believe that images in dreams are actual without them having external concrescence.

The angels have different message formats and the theme of this week and one of the themes of the Epiphany season is the call of God in Christ. How does specific vocation, insight, purpose, arise from the morass of the everlasting Word? By messages and by messengers? It is not enough to say that every human has language as God's communication within us; we need specific occasions of meaningful message within the circumstances and contexts of our lives. The specific messengers of communication must arise from the field of possible messages to become particular for you and me within the specific circumstances of our lives.

We understand the words of the Bible to be for us angels or messengers of God in textual form and these words about the call of God to the famous Samuel, the calling of Christ to Philip and Nathaniel are given to us, not to limit the words of God to words of the Bible, but to let us know that Word of God and calling are normative and available to each person, in all times and places. Now some specifics of word and calling may seem more pronounced, dramatic, seemingly life changing, because of the role that they play as seeming milestones in our life story. However, the word and call of God is equally important when we are like Nathaniel, "simply under the fig trees of our lives." Are we willing to process and receive the words, the messages of the inner divine significance in our lives within the very ordinary.

The Gospel for us today is that Christ as the eternal word of God is also the connecting ladder of the inner life and the outer life. And the messages and messengers travel on this ladder to articulate the specific values, meanings, callings, and purposes in our lives from the perspective of what love and justice means in practice.

Let us be open to angels or messengers or messages of the call of God in Christ to us today in both the ordinary events and the milestone events of our lives. Amen.

Sunday School, January 14, 2024 2 Epiphany B

  Sunday School, January 14, 2024  2 Epiphany B

Theme:

The Call of God

The Bible teaches us that God like us.  How do we know?

God calls to be God’s friends.

The boy Samuel heard a voice in his efforts to try to sleep.  It was the voice of God calling to him.  Samuel was shocked to find out that God was interested in him.  When Samuel said, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening,” he accepted a friendship with God to become an important leader for the people of Israel.  He became the most important Judge of Israel and God used Samuel to select the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.

God like us so much, God sent God’s son Jesus to live with us and Jesus like us and called us to be his brothers and sisters and friends.

Philip was so excited that Jesus called him, he told his friend Nathaniel.  Nathaniel was not so sure at first about Jesus, but when he met Jesus he became very excited.  Jesus had a special way of making friends.

You and I are called by Jesus to be his friends and we are also asked by Jesus to introduce other people to Jesus.  How do we do that?

How do you make a friend?

Take an interest in them.  Share your life with them, your story and your good news.  You ask them to share their story with you.  You care for them.  One of the best things we can share with our friends is what Jesus means to us and to our lives.  The best news we can give our friends is the knowledge that God loves them and that Jesus calls them into a special relationship with God to help them live their lives in the very best way for themselves, their family and for our world.

Sermon:

What church season are we in now?  Epiphany.  And what is the color that we use during Epiphany.  Epiphany sounds like a funny word; what does it mean?

  Epiphany is when you discover something and your life changes because of that discovery.

  As a baby, when you learned that you can walk; that is an Epiphany.  And when you learn how to read and sound out words; that is an epiphany because it changes your life.

  Do you know what one of the greatest discoveries is in life?  It is the discovery of a friend.  Friends change our lives; they share with us their time; they help us when we’re sad; they encourage us.

  Today, we read about a man named Philip and he had a friend Nathaniel.  And since Philip was Nathaniel’s friend, he wanted to share with him his best news.

  And Philip had some good news.  And what was that good news.  Philip had met a wonderful teacher named Jesus.  And Jesus was such a good teacher who had taught Philip so many wonderful things; Philip wanted to share his friend Jesus with his friend Nathaniel.  Why?  Because he knew that Jesus could be a friend and teacher to Nathaniel too.

  Nathaniel was not sure that he wanted a new friend.  But he decided to go with Philip and meet Jesus.  And Nathaniel found out that Philip was right; Jesus was a good friend and teacher and Nathaniel became the friend of Jesus too.

  Epiphany is about discovering Jesus as our friend and teacher.  Epiphany is about discovering each other as friends and sharing our very best news with each other.

  The word Gospel means, “good news.”  And as friends we share good news with each other.  And what is our good news?  That God loves us, God cares for us, God forgives us when we make mistakes, God gives us family and friends to share our good news with.

  So remember the word Epiphany…it is when we discover that God is our friend and God sent his Son Jesus to let us know about the friendship that we can have with God.  And that is good news.  Amen

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 14, 2024 The Second Sunday After the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, Hallelujah; Peace Before Us; Lord, Be Glorified; Awesome God

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 God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, 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

Liturgist:   A reading from the First Book of Samuel

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 139

How deep I find your thoughts, O God! * how great is the sum of them!

If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; * to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

Birthdays:   James Gabbard, Greg Parish, Ed Ludwick, Chad Church

Anniversaries:   Frank and Bethan Bath

  

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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 John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

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:  Peace Before Us  (Wonder, Love and Praise  # 791)

Peace before us, peace behind us, peace under our feet.  Peace within us, peace over us, let all around us be peace.

Love before us….

Light before us…

Christ before us….

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.  Sanctify us 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: Lord, Be Glorified  (Renew! # 172)

In our lives, Lord be glorified, be glorified.  In our lives, Lord, be glorified today.

In our homes, Lord…

In your church, Lord…

In your world, Lord…

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! 

Baptism, Just a Ritual?

1 Epiphany B January 7, 2024
Genesis 1:1-5 Ps. 29
Acts 9:1-7 Mark 1:4-11

Lectionary Link

Today is the feast of the baptism of our Lord, and one of the principle occasions for baptism within the church.

And it may be a day for cynics to say, "baptism is just a ritual, games which Christians play signifying nothing practical for the good of the world, so why do it?"

The same cynic might be one who faithfully wears the same unwashed sweat shirt when his favorite team plays so as not to jinx the possibility of victory.  This irrational repetition might seem disconnected logically from any actual effect upon the outcome of any athletic contest.

If one says that "baptism is just a ritual," one could also say that human beings are ritualistic by nature.  That is, human being engage in repetitions as grooved habits performing the energy of human desire.  And if human beings are ritualistic by nature, then the judgments about ritual behavior concern whether such rituals give orientation into human excellence.

Baptism is sacrament and it is a ritual of Christian initiation.  The lack of appreciation for baptismal meanings, might come from the rote social practice of baptism as but a requirement of family and church.  To baptize without articulating the anthropological soundness of baptism, leaves the ritual practice unconnected from human life cycle practices.

Today is a good day to ponder the meanings of our baptism and the meaning of baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

Baptism is an event of human solidarity.  Such solidarity might expressed in statements of reciprocity:  We want you to be with us.  And I want to be with you.

Such reciprocity might be expressed on another level when it comes to the meaning of the baptism of Jesus.  "God, we want you to be with us."  And God's Jesus says, "I want to be you, not as a general theory, but as specific person in time with a specific community, the community of John the Baptist."  And one of the names of Jesus which the New Testament writer borrowed from the prophet Isaiah was Emmanuel, or "God with us."

The event of the baptism is an event in the divine becoming one in solidarity with humanity, specific with Jesus, so as to signal that God's solidarity with each of us as children of God, is specific to the particular history and circumstances of our own life.  The general, "God is with us," becomes the specific "God is with you and me in the times and places of our lives."

Baptism is significant because human identity discovery and formation is a central feature of life.  Baptism is an event of value structuralization through language.  The chief feature of human solidarity is that we have language.  Language is structure in the values and judgments of our life.  In the event of baptism, the Christian community is declaring their values of how to be human in the very best possible way.  And how are those values expressed in the baptismal liturgy?  Humans originate from the greatness of God and reflect that greatness by bearing the divine image.  In the Risen Christ that divine image can be known within us as our chief identity.  As humans, we are loved by God, and forgiven perfectible, but not perfect beings.  We are gifted by God in discovering our creative purpose and our benefit for the good of the community.

Baptism then is the expression of our vision of what enlightened human solidarity means.  Baptism is an expression our our ideals as the lure for the energy of desire to target as our life vocation.

And if baptism is ignored or scorned, it must be said that other ritual behaviors will replace the profound meanings encoded in baptismal practice.  Such replacement to baptismal values will be governed by self-centered behaviors or solidarities of tribalism for exclusive group privilege.

Let us today not treat baptism as a cute little ceremony for a family gathering and baby pictures in passed down baptismal gowns.  Let us articulate in teaching and lifestyle with the expression of profound solidarity with the highest kinds of community values, namely, Christ is God with us and in us as the hope of glory.  Amen.

Prayers for Christmas 2023-2024

Twelfth Day of Christmas, January 5, 2024

Christ of Christmas Day and Season, we can never leave the perpetually birthing events of realizing you and all and in all;  give us grace to the manifold phases of your divine creating and birthing effects everywhere.  Amen.

Eleventh Day of Christmas, January 4, 2024

God of Christmas, the Mass of Christ; we thank you for giving us the Mass to commemorate the continuous birthing of Christ within us as the realization of the image of God upon our lives even as we observe particular remembrance events of what is always already.  Amen.

 Tenth Day of Christmas, January 3, 2023

God, who birth within the human experience cannot be limited to the Christmas event or season, be born in us continuously as we seek identity each moment with what is the highest in us as living proof of the values of love and justice.  Amen.

Ninth Day of Christmas, January 2, 2024

God of all, we tend to make you but a local deity who rubber stamps our very provincial lifestyle; give us humility to perceive your plenitude and welcome to all in ways individually unique to each person.  Amen.

Eighth Day of Christmas, January 1, 2024 (Feast of the Holy Name)

Eternal Word, from you arising the naming habits of humanity as our hope of preserved identity across the changes which time forces upon our outward and inward being; we give thanks that the name of Jesus is remembered in many ways in attaining the constant return as the Risen Christ, and we entrust our identities to the vast memorial capacity of the Eternal Word, who is God.  Amen.

Seventh Day of Christmas, December 31, 2023 (A certain calendar last day of the year)

O God, whether we call today, the seventh day of Christmas or the last day of our calendar year, we invoke your presence upon the times of our lives in search of meanings in our lives which are passing away; help us to value the times our lives, of everyone's lives with the practice of love and justice.  Amen.

Sixth Day of Christmas, December 30, 2023

God, who is the Horizon of all that we know, keep us humble enough within your great Horizon to care for everyone and everything which lives and moves and have being within the great Horizon that you are.  Amen.

Fifth Day of Christmas, December 29, 2023

Eternal Word, our knowing of you and anything begins with you as with great reflexivity we became worded beings who know each other and our world through having word; help us to find our voices of love and justice in our words and deeds and in our social structures.  Amen.

Fourth Day of Christmas, December 28, 2023 (Holy Innocents)

Jesus Christ, your word says that children's angels in heaven behold the divine Father even while children on earth suffer and die as part of the direct and collateral damage of the cruelty and neglect of adults; renew us in the mission to protect infants and children as central to our calling to mentor those who are the future of our world.  Amen.

Third Day of Christmas, December 27, 2023

Eternal Christ, we poetically proclaim you as all and in all by confessing you as Word from the beginning; help us to make the very best words flesh in our lives with creative body language deeds of love and justice.  Amen.

Second Day of Christmas, December 26, 2023

Word made flesh, you are the mystery of the mystification of what we see, hear, touch, and taste with a symbolic order of meanings.  Give us wisdom in the ordering of our lives through our deliberate roles in finding our voices in language to teach our body language to perform the deeds of kindness, justice, and mercy.  Amen.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2023

O God whose greatness might make you so aloof from human experience; we thank you for the discovery of the Christmas Story of your hiddenness within human experience, even within the Christ Child, who is born in us and gives us grace to accept our experience as a valid way to know what is sublime in human living.  Amen. 

Sunday School, January 7, 2024 1 Epiphany B: The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ

 Sunday School, January 7, 2024   1 Epiphany B: The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ

Theme:

Joining and Belonging

Joining and Belonging is what makes us great

God is the greatest of all, so great that God doesn’t need to join humanity.  God did not need to even let men and women know of God’s existence.

But God joined the human community.

First by giving men and women a law and way of living for their lives.

God joined and belonged to human family in the closest way by being born in Jesus.

Jesus was God special Son and he could have believed that he was so perfect that he did not have to be with those who were not as good and perfect as he was.

What did Jesus do?

He fully joined the human community.  How did he show this?

He was baptized by John the Baptist.  He perhaps was joining the community of John the Baptist.

The baptism of Jesus shows us that he did not think that he was too good for all people.

The baptism of Jesus shows us that Jesus joined and belonged to human community.

Jesus did not act too good and perfect for us, he joined, he belonged, and he participated.

God is great and Jesus is great because they joined humanity.

Great people join.  They join to share with other people the greatness of love, kindness and wisdom about how we should live best.

How should we follow Jesus?

We follow Jesus by joining, by being baptized, by belonging to groups of people.

By joining our church, we gather to follow Jesus who joined us to show us how to live.

If we want to live the best life, the way that we do is to join and belong to groups of people who are committed to what Jesus has taught.

Sermon

What is the most common mistake that everyone makes, children and adults?

  I think the most common mistake that all of us make is the mistake of forgetting.

  Do you ever forget?  Forget to do your homework?  Forget to clean your room?   Forget what your teacher told?  Forget what your parents told you?  Forget what you promised to your children or spouse?

  Forgetting is easy to do.

  But the most serious forgetting is forgetting about God.   Today we have read the story about John the Baptist on the day that he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

  John the Baptist and Jesus were special men who were prophets.  And they came to help people recover from their forgetting.  See many people had forgotten some important things about God.  Even the religious leaders had forgotten some important things about God.  And what is often forgotten about God?

  People often forget that God loves them.  People often think that God loves the people in our country, or in our neighborhood or in our race better than people in another country, neighborhood or race.

  When Jesus was baptized, the voice of God said, this is my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.

  You and I need to remember what baptism means.  Baptism looks like just pouring some water over the head of a baby or an adult.  But what does baptism mean?  It means that we celebrate that each and every person is a child of God, a son or daughter of God.

  You see the problems in our life happen when we forget that we are sons and daughters of God.  The problems in our life happen when we forget that other people are son and daughters of God.

  When we remember that we are children of God we treat ourselves with respect.  When we remember that other people are children to God, we treat them with respect too.  When we remember God, then we remember to live good lives for God and we remember to live in peace and love with each other.

  John the Baptist and Jesus came to remind us about some things that we had forgotten.

  Let us remember the meaning of baptism.  Our baptism is a reminder that we and all people belong to the same family of God.  And if we remember that we will work to love one another and live in peace with each other.  Amen.

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 7, 2024: 1 Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Gathering Songs:

 There Is One Lord, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, God is So Good

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

People: And Blessed be God’s Kingdom, Now and forever. 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.

 (Twice to begin, once after each solo verse)

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. 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

Liturgist: A reading from the Book of Genesis

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Liturgist: Let us read together a verse from Psalm 29  

Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, * ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; * worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; * the LORD is upon the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; * the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.

My faithfulness and love shall be with him, * and he shall be victorious through my Name.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Liturgist:

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.

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  

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

Song: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know (# 104 in All the Best)

1-Jesus loves me, this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to him belong.  They are week but He is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus Loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so.

2-Jesus love me. He who died.  Heaven’s gates to open wide.  He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so.

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 him 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 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 that we may love God and our neighbors.

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 may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father (Sung): (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 by 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: Jesus Loves the Little Children (# 30 in All the Best)

Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, They are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world.

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: God is So Good (# 31 in  All the Best)

1-God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He’s so good to me.

2-He cares for me, He cares for me, He cares for me, He’s so good to me.

3-I’ll do His will, I’ll do his will, I’ll do his will, He so good to me.

4-He is my Lord, He is my Lord, He is my Lord, He’s so good to me.

Dismissal:   

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

People: Thanks be to God!