Back to June Services Back to Front Page
The Service For The 12th Sabbath In Ordinary Time
June 23, 2001
[The “+” indicates that the Moderator and the Congregation are to cross themselves, if they should so choose.]
[The men, upon entering, must remove all their clothes and when they have found a proper place to sit, out of respect for the sanctuary of our Lord, must kneel before entering the pew. It is expected that they will furnish and use their own serviettes.]
[The Choir is to sing the antiphon. If there is no Choir the Congregation is to recite it.]
Choir (or Congregation): “God is the strength of His people. In Him, we His chosen live in safety. Save us, Lord, who, in Your life, share, and give us Your blessing; be our shepherd for ever.”
[The Altar man, holding the censer, and the Moderator, in that order, line up for the procession. The rest of the Congregation lines up behind them row by row and proceeds to walk around the church in the procession.]
Choir (or Congregation): “God is the strength of His people. In Him, we His chosen live in safety. Save us, Lord, who, in Your life, share, and give us Your blessing; be our shepherd for ever.”
[After the procession is over, the Congregation takes their seats and the regular service begins.]
Moderator: + “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Most Holy and Eternal Trinity.”
Moderator: “Let us all join in a statement of our faith:”
Congregation and Moderator: “We believe that God, through His Holy Word, has made it more than evident as to how He wishes to be worshipped. Man as represented by Adam was created by God in His image. This creation was meant to be in harmony with Nature and the Natural Laws. To this end men were created to be naked and to worship God in that, their natural state. It is only by the shame of having sinned that Adam felt that he had to hide himself behind clothes. We believe that by encasing ourselves in clothes that we are only mimicking Adam in his sin and rebellion against the First Cause. God, in His Holy Wisdom, had given Adam the option of eternal life in his nakedness. But he, in his ignorance, cast away the blessing of nudity that God so fervently wanted him to have. We believe that we, of the Apertarian Church, must return to the First Cause in the way He has called us to worship Him. We offer an open door to any Gay male who would worship with us in the joys and blessings of his God-given nudity. For those who wish not to join us we offer prayers that God will also bless them. When His time is right He will open their eyes that they might see what has been so abundantly revealed to us.”
Moderator: “Amen.”
Old Testament Lesson
Moderator: "The Old Testament lesson for the 12th Sabbath in Ordinary Time is found in:
Jeremiah 20: 10-13:
10. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, [say they], and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, [saying], Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
11. But the LORD [is] with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: [their] everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
12. But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, [and] seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
13. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
Moderator: “This is the word of the Lord.”
Congregation: “Thanks be to God.”
Responsorial Psalm
Response: “Lord, in Your great love, answer me.”
Moderator: “For Your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother's sons, Because zeal for Your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme You fall upon me.”
Congregation: “Lord, in Your great love, answer me.”
Moderator: “I pray to you, O Lord, for the times of Your favor, O God! In Your great kindness answer me with Your constant help. Answer me, O Lord, for bounteous is Your kindness; in Your great mercy turn toward me.”
Congregation: “Lord, in Your great love, answer me.”
Moderator: “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts be merry! For the Lord hears the poor, and His own who are in bonds He spurns not. Let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the seas and whatever moves in them.”
Congregation: “Lord, in Your great love, answer me.”
The New Testament Lesson
Moderator: “The New Testament lesson for the 12th Sabbath in Ordinary Time is found in:
Romans 5: 12-15:
12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15. But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
“Thus endeth the New Testament lesson for today.”
[The Moderator then raises the Bible.]
Moderator: “This is the word of the Lord.”
Congregation: “Thanks be to God.”
The Gospel Lesson
Moderator: “The Gospel lesson for the 12th Sabbath in Ordinary Time is found in:
Matthew 10: 26-33:
26. Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27. What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, [that] preach ye upon the housetops.
28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
[The Congregation rises as the altar man rings the bells.]
Congregation: + “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Most Holy and Eternal Trinity.”
Moderator: “Thus endeth the Gospel for today.”
[The Moderator holds up the Bible]
Moderator: “This is the Word of the Lord.”
Congregation: “Thanks be to God!”
A hymn is sung at this point.
[The Congregation then sits down as the altar man rings the bells.]
The Homily
“Are You Ashamed That Jesus Is Gay?”
Moderator: “We are told in:
Isaiah 53: 2 that Jesus is Gay:”
“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
“How does that tell us that He's Gay? When Isaiah wrote these words women were not allowed to read the Hebrew Bible. much less study it. So we know, then, that his words were written for men to read. Therefore we have one man writing to other men about a third man. Since that is the case we know then that it was a Gay situation. Heterosexual men, by definition, don't desire other men.
“Does this sound farfetched? The thought of the Messiah being Gay? Much less married Gay? Even the prophet Isaiah thought so:
Isaiah 53: 1:”
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”
“In other words he’s asking: Who is going to believe this?
“But the prophet doesn't stop there. In the next chapter he talks of some other individual, giving eight prophecies concerning that person:
“1) The person will have no children.
“2) The children that the person WILL NOT HAVE will be so numerous that they shall "break forth on the right and on the left"
“3) The children that that person will not have will inherit the Gentiles.
“4) That person will be married to the Messiah.
“5) The Messiah will become angry with His beloved.
“6) The Messiah will never rebuke the beloved.
“7) The beloved will cause “desolate cities to be inhabited”.
“8) The beloved will never be martyred.
“If Jesus was the Messiah, then
“1) He had to be Gay and
“2) He had to be married. But married to whom? There is only one person who fits all those points of prophecy. His name is St. John. Yes, if Jesus was the Messiah then He had to be married to St. John. Otherwise Jesus did not fulfill prophecy.
“Did they act like lovers? Yes! When all the other disciples had abandoned Jesus, St. John stayed close by. At least as close as he could. In fact, St. John was the only disciple who followed Jesus right to the cross. He was there when the man he loved was crucified on Calvary. How his heart must have broken seeing his Lover being murdered.
“But even in the excruciating agony of approaching death Jesus never forgot the man who loved Him. Listen as He tells His mother, the virgin Mary, to regard His Gay marriage as valid:
John 19: 26-27:
“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved He saith onto His mother, Woman behold thy son. Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”
“Did their love end with Jesus;' death on the he cross? NO! Jesus came back from the dead and told St. John to wait for Him until they could finally be reunited for all eternity.
Yet how ashamed the early Christians were of Jesus. He had died on the cross! Like a common criminal! For centuries the cross was never referred to. They were just too ashamed to admit that it exited. Today it is the universal sign of Christianity. But it started out as a despised symbol. The early Christians were ashamed of Christ’s Gayness. Never once do you ever hear of it referred to, even indirectly. How they tried to dismiss the greatest love affair the world has ever known. Look at how the heterosexuals have denied the love between Christ and His Church - between Jesus and St. John - by declaring that the Christian Church is built on St. Peter.
“The Church is not founded upon on St. Peter but upon St. John. It is the beloved St. John and his complete love for his Savior that the Church should emulate. But it doesn't. It has tried everything to deny Grist's Gayness.
“We Apertarians know the truth. We have read it in the Bible. We know that the Church Incarnate is St. John.. Upon him and only upon him and his Gay marriage to the Messiah can the Church be built. If we are Christians, then it can be no other way. We are proud of our Savior's Gayness. We are not ashamed of it. Because of it He has fulfilled prophecy and claims the highest place in heaven, which is His right alone to do. We are proud of His Gay marriage to St. John. We pray that we could experience that kind of love in our own marriage: complete, faithful and eternal. And we wish all Gay people could know about the gift of Salvation that the Great Gay Martyr has secured for everyone. Christ paid the ultimate price: His own death. And by rising from the dead He demonstrated that He had power over that death. By doing that He gave us all hope.
“Are there some Gay people who are ashamed of Jesus? Are you ashamed of Jesus? When was the last time you witnessed about your faith in the bar on Saturday night? How about the nudist camp? Do they know you're an Apertarian? Or do you keep your faith covered as the textiles hide their genitalia, ashamed of it?
“If you are ashamed of our Savior, He will disown you before the Father. You read that in our readings for today. When you deny your sexual orientation you're turning your back on God's beautiful gift of Gayness and denying even the Savior, Himself. And the consequences will be horrific. Do you also deny the gift of nakedness that God also wants you to have? You ought to bow you head in shame!
“But you needn’t! God wants you to be His child. That is why He made you Gay and Naked. He chose you to be special for Him. That is why you must never deny your wonderful gifts. You have a Gay spiritual birthright and a Nudist birthright that no other people have. You had better not deny it!”
“Thus endeth the homily for today.”
Moderator: + “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Most Holy and Eternal Trinity.”
The Offering
Moderator: “Jesus has said that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. We pray that you will open up your heart and give so that we may continue to carry God's message of nakedness, healing and salvation to all those Gay male Nudists who still are suffering needless pain and rejection.”
[The collection plate is then passed around while a hymn is sung. When the collection is completed the collection plate(s) are brought forward and laid on the altar. The Moderator then prays over the gifts.]
Moderator: “Dear heavenly Father, we know we can do nothing to merit Your eternal love. Yet You did love us before the foundation of the world. Accept our humble gifts for your service and bless the givers also. We pray in Your Son's name and for Your eternal glory. Amen.”
[The Moderator moves back to the pulpit.]
The Communal Prayer
Moderator: “The Lord be with you.”
Congregation: “And also with you.”
Moderator: + “Let us pray... Oh Lord, we bring before You all of the problems of the day (here list petitions for local problems). Help us to put in proper perspective the trials that You send our way. We ask that You will look down on our efforts and help us to help the Gay male Nudist who still suffers. We ask Your help in particular for N_____ and N_____. We also pray for our leaders who You have put into power. Give them the wisdom to make decisions that reflect Your will. But we always and ever give You thanks and pray that You will work Your will so that one day all men may walk free in their nakedness the way You have created us to be. Let Your Holy Spirit guide us as we pray the way Your Son taught us saying...”
Congregation and Moderator: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thou art the Kingdom and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Moderator: “Amen.”
The Communion Service
[The Moderator moves behind the altar and faces the people.]
Moderator: "Brothers, we are gathered here today to commemorate the sacrifice of our most Holy Lord Jesus Christ who by His willful offering of His perfect self upon the cross secured for us the promise of heaven in the next life and the blessings of nakedness in this life. Let us each examine our consciences and prepare ourselves for the communion service."
[Here is observed a moment of silence while the men examine their consciences and silently ask for forgiveness.]
Moderator: “The Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread...”
[At this point the Moderator elevates the bread and displays it to all sides of the Congregation while the bells are rung. The priest then genuflects.]
Moderator: “And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.”
[The Moderator then breaks the wafer into three pieces and places it in the chalice of grape juice.]
Congregation: “This, Lord, we will remember, to keep it holy."
Moderator: “After the same manner also He took the cup, and when He had supped said, “This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
[The Moderator then elevates the chalice filled with grape juice and displays it to all sides of the Congregation while the altar man rings the bells. The priest genuflects.]
Congregation: “This, Lord, we will remember, to keep it holy.”
Moderator: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.”
[The Congregation then lines up to receive communion. The Moderator dips a wafer in the grape juice and offers it to each communicant. Each may take communion the way he feels is right, i.e., standing or kneeling, in his hand or in his mouth, etc. When all have received communion the Moderator then offers communion to the altar man, if there is one. He then takes communion himself, and drinks ALL OF THE GRAPE JUICE IN THE CHALICE. He carefully washes the chalice and covers it with an altar cloth. He then returns to the pulpit.]
[A hymn is sung.]
Moderator: “Please stand for the final benediction.”
[The Congregation stands.]
Moderator: + “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Go thy way and be at peace in thy nakedness. The service is ended. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, most Holy and Eternal Trinity.”
[At this point a closing hymn may be sung.]
[The Congregation then observes a moment of silence while the Moderator goes to the front door to welcome the men as they exit. When the altar man rings the bells the men are then free to dress and leave the service.]