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The Service For The 23rd
Sabbath In Ordinary Time
September 8, 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): “Lord, You are just, and the judgments You make are
right. Show mercy when You judge me, Your servant.”
[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): “Lord, You are just, and the judgments You make are
right. Show mercy when You judge me, Your servant.”
[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 23rd Sabbath in Ordinary
Time is found in:
Ezekiel 33:
7-9
7. So
thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel;
therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8. When I
say unto the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not
speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not
turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy
soul.
Moderator: “This is the word of the Lord.”
Congregation: “Thanks be to God.”
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Moderator: “Come, let us sing joyfully to
the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us greet Him with
thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to Him.”
Congregation: “If today you hear His voice,
harden not your hearts.”
Moderator: “Come. let us bow down in
worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For He is our God, and we
are the people He shepherds, the flock He guides.”
Congregation: “If today you hear His voice,
harden not your hearts.”
Moderator: “Oh, that today you would hear
His voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in
the desert, where your fathers tempted Me; they tested Me though they had seen
My works.”
Congregation: “If today you hear His voice,
harden not your hearts.”
The New Testament Lesson
Moderator: “The New Testament lesson for the
23rd Sabbath in Ordinary Time is found in:
Romans 13:
8-10
8. Owe no
man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law.
9. For
this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not
steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there
be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10. Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.
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 23rd
Sabbath in Ordinary Time is found in:
Matthew 18:
15-20
15.
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother.
16. But
if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17. And
if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect
to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19. Again
I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20. For
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.
[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
“Where Two Or Three Are
Gathered...”
Moderator: “Today, when Christianity is the
religion for so much of the world and accepted almost without question we tend
to forget the trouble It had in getting started. At first it was considered
only a minor Jewish sect and, while it was small, it was considered to be no
problem. However it kept growing, appealing to the slaves and lower classes
with its message of salvation for all. And all they had to do was to believe
that Jesus died for their sins and they would be guaranteed a place in heaven.
Good news like that is hard to keep bottled up. So the message spread by word
of mouth and people began meeting in each other’s homes, two or three here, two
or three there. And they formed churches, as Jesus had instructed them to do.
Matthew 18: 20: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there
am I in the midst of them.”
They
didn’t need big stone churches and large budgets or a lot of money. And it’s a
good thing too. Because even though their meetings were small and kept within
their homes, the secular temples began to feel threatened by their presence.
The Temple of Diana, for example, relied on revenue from the sale of its idols.
St. Paul, because of his preaching, caused that revenue to drop drastically
which didn’t make the craftsmen or the priests very happy. So they persecuted
St. Paul. Or rather tried to, but without much success. However, that was only
a pale prelude of the persecution that was to come.
Everyone
knows of Nero’s outlawing the early Christian Church, trying to make them the
scapegoats for his burning of Rome. The sad thing about it is that it worked.
Christians became outlaws of the state, hunted down and slaughtered. So they
had to meet secretly in the catacombs, the places of the dead.
But they
kept meeting, two or three here, two or three there. They would not let their
faith die. They had been given salvation by the Christ; they had been given
heaven. Even so, the persecutions continued until the emperor Constantine was
converted to Christianity. The early Christians could, at last, come out of the
hiding and be recognized.
And so,
almost overnight, the Christians had gone from “overt enemies of the state” to
the most beloved religion that existed. They had achieved social acceptability.
But it took them hundreds of years, and thousands of martyrs to do it. But they
did it! It seemed that they had achieved the impossible. Now they could freely
assemble, right out in the open. Now they could build their churches. Now they
could openly marry. Now they could become contributing members of their
society. No more were they shunned, denied their rights or persecuted. God had
rewarded their perseverance!
We
Apertarians are like those early Christians. We have discovered the good news
of the Great Gay Commission and the marvelous blessings of our God-given
nakedness. so we must carry the message to the other Gay male Nudists who still
suffer under the delusion that they are condemned by God. They’re not! And we
can tell them so by all the mass communications at our disposal. We have the
Internet, publishing, TV, and a host of other media devices that we can use to
spread the word to the very corners of the earth. And instantly to boot.
Yet, how
do they come in? Two or three here; two or three there... we meet in each
other’s homes just like the early Christians. We give lessons almost on a one
to one basis, hoping that maybe the next student will remain in the Church.
We face
discrimination just like the early Christians did two thousand years ago. We
know that. In many places ignorant laws ban not only Gayness but also nudity.
These laws were enacted by people who thought they were doing good. But
unfortunately their best intentions have done only harm. So, because of the
discrimination, we meet in each other’s homes, quietly worshipping God the way
He has made perfectly clear He expects to be worshipped. We offer up our
nakedness to Him so that He may use it. And He will use it to build Apertarian
churches for His glory. That’s why we don’t need big stone churches. We don’t
need large budgets. We don’t need lots of money. These things would surly help,
and maybe some day God will let us have them. But to start with, we will be two
or three here, two or three there, living and worshipping in our Naked Gayness.
Meanwhile
we will continually carry our great message of hope and freedom wherever we
can. St. Peter said:
“But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is within you with meekness
and fear...”
We must
continue to form our little groups of twos and threes. That is how our church,
and our community of the Naked Shepherd, will continue to grow and prosper. We
must be ready to witness for our beliefs always, looking forward to the day
when we will be able to walk God’s green earth as truly freed men. Being able
to let our genitals hang freely suspended the way they were created to do.
Being able to let our skin breathe the clean air without overheating our
bodies. Being able to physically witness to the redeeming power of Jesus’ sacrifice
on the cross.
We take
heart and hope in the sure knowledge that some day God will bring this all to pass.
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.]
Con.
“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.]