Link to Pride Liturgy
Easter Vigil Liturgy April 8, 2023
Welcome Mike
Presider: Before we begin liturgy, please have a candle, an instrument to light it, and a glass of water near you.
Presider:
Tonight, we have spiritual work to do, and we have to do it together. We will tell the cosmic story, and we will create our own resurrection story. To be a storyteller is to be in touch with a liberating process, for stories catalyze the creative imagination to dream alternative ways to do things. To create is to participate in the Creator’s own work and imagination that gives shape to the universe. We will tell the story and imagine the story and, hopefully, come to know more deeply that we are that story. Our very bonds come from stardust, our lives from the energy of the universe.
Presider:
In the beginning, the Mystery, God, alone, surrounded by infinite darkness, emptiness, Silence.
Pause in Silence
Wisdom Bowl Margie
Reader 1 Margie
And out of God came,
“Let there be light.”
And God’s word invited the silence into the creation of sound:
Opened the darkness into the image of light;
Stirred the infinite density of emptiness
Into a blaze of energy so full and rich
that the whole Universe burst forth…
Creating Space…all that ever was
And Time…all that is
And Matter…all that ever will be
From the first quarks and electrons to the songs we sing this night.
Reader 2 Geri
And God gave order and relationship to the glistening, pulsing chaos
Of the expanding new World:
Four fundamental forces to color and flavor the quarks;
To poise them in the nuclei of atoms;
To harmonize the swirling and churning of galaxies
About to give birth to the stars.
Light, in the form of trillions of newborn photons,
And heat, a billion degrees, immeasurable,
And energy, pure potential, yet without form.
…This was God’s creation, 14 billion years ago…
Light out of darkness…the first day.
ACTION: People light a candle at home while a photo of an Easter Fire is displayed
Song: Mike has an image to show and he will play the song
Sacred Fire by Jan Novotka on Melodies of the Universe 2.31 minutes
Sacred Fire, burning before me;
burning within me; deep in my soul!
Sacred Fire, transforming Fire,
recreate me, Make me whole.
Melodies of the Universe CD ©1994 by Jan Novotka’s Music LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Opening Prayer Mike
Augustine prayed these words, “Our hearts are restless until they
rest in you”. Augustine’s desire for oneness with the Divine has
been echoed by all of creation. We now know that we are one with the Divine. In that presence, we continually evolve into something new. This evolving means that there must be an ongoing process of end, destruction and new creation. This is the story of Easter. It is the story of letting go of the past; a story that is ever changing and ever new. We pray that we may purge ourselves of limiting beliefs, that we may transcend into something new.
May we experience oneness this time with all that is.
May we radiate love, act in peace and stand for justice.
May we always remember that we come from the Divine.
May we always remember that we are carriers of Divine life in all our comings and goings – even in every breath we breathe.
May we always remember where we come from and where we are going. Amen!
Creation Story
Video: Where Do We Go from Here? Jan Phillips Mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu-rYCQEmbM / 13 minutes
Reading Margaret Gering
A meditation from Richard Rohr
Seeing from a pair of glasses beyond our own is what I call “participative seeing.” This is the new self that can say with Paul, “I live no longer, not ‘I’ but it is Christ now living in me” (Galatians 2:20). In the truest sense, I am that which I am seeking. This primal communion immediately communicates a spaciousness, a joy, and a quiet contentment. It is not anxious, because the essential gap between me and the world has already been overcome. I am at home and do not need to prove myself to anybody, nor do I need to be “right,” nor do you have to agree with me.
In the words of Thomas Merton:
True Christianity is growth in the life of the Spirit, a deepening of the new life, a continuous rebirth, in which the exterior and superficial life of the ego-self is discarded like an old snake skin and the mysterious, invisible self of the Spirit becomes more present and more active. The true Christian rebirth is a renewed transformation, a “Passover” in which [a person] is progressively liberated from selfishness and not only grows in love but in some sense “becomes love.” The perfection of the new birth is reached where there is no more selfishness, there is only love. In the language of the mystics, there is no more ego-self, there is only Christ; self no longer acts, only the Spirit acts in pure love. The perfect illumination is, then, the illumination of Love shining by itself. To become completely transparent and allow Love to shine by itself is the maturity of the “New Man (Woman).”
When you live in this state of love, at that level of communion where you let the Life get in and let the Life flow out of you to others, you are experiencing pure transformation. This is what it would mean to be totally in Christ.
Inspired Words
Gospel Acclamation Slide show ITunes Mike
Halle, Halle by Marty Haugen from the Apage – The Stories and the Feast CD / 1.29 minutes [in memory of Jeanne Nicholls]
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Halle, halle, hallelujah!
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! X 2 times
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Halle, halle, hallelujah!
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! X 3 times
Gospel Mike
You Shall Be My Witnesses by Miriam Therese Winter on Woman Song / 3 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh7nMx4ozPg
Refrain
You shall be my witnesses through all the earth, telling of all you have heard and received, for I arose and am with you and you have believed.
Women at the tomb, weeping for the dead:
He is not here, he has risen as he said.
They ran to tell those who were in authority.
The men dismissed the news as idle fantasy. Refrain
Magdalene at the tomb: Whom do you seek?
Her eyes were opened when she heard him speak.
His love for every woman shown upon his face.
The hopes of every age were held in their embrace. Refrain
Women, leave your tombs. Roll the stones aside.
Do not despair, though so many dreams have died.
Do not be fearful of the vision that you see.
Believe in miracles again. Believe in me. Refrain
Homily Mike
Renewal of Beliefs by Michael Morwood Mike & Peter
P: In Nature we see superb aspects of transformation: in supernovas exploding and in their dying giving birth to new possibilities: in the sun giving of itself that we might have life; in seeds “dying” to produce new life. We know that several times in the history of this planet more species than existing were extinguished. There has been death, destruction, apparent annihilation, and then “resurrection” producing abundant life. Life is somehow stronger than death. Life finds a way.
Voice: Death for Jesus was, as it will be for us, a dying into the Divine: a transformation into a way of existence for which we have no images and no clear idea of how it may happen.
P: Our understanding of Jesus’ resurrection must be freed from dualistic images in which Scripture and traditional Christian teaching have presented it. The Divine does not reside somewhere else, in a place called “heaven” that is above us somewhere. In fact, there is no up or down any more when we consider our planet’s place in the universe.
Voice: Death for us will not be a journey to some other place where the Divine is located; there will not be a judgment as to whether we “get into” an elsewhere place.
Voice: We proclaim and celebrate Easter because it links Jesus with all life, with transformation, and with the possibility of life beyond our imagining. Easter offers meaning and hope to all people. We give thanks and rejoice that Jesus so clearly and courageously linked our loving and our dying with living on in the Divine. We rejoice that Jesus lives on, as we all will, in the Divine. Amen!
Blessing of Water Mike
Water Blessing by Earth Mama on Blessings of the Universe CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UEIMdcMkI
I say a prayer for the water
O, bless the water
As it Graces in and out of me
And it Blesses in and out of everything.
O, bless the water.
Bless, bless the water. X 2
Joyce Johnson Rouse ©2007 Rouse House Music (ASCAP)
Drinking of Water Mike
Please take a drink of the blessed water and allow it to wash you anew and refresh you on the inside.
Prayer of the People Kathy S voice one Teri Second Voice
ARISE IN ME
When we come face to face with the challenge of self-giving, when we are asked to go the extra mile, to take the risk of reaching out to another, to offer forgiveness to the heart that rejects us…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine love.
When our world seems bleak, when we walk with sadness written on our soul, when we have days during which everything goes wrong…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine joy.
When anxiety and concern take over our spirit, when restlessness or boredom holds sway over us, when our world cries out in distress and turmoil…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine peace.
On those days when we hurry too much, during those times when our anger flares because our pet agendas aren’t met, when we stop giving people our acceptance and understanding…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine kindness.
As we face the shadow of our inner world or peer into the darkness of our outer world, as we struggle to believe in our own gifts and blessings…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine goodness.
In those difficult times when fear threatens to drown our trust in you, during those experiences of growth when we are tempted to doubt all the ways we have known you…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine trust.
As we walk on the edges of life and death, as we struggle with the disciplines of spiritual growth, as we yearn to be faithful amid the many changes of inner and outer growth…
Second Voice: Arise in us with the energy of Divine guidance.
Our hearts are stirred by the Divine. The Divine in us gets us going. Because of this, we do not give up. May we always open our minds and our hearts to experience energizing, transforming radiance. May we always be open to the promptings of the Divine moving freely in our lives. May we trust the powerful presence of the Divine within us at every moment of our lives. Amen.
Sharing of Peace Mike
Eucharistic Prayer Mike & Margaret F
P: We marvel at our cosmic story and all that reveals the Divine Presence: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this our home, the fragile planet earth.
Voice: From the primal elements came forth the human race, blessed with memory, reason, and skill. We are indeed the stewards of creation.
P: As we recall the great events that gave us new life, the image of Jesus is brought to perfection within each of us.
Voice: We acknowledge that the Divine has woven the fabric of the universe. All creation has been invited to robe itself in the love poured out from the source of never-ending abundance.
P: We honor the ones who have revealed the Divine ways to us until now we can recognize them for ourselves. We are grateful for the courage and fidelity of all those sent to prepare a path for us to follow – the holy women and men of every age and culture.
Voice: We proclaim and celebrate Easter because it links Jesus with all life, with transformation, and with the possibility of life beyond our imagining.
P: We especially are grateful for Jesus who came to us as bread for our journey. He is the Way. Whenever we celebrate this meal we recommit ourselves to follow his example. In this, we seek new opportunities to be the followers of Jesus in all our interactions and relationships. It is in Jesus that God revealed the love that is the human family.
Voice: We give thanks for the spirit of life and love among us.
We are grateful that the Spirit sets us free to discover the Divine’s presence within us and in our world. We recognize the Spirit is with us now for all is holy.
P: As we gather once more around bread and wine
we recall Jesus sharing bread and wine
with his friends shortly before he died.
He invited them to eat and drink
as a sign of their readiness to keep his memory alive
to give their all for what he believed and taught.
(Pause for reflection)
Voice: And so, as we take our place in this moment on the stage of human history, we share this bread as our pledge of openness to the Spirit in our midst and in acknowledgment of our eternal connectedness with the Spirit of Life.
P: We share this wine mindful of a relationship of love and trust between ourselves and the Spirit of Life, believing, as Jesus believed, that beyond pain and darkness and death, life in the Spirit continues in ways beyond our imagining.
Voice: May we recognize the reality of Jesus present among us. May we take courage and find power to exult in our great mystery as people on a journey. May we live gently and gratefully upon this planet and upon the pathway you have chosen for us.
P: Easter offers meaning and hope to all people. We pray for all who are sick, may wholeness and healing be theirs. We pray for those who have died. May they be in peace.
Voice: We pray that the Spirit come upon our church and political leaders, so that they might act in truth. May they make the necessary changes to become peacemakers, to transform the church, and to protect the world. May they be moved to bring justice to all.
P: May the life and teaching of Jesus motivate us in all that we do, so that we may be living signs of his living and loving.
We pray, inviting the Spirit of Life, Love and Goodness to move freely in our words and actions. To this, we give our Amen!
Prayer of Jesus Linda S
O Divine Birther of all that is – from the smallest particle to the vastness of the cosmos, you are present. Holy are your infinite names chanted, sung or whispered.
Abba, Beloved, Divine Breath, Great Mystery, Sophia
May we walk in peace, speak with tenderness, touch with compassion, and love unconditionally. With gratitude for the abundance we’ve been given, may we always share with any who hunger or are in need. May we be filled with humility and regret for the times we did not reflect your love. May we always offer forgiveness to those whose words or actions have caused us pain. May we understand our individual purpose and seek to fulfill it without distraction.
We pray what we believe and believe what we pray. Amen.
By Colleen Walsh White 2020
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song ITunes Slide Show Mike
Shimmering Presence by Jan Novotka on Awakening Consciousness / 5.29 minutes
There is a still, vibrant energy, shimmering in all things,
shimmering in all beings, shimmering everywhere.
Behold it and you’ll be transformed, for it is the Presence of the Holy.
Behold it and you’ll be transformed, for it is the Presence of the Holy.
©2006 by Jan Novotka’s Music LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Closing Prayer Colleen
The Sharing by Edwina Gately
We told our stories— that’s all. We sat and listened to each other and heard the journeys of each soul. We sat in silence entering each one’s pain and sharing each one’s joy. We heard love’s longing and the lonely reachings-out for love and affirmation. We heard of dreams shattered. And visions fled. Of hopes and laughter turned stale and dark. We felt the pain of isolation and the bitterness of death.
But in each brave and lonely story God’s gentle life broke through and we heard music in the darkness and smelled flowers in the void.
We felt the budding of creation in the searchings of each soul and discerned the beauty of God’s hand in each muddy, twisted path.
And His voice sang in each story. His life sprang from each death. Our sharing became one story of a simple lonely search for life and hope and oneness in a world which sobs for love. And we knew that in our sharing, God’s voice, with mighty breath, was saying “Love each other and take each other’s hand.”
For you are one though many and in each of you I live.
So listen to my story and share my pain and death.
Oh, listen to my story and rise and live with me.
Sending Forth Song
All You Works of God Marty Haugen Tales of Wonder 1990
https://youtu.be/7nO37XvBugY?t=1
Good Friday 2023
Opening Song Margie
May the Greatest Love by Kathy Sherrman on All Is One / 3 minutes
Maryann created a movie
Handout needs song’s words.
May the Greatest Love the world has ever known,
Seize you, inspire,
Set your heart on fire
And dare you to be bold with wisdom to be told.
May the neighborhood of our sacred universe, be carried and treasured,
Embraced inside of you
That all may be one;
For a future yet to come.
This we ask, this we pray as we bless you this day.
Chant verse: Renew in us our passionate quest for the One who is the purpose of our living.
Introduction Mike
Presider:
Many people are still inclined to say, “But Jesus would not know what it is like to carry my pain or to have my doubts. He was Divine.” However, as we reflect more deeply on the human Jesus, we begin to see a man who knew the longings and the pains of the human heart. In Jesus, the man, we have someone who can empathize with us, who can companion us in difficult times. This prayerful Good Friday reflection emphasizes Jesus’ human experience of living in faith. This is the Jesus his followers must know better if they are to turn to him in time of pain, struggle, and darkness. This is the Jesus his followers must believe in as they carry forward his mission into their lives and “become the compassion of God in the world.”
Reflection 1 Peter
I remember a man who dreamed
of what might be:
that people would be set free from religious
ideas and images that degraded them;
that people would believe that through their
everyday acts of human kindness,
they are intimately connected with the sacred;
that people would be empowered by his words and actions.
Short pause
I remember a man driven by his dreams.
Reflection 2 Geri
I remember a man who had his moments of breakthrough
when it must have seemed, his dream was being realized;
times when people really listened and responded;
times when men and women were prepared to walk with him
and support him;
times when he spoke better and more convincingly than other times.
Short pause
I remember a man enthused by his successes.
Reflection 3 Bill
I remember a man who learned about the cruel death of his cousin.
He got into a boat,
seeking a lonely place where he could be with his friends,
to absorb the shock, to grieve quietly, to calm feelings
of powerlessness, of frustration and of fear for his own future.
I wonder what he prayed about that night?
I wonder what helped him leave that lonely place
and go forward to confront life
rather than retreat into isolation and safety?
Short pause
I remember a man driven by his convictions.
Reflection 4 Geri
I remember a man who found quiet places
to pray and to think about things;
a man who had to live by faith;
a man who had to search for answers;
a man who had to think about which path to follow;
a man who looked to his friends for support and understanding.
Short pause
I remember someone very much like me.
Reflection 5 Linda
I remember a man whose dream was shattered,
who broke down and cried over what could have been;
who knew the pain of failure and powerlessness;
who knew what it was like to feel broken and terribly alone.
Short pause
I remember someone human like all of us.
Reflection 6 Geri
I remember a man who knew he was going to die;
who gathered with his friends,
knowing it was for the last time;
who spoke to them about what he really believed;
who wanted them to remember him
and to keep his dream alive.
Short pause
I remember a testament to love.
Reflection 7 Kathy
I remember a man crucified.
He was a failure,
abandoned by his male friends,
taunted, despised,
enduring a shameful and agonizing death,
no consoling or heartfelt presence of the Divine to help him.
Short pause
I remember a man whose faith in all he believed was tested to the limits.
Reflection 8 Margaret
I remember a man who forgave,
not just once, but over and over;
a man who embodied
the generosity and limitless
outpouring of the Source of all life;
a man whose life and death
point us to another dimension
of what it means to be human.
No power on earth, nothing
could move this man from what he believed.
Short pause
I remember a man who inspires me by the way he lived and died.
Reflection 9 Colleen
I remember a man of extraordinary religious insight,
a man utterly convinced of the connection between human love
and the Source of All;
a man determined to give people personal authority
in their relationship with the Divine they believed in;
a man who wanted to set people free
from fear of the Unknown,
a man who set his heart on breaking down
barriers between people.
Short pause
I remember a man who sets me free.
Pause
Presider: Mike
As we remember Jesus and the faith in which he faced adversity and death, let us recognize that the very same life-giving spirit that moved in his life, moves in our lives, too. Jesus’ death is in vain if we believe that a Divine-Spirit moved in him, and in him alone, making him fundamentally different from the rest of us. That is not what Jesus wanted people to believe. He earnestly wanted every one of us to grasp the “good news” of the power and depth of the spirit within. Let us take time to deepen our awareness of this truth.
As you listen to the next song, and watch the slides, reflect on the ways people live as Jesus lived, willing to give everything even if it meant suffering.
Song Margie
HOW WE LOVE by Beth Nielsen Chapman
Life has taught me this, every day is new
And if anything is true, all that matters
When we’re through is how we love
Faced with what we lack
Some things fall apart
But from the ashes new dreams start
All that matters to the heart
is how we love
How we love, how we love.
From the smallest act of kindness
in a word, a smile, a touch
In spite of our mistakes
Chances come again, if we lose or if we win
All that matters in the end, is how we love
How we love, How we love,
I will not forget your kindness
When I needed so much, sometimes we forget
Trying to be so strong, in this world of right and wrong
All that matter when we’re gone, all that mattered all along
All we have that carries on, is how we love.
First Sharing Mike
Briefly share your experience of someone who, in the past twelve months, showed extraordinary love or courage in facing their life situation.
Second Sharing
Briefly share a personal experience of your own during the past twelve months, of drawing upon a power, a presence within you to face a difficult situation.
Prayers of the People Sue
We reflect on the life of Jesus as we pray for those who are in pain and struggling.
Our response will be a reflective silence.
For all religious leaders that they may help people understand that they are intimately connected with the sacred; and that they are empowered, we pray,
For politicians, that there may be moments of breakthrough where they will act for the good of people and not just lobbyists of the rich, we pray,
For us, that when confronted with doubt and conflict, we may go forward to confront life rather than retreat into isolation and safety, we pray,
For everyone, as we and they think about which path to follow; may we always look to our friends for support and understanding, we pray,
For everyone, that we know it is acceptable to know the pain of failure and powerlessness; and that we are not alone when we feel broken and lost, we pray,
For all people, that in our living and loving we may keep the dream of Jesus alive, we pray,
For all of us, that we may be generous in our forgiveness as we model the life of Jesus. May we connect to the Source of all life as Jesus connected to the Source of all life, we pray
For all people, that we may become utterly convinced of the connection between human love and the Source of All, we pray,
We pray that the Spirit of Jesus may come alive in us. May we like Jesus, give people personal authority in their relationship with the Divine they believe in; may we set people free from fear of the Unknown, may we set our hearts on breaking down barriers between people. We pray this and all prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Song Margie
May We Become the Compassion of God in the World
by Kathy Sherman, Love Cannot Be Silenced
Prayer Mike & Bill
P: We give thanks for the ways in which the life, the teaching and the death of Jesus have set us free.
Voice: We open ourselves to the influence
of the same spirit of Life and Love that moved so clearly in his life.
We want his convictions and his dreams to live on in us.
P: We give thanks for the men and women,
friends, family and strangers, who, like Jesus,
have inspired us with their courage and their fidelity,
and have led us to believe in a power, a presence within us all.
Voice: We give thanks for “surprised by the Spirit” moments
in our own lives, times when we knew without any doubt,
that there is more to us than meets the eye.
We give thanks for family and friends who,
like Jesus, gave clear human expression
to the energizing spirit that drives the universe,
through their love, their care and their encouragement.
P: We break bread today remembering Jesus,
who died for what he believed.
He died trusting in the power and the loving presence
of the Divine of his Jewish faith;
in spite of the darkness and loneliness, failure,
abandonment, torment, and pain,
he believed and trusted.
Voice: We break this bread mindful of faith
that sees beyond what the eye can see;
faith that endures, faith that inspires
Jesus’ faith, our faith.
P: We eat this bread and give our Amen to sharing the faith of Jesus.
To being the compassion of God in the World.
We are mindful of love’s call to be faithful, to endure, to bond,
to see possibilities and the hopes of new life
to be generous and forgiving whatever the cost.
Prayer of Jesus Ann C
O Cosmic householder,
Source of our wisdom, protector and provider,
Embracing all that dwells in the Heavens,
Naming for all holiness and justice,
In the Companionship of Empowerment,
Spread throughout the entire Creation,
As willed by Holy Wisdom.
In justice may all be sustained by daily food.
And relieved of the burden of crippling debts.
Lead us not into collusion with any type of violence.
And deliver us from all forms of violent oppression.
For yours is the empowering desire to radiate on earth
The non-violent justice of enduring hope.
Amen.
by Diarmuid O’Murchu
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus.
Make us One now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus.
Make us One now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus.
Make us One now.
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
Communion Meditation with music playing Margie
A Reflection for Ash Wednesday – Blessing in the Chaos from Mercy Center, CT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU55ByJQtlY
Poem Kathy
Chaos
To all that is chaotic
in you,
let there come silence.
Let there be
a calming
of the clamoring,
a stilling
of the voices that
have laid their claim
on you,
that have made
their home in you,
that go with you
even to
the holy places
but will not
let you rest,
will not let you
hear your life
with wholeness
or feel the grace
that fashioned you.
Let what distracts you
cease.
Let what divides you
cease.
Let there come an end
to what diminishes
and demeans,
and let depart
all that keeps you
in its cage.
Let there be
an opening
into the quiet
that lies beneath
the chaos,
where you find
the peace
you did not think possible
and see what shimmers
within the storm.
By Jan Richardson from paintedprayerbook.com
Closing Prayer Mike
We give thanks for Jesus who “leads us in our faith”.
We give thanks that he knew the longings and pains of our hearts.
Like Jesus, may we listen to the voices whispering to us
calling us to follow close
lest we leave ourselves behind,
calling us to walk into evening shadows one more time.
Like Jesus, may we live
beyond the fears that close us in
and have the courage to walk
past horizons that we know.
We pray that we will grow strong in the faith
in which Jesus faced life and death.
We pray that he will be a close companion for us in life and in death.
Amen.
Closing Song Margie
Prelude by John Michael Talbott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsM5v2yC5hE
(All leave in silence)
Holy Thursday 2023
Welcome Mike
Before we begin liturgy, please have a sanitizing wipe or clean cloth near you.
We Pray for the Needs of Others Mike
Introduction Maryann
The Easter Triduum for Christians is the greatest feast in the liturgical year. It consists of three holy days that celebrate Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Triduum begins on Holy Thursday. The climax of these days is the Easter Vigil held on Saturday evening beginning after nightfall.
The theme for our Triduum is that we are one, one universe, one cosmos, one earth community. There is a synchronicity in the universe. Nature reveals this to us: birds flying in flight patterns, pods of sea creatures swimming together, pendulums swinging in rhythm. Yet in the hubbub of the day, we lose sight of this reality. Death and destruction happen beyond our understanding and ability to resolve them. How then are we called?
We come to this Triduum with many questions and concerns, in light of the War in Ukraine and wars all over the world, in light of Trump’s indictment, in light of how climate change is causing disruption of homes and lives, as well as personal challenges in our own lives. We join together to deepen our awareness of that kernel of gold in the heart of love that is within each of us and all of us together. We seek to find the Heart of Love for our fellow human beings and for all creation as Jesus did. Together, we are willing to enter the chaos, wildness, unpredictability and suffering, without losing hope, believing that the kernel of gold at the center will sound forth an Easter Alleluia.
Let us take a moment and consciously join hearts with each other as we celebrate this Holy Thursday. We hold in our prayer this evening our Jewish sisters and brothers, as they celebrate Passover. In the spirit of peace, we pray especially for all people in harm’s way. [Adapted from Mercy Center, CT 2020]
Opening Song Bill
At This Table by Idina Menzel and Jonas Myrin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVWmbXqCcjg (start at 1:15)
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BlYg8qP2h7ZHXxFphsOB-FGXpXjXW_Z-hDMP8FDpsH8/edit#slide=id.p2
Opening Prayer Mike
As we gather tonight we gather to remember. We gather to remember Jesus. We remember all he stood for. We remember his stories. We remember his actions of healing, of restoring of reconciling. We remember his faith. We remember his commitment. We remember his lessons of love, service and humility.
As we remember, we pray. We pray that through our celebration this night, we will strengthen our commitment to Jesus. We pray that we will stand for what he stood for. We pray that we will be his stories. We pray that we will act as he did; that we will be healers, restorers and reconcilers. We pray that we will have the faith of Jesus. We pray that in this time of great need we will preach by word and deed his lessons of love, service and humility. We pray this and all prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Readings
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 Tom K
God said to Moses and Aaron while still in Egypt, “This month is to be the first month of the year for you. Address the whole community of Israel; tell them that on the tenth of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb to a house. If the family is too small for a lamb, then share it with a close neighbor, depending on the number of persons involved. Be mindful of how much each person will eat. Your lamb must be a healthy male, one year old; you can select from either the sheep or the goats. Keep it penned until the fourteenth day of this month and then slaughter it – the entire community of Israel will do this – at dusk. Then take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you will eat it. You are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire, that night, along with bread made without yeast, and bitter herbs.
And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it’s the Passover to God.
I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every first born in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God. The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you – no disaster will strike you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This will be a memorial day for you, you will celebrate it as a festival to God down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always.
Inspired words.
Psalm Maryann
We Partake by Jan Novotka
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wHRu303oHgrf0bAFcd0EF5_IpYBW7jx_/edit#slide=id.p1
Words on slides
We come to break bread, to feast and to share.
All is gift! All is grace! All is here!
With gratitude and love, we partake.
With gratitude and love, we partake.
We remember all who hunger, all who cry for bread and justice.
As we eat we are mindful of our world.
With gratitude and love, we partake.
With gratitude and love, we partake.
We join hands together, as a sign of our communion.
We are one with each other and all!
With gratitude and love, we partake.
With gratitude and love, we partake.
©2011 by Jan Novotka’s Music LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Second Reading Margaret F
1 Corinthians 11:23-36
I received from Jesus what I have also handed on to you: Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread and, after giving thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body, the Word from the beginning of time in all of creation, that is for and with you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup, and said, “This cup is the covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.” As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are the Divine to one another. We do this in remembrance of Jesus.
[Translation from Mercy Center, CT 2020 Triduum liturgy]
Gospel Mike
Last Supper by Marty Haugen from That You May Have Life – Musical Stories from the Gospel of John / 5.14 minutes
THE LAST SUPPER (13:1 – 17:26)
Use this image of the washing of the feet while this song is played.
Evangelist: Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come.
Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
During supper, Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, and tied a towel around himself.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples. Simon Peter said to him:
Peter: Lord, are you going to wash my feet?
Jesus: You do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.
Peter: You will never wash my feet.
Jesus: Unless you are washed, you have no share in me.
Evangelist: After Jesus had washed their feet, he put on his robe and returned to the table. He said to them:
Jesus: Do you know what I have done to you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and so I am.
And if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, so should you wash the feet of one another.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, and believe also in me.
I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, you shall also be.
Thomas: Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
Jesus: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me, except through me.
I AM the vine and you are the branches, abide in me as I abide in you and you will bear much fruit, fruit that endures.
A new commandment I give unto you: Love one another, love one another as I have loved you.
Jesus / Choir: (Refrain) There is no greater love than this, to lay down your life for your friends.
There is no greater love, no greater love than this.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
Remain in my love, remain in my love just as I remain in my Father. (Refrain)
You are my friends if you do what I say:
No longer servants, no longer servants, for I name you ‘friends.’ (Refrain)
Homily Mike
The Mandatum Washing of the Feet/Hands Joanne K
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the focus of the Last Supper is on the institution of the Eucharist. But in John, the focus is on Jesus’ washing his disciple’s feet. John makes the point that serving others is at the heart of being a follower of Jesus. On Holy Thursday, we celebrate both traditions because we know that Eucharist and service are essentials for living life as a follower of Jesus.
When we wash our hands these days it is out of a concern for others, reminding us that we are all connected and what we do matters to the community.
As you use a cloth or sanitizing wipe to wash your hands or the hands of someone you live with this Holy Thursday, is there a prayer rising up in your heart? Take a moment to pray for the people across the world and in our own country. Is this not an invitation for us all to work harder for a more just world? What will radical discipleship look like for us as we go forward?
[From Mercy Center, CT 2020 Triduum liturgy]
The Lord Jesus by the Monks of Weston Priory on Listen Bill
[The Lord Jesus on Listen CD from the beginning to 2 minutes.]
The Lord Jesus after eating with his friends, washed their feet and said to them: Do you know what I, your Lord, have done to you? I have given you example, that so you also should do.
Prayers of the People Geri to lead & Kathy for “All”
Table Blessing by Jan Richardson (adapted)
To your table you bid us come. You have set the places, You have poured the wine, and there is always room, you say, for one more.
All: In this home and at this table everyone is welcome. At this table everyone is seen.
And so we come. From the streets and from the alleys in the midst of the chaos of our time, we come.
All: At this table everybody matters. No one falls between.
From the deserts and from the hills, we come.
All: At this table you can say whatever. At this table you can speak your mind.
From the ravages of poverty and from the palaces of privilege, we come.
All: So come as you are. Remember that the door is always open.
Running, limping, carried, we come.
All. The perfect gift that you could bring is your heart. So come, come as you are.
We are bloodied with our wars, we are wearied with our wounds, we carry our dead within us, and we reckon with their ghosts.
All: At this table there will be no judgment. At this table mercy has a seat.
We hold the seeds of healing, we dream of a new creation, we know the things that make for peace, and we struggle to give them wings; yes, we come.
All: At this table we’re all sons and daughters. There’s no place I’d rather be.
And yet, to your table we come.
Hungering for your bread, we come:
Thirsting for your wine, we come:
Singing your song in every language,
Speaking your name in every tongue,
In conflict and in communion,
In discord and in desire, we come,
O Wisdom, we come.
We come as we are, remembering that the door is always open.
[From Mercy Center, CT 2020 Triduum liturgy]
Sharing Peace Mike
Blessing of Bread and Wine
Blessing the Bread, the Cup for Holy Thursday by Jan Richardson Mike
Let us bless the bread
that gives itself to us
with its terrible weight,
its infinite grace.
Let us bless the cup
poured out for us
with a love
that makes us anew.
Let us gather
around these gifts
simply given
and deeply blessed.
And then let us go
bearing the bread,
carrying the cup,
laying the table
within a hungering world.
By Jan Richardson, Circle of Grace, A Book of Blessings, page 133
Eucharistic Prayer Mike & Linda S
P: We bring to this gathering
our desire to know Jesus
as friend and companion,
as someone who experienced
the human search for integrity,
who knew the desire
to be true to himself;
someone who felt, and then followed,
the gentle stirrings
in the depths of his heart and mind;
someone who knew the effort needed
to reach for higher ground.
Voice: We join Jesus in his prayer
as he stood all alone
following his heart
trusting what he felt
wanting to live out his vision
living up to the dream in him.
P: We remember Jesus
being true to everything he preached
coming down from the mountain
walking to Jerusalem
crying over dashed hopes
wondering who would continue his dream
feeling broken-hearted
sharing a final meal with his friends
having to trust his friends.
Voice: He had to trust people like us
because he knew he would not live to see his dream realized.
He trusted us
because he believed in the goodness embedded in every person.
He trusted us
because he knew the longing that stirred in the depths of the human heart.
He trusted us
because he knew his teaching could empower us to be as true to ourselves as he was to himself.
He trusted his friends.
P: We bring to this gathering our treasured friendships
with everyone gathered here and with those who could not be here.
Voice: We give thanks for friends
who have trusted us,
who have set us free
who have stood on the mountain with us,
who have cried with us,
who have shared with us,
who have believed in us
and who have helped us
to follow our hearts.
P: For us, this Holy Thursday ritual is a ritual
of integrity,
of gratitude,
of friendship,
and of trust.
Voice: As we gather once more around bread and wine
we recall Jesus sharing bread and wine
with his friends
shortly before he died.
He invited them to eat and drink
as a sign of their readiness
to keep his memory alive
to give their all
for what he believed and taught.
(Pause)
P: By eating and drinking at this table,
we pledge that we can be depended upon
to be true companions of Jesus and of one another
in our shared dreams for a better world.
Voice: We pray, inviting the Spirit of Life, Love and Goodness to move free in our words and actions. To this, we give our Amen!
Prayer of Jesus Margie
Great divine spirit of love that is at the core of everything
and from which all life flows,
We acknowledge this healing and transforming power.
May the spirit of unconditional love and forgiveness flow through each of us and enable the realm of love to spread throughout the world.
Like the flowers in the fields, may we have the basics we need to live
and may we have the love and commitment to ensure that others have what they need too.
May we have the courage to acknowledge when we have done wrong,
to seek forgiveness from those we have hurt
and to forgive those who have hurt us,
so that we may be reconciled.
We acknowledge the power of self-giving love to transform individual hearts and the world.
We recommit ourselves to the unconditional love of others and the work of justice and peace.
Amen A 21st Century Lord’s Prayer by Roger Courtney adapted
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus. Make us One now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Make us One now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Make us One now.
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song Bill
Being in Communion by Jan Novotka on Anam Cara
slideshow
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ODscbGUgiZwiDzOJ0lcndAIthQVJ37WxPJ4KGsnMe48/edit?usp=sharing
Being in communion; we are one.
Being in communion; being one.
©2008 by Jan Novotka’s Music LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Vigil of Waiting
[image from Mercy Center] Maryann shows slide
By Jan Richardson, Circle of Grace, page 134
Gethsemane by Mary Oliver Colleen
The grass never sleeps.
Or the roses.
Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.
Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.
The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,
and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,
and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.
Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe the wind wound itself
into a silver tree, and didn’t move,
maybe the lake far away, where once he walked
as on a blue pavement, lay still and waited, wild awake.
Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not
keep that vigil, how they must have wept,
so utterly human, knowing this too
must be a part of the story.
Closing Music Maryann
Earth’s Lament
(all leave in silence while music plays)
Eucharistic Liturgy
1st Sunday of Black History Month; 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – February 5, 2023
Theme: Rap Music – A New View: Salt & Light
Introduce Dan
We pray for those individuals in need
Gathering Song Margie
Glory by John Legend and Common
Wisdom Bowl Margie
Introduction Margie
As we of the Sophia Community begin our observance of Black History Month, we do so seriously, and with a commitment to being open, learning, supporting, and standing as allies and antiracists. We can say with complete conviction that we can’t even begin to understand the journeys of our black sisters and brothers. We have lived our lives in the comfort and protection of white privilege, and it can be difficult for us to appreciate a culture that differs in so many ways from what we are used to, including beauty, fashion, worship, entertainment, and music, to name a few.
In the spirit of going outside our comfort zones, today’s liturgy will be an exploration of Rap, one of the defining music traditions of modern Black culture. At various times, some of our members have expressed that they just don’t get it or that it makes them very uncomfortable. This is understandable. Rap is very different from what we are used to and it has elements that can be quite controversial, especially to people of “a certain age.” But good rap is also genius, expressing multiple themes with powerful and complex rhythms and rhymes.
Today we’re going to open our eyes (and ears) to think about the Gospel reading of ‘Salt and Light” in a different way. Last week, one of Jan Phillip’s Beatitudes for the 21st Century was “Blessed be the story-tellers, music-makers, and artists of life, for they are the true light of the world.” So, we will recognize and appreciate that rap is a way for artists, especially Black artists, to be salt and light for their communities and beyond. Like salt, rap brings out flavor – in this case, of a culture (that we so often don’t understand). Like light, rap allows that culture to shine!
Opening Prayer acknowledging Black History Month Mike
We appreciate the significance of Black History month and recognize the responsibility that it represents for each of us. As allies, we support the 2023 theme of “Black Resistance.”
We lift up and thank our Black brothers and sisters who have shaped history in ways so often denied and hidden, but actually enormously influential.
We are thankful for the opportunity to learn and reflect particularly at this time, here and now.
We pray that the learning happening in schools, homes, workplaces and spiritual communities will be meaningful and deep-rooted.
We pray for open hearts and minds, and spirits willing to learn and be transformed.
May this month be a time of curiosity and sharing, conversations and celebrations, challenge and encouragement. May we dig deeper, look closer, and think bigger.
May our exploration today help us to understand more fully what Common means in our Opening Song, Glory, when he says that, “The Movement is a rhythm to us,” and that, “Freedom is like religion to us.”
We pray this and all prayers in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Modified from a prayer by All We Can, A Methodist Relief Organization
Gospel Reading Linda S
Salt and Light In the tradition of Matthew
Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will wind up in the garbage.
Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep an open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father.”
Inspired words
Psalm Margie
Chance The Rapper – The Heart & The Tongue (2021)
Explanation of Rap and Example – Homily Starter Dan
Chance The Rapper – The Heart & The Tongue (2021)
Themes
Politics/Civil Rights
Sports/Athletics
Christianity
Ancient Greece
Body/Mind/Soul
Verse 1
1 2 3 4
| My heart and tongue are fightin‘, my mind is undecided
| It’s not like Trump and Biden, it’s more like something private
| Like when your cousins fight and one of ’em get excited
| You can’t just jump the gun and pick a side and jump inside it
| Remember Pontius Pilate hung a God and justified it
| The truth is slow ’cause someone’s always in a rush to hide it
| The lies is golden ’cause the devil got a touch of Midas
| The soul is brighter ’cause the Holy Ghost is ultraviolet
| The tongue is violent when the spirit starts to hunger–strikin‘
| The thunder lightning makes the heart go under bunkers hiding
| The lungs is silent when it hears the footsteps of the giants
| And then the fingertips they twist up like Po- seidon’s trident
| Remember safety if you ever running from the tight end
| Remember Mookie if they ever come to cut the hydrant
| They cut the heart out with the tongue, they want it undivided
| You better not start, you make a fuss you, end up uninvited
Verse 2
1 2 3 4
| My heart and mind are beefing, I call ’em Rhyme and Reason
| They always going head to head, I’m trying to Siamese ’em
| My father got a special set of skills like Liam Neeson
| He told me faith and squinted eyes can turn the blind Venetian
| I seen the sign, I’m in the den, I’m with the lions sleeping
| I seen the wine, I seen the water turn to bright Tahitian
| The heart is somewhere on Ha- waiian beaches | Tying
pigeons to the Giant Peaches | I want the want the beat to feel like
Diegesis | I’m tired of politicians tryna sell us
diet Jesus | That’s like dialysis was tryna sell us
Diabetes | Act like you was born yester- day and you gon’
die a fetus | The mind’s phil-osophy is old as Thales of Miletus | The mind is quite elitist, that’s why they like
choir preachers | They buy our leaders easi- er than I can
buy a feature | That’s why the genius always end up on the
tightest leashes | That’s how I wrote my whole en- tire thesis |
Close
1 2 3 4
| My heart and flesh are racing, that’s why I get complacent
| That’s why y’all get impatient, y’all don’t get the invitation
| I’m sitting courtside with the nurses during visitation
| Watching the vitals with some popcorn and an- ticipation
Notes:
- Chance has taken a lot of flak throughout his career for rapping/singing about God and his faith. He is outspoken in his willingness to speak about what is important to him, even if it costs him fans/radio play.
Prayers of the People Tom and Joanne
Litany for Those Not Ready for Healing by Dr. Yolanda Pierce
Let us not rush to the language of healing, before understanding the fullness of the injury and the depth of the wound.
Let us not rush to offer a bandaid, when the gaping wound requires surgery and complete reconstruction.
Let us not offer false equivalencies, thereby diminishing the particular pain being felt in a particular circumstance in a particular historical moment.
Let us not speak of reconciliation without speaking of reparations and restoration, or how we can repair the breach and how we can restore the loss.
Let us not rush past the loss of this mother’s child, this father’s child…someone’s beloved son.
Let us not value property over people; let us not protect material objects while human lives hang in the balance.
Let us not value a false peace over a righteous justice.
Let us not be afraid to sit with the ugliness, the messiness, and the pain that is life in community together.
Let us not offer clichés to the grieving, those whose hearts are being torn asunder.
Instead…
Let us mourn Black and brown men and women, those killed extrajudicially every 28 hours.
Let us lament the loss of a teenager, dead at the hands of a police officer who described him as a demon.
Let us weep at a criminal justice system, which is neither blind nor just.
Let us call for the mourning men and the wailing women, those willing to rend their garments of privilege and ease, and sit in the ashes of this nation’s original sin.
Let us be silent when we don’t know what to say.
Let us be humble and listen to the pain, rage, and grief pouring from the lips of our neighbors and friends.
Let us decrease, so that our brothers and sisters who live on the underside of history may increase.
Let us pray with our eyes open and our feet firmly planted on the ground.
Let us listen to the shattering glass and let us smell the purifying fires, for it is the language of the unheard.
God, in your mercy…
Show me my own complicity in injustice. Convict me for my indifference. Forgive me when I have remained silent. Equip me with a zeal for righteousness. Never let me grow accustomed or acclimated to unrighteousness.
Amen.
From Future Church’s Sister Thea Bowman, page 30.
Sharing of Peace
Blessing of Bread and Wine Mike
Response to blessing of both the bread and the wine will be
Voice: Blessed be the Holy One forever.
Eucharistic Prayer for Black History Month Mike & Louise
Presider: We gather today mindful of the quest for freedom that cries out in the heart and soul of every woman and man. A quest that is fierce with resolve and will not end until freedom is won for all.
Voice: From the time of Moses, people enslaved others for profit and gain.
When Israel was in Egypt’s land, the Israelites were oppressed so hard they could not stand. Let my people go!
P: Four hundred years ago, on the shores of the new-found land which became America, people were once again enslaved for profit and gain. Let my people go!
Voice: On the backs of these women and men this country was built. Let my people go! No consideration, no justice, no mercy for them. Let my people go!
P: A war began that tore a country apart. The Emancipation Proclamation brought a degree of freedom but injustice and greed still persisted. Let my people go!
Voice: New ways of indignities and injustices were invented: Jim Crow, Whites Only, Segregation and Red Lining. Let my people go!
P: And yet, in spite of all this, women and men of color have produced so many beautiful and meaningful creations. We thank Dr. Shirley Jackson for fiber-optic cable, Lewis Latimer for carbon filament (inner light bulb), Marie Van Brittan Brown for closed-circuit television security, Otis Boykin for the pacemaker, Lonnie Johnson for the Super Soaker and thermoelectric energy converters, Charles Drew for the blood bank, Marian Croak for VoIP, Lisa Gelobter for animated Gifs on the web, Philip Emeagwali – a drop out, for the world’s fastest computer, Jesse Wilkins, Jr, for the math behind gamma radiation, Garrett Morgan for the gas mask and the traffic signal, and Mary and Mildred Davidson for women’s feminine products and the walker, and Onesimus & Cotton Mather for the method that would eventually become vaccinations against infectious diseases. Appreciating these contributions as just a few among many, we pray recognizing the worth of all, and being grateful to learn what was never deemed important enough to include in our educational experiences.
Voice: We pray, recognizing our true worth, and our understanding of what it means to be human. No longer unworthy exiles, we are people with a glorious cosmic history, with great responsibility, and a noble destiny. Along with everything else in the universe, we are on a journey beyond our imagining.
P: We remember Jesus.
He challenged us to confront any influence within us,
any social, family, religious or cultural influence, that prevents us from recognizing the power within us and within all people – the power of love;
a power that could join all people as one in their common dream of a better humanity.
Voice: So we take this bread, as Jesus took bread, and give thanks for the wonder of the Divine in, and with us, and we eat, committing ourselves to love as Jesus loved, wholeheartedly, generously, and compassionately, so that people will see expressed in us what we have seen expressed in Jesus.
P: We take this wine, and we remember Jesus drinking wine with his friends. We drink, giving our “Yes” to being on earth the heart of the Holy One.
Voice: Our prayer is that Justice Rolls down like water. We have a Dream. That one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all women and men are created equal.”
P: We have a dream that people of color will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Voice: We have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight.
P: This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood and sisterhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Voice: From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
P: To wherever the Spirit of Life and Love may lead us we give our, Amen.
An Alternative Prayer of Jesus Margie
O God Guide Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVRJFChcL3I&t=116s
Presider will say a few words
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
Presider: We gather together this morning and every Sunday to remember Jesus and his teachings. We come to be nourished spiritually, so we eat and drink bread and wine in his memory.
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread, say: “This is and you are the bread of life.”
Once everyone has the bread.
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup, say: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song Margie
Deep River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QviNqBgArks
Closing Prayer Margie
I Dream a World by Langston Hughes
“Langson Hughes, the first Black American to earn his living solely from his writing and public lectures, lived his life as a poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist. He is a renowned leader of the Harlem Renaissance.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-H7cAQK1qo
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!
Closing Song Margie
Love Reaches Out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvlPa28cVfA
Here is our liturgy for the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, 2023
3rd Sunday in January 1/15/23
Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Praying for those in need Mike
Introduction Marie
For today’s liturgy, I have chosen to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Later this afternoon, the members of Voice of the Faithful New Jersey will have a memorial service for Gerry Gannon. You may know of Gerry as the co-founder of RAMP or as the husband of Mary Gannon, who sometimes joins us for liturgy, and always listens to the recordings of Sophia’s Sunday liturgies. This morning I want to share with you a part of Gerry’s obituary.
Gerard “Gerry” Gannon went home to God on Christmas afternoon December 25, 2022. It was so fitting because it is the feast when Christians celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus – the father sending his son Jesus in human form to show us how to live here on earth.
Love, Compassion, Inclusivity for all – no prejudice, no exceptions, and service.
Gerry lived this life. His first call to service was as a Roman Catholic Priest at St Ann’s Parish in Brooklyn, NY, the poorest parish in the borough at the time. He marched for Civil Rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the Pettus Bridge from Selma toward Montgomery on March 9, 1965. Dr. King had requested that religious men and women join their black brothers and sisters for the march. Gerry immediately responded to that call, as he would so many others in the years to come.
Last week the following MLK quote was sent to me – part of a liturgy prepared by a friend. I believe these inspirational words apply to Gerry’s life as much as they apply to Doctor King’s:
“I choose to identify with the underprivileged. I choose to identify with the poor. I choose to give my life for the hungry. I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity. I choose to live for and with those who find themselves seeing life as a long and desolate corridor with no exit sign. This is the way I’m going. If it means suffering a little bit, I’m going that way. If it means sacrificing, I‘m going that way. If it means dying for them, I’m going that way, because I heard a voice saying, ‘Do something for others.”
Opening Song Marie
Civil Rights Music Video – We Shall Overcome by Pete Seeger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gmTxc2wGTI
Wisdom Bowl Mike
Opening Prayer Mike
May our time together this morning challenge us to do more than sing and pray. May we be inspired to continue anew to work for social justice, voting rights, and racial equity and equality in our country. May we find new ways to strive to create a country where all children and adults can live together in safe and loving communities.
Amen
“Reading” Marie
March on Washington – 50th Anniversary Tribute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMNMOBCTYY
Psalm Spot Marie
Let Justice Flow Like a River by Marty Haugen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHNE3S8rSJg
“Readings” in the Gospel Spot Marie
MLK Legacy: John Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhQJWvyYn_E
MLK Legacy: Ruby Bridges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKyQV0-z6HE
Homily Mike
Prayer of the People Linda
The response to each petition will be a moment of prayerful silence.
For our Black siblings and their families and communities, who have suffered unimaginable violence in our country. May we stand in solidarity and love with them and have the courage to fight racism and white supremacy wherever it is found, we pray:
For our white siblings, that they may hear and respond faithfully to the voice of Jesus in the Gospels calling us to both personal and communal conversion and transformation. When prophets speak, may we have the courage and humility to listen, we pray:
For the leaders of our nation that they may give voice to justice and compassion in our chaotic, tumultuous, and divided country, we pray:
For those who carry truths that must be spoken, may they be strengthened by the Spirit and the People of God in their prophetic work, we pray:
For those who are rendered voiceless by those in power, that we – and all people of good will – come forth to be their advocates, we pray:
For our sisters and brothers in Sophia, in our sister parish in Rochester, for all those involved with Pathways to Prosperity and for our sisters and brothers in Voice of the Faithful and RAMP, may they know of our love and care for them. May they continue to do good as they follow the Way of Jesus… we pray,
For what else shall we pray? Allow up to 4 petitions. [Pause after each]
For all of us gathered here, that we we may open ourselves to the Spirit who speaks to and through us, we pray:
Let us take the words we have heard today deep into our hearts.
May we find the strength to transform ourselves and our world, so that all may truly live together in justice, peace, and in the fullness of life that has been promised to those who follow Jesus.
Amen
Sharing of Peace Mike
May peace be in your heart, may peace be in your homes, may peace be in our country, may peace be in our world. Let us extend a sign of peace.
Prayer over the Gifts Mike & Peter
Presider: As we offer these gifts of bread and wine in memory of Jesus, we offer ourselves and our energies to live as loving people filled with an ongoing commitment to social justice, especially civil rights and voting rights .
Voice: Blessed be the Holy One forever.
Eucharistic Prayer for Black History Month Mike & Peter
Presider: We gather today mindful of the quest for freedom that cries out in the heart and soul of every woman and man. A quest that is fierce with resolve and will not end until freedom is won for all.
Voice: From the time of Moses, people enslaved others for profit and gain. When Israel was in Egypt’s land, the Israelites were oppressed so hard they could not stand. Let my people go!
P: Four hundred years ago, on the shores of the new-found land which became America, people were once again enslaved for profit and gain. Let my people go!
Voice: On the backs of these women and men this country was built. Let my people go! No consideration, no justice, no mercy for them. Let my people go!
P: A war began that tore a country apart. The Emancipation Proclamation brought a degree of freedom, but injustice and greed still persisted. Let my people go!
Voice: New ways of indignities and injustices were invented: Jim Crow, Whites Only, Segregation and Red Lining. Let my people go!
P: And yet, in spite of all this, women and men of color have produced so many beautiful and meaningful creations. We thank Dr. Shirley Jackson for fiber-optic cable, Lewis Latimer for carbon filament (inner light bulb), Marie Van Brittan Brown for closed-circuit television security, Otis Boykin for the pacemaker, Lonnie Johnson for the Super Soaker and thermoelectric energy converters, Charles Drew for the blood bank, Marian Croak for VoIP, Lisa Gelobter for animated Gifs on the web, Philip Emeagwali – a drop out, for the world’s fastest computer, Jesse Wilkins, Jr, for the math behind gamma radiation, Garrett Morgan for the gas mask and the traffic signal, and Mary and Mildred Davidson for women’s feminine products and the walker. Appreciating these contributions as just a few among many, we pray recognizing the worth of all, and being grateful to learn what was never deemed important enough to include in our educational experiences.
Voice: We pray, recognizing our true worth, and our understanding of what it means to be human. No longer unworthy exiles, we are people with a glorious cosmic history, with great responsibility, and a noble destiny. Along with everything else in the universe, we are on a journey beyond our imagining.
P: We remember Jesus.
He challenged us to confront any influence within us, any social, family, religious or cultural influence, that prevents us from recognizing the power within us and within all people – the power of love;
a power that could join all people as one in their common dream of a better humanity.
Voice: So we take this bread, as Jesus took bread, and give thanks for the wonder of the Divine in, and with us, and we eat, committing ourselves to love as Jesus loved, wholeheartedly, generously, and compassionately, so that people will see expressed in us what we have seen expressed in Jesus.
P: We take this wine, and we remember Jesus drinking wine with his friends. We drink, giving our “Yes” to being on earth the heart of the Holy One.
Voice: Our prayer is that justice rolls down like water. We have a Dream. That one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all women and men are created equal.”
P: We have a dream that people of color will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Voice: We have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight.
P: This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood and sisterhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Voice: From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
P: To wherever the Spirit of Life and Love may lead us we give our, Amen.
Our Father Marie
Baba Yetu – The Lord’s Prayer by Alex Boyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nagj4IyXML8
This video is from a First Presidency celebration
of the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the priesthood held
at the Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, UT, on Friday, June 1, 2018.
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
Presider: We gather together this morning and every Sunday to remember Jesus and his teachings. We come to be nourished spiritually, so we eat and drink bread and wine in his memory.
Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread, say: “This is and you are the bread of life.”
Once everyone has the bread.
Presider: With great joy, we state.
We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup, say: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song Marie
Wade in the Water – Jazz Vespers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys6Ukk5PwxY
Closing Prayer Mike
Today’s closing prayer is by Howard Thurman from “Meditations of the Heart”.
Thurman was born in 1899 and raised in the segregated South. He is recognized as one of the great spiritual leaders of the 20th century renowned for his reflections on humanity and our relationship with God. Thurman was a prolific author (writing at least 20 books); perhaps the most famous is “Jesus and the Disinherited” (1949), which deeply influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Thurman was the first black person to be a tenured Dean at a PWI (predominantly white institution) Boston University. He cofounded the first interracially pastored, intercultural church in the United States.
Lord, Lord, Open Unto Me Mike
Adapted to the way we pray at Sophia
May I be filled with light for my darkness
May I be filled with courage for my fear
May I be filled with hope for my despair
May I be filled with peace for my turmoil
May I be filled with joy for my sorrow
May I be filled with strength for my weakness
May I be filled with wisdom for my confusion
May I be filled with forgiveness for my sins
May I be filled with tenderness for my toughness
May I be filled with love for my hates
Amen
Closing Song Marie
Morehouse College – We Shall Overcome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aor6-DkzBJ0
Here is our link to our Pride Liturgy, June 26, 2022
Pride Sunday June 26, 2022 / Jesus Accepted All!
We pray for others please mute yourself
Introduction Peter
June is LGBTQIA Pride Month and most major cities in the United States and throughout the world celebrate a Pride Day. So welcome to our Pride Day Liturgy: Grateful, Proud, and Connected!
This day and this month we recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, queer people and allies have had on local, national, and international history. Remember the White House, along with other prominent buildings and monuments, lit up in rainbow colors in 2015 in tribute to marriage equality!.
We gather not simply to celebrate the rights and achievements of same-sex loving people, and especially not to capitulate to corporate interests that simply see these rights as a way to expand their markets. We gather to rejoice that LGBTQIA people and allies are working on and bringing together many struggles for justice—especially for immigrants’ rights, against racism, in support of Muslims, to protect the environment, and many more. While we will focus this morning on the same-sex love aspect this day honors, it is also important to be grateful, proud, and connected.
By Diann Neu, Stirring Waters, page 213
Opening Song Mike
“Singing for Our Lives” Holly Near, on Singer in the Storm, ©1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=johabhy URIw (2.31 minutes)
We are a gentle, angry people
And we are singing, singing for our lives x 2
We are a land of many colors
And we are singing, singing for our lives x 2
We are gay and straight together
And we are singing, singing for our lives x 2
We are a peaceful loving people
And we are singing, singing for our lives x 2
Humming
Wisdom Bowl Margie
Opening Prayer Mike
Blessed Are the Queer
By HP Rivers
Blessed are the wanderers,
Seeking affirmation.
Blessed are the worshipers,
Praying from closets,
Pulpits, pews, and hardship.
Blessed are the lovers of leaving –
Leaving family and familiarity,
Leaving tables
Where love is not being served.
Blessed are those who stay.
Blessed are those
Who hunger and thirst for justice –
For they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the queer
Disciples of Truth,
Living, breathing, sacred
Reflections of
Divine Love.
First Reading Linda and Kyritz
A Responsive Reading Celebrating LGBT Pride Month
We are grateful for the gift of our lives and the gift of others in our lives.
Each of us is created with dignity and worth.
We are called to love each other and to do nothing to others that we would find hateful to ourselves.
We honor the many ways that people live and love.
We repent for the times when our faith traditions have named lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people unworthy.
Love does not exclude. We are all worthy.
We suffer when LGBT persons are oppressed, excluded and shamed by religious people who overlook the fundamental call to justice in our scriptures.
True justice flourishes when we can live with authenticity and integrity.
May we work to build a community where LGBT people are celebrated as full and equal members, recognizing their many gifts.
We celebrate sexual and gender diversity as a blessing that enriches us all.
© Religious Institute, 2014
Psalm: “I Am with You” by Kathy Sherman on Always with You (3.18 minutes)
Slide Show containing gay, lesbian and trans individuals.
I am with you on the journey, and I will never leave you.
I am with you on the journey, always with you. Repeat two times / interlude / repeats twice
Second Reading Janet
Living with Pride
By Lori Gorgas Hlaban
We light our chalice flame
For those who lived their lives in closets of shame;
For those who furtively visited the bars, where nobody knew your name;
For the Stonewall riot—and the fierce transwomen who fought;
For the plague, which still takes far too many, too young, too soon.
So many gone. So many never lived to see
Out gay kids singing on TV
Out gay people serving in the military
Marriage equality
Families formed by intention
We light our chalice flame for all these,
and for all our siblings of the rainbow,
surviving,
living life out,
in the open,
with Pride.
Inspired Words
A reading from the Gospel in the tradition of Luke Louise
As the time approached when he was to be taken from this world, Jesus firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem,
and sent messengers on ahead.
They entered a Samaritan town
to make preparations for him, but the Samaritans would not welcome Jesus because his destination was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they said,
“Rabbi, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
And destroy them?”
But Jesus turned and reprimanded them. Then they set off for another town.
Inspired Words.
Homily Mike
Prayer of the People Kathy, Colleen, Bill S
Leader 1: Holy One, you have given us a world rich beyond measure in variety and diversity of people. Today we proclaim and celebrate your love for all people, especially those who are LGBTQIA.
Leader 2: We pray for all people who are marginalized for their sexual orientation, their skin color, their gender, their economic or educational poverty, their physical or mental disabilities, or their age.
Leader 3: Response: We proclaim and celebrate the Divine’s love for all people.
Leader 1: We remember those young people who struggle to understand and accept their sexual orientation within families, schools, and communities where diversity is not honored.
Leader 2: We give thanks for all children who are members of gay and lesbian families. May these children never lose sight of the goodness within themselves and their families, even when others fail to honor them.
Leader 3 Response: We proclaim and celebrate the Divine’s love for all people.
Leader 1: We pray for parents, family members, and friends who are unable or unwilling to accept or understand the sexual orientation of their loved ones.
Leader 2: We give thanks for PFLAG, Parents and Friends of Lebsians and Gays, for Lambda Families, for New Ways Ministry, and for the education, advocacy, and support they provide for families and friends.
Leader 3: Response: We proclaim and celebrate the Divine’s love for all people.
Leader 1: We pray for changes in federal, state and municipal ordinances which allow persons to be fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, and denied access to public services solely on the basis of sexual orientation.
Leader 3: Response: We proclaim and celebrate the Divine’s love for all people.
from Redeemer’s A Simple Matter of Justice Annual Liturgy
Sharing of Peace Mike
Blessing of Bread and Wine Mike
Response to blessing of both the bread and the wine will be
All: Blessed be the Holy One forever.
Eucharistic Prayer Mike & Sue B
Michael Morwood’s Eucharistic Prayer The Gift You Are: Think of Yourself As a Gift of the Universe. From Prayers For Progressive Christians, pages 53-57
P: We gather here conscious of the gift
each one of us is.
We are gifts of the universe
unfolding for billions of years
to produce a wondering and wonderful life-form
with awareness, appreciation, and creativity.
Voice: We are gifts of the universe,
bringing us forth
to sing, to dance
and to be joyful
on its behalf,
on behalf of all of creation.
P: We are gifts of the Great Mystery,
permeating
penetrating
and embracing
everything that exists,
and coming to human expression in us.
We are gifts of human love,
of commitment
of risk
of hope
of trust
of promise
of dreams of what could be.
We are gifts
of all the joy that love can bring,
of dreams come true,
of Divine possibilities.
Voice: We are earthen vessels,
gifted
with the power and impulses
that drive the universe.
P: We are earthen vessels,
charged with the Great Mystery
at work everywhere
in the vastness of the universe.
Voice: We are gifts
to be opened and shared,
called to be co-creators
of an evolving humanity,
enablers of the “kindom of God”.
P: We come to this gathering to affirm our commitment
to expansion, to risk
to possibilities
to the gift we want to be, and can be
for anyone whose lives we touch.
Voice: As we gather once more around bread and wine
we recall Jesus sharing bread and wine
with his friends shortly before he died.
He invited them to eat and drink
as a sign of their readiness to keep his memory alive
to give their all for what he believed and taught.
P: We eat and drink today
signifying our willingness
to see what Jesus wanted us to see,
to hear what he wanted us to hear,
to understand what he wanted us to understand
to expand as he wanted us to expand.
We gather around bread and wine
and the story of Jesus
who lived the gift
of human existence wholeheartedly.
Voice: We eat and drink today
thankful for every person and for every influence
in our lives
that have helped and opened us
to live beyond our fearful inner voices
and have led us to embrace life wholeheartedly.
P: We eat and drink
as a public sign of our readiness
to BE the gifts we are,
open to the Spirit of Life and Love
moving in our hearts and minds.
Voice: To wherever the Spirit of Life and Love
may lead us
we give our, Amen.
Prayer of Jesus ?????
Divine Birther of all that is – from the smallest particle to the vastness of the cosmos, you are present. Holy are your infinite names chanted, sung or whispered.
Abba, Beloved, Divine Breath, Great Mystery, Sophia
May we walk in peace, speak with tenderness, touch with compassion, and love unconditionally. With gratitude for the abundance we’ve been given, may we always share with any who hunger or are in need. May we be filled with humility and regret for the times we did not reflect your love. May we always offer forgiveness to those whose words or actions have caused us pain. May we understand our individual purpose and seek to fulfill it without distraction.
We pray what we believe and believe what we pray. Amen.
By Colleen Walsh White 2020
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus, Alleluia.
Communion Mike
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup: “The cup of the Covenant”
Song The Pride Festival Alleluia video for the Gospel Acclamation:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ghlPsOx_QvK-Dpj022E-sL1spc3a2j3E
Closing Prayer
We are aware of the vast responsibility which is ours for the common life. In so many ways we have been silent when we should have spoken out. We have withheld the hand when we should have extended it in grace and in companionship. We have been blind to so much because we would not see. There are doors of truth into which we have not entered because of our preoccupation with lesser things and minor goals. In our private lives we have failed to meet the inner demands of our own conscience. We have done violence to the truth that is within us.
On the other side, there have been so many moments of wholeness in which we have participated when we have felt purified, cleansed, and somehow redeemed. We have been surrounded by so much of grace and goodness in which we have shared consciously and deliberately. We have been cognizant of needs that extend beyond our household and friends.
May we be Infused with the Spirit to awaken us from the slumber that keeps us isolated from one another. May we be Guided reaching out to one another as brothers and sisters of the one human family to which we all belong, May we have a living awareness of our interconnection that we may realize in hurting one individual we are inflicting pain on ourselves and the entire human community as well. We pray for peace in the world, for the dignity of every human soul, and for the unity of all Creation.
In the Divine that encompasses all of us and accepts us where we are, we pray. Amen. (Boldface: Howard Thurman, The Centering Moment, p. 24) adapted
Sending Forth
Let us go forth to act with pride.
May we be grateful, proud and connected.
May we not rest until all the stones of injustice have been rolled away.
May we believe out loud!
By Diann Neu, Stirring Waters, page 218.
Closing Song Mike
“Believe Out Loud” by David Lohman from Fling the Church Doors Open Wide
Here are links to our Triduum liturgies.
Here is an example of a recent liturgy for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Cycle C – March 27, 2022
Theme: Reconciliation
We pray for those individuals in need Mike
Gathering Song Mike
Let the Healing Begin Jan Novotka
Wisdom Bowl Margie
Opening Prayer Mike
We pray that the Spirit that calls us to Jesus may continue to open our hearts. We acknowledge here in prayer, our constant connectedness with the Divine, with all human beings, and with all that exists. We acknowledge the pain and hurt that comes when we act as if we were disconnected from the Divine or one another. We acknowledge our responsibility for this disconnectedness and profess our readiness to heal, to mend, and to work for reconciliation. We pray this and all prayer in the name of Jesus.
First Reading Mike
God Rejoices When the Lost Is Found (Luke 15:1-32)
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: (Luke 15:1-3)
A man had two sons, and the younger one said:
“Pop, give me all the money that I’ll get when you’re dead.”
So the father gave half of all that he had to the child,
and the son took the money and ran off to start living wild.
Well, he squandered his money on wine and women and song.
Yes, he squandered his money on wine and women and song,
and he damaged his health by partying all night long.
And when the money was gone, he found his friends were gone, too.
When the money was gone, he found his friends were gone, too;
no more partying songs. The son was singing the blues.
There were no more buddies to play with,
there were no more fish in the sea,
there were no more guys to hang with –
nothing is free.
And the times got so hard, he soon had nothing to eat.
Oh yes, the times got so hard, he soon had nothing to eat;
he was feeding the pigs and living out on the street.
Bereft, broke, beat down, and busted,
so corrupt and callous and crude,
He fed those pigs and lusted after their food, ’til the son said,
“Back at home, I had it good: lots of comfort, lots of food,
lots of love – I wish I could go home again.”
And when the son had thought it through,
he turned to bid the pigs, “Adieu,”
and started home. He finally knew where he belonged.
From far away the father saw the boy,
ran to meet him in his joy, wrapped his arms around him there.
“I’ve sinned against you, Father,” said the son.
“Treat me like the lowest one in your household –
I will serve you there.”
“Fetch my son a robe and ring and shoes;
set a feast and spread the news that my long-lost son is home again.”
O sing rejoicing, for the lost is found;
raise a mighty shout and a joyful sound.
Spread the feast of welcome – let us all sit down,
for this son of mine once lost is found.”
God rejoices when the lost is found,
when the sinners’ footsteps are homeward bound,
when the chains are broken and the walls come down.
God rejoices when the lost is…
“I can’t believe you’d throw a party for this punk,
who spent your hard-earned money on his women, wine, and junk,
and now that he has blown it all he comes to you with all this bunk
and says, ‘Oh, I am sorry. Please forgive me.’
Through all these years, I slaved for you, did everything you asked me to –
you never gave me so much as a goat.
And now my brother gets the fatted calf
as a prize for losing half of all of your possessions.”
“My son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.
Can’t you understand my joy
when my lost and desperate boy comes home again?
So come in and break the bread, for your brother who was dead is alive,
your brother who was lost has been found.”
So God rejoices when the lost is found,
when the poor and broken are gathered ’round.
Oh, the blest amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
God rejoices when the lost is found.
Song Response Prelude John Michael Talbot The Lord’s Supper/Be Exalted 1979
Second Reading Peter
A Journey Toward Healing
Deep inside San Quentin Patty O’Reilly stands before eight men doing hard time, her shoulders slumped, a man’s gold wedding band hanging from a chain around her neck.
Three of the inmates are sobbing. The others sit motionless on metal chairs, eyes locked on the small, sad woman in front of them.
O’Reilly’s words seep out. A ballet teacher from Sonoma, she has come to San Quentin to share a story — about the killing of a husband and the trauma caused by that loss.
She tells of two daughters left fatherless, of a widow, not yet 40, paralyzed by grief. Weeping now, O’Reilly describes happy futures shredded in an instant by one man’s single, terrible act.
But she also talks of the unlikely journey that has led her through the gates of San Quentin, to face this group of veteran cons. They can’t believe she’s come. But to hear her tell it, O’Reilly really had no choice.
O’Reilly’s unwitting acquaintance with the concept began on a rural Sonoma County road one misty April evening in 2004. With one of the family cars sidelined for repairs, her husband, Danny, had offered to bicycle the 30 miles to work that day.
Curly haired and 5 feet 8, the 43-year-old was a doting father with a knack for storytelling and a passion for playing Twister with his daughters, Erin and Siobhan. He remembered everyone’s name, loved Halloween, played the cello and was famous for his homemade soups.
Setting out for home that April day, Danny O’Reilly was well-equipped for the ride — with flashing safety lights, a bright yellow jacket, a helmet and a headlamp. It wasn’t enough. Rounding a bend on a two-lane road at dusk, he was struck from behind by a pickup truck, his body sent flying 25 feet, over a guardrail and into a patch of weeds. He died instantly.
Late that night, Patty O’Reilly and the girls arrived home to a dark house, Danny was not there. Before long, the sheriff’s deputy had arrived, a priest was on the way and a man who had been driving home from a bar with a blood-alcohol level almost three times the legal limit was under arrest.
In the beginning O’Reilly would simply sit on the floor and cry. For a time, she felt crippled, her walk an awkward shuffle. Sleep was futile, disturbed by visions of Danny’s body and the wheels of a truck.
The garden — so meticulously tended by her husband — became overrun with weeds. After friends and family stopped supplying casseroles, O’Reilly hauled the girls to local delicatessens, too shattered to cook. Her 13th wedding anniversary came and went, another agonizing reminder of the loss.
Meanwhile, William Michael Albertson, 47, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. With a former felony conviction on his record, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Case closed.
For a time, O’Reilly hated the man who killed her husband. She wanted the cell door slammed and never reopened. She wanted him to spend every waking moment agonizing over what he had done.
“I hated him,” O’Reilly recalled. “I really thought he was the scum of the earth. Worse than scum.”
Then she saw Albertson at the sentencing hearing. Clearly distraught, he wept throughout. At the end, he stood, apologized and said he hoped that someday he might be forgiven.
O’Reilly read the report on Albertson’s background, prepared for the court. His childhood, she learned, was full of unspeakable abuse. It was easy to see why he might become an alcoholic, she said, to escape a past filled with so much pain.
Finally, she thought about the anger riding around inside of her, day in and day out. She worried that it might corrode her relationship with her young daughters, struggling themselves to find their footing, to make a new life without a father.
She also remembered her faith. “I had to let go of all that negativity,” she said. “I happen to be a Catholic, but whether you’re Christian or Jewish or Muslim, it comes down to the same thing, love and forgiveness.”
“It’s not excusing — he did this thing and he needs to suffer the consequences, because we sure as heck are suffering the consequences. But at some point I just had to acknowledge that he is not a monster.” And so, in her heart, Patty O’Reilly forgave William Albertson.
*Adapted from: https://www.sdrjmp.org/stories/journey-toward-healing/
Written by Jenifer Warren, Times Staff Writer
Homily Mike
Prayer of the People Coleen
Each prayer will be followed by a brief silence.
In the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, we lift up our prayers.
Our response will be a silent prayer.
For our church and the divisions within; for unity among all religions, we pray:
- For peace and reconciliation among nations, among leaders and among individuals; for a fervent desire to work toward unity and understanding with other cultures and celebrate our diversity, we pray:
- For healing of broken relationships within families; unreconciled losses due to death or alienation; children of divorce and abuse; the sins inherited from our ancestors, we pray:
- For reconciliation with creation, for the abuses we inflict on our planet to meet our earthly desires; for the waste we mindlessly create and discard; for forgiveness for our gluttony, we pray:
- For the pride that keeps us from confessing our sins; for fear that binds us; for reconciliation between those we have hurt and those who have hurt us, we pray:
- In thanksgiving for those who work to protect and mend bodies, minds, spirits and relationships; for peacekeepers in foreign lands, we pray:
- For all who suffer mental and physical illnesses and disabilities; for forgiveness and peace for all who will soon draw their last breath; and for all who have died, we pray:
- For our sisters and brothers in Sophia, in our sister parishes in Rochester and Fort Meyers, for all those involved with Pathways to Prosperity and for our sisters and brothers in Voice of the Faithful and RAMP, may they know of our love and care for them. May they continue to do good as they follow the Way of Jesus… we respond,
For what else shall we pray? Allow 4 petitions.
We pray that we may always be attentive to the Divine’s call. May we always celebrate the joy of forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them from the same table. May our gathering here these many tables bring us reconciliation and peace with one another and all we meet. We ask this and all prayers in the name of Jesus.
Sharing of Peace
Blessing of Bread and Wine
Response to blessing of both the bread and the wine will be
All: Blessed be the Holy One forever.
Eucharistic Liturgy Mike & Joanne
(Please pray Voice part in your home)
P: We acknowledge that the Divine is beyond all imagining, we give thanks for the gift of reflective awareness that allows us to recognize this presence in our universe.
Voice: Everything we have, everything we see, everything we do, everyone we love and everyone who loves us reveals this sustaining presence. We are grateful that this presence brings energy to life and all that exists.
P: We recognize that the Divine expresses itself in human life and that – through us – it can sing and dance, speak and write, love and create. In this, we never cease to hope, and for this, we are always filled with praise and thanksgiving.
Voice: This season of Lent invites us to be more and more open to the Divine’s call as we reflect on the life and mission of Jesus.
P: We acknowledge that the Divine is the Source of our health and wholeness, healer of body, mind and spirit; in this Eucharist, we bring the darkness of our world, and the pain and suffering of all people.
Voice: We seek to be healed and made whole; we seek to be reconciled and united; we seek peace in our hearts and in our world.
P: May our hearts be awakened to the empowering grace of the abundant Spirit, the same Spirit of Jesus.
Voice: We recognize all is holy. As we celebrate our commitment to Jesus, we acknowledge these holy gifts of bread and wine, which provide energy for life, to nourish and sustain us in our time of need.
P: As we gather once more around bread and wine, we recall Jesus sharing bread and wine with his friends shortly before he died. He invited them to eat and drink as a sign of their readiness to keep his memory alive to give their all for what he believed and taught.
Voice: We recall the blessing and love from ages past, and we celebrate anew the gift of life, which we share among us at this Eucharistic feast.
P: May the Spirit of life and wholeness, who transforms the gifts we present, transform us, too, that we may be refreshed in our inner being and be empowered to bring mercy, love and healing to those whose lives we touch.
Voice: The bread we break and the cup we share are symbols of our world of abundance where all are invited to partake of the fullness of life.
P: But that life is often impeded by greed and selfishness, and by the exploitation of people.
Voice: In union with all peoples, living and dead, may we strive to create a world where suffering and pain are diminished, where justice and peace are restored, and where all people can live in health and wholeness, united in acclaiming the Spirit of life, whose abundance is offered to each and to all, ‘til the Kindom arrives in the fullness of time.
P: We pray, inviting the Spirit of Life, Love and Goodness to move free in our words and actions. To this, we give our Amen!
Prayer of Jesus (Please pray along) Bill Stevens
Great divine spirit of love that is at the core of everything
and from which all life flows,
we acknowledge your healing and transforming power.
May the spirit of unconditional love and forgiveness flow through each of us and enable the realm of love to spread throughout the world.
Like the flowers in the fields, ensure that we have the basics we need to live
and give us the love and commitment to ensure that others have what they need too.
Give us the courage to acknowledge when we have done wrong,
to seek forgiveness from those we have hurt
and to forgive those who have hurt us,
so that we may be reconciled.
We acknowledge the power of self-giving love to transform individual hearts and the world.
We recommit ourselves to the unconditional love of others and the work of justice and peace.
Amen
A 21st Century Lord’s Prayer by Roger Courtney
Presider will say a few words
Breaking of the Bread Alice or Colleen
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus. Make us One Now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Make us One Now.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Make us One Now.
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song Mike
Lovingkindness by Earth Mama on Loving Kindness CD
Closing Prayer Mike
Prodigal
When we are farthest from ourselves, lost in a strange and foreign world,
Hungry and empty, homeless and poor, weary of wandering, weak and worn,
The Divine, as it were, runs the pathway to our hearts, opening arms that bring new starts.
“Celebrate now, my child is found!” the Divine cries with joy.
When we are tempted to deny this grace to others we despise;
When we cry out: “Unworthy! Unfair! That such a sinner has a share!”
The Divine seeks us in our righteous pride, pleading with us to come inside:
“Celebrate now, my child is found!” The Divine cries with joy.
Hope is the Divine whose welcome brings music, new sandals, robes and rings.
Grace is the table set for the feast, offered to all, from great to least.
Love is forgiving when we stray, Love is affirming when we stay.
“Celebrate now, my child is found!” the Divine cries with joy.
~ Copyright © 1998 by Colleen Kristula. The author gives permission for this hymn to be used in worship, as long as credit is given. (adapted)
Sending Forth Song Mike
Change our Hearts Rory Cooney, Gary Daigle, Theresa Donohoo 2000
https://youtu.be/tBDG_2gSOlQ?t=14
Announcements
Here is an example of a recent liturgy for the Season of Creation.
Eucharistic Liturgy
1st Sunday of Creation Season – September 5, 2021
Theme: The Indwelling Sacred;
We are all part of one living, spiritual being
We pray for those individuals in need
Gathering Song Margie
We Are The Church by Miriam Therese Winter from the album Woman Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXKYOBZIKYo Need slides
Wisdom Bowl Margie
Opening Prayer Mike
This is from the Acts of Love for the Season of Creation powerpoint …maybe modify it for our theology & theme, and use it as both an intro and a prayer?
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration of prayer and action for our common home. Together, the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray and protect God’s creation.
The season starts 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
We hope that this Season of Creation renews our baptismal call to care and sustain this ecological turning so that life may flourish, and all creatures may find their place to flourish in our common home.
Reading
From the Introduction to Spiritual Ecology, The Cry of the Earth
Edited by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
The Earth is in distress and is calling to us, sending us signs of the extremity of its imbalance …and some of us are responding to these signs, hearing this calling, individually and as groups, with ideas and actions – trying to bring our collective attention to our unsustainable lifestyle and the ways it is contributing to ecological devastation, accelerating pollution, species depletion. And yet, sadly, much of this response comes from the same mindset that has caused the imbalance: the belief that we are separate from the world, that it is something “out there”, a problem we need to solve.
The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a living being to which we belong. The world is part of our own self and we are a part of its suffering wholeness. Until we go to the root of our image of separateness, there can be no healing. And the deepest part of our separateness from creation lies in our forgetfulness of its sacred nature, which is also our own sacred nature. When our Western monotheistic culture suppressed the many gods and goddesses of creation, cut down the sacred groves and banished God to heaven, we began a cycle that has left us with a world destitute of the sacred, in a way unthinkable to any indigenous people. The natural world and the people who carry its wisdom know that the created world and all of its many inhabitants are sacred and belong together. Our separation from the natural world may have given us the fruits of technology and science, but it has left us bereft of any instinctual connection of the spiritual dimension of life – the connection between our soul and the soul of the world, the knowing that we are all part of one living, spiritual being.
It is this wholeness that is calling to us now, that needs our response. It needs us to return to our own root and rootedness: our relationship to the sacred wholeness and reverence can we begin the work of healing, of bringing the world back into balance.
Inspired Words
Psalm Margie
The Colors of the Wind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9MvdMqKvpU
Reading
From Sister Miriam MacGillis in Spiritual Ecology, The Cry of the Earth
Edited by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
One of the aspects Thomas Berry is so clear about in his description of Western origin stories – and why it has meant so much to me growing up within those stories – is the sense, conveyed by the book of Genesis, that God’s original intention was a perfect garden, a state of perpetual bliss. This belief held that in the beginning there was no death or suffering, no negative anything and that was the original divine intention. But human experience was certainly not like that. The world was full of suffering and violence…children died, and locusts came in and destroyed the crops…So why were these things happening?
Thomas Berry suggests that this understanding rests on the notion of a divine being who was perfect and transcendent. So people might ask, “How could a divine, perfect, transcendent being create a world that has sorrow, death, suffering, and illness?” The Judeo-Christian answer is that the original world must have been different – must have been perfect, like its Creator- and that “something” happened to it. What we’re experiencing now, a world where children die and locusts come, is abnormal. Normal was the garden, the state of bliss.
And the “something” that happened, in this explanation, is that the original world was changed by the infidelity of the first parents. But just as importantly, the original world was made of matter, so it didn’t participate in the transcendent part of God’s nature. In the Genesis story, even though the world is described as good, God directly breathes a transcendent soul into Adam. This soul – the spirit, the psyche – is a direct infusion of spirit from the transcendent divine Creator. But the rest of the world doesn’t get one. So there’s the origin of the break! Thomas Berry would describe it as a “radical discontinuity of the human from the other-than-human world.”
So, if the divine is not in matter – if it’s transcendent – then how can humans make a meaningful life? How to recreate happiness? How to make a better world? We can see Western Civilization’s answer in how we define progress and development and how it drives us to perfect the “fallen” natural world. We redesign it, reengineer it, and attempt to bring it back closer to our idea of its original state, a state of perfection and perpetual bliss…
As humans we are always hungering for a meaningful wholeness, a fullness that would embrace life as it’s really given – with chaos, destruction, death and sickness and suffering, as much a normal dimension of it as happiness, health, love and joy. Instead, our beliefs have tended to teach us that pain is a punishment and it’s abnormal; or it’s temporary, but that we should get over it because the world is going to end and we’re going to get the perfect world back again. It won’t be earth as it is now. Thomas Berry points to this deep, deep psychic drive within the Western psyche and how it tries to fill a vast empty part of ourselves with meaningless pursuits. Typically the religious meanings we hold are still based on our separation from nature – the pursuit of God is equally separated from nature – and so they do not bring us to truly reverence nature. We don’t go out into our backyard and kneel down before the soil and know that we are in the face of sacred mystery. It’s just dirt to us; it’s opaque. It’s real estate. Whoever has the deed to it owns it.
Inspired words
Homily Mike
Prayer of the People
Response: We are all part of one living, spiritual being
As we join in prayer it is important, now more than ever, to remember that we are all part of one living, spiritual being. Let that be our response to each petition:
Sharing of Peace
Blessing of Bread and Wine
Response to blessing of both the bread and the wine will be
All: Blessed be the Holy One forever.
Eucharistic Liturgy
All Is One. Everything and Everyone is Connected by Michael Morwood, Prayers for Progressive Christians 2018
(Please pray Voice part in your home)
| P: We gather today
conscious of the gift that is ours: the capacity to give voice to all that is. |
Voice: In us,
the power and energy that drives the universe has conscious awareness. In us, the universe can express wonder, appreciation and gratitude. |
| P: We marvel at this privilege that is ours,
to give voice to all that is, to all that has been and to all that will be. |
Voice: We are one
with everything and everyone in the past, in the present, and in the future. |
| P: We are one with whatever sustains and drives the universe, the Great Mystery beyond all names, incomprehensible to our minds, always and everywhere present and active. |
Voice: We are one with billions of galaxies, with exploding stars, with newly forming planets, with life emerging in places and in ways beyond our imagining. |
| P: We pray for life here on earth, a prayer for the mountains, for the rivers, for the forests for the flowers, for the desert for the ocean for the children for the dreamers. |
Voice: We want our prayer
to be one with men and women throughout the ages who have recognized the interconnectedness of all things, women and men of religious faith women and men of no religious faith men and women who gave clear expression to the Universal Spirit sustaining and energizing everything that exists. |
| P: We gather around the voice of Jesus,
a voice of faith of promise, of hope of dreams and possibility of challenge of urgency a voice of no regrets. |
Voice: We give thanks
that his voice and so many like his are voices of inclusion calling us to believe in and to be true to our innate connection with every person and with every thing. |
| P: We are connected with this bread
and with this wine with the crops and the vines with every person who worked to produce and prepare these gifts of the earth for us. |
Voice: We eat and drink today mindful of this connectedness. May our mindfulness carry over into all we do and say in the days and weeks ahead. |
| P: May the mountains
the seas the rivers the woods the flowers the desert the children and the dreamers be better off because we honor our interconnectedness and walk lightly on the earth. |
Voice: To this, we give our Amen! |
Prayer of Jesus (Please pray along)
All: Creator of the Cosmos, Source of Life, Divine Mystery,
You are in nature, all around, you are within me, in my cup of wine and loaf of bread.
Blessed be your names:
Allah, Beloved, Great Spirit, Radiant One, Yahweh, HaShem, Sophia
Your presence has come, your will is done on earth as it is in the cosmos.
May we give each other strength, mercy, tenderness, and joy and forgive each other’s failures, silence, pettiness, and forgetfulness as we ask to be forgiven by those we’ve hurt.
Lead us home to ourselves and each other, to clarity, to oneness and deliver us from the darkness of our ignorance and fear.
So we pray and so we receive. Amen.
Adapted from The Lord’s Prayer in There Are Burning Bushes Everywhere by Jan Phillips
Presider says a few words
Breaking of the Bread Alice
In the breaking of the bread, we knew you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
In the breaking of the bread, we know you, brother Jesus. Alleluia.
Presider: “…happy are we to share in this meal”
All: Our sharing in this meal is a sign of our willingness to follow Jesus.
When sharing the bread: “This is, and you are, the bread of life”
Presider: With great joy, we state.
All: We are followers of Jesus.
When sharing the cup: “The cup of the Covenant”
Communion Song Margie
Playing with the Moon
Closing Prayer Mike
“Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the Sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is…. Life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.” Pope Francis.
Our lives will not be measured by the big things we do but rather by the little steps we take to make a difference. Each day during the Season of Creation take a step to change the world
Sending Forth Song Margie
Everything is Holy Now by Peter Mayer from Million Year Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_SgAmljIJc
When I was a boy each week, on Sunday,
we would go to church
And pay attention to the priest, he would read the holy word
And consecrate the holy bread,
and everyone would kneel and bow.
Today the only difference is everything is holy now .
Everything, Everything, Everything is holy now.
When I was in Sunday school, we would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two, Jesus made the water wine.
And I remember feeling sad, that miracles don’t happen still,
But now I can’t keep track, ‘cause everything’s a miracle.
Everything, Everything, Everything’s a miracle.
Wine from water is not so small,
but an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all,
so the challenging thing becomes
Not to look for miracles, but finding where there isn’t one.
When holy water was rare at best, it barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath,
like I’m swimming in a sea of it.
It used to be a world half there,
Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down,
But I walk it with a reverent air, ‘cause everything is holy now.
Everything, Everything, Everything is holy now.
Read a questioning child’s face, and say it’s not a testament
That’d be very hard to say, see another new morning come
And say it’s not a sacrament, I tell you that it can’t be done.
This morning, outside I stood, and saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush, singing like a scripture verse.
It made me want to bow my head,
I remember when church let out.
How things have changed since then, everything is holy now.
It used to be a world half-there,
Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down.
But I walk it with a reverent air, ‘cause everything is holy now.
Announcements
Business
As any organized group, we have business to which we have to attend. Our Planning Meetings are held after Liturgy normally on the last Sunday of each month. All are welcome to participate, and all participate as equals. All have an opportunity to contribute ideas and opinions which lead to the success and health of the community as a whole. The community will be what the members want/need it to be in order to promote spiritual growth and health.
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