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Monday, June 30, 2025

The Companions' Rosary

THE COMPANIONS’ ROSARY
Praying the Holy Rosary
In Original Blessing Theology


Introduction to The Companions’ Rosary

Saying the Holy Rosary is a special focus of prayer and meditation that provides for each of us a state of contemplation and mystical connection. 

When aligning to the Grace of Mary, we can have a sense of purpose in praying for others and ourselves. It can be a singular and private prayer or a community endeavor. 

For those of us who are becoming steeped in Original Blessing Theology, the traditional prayers of the Holy Rosary can be daunting. When changing the wording to better reflect the concepts of Blessing Theology, it seems important to keep a sense of the timing and inflection of the prayers as we have learned them. 

The Companions' Rosary is an attempt to combine the prayers of the rosary within present-day theology of original blessing. 

To all whom feel called to pray in this way, prayers and blessings to you. May we all continue to connect, in whatever way we can, to the Holy One, to Mary and to each other.  

And so it is.

The Sign of the “Cross”.  A Shield of Protection and Love.

The sign of the cross can impress on us the concept of a theology of sacrifice and atonement.  The sign of the “cross”, here, building on the trinity and St. Paul's greetings, can also be a Shield of Protection and Love.

In the name of Peace (hand at the forehead)

And Love (hand at the heart)

And Grace (The Infinity sign across from one shoulder to the other, and back to the heart.) 

AMEN.

Rose Aglow,
DETrees, 2017
THE COMPANIONS’ ROSARY
Praying the Holy Rosary
In Original Blessing Theology

The Sign of Protection and Love

In the name of Peace and Love and Grace. Amen.

A Simple Companions’ Creed

I believe in the Holy One, Lover, Creator, Enhancer, WHO IS Infinite and Present all at the same time.
Our Field of PEACE in all things.

I believe in Jesus, Friend and Companion, who shows us the Face of God in our human form. 
Our Sign of LOVE in all things.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, Our Heart and Soul, moving within and among us. 
Our Show of GRACE in all things.

I believe in this, our creed, in our communion of angels and saints and in life everlasting.
Amen.


The Prayer of Jesus
(From Miriam Therese Winter)

O Holy One, who is within, around and among us.
We celebrate your many names.
Your Wisdom Come. Your will be done,
Unfolding from the depths within us.
Each day you give us all that we need.
You remind us of our limits, and we let go.
You support us in our power, and we act with courage.
For you are the dwelling place within us,
The empowerment around us,
And the celebration among us,
Now and forever. Amen.


The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of grace, Our God is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother and Friend,
Be with us now, at our hour, and beyond.  Amen.

The Glory Be

Glory and Joy Be to Peace and Love and Grace.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without End. Amen.




Hail Holy Mary
Hail Holy Mary, Mother and Leader, Our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope. You show us how to live with Courage in our convictions. You teach us to stand by each other with unending support and love.
Thank you for being with us now.  Walk this path with us as you did with your son, Jesus. May we follow his example of inclusive love, as you taught him.
O Clement, O Loving, Sweet Mary of Nazareth. Be with us as we look to you.
Praying the Companions’ Rosary
1.   Make the Sign of the Protection and Love.
2.   Say the Simple Companions’ Creed.
3.   On the first bead, say The Prayer of Jesus.
4.   Say The Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
5.   Say The Glory Be on the fifth bead.
6.   For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery or a special intention then say The Prayer of Jesus
7.   While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery or Intention. Then say a Glory Be.
8.   After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Mary.

Diagram from USCCB, Accessed 9-29-19

A PRAYER FOR YOU

For all who say the Companions’ Rosary, a special Blessing from our Lady and Above. The Angels watch over you in Peace, Grace and Love.

With Joy and Appreciation for All,

Deb Trees, 2019
Debra Trees, FCM, ARCWP


The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Upper Room Sunday Liturgy, June 29, 2025 - Presiders: Dennis McDonald and, Presiders

 


Opening Prayer

The Flames of Love by Kimi Floyd Reisch, 2021


 We light the flame of commitment,

To stand with and work to create change,
Until all know they are beloved.
 
We light the flame of survival,
Grateful for our lives,
Remembering in love those lost along the road.
 
We light the flame of change,
Committing to recenter toward love,
In hearts, in minds, in our world.
 
We light the flame of hope,
Loving each other, building community,
even when it is uncomfortable.
 
We light the flame of knowledge,
Following the path of justice,
Justice that is love embodied.
 
We light this flame of radical love.
To speak out for those who have been silenced.
Those who have been rejected for who they love.
Those who have been persecuted for who they are.
Those who have been bullied for daring to be bold.
Those who have been othered and forced into the margins.
Those who have been lonely.
Those who have been hurt.
Those who are still hurting.
 
We light this flame as
a people committed,
we are survivors.
we will change the world,
until no one lives without hope,
until no one lives without justice.
We light this flame and pledge that
In love, with love, and through love,
All things are possible. Amen


Opening Song: Whoever You Are by Hal Walker


https://youtu.be/1Tk0eQdsuZg?si=NnalznWDZrZExlSJ
 

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD


Reading 1: A reading from Richard Rohr

Jesus didn’t want his community to have a social ethic; he wanted it to be a social ethic. Their very way of relating was to be an affront to the system of dominance and power; it was to name reality in a new way. They were to live in a new symbolic universe. This radical idea is given in a simple clue found throughout the Christian Scriptures—one that biblical scholars overlooked until only recently: Jesus’ presence with others at table.

That theme is so constant in the Christian Scriptures that scholars today see it as central to Jesus’ message. Jesus never appears to be pushing what we call social programs. He is much more radical. He calls us to a new social order in which we literally share table differently!  

 

The mystery of sharing food and a common table takes place on different levels. First, there’s the unifying idea of sharing the same food. Then, there is the whole symbolism of the table itself: where we sit at the table and how the table is arranged. Together, the food and table become a symbol of how our social world is arranged. Once we rearrange life around the table we begin to change our notions of social life.  That, I believe, was Jesus’ most consistent social action: eating in new ways! In the midst of that eating, he announced the reign of God and talked in new ways.

 

It’s necessary to calculate very carefully what was lost and what was gained as Christianity developed. The church moved from Jesus’ real meal with open table fellowship to its continuance in the relatively safe ritual meal that became the Christian Eucharist. Unfortunately, the meal itself came to redefine social reality in a negative way, in terms of worthiness and unworthiness. 

 

That is almost exactly the opposite of Jesus’ intention.

 

These are inspired words from Richard Rohr and we affirm them with, Amen.


Reading 2:  A reading adapted from a speech by Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser

 

One of the most important teachings of the torah is v’ahavta l’reacha kamocha, love your neighbor as yourself.  There are no ifs ands or buts.  We are commanded to love all members of the fabulous human family. In the creation account of the Book of Genesis, God creates us betzelem elohim, in God’s image.  That means that all of us, no matter our race, religion, gender, gender identity, nationality, economic status, disability, or sexual orientation — are reflections of the Divine Being who created us all. Therefore, when we act with love and compassion toward one another, we become holy.  But holiness is not enough.  Being holy means we become aware of our task, to fix this broken world.  The biblical prophets urge us on with their words, “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” Pursuing justice means that we will keep working until our objectives are achieved, until we gain full civil rights for all, including marriage equality and non-discrimination protections across our country.

 

Each one of us carries the divine spark within, and when these sparks come together, be they two sparks in marriage, or many more sparks in community, there is that much more godliness in the world.  Bigotry prevents the sparks from uniting, from joining with other sparks. Bigotry and hatred keep people in their shells, afraid.  Bigotry is the absence of justice.  So pursuing justice means dealing with bigotry head on.  It means educating others about the diversity and beauty of God’s creation.  It means not being afraid of ourselves.  It means letting our sparks shine as bright as they can, for where there is light, there is hope, and justice penetrates the dark, Baruch atah adonai, elohaynu melech haolam, she’asanu betzelem elohim.  Praised are you our God, ruler of the universe, who has made all of us in your image, as amazing, awesome, and wonderful creations.  

 

These are inspired words of Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser, and we affirm them with, Amen.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia by W. Clifford Petty


https://youtu.be/WYJajwW9Zhc?si=jYBsRQLkEGSULE93

 

Gospel: A reading from the Gospel attributed to Mark

 

One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?” Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So clear-cut and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put right on the border of God’s kindom.”

 

We affirm these inspired words from the Gospel attributed to Mark with, Amen.

 

Peterson, Eugene H.. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language . The Navigators. Kindle Edition.

 

Reflections on the Word


Richard Rohr explains Jesus’ call for a social ethic to “share the  table differently”, that it be a table that is open to all. And Rohr continues that, unfortunately, over the centuries, even in the early days of the church, that openness became based on whether someone was worthy or not. It has continued to our current time, with certain groups being dismissed, and being ostracized for behavior deemed unworthy.

When we pray our intentions each week, we begin with the words, “I bring to the table”. This is something that was introduced to us by Diarmuid O’Murchu at a retreat a number of us attended in the early days of the Upper Room. It seems to connect very well with the message in Rohr’s reading. It is the table around which we gather weekly as a community committed to following the way of Jesus. We share the bread each week, a recognition of the common bond we hold, as we strive to fulfill Jesus’ command to love one another and to recognize the sanctity in each of us. In this sharing, we are also strengthened for the work ahead of us, which we hear of in our second reading.

Rabbi Rossenwasser, starts with the torah teaching, love your neighbor as yourself.  As we know, Jesus was very aware of his Jewish scripture, thus his sharing in today’s Gospel of this very teaching. The Rabbi shares another teaching that we are all made in the image of the Divine. And as reflections of the Divine we are called to “love and compassion”, in order to heal the world and seek justice for all those who are seen as less then, are ostracized, are banished. Our sisters and brothers of the LGBTQ community are a group that continues to face discrimination and are now threatened with turning back the gains that have been made to undo centuries of mistreatment and to deny their dignity and right to live the life they choose.

The struggle for justice is a continuous task, and one made difficult by the bigotry and hate that exists in our world. That can often inhibit us from stepping forward and speaking out. But  by coming together at the table, recognizing each other’s divine nature and combining our sparks of the Divine, we are strengthened to stand with our LGBTQ sisters and brothers, crying out for justice and the recognition of the dignity and sanctity of every single person. 

Corey Herlevsen, a former Mennonite pastor states, “Everybody knows the phrase, ‘God is love’ but when we really let that sink in, when we embrace it, when we are real and present to each other and to God, the sparks of truth within us can catch on fire. We can become a little freer, then a little freer again. Love can have the run of the place. And we don’t have to sit around wringing our hands or hiding our face because we are afraid of being judged and told that we are not enough. We are enough. We each bear the image of God, and we are in this thing together. Relax. Because in Christ we are all in the same room and we don’t need to be afraid.”

 

Let us, as members of the Upper Room, continue to make real the meal of Jesus, at the open table, inviting all to share in the Divine Presence found in the common bond of love of God and love of neighbor. In doing so we take a step closer to bringing justice and compassion to the world in which we live.

Please share what spoke to you in today’s readings or in my reflection, since we also break open the Word while gathered at table. 


Statement of Faith


We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery
beyond all definition and rational understanding,
the heart of all that has ever existed,
that exists now, or that ever will exist.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion,
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.

We believe that We are called to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of divine love,
a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.

We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.

We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
and hands to make it happen.

Prayers of the Community


As we prepare for the sacred meal, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”

 

We pray for these, and all the unspoken blessings, cares, and concerns held in the silence of our hearts. AMEN

 

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

(Eucharistic Prayer by Michael Coffey with adaptation by Dennis)

 

Please join in the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer:

 

Holy God of wonder, you created light that shines through clouds with every color.
Through Noah you made your promise to love all humanity no matter what by revealing your expansive rainbow. Through your people you revealed your will that loving you alone leads us to love our neighbors. When some of our neighbors were rejected and neglected you sent prophets to call us back to full inclusion of all persons at blessed tables of bread, wine, and friendship.  
We join prophets today with a song of thanksgiving and praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy by Karen Drucker video by Denise Hackert-Stoner 


https://youtu.be/u5E5f38w0K0
 


You revealed the fullness of your love in Jesus of Nazareth, who loved all persons in their human dignity, who forgave us for our failure to see your image in all genders, all sexualities, all colors, who suffered in solidarity with all the rejected, who inspires us now to celebrate love in all its wonderful forms, who fills us with pride and gratitude for being born this way, and for being made new in endless grace.

 

Please raise your hands in blessing

Send now your life-giving Spirit upon this gathering of queer and straight, wondering and wonderful. Let the fire of your love reveal once again your rainbow of love in our lives.
Bless this bread and wine so that as we are loved in Christ here and now, we have courage and strength to embrace those feeling unloved, to advocate for those still facing rejection, seeking justice, reconciliation, and healing in families, in churches, in societies, in governments. Unite us at this table of grace, so that each of us knows we are cherished by you, and we love each of your beloved.

 

We ask you to awaken anew in our hearts the empowering grace of your abundant Spirit, who infuses these gifts of bread and wine with the transforming energy of life,
to nourish and sustain us in our time of need.

(lift bread as community prays the following:)


Jesus took the bread and broke it, to restore the unity of our broken world. Jesus blessed you, God of healing and hope, then Jesus shared the bread with those at table saying:

Take and eat, the bread of life for all who hunger for peace and justice.

 

lift the cup as community prays the following

 

After the meal, he then raised the cup of blessing poured in a spirit of solidarity and empowerment, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine saying:

 

Take and drink the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.

Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you. 

 

What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives.  As we share communion, we become communion, both Love’s nourishment and love’s challenge.

 

Today, I am going to ask those who are able to come to the table to receive communion, as a sign of our common bond of love and the invitation that all are welcome.

 

Receive the Bread of Life and the Cup of Compassion with the words,

I am made in the image of the Divine.

 

Communion Song: For Everyone Born - Shirley Erena Murray - Communion


https://youtu.be/cdOvOXEiss0?si=NCDr7CQeMZQgSAXe

 

Post-Communion Prayer

God of stunning diversity,
receive our thanksgiving
as Jesus receives each of us in his embrace, that we can say:

 

This my body:

Passionate, struggling

Broken, healing

Tempted, steadfast

 

This is my body:

Alive in the margins

Black, brown, yellow, pink

Lesbian, gay, bi

Male, female, trans, queer

Rich, poor, hungry, lost

 

This is my body:

Loving, laughing

Aging, newborn

Thirsty, satisfied

Aching, strong

 

Feed us with hope now
so that we may continue our journey
of loving who we love
and seeking your just society
until all creation shines with your praise,
O God, through Christ, by your Spirit,
in the beloved community
now and forever.
Amen.

 

Carol Wise, Executive Director, BMC (Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests), All Along the Arc: Worship and Ritual for Welcoming Communities (Minneapolis: BMC, 2017), 9-10.

 

FINAL BLESSING

 

Loving God, You made humanity in your likeness. Each and every human identity, in all our sexual and gender diversity, in all our racial and cultural diversity – we

bear Your sacred image. Press us, compel us, inspire us to fully live the power and

beauty of this truth every day.

 

We marvel in awe of the expansiveness of your creation. Your margins of diversity are boundless, and for that, we thank you. Every Queer and Trans sibling, and every sibling of color are beautifully and wonderfully made, all in Your image. Teach us to love people, just as they are, and embrace their identity fully, as you have embraced us. In the name of the extravagantly loving, table turning, disruptive One we call Jesus, we pray. Amen.

 

Proud Anglicans of Huron: Pride Liturgical Resources 2022


Closing Song: Draw the Circle Wide by Gordon Light, Mark Miller – Closing Song


https://youtu.be/PcIQrWOYug8?si=io_cFxRICBmCH_vk
 


Upper Room Saturday Liturgy, June 28, 2025 - Presider: Denise Hackert-Stoner


 

Welcome, everyone.  Tonight, even as so many people all over the world face incredible odds, and even as here in the U.S. we are fearful of what is happening all around us, I want to remind myself tonight that there is joy.  There is surprise.  There is hope.  And I want to remind myself of the angels all around us that in small ways usher in joy, hope, and surprise every day. 

Opening Prayer

Holy One, help us to open our eyes to the messengers you send among us. Help us to listen to their words of good news, even as bad news tries to swallow us.

 

Opening Song:  Impossible Till It’s Not, Carrie Newcomer


https://youtu.be/uAl9xT4ZRbU?si=f2NeyEWx8KZtQB_f

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: Genesis 18:1-15

God appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre,
as Abraham sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour!
Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before them;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

They asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years,
and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
So Sarah laughed to herself and said,
"Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old,
am I still to have sexual pleasure?"
But the Lord said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say,
'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'
Is anything too marvelous for your God to do?
At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you,
and Sarah will have a son."
Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh."
But he replied, "Yes you did."

These are the ancient words of our ancestors.  We affirm them with Amen.

Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips


https://youtu.be/IC4nbwmQDVw

Second Reading: Acts 12:1-11(adapted)

In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–
He had Peter taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
“Get up quickly.”
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”
He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
            “Now I know for certain
            that God sent an angel
            and rescued me from the hand of Herod.”

We believe this story of Peter's surprising rescue comes to us from the writer we know as Luke.  We affirm these words with Amen.

 

Homily Starter

Although she tries to deny it, Sarah laughs at the idea of giving birth at her age; a hidden giggle behind the back of God and God’s angels. She is not a woman to be trifled with.  She’s a realist; a realist who has learned to live with disappointment after failing to conceive for so many years.   So, when the visitors arrive with such unlikely news, she laughs.  And we know that when, in fact she does give birth, she names her baby Isaac, Hebrew for "one who laughs." Sarah's laughter lives on in her son, and down through the generations of the nation she births.  And deeply embedded in that laughter is the knowledge that indeed, nothing is impossible for God.

Peter, always so sure of himself, suddenly finds himself in a horribly dangerous place.  When the angel wakes him, he seems to have an out of body experience, as if he were observing his own escape in a vision. But follow he does, and wakes to find himself unchained and outside prison walls.

Angels appear at the most unlikely times, and sometimes with the most unlikely messages. "You will bear a son in your old age."  "Follow me to freedom."  They seem to arrive when we need them the most and expect them the least. And they arrive in the most unlikely shapes.  A desert traveler.  A prison visitor.

I wonder about them, these strange shape-shifters.  Where are they now?  Will we bump into one at a protest rally?  Are there a couple in congress, talking sense to the senseless?  Are they on an aid truck defying the odds of a blockade?  Are they scattered among the bombed-out buildings in the many war-ravaged places giving comfort and first aid?  A born doubter, I am skeptical of angel stories. And yet I so love them, and I so hope that they are at least a little bit true. We need angels now. 

What are your thoughts about tonight's readings and about the prospect of angels?

Shared Homily

Statement of Faith:

We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery
beyond all definition and rational understanding,
the heart of all that has ever existed,
that exists now, or that ever will exist.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion,
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.

We believe that We are called to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of divine love,
a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.

We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.

We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
and hands to make it happen.

Prayers of the Community

As we prepare for the sacred meal, we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.  Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”

We pray for these and all unspoken prayers. Amen.

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

(adapted from Diarmuid O’Murchu)

With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:

Gracious God, source and sustenance of life, you enliven and inebriate all that exists. We celebrate your presence among us today as we gather around this table of friendship.

You light up our ways with wise and holy people who may be the angels among us.  Your spirit transforms and refreshes us, empowering us to bring mercy, love, and healing to those whose lives we touch.

For all you bring to our lives, we acclaim your love and greatness, and we join with all creation to sing our hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Words and music by Karen Drucker)


https://youtu.be/9XywpRw3OPw

 

Please extend your hands in blessing.

Source of our health and wholeness, we celebrate your presence among us.  Your healing power shines in the eyes of these, our companions on the journey, and we rejoice in one another’s presence.  As we are united in love, we seek to carry that love into our world.

We ask you to awaken anew in our hearts the empowering grace of your abundant Spirit, who infuses these gifts of bread and wine with the transforming energy of life, to nourish and sustain us.

We recall God’s blessing and love from ages past, and we celebrate anew
the gift of life which we share among us at this Eucharistic feast.

The bread we break and the cup we share are symbols of our world of abundance where all are invited to partake in the fullness of life. May that spirit of abundance transform the dark places in this world and heal all hearts burdened with greed.

On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for supper with the people closest to him. Like a household slave, he washed their feet. Once again, he showed us how to love one another.

All lift the plate and pray:

Back at the table, he took the Bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.

All lift the cup and pray:

Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:

Take and drink.

Whenever you remember me like this,

I am among you.

 

We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity.

Please receive communion saying: “I open my heart to the God of surprises.”

Communion Song: There are Angels Hovering Round by Phillip Bliss

Sung by Guilford Community Church Choir


https://youtu.be/EaW_9A_Kmto?si=KPTUXSlEjxSYrjrL

 

Prayer After Communion

In faith and hope we are sustained,
In grace our dignity reclaimed,
In praise we thank our God.

Let us pray as Jesus taught us:

O Holy One, who is within, around and among us, 

We celebrate your many names. 

Your Wisdom come. 

Your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us, 

Each day you give us all we need; 

You remind us of our limits, and we let go. 

You support us in our power, and we act with courage. 

For you are the dwelling place within us,  

the empowerment around us, 

and the celebration among us, now and forever.  Amen (Miriam Therese Winter) 

 

BLESSING

Let us raise our hands and bless each other.

May we always be open to surprise, and may our eyes always be open to the angels among us.  May our lives be lived in health and wholeness, calling all to the abundance of the Kin-dom, which is available to all, all the time, and forever. Amen

Closing Song: Angels Among Us by Alabama ft. Chris Rupp


https://youtu.be/2QF0IEU8EcQ?si=5NcG1pa_3GYKO2uJ