phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome (Donna): We gather on this special night to celebrate the birth of Jesus into the world. A world rife with conflict and death, with pain and suffering, but also a world full of beauty and kindness, of hope and love. We celebrate this child who grew into a person who came to understand that Divine Love lived within him, and that his call was to share that understanding with the world in which he lived. These thousands of years later, it is for us to embrace that truth, that Divine Love is in each of us. We are daughters and sons of God and followers of Jesus, recognizing our call to spread hope and love to today’s world. Let us celebrate Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Candle Lighting (Kim): All light candles (one person lights candles on the Christmas wreath)
From “The Mood of Christmas…” by Howard Thurman
I will light Candles this Christmas,
Candles of joy despite all the sadness,
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,
Candles of courage for fears ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,
Candles of love to inspire all my living,
Candles that will burn all year long. Amen.
Transformation Rite (Lynn):
The One we awaited is already among us. Do we have the courage to see?
Most Tender Being, as you gift us with your constant presence, it is with Joy that we have begun to see that the One we have longed for is already with us, waiting for our
acceptance, hoping for our recognition.
ALL: Transform us, O Holy One!
Child of Wonder, open our hearts, as well as our eyes, to see the Wonder that you are as you enter into our lives with your tender compassion and gentle love
ALL: Transform us, O Holy One!
May we rejoice in your work in us and in our world, calling us to be your
living and abiding presence for one another and for our world, becoming messengers of hope and love, compassion and peace as we celebrate your living in us and among us. Amen.
Opening Song: When A Child Is Born performed by Susan Boyle & Johnny Mathis
https://youtu.be/SqFKb8WYbY8?si=A4M-Htdd-bkH7tkV
First Reading: A reading by Jane Keener-Quiat and Rex Hunt
We celebrate tonight God-with-us
beyond our words, beyond our images,
for we know God is beyond those things.
But tonight, we find joy in the image of God
coming to us in the form of a child.
We sense God’s presence in creation
and in the immensity of our universe,
in the incredible display of life on this planet,
and in our consciousness
of something far greater than ourselves.
As Christians we rejoice in the birth of Jesus.
In him we see the fullness of possibility
to make God visible in our lives.
Like all of us he grew in wisdom as he aged.
He questioned. He searched for meaning.
He shaped his convictions.
He experienced love and came to know
love’s connectedness with God.
He stood firmly in his own religious tradition
and preached good news to all people dreaming
of a better humanity.
We rejoice that he taught us not to imagine
a manipulative, intervening God,
but one who is as close as breath
and as soft as a whisper,
yet as powerful in the focus of our lives,
as were the mighty (prophets) in the Old Testament
drawing us toward the good.
We rejoice that Jesus led people to discover
the sacred in the ordinary,
in the lowly, in everyday life,
in human yearnings to be better people,
and in being neighbor to one another.
These are the inspired words of Jane Keener-Quiat and Rex Hunt, and the community affirms them with Amen.
Second Reading: An Incredible Hope by John van de Larr
We imagine a world where peace and justice are the ordinary realities of life;
We dream of a planet where giving and sharing are second nature to all people;
We envision an earth where joy and celebration fill the news and our lives;
It may seem like a delusion, but we have an incredible hope!
We hope in the One who has come: who proclaimed such a world,
and who gave his life for it;
We hope in the One who is always coming: surprising us with the presence,
and the restoring work, of the Source of All Life;
We hope in the One who will come: in every age, to every generation,
until this dream has come true.
We have an incredible hope, O Divine One, and we praise you for it! Amen.
These are the inspired words of John Van de Larr and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Alleluia: Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus (excerpt) arranged by Quincy Jones
Gospel (Dennis): A reading from the anonymous Gospel writer known as Matthew (1:18-25)
This is how the birth of Jesus came about. When Jesus’ mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they slept together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, an upright person unwilling to disgrace her, planned to break off their engagement quietly.
This was Joseph’s intention when suddenly a Divine Messenger appeared in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendent of the House of David, don’t be afraid to marry Mary; it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child. She is to give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus — ‘Salvation’— because he will save people from their sins.” All this happened to fulfill what God has said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and give birth, and the child will be named Immanuel” — a name that means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of God had directed, and they went ahead with the marriage. He did not have intercourse with her until she had given birth to a son, and they named him Jesus.
These are the inspired words of the anonymous writer called Matthew, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Homily Starter (Dennis) & Sharing
“We celebrate tonight God-with-us
beyond our words, beyond our images,
for we know God is beyond those things.
But tonight, we find joy in the image of God
coming to us in the form of a child.” Jane Keener-Quiat and Rex Hunt
A child is born, according to tonight’s Gospel, to a couple, Mary and Joseph, after both of them have incredible, life-changing, mystical experiences, resulting in their marrying and naming their baby, Jesus, as they were instructed. He is, they are both told, Emmanuel, God-with-us. You probably noticed that in this Gospel there were no angels in the sky, no shepherds, no stable, no traveling. It was not the most awesome of entrances, and yet the story of the birth of Jesus is filled with awe, when in the next chapter the Magi arrive with gifts. Is it much different than today when a child is born? There is much rejoicing, there is much hope for the child and the future, whether born with riches or born in poverty. Family and friends arrive to share in the joy and excitement, bearing gifts. It is a family’s dream of the possibilities, the potential for this child as they grow and mature.
Is it any different than the path that lay before Jesus? As the first reading indicates he experienced life as any child does. It may be hard for us to imagine but Jesus was, like most babies, fussy as a baby, cried when his first teeth came, sought comfort when he fell or was hurt in some way. If we are to believe that he was fully human, he was sure to question life as he grew. He, like us, most likely, struggled with the question of why am I here, what is my purpose? Of course, none of this is known since the scriptures go from childhood to adulthood, leaving out those turbulent adolescent years. But we can, I think, remembering our own adolescent and young adult years, what he might have gone through.
Jesus also experienced love of family and, most likely, learned of compassion and care from his parents, Mary and Joseph. Although Joseph and Mary do not appear in the Gospels often, I would dare to say that they, by example, taught Jesus to be kind to others, to help others in need, to recognize the divine in each person and to proclaim God’s love to them. But what made this child, grown to manhood, so special that followers of his message wrote down the story for the various communities in which they ministered?
The special nature that Jesus brought and continues to bring to us was his recognition and acceptance of the God within him. This came from his introspection of who he was, and who he was meant to be. The love he experienced, the struggles he went through, the questioning he did led him to a belief that this God who was often portrayed as distant, as external, was in reality born within each person, was part of the creative force of life from which each person emerges when born. He spent his life of ministry preaching that Good News and showing by word and deed that God is loving, accepting and forgiving.
Pastor Dawn Hutchings shares, in a Christmas Homily, that Julian of Norwich was fond of insisting, “We are not just made by God, we are made of God.” Pastor Dawn then goes on: “Think about that for just a moment: We are not just made by God, we are made of God; not just you and I, but each and every one we meet is not just made by God, they are made of God.”
This quote made me ponder, if I, if you, like Jesus are “made of God” how can I bring to birth through my life, Jesus’ message of love, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness? How do we greet each new morn embracing the hope that comes when a child is born? These words from our second reading provide an answer.
“We hope in the One who is always coming: surprising us with the presence,
and the restoring work, of the Source of All Life;
We hope in the One who will come: in every age, to every generation,
until this dream has come true.”
And how does the One come? The One comes through the birth of a child who grows in the knowledge that they are “made of God” and shares with the world the Good News of Divine Love in our midst. Who is The One? Look around this room and see the Face and the Heart of the Divine.
As we celebrate the birth of the Christ-child let us pay heed to the words of Edward Hays,
“Peace on earth and justice for all
will only become manifest in our lives
when enough of your sons and daughters
awaken to the divine design
that has made each of us
an Emerging Emmanuel.”
Let us awaken to our call to be Emmanuel to the world in which we live.
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
Donna: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. As bearers of LIGHT and HOPE, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your intentions beginning with the words, “I bring to the table…..”
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Kim: Let us, with open hands, pray our Eucharistic Prayer.
O Sacred Mystery, Maker of all the universe, you brought forth all creation from your Life-giving Womb. O Love of the Ages, who was born from Mary’s womb, we praise you and leap for joy in your presence.
O Holy One of ancient Israel, You embrace us with infinite love in every situation and
relationship. You dwell in the depths of our hearts
We invite you this day to set us free, heal us, transform us and empower us as we gather
around the Table of your love. As we celebrate your sacred mystery, in our Creator’s loving embrace, we sing your praise:
Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
Dennis: Praise to you, all-giving Child, born of Mary. You are the body and blood of woman. We glorify you, our Creator, for the dawning of the sacred promise of the Anointed One, fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.
We celebrate the birth of Jesus, our newborn Emmanuel who came to give us fullness of life. During this holy season we share the bread of freedom and lift the cup, the new wineskin of compassion.
We now call the Spirit of the Living God upon the gifts of this Eucharistic Table.
May the bread of the grain, and grape of the vine, become the nourishment we long for, nurturing afresh within us the discerning gifts of wisdom, light and truth.
Lynn: As Jesus gave birth to the New Covenant, he took bread, gave thanks,
broke the bread, and shared it with all those present saying:
Take and eat, the bread of life for all who hunger for peace and justice.
(pause)
Jesus then raised the cup of blessing, and spoke the grace saying:
Take and drink the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.
Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.
(pause)
This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Through it we are
nourished and we nourish each other.
What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives;
as we share communion, we will become communion,
both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.
Please receive the bread and cup with the words, you are the Body of Christ.
Communion Meditation Song: At This Table by Idina Menzel
https://youtu.be/acRAIkV7QDc?si=DcIUCwkdIbM2S1Yk
Post-Communion Prayer:
Donna: As we wait with joyful hearts for the fulfillment of your birthing power in our own lives,
we remember the prophets, martyrs, saints and mystics who have gone before us,
and all those we remember as heroes in our church who inspire us today, both living and dead.
Embrace us in our brokenness and help us celebrate Christ’s birth in our lives.
Impregnate the people of God with the power of a Spirit-filled community of faith.
May your Spirit birth a new world of peace and justice.
May everyone feel accepted and welcome in our community.
May we give birth to the Word Made Flesh in us every day of our lives.
May we give birth to the church of our dreams and hopes.
May we give birth to a deep reverence for earth, and live in harmony with
all creatures.
For it is through learning to live as Jesus lived,
and why he lived,
and for whom he lived,
that we awaken to your Spirit within,
moving us to worship you truly,
O Holy Life-Giver,
at this time and all time and in all ways. Amen!
Kim: Let us pray together the Prayer of Jesus:
O Holy One, you are 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. (Sr. Miriam Therese Winter)
Blessing
Lynn: Let us raise our hands in blessing as we go forth to bring glad tidings to the world.
May our mothering God bring us to birth in every area of our living.
May Emmanuel, God-with-us, fill us with radiant joy.
May we be creators of hope in our world, and
May God bless us always with divine strength
to walk justly and serve generously all those we encounter.
And in so doing, may we be blessed in the name of the Divine.
Let us birth Christ anew in our world today, as we
go forth with faith to ponder in our hearts the mystery and the
wonder of this holy season. Amen.
Closing Song: Joy to the World
https://youtu.be/_N40D2pk-w0?si=jqVnkFXH-xhLUEAF
