Upper Room Weekend Liturgy, April 27 and 28, 2024 - Presiders: Denise Hackert-Stoner and Mary Theresa Streck

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 
phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155

 Fifth Sunday of Easter

Welcome 

Mary Theresa: Welcome to the Upper Room’s Liturgy for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.  Did you know that Easter is an entire season of fifty days ending with Pentecost? The themes of the Easter season focus on new life, love, connection, and community. Today we will hear readings and songs on these themes. After liturgy on Sunday, Mary Giordano will talk about Family Promise, love at work in our community. See pictures of Family Promise at the bottom of this blog post.

Opening Prayer 

Denise: Holy One, in a world divided we ask for strength as we commit to unity.  For we are your people the world over.  We live, grow, and have our very being in you alone, and we long to break down the barriers of division among us.  Amen.

Opening Song: I am the Vine – John Michael Talbot

https://youtu.be/rm3zHKYwG9A?si=beEdsDLQudk01aZm

First Reading: A reading from the first letter of John

1 Jn 3:18-24

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living the life of the Holy One. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For the Holy One is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

 And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free in the presence of our Beloved!  We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what pleases our Beloved. Again, this is what the Holy One wants us to do: to believe in Jesus, who told us to love each other.  As we do the will of the Holy One, we live deeply and surely in the Holy One, and the Holy One lives in us. And how do we experience this deep and abiding presence in us?  By the Spirit bestowed on us by the Beloved who loves us.

These are the inspired words of the disciple known as John, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Second Reading: The Center of Your Being by Lao Tzu

Always we hope that someone else has the answer,
some other place will be better,
some other time it will all turn out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer.

No other place will be better.
And it has already turned out.

At the center of your being you have the answers.
And you know what you want.

There is no need to run outside for better seeing,
nor to peer from the window.

Rather abide at the center of your being.
For the more you leave it,
the less you know.
Search your heart and see that
the way to do is to be.

These are the inspired words of mystic, Lao Tzu, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Alleluia:

https://youtu.be/4cs8NDVM3Vk 

Gospel: A reading from the Gospel of John

John 15: 1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Abba, the vine grower, takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does is pruned so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is the Holy One glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

These are the inspired words of the Gospel writer known as John, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Shared Homily: Mary Theresa

Our sharing today will begin with the inspired words of Ilia Delio: It Is Love that Matters 

https://youtu.be/DG_CIHDM4SY?si=0sGPRifnahqaIdd3

The first reading today is from the first of three epistles attributed to the Gospel writer known as John. They follow on the purpose of the Gospel of John which is written to introduce its readers to the story of Jesus so that through the story they can come to believe in him as the Messiah. Unlike the Gospel of John, the epistles, are addressed to readers who already believe that Jesus is the Son of God and focus on the correct 

expressions of faith, in word and deed. All three share a common theme: vital community occurs where believers live their faith in action and make God’s love visible in their hospitality toward others.

The opening of  1 John begins with a family greeting that describes the community to which he writes as “children of God” and as those who “have been born of God”. Community members are one’s brothers and sisters (e.g., 4:20). The central image for the community is family and the centrality of family is echoed in the words: “that we should love one another”.

We invite your thoughts on the readings and the theme of new life, love, connection, and community.

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 the table our prayers and intentions, starting with the words I bring to the table.  

We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen. 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer in one voice. 

O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us as we set our hearts on belonging to you. 

Everyone and everything is born of You. We carry within us your light and life.

In the mystery of matter and deep in the cells of our souls are your longings for oneness: the oneness of the universe vast and vibrating with the sound of its beginning, the oneness of the human soul, a sacred countenance in infinite form. All that we are and all that we do flows from our deep connection with you and we sing our song of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=lF8UEluHJgyAuxbZ

Guiding Spirit, open us to visions we have never known, delight us with a oneness we could never have imagined, that we may truly be born of You, makers of peace.

We thank you for our brother, Jesus, and for all our sisters and brothers who have modeled for us a way to live and love in challenging times. Inspired by them, we choose life over death, we choose to be light in dark times. 

Please extend your hands in blessing.

We are ever aware of your Spirit in us and among us at this Eucharistic table, we are grateful for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world. 

On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends.  He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet. 

 

(Lift plate)

When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread, and offered it to them saying: 

Take and eat, This is my very self.

  

(Lift cup)

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.   Please receive this bread with the words: We are One.

Communion song: Follow Your Heart’s Desire by Jan Phillips, Photos by Dennis McDonald

https://youtu.be/qinan3FNZBc?si=20XQz450LRSZ-QSE 

Holy One, your transforming energy is within us and we join our hearts with all who are working for a just world.  We pray for wise leaders in our religious communities. We pray for courageous and compassionate leaders in our world communities.  

We pray for all of us gathered here and like Jesus, we open ourselves up to your Spirit, for it is through living as he lived that we awaken to your Spirit within, 

moving us to glorify you, at this time and all ways.

Amen. 

Let us pray as Jesus taught us: 

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.  

Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter 

BLESSING

Denise: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing.

May the one river that flows through all, fill us with life and sustain us on the journey.  May the one Spirit that dwells in all, unite us as one people the world over.  May we walk in dignity and recognize that same dignity in every brother and sister we meet along the way, for we are yours.  Amen.

Closing Song: River Jordan by Peter Paul and Mary

https://youtu.be/ziy668lQ1eo

Family Promise of the Capital Region

Family Promise of the Capital Region engages the community in support of families facing homelessness, providing temporary shelter, wraparound services, and the guidance they need to build a brighter future.

Click here to donate to Family Promise

Moment of Oneness, April 24, 2024 - Prepared by Kathie Ryan

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: +1 646 558 8656

Be grateful for the things and people you have in your life. Things you take for granted someone else is praying for.   (Marlan Rico Lee)

Opening Prayer: Let us breathe deeply for the Holy One is as close to us as our next breath.   We often feel lonely, but we are never alone. We often feel separated, but we are always connected. We are connected by the spirit of the Holy One. Amen

Opening Song: Breathe In by Peter Mayer

https://youtu.be/JJ0horvBHWc?si=xgPcQqIeWE1pLoI6 

A Prayer for the Forgotten

Holy One, we do not know how to pray as we ought to pray. Sometimes we just list our grievances, but you know them already. Sometimes we ask for favors--to make a budget, to elect the latest savior, to make it rain, to make it stop raining, to win the lottery to feel superior to those we hate, to advance our portfolio, to add square footage to our house.

But today, Holy One, let’s try something different. This prayer is not a tweet, or a post or the pronouncement of yet another talking head. This is a prayer for all those people who live in the shadows, who wonder if their lives count for anything. The people whose houses we walk by in the darkness but whose threshold we will never cross, whose faces we will never see, whose joys and sorrows we will never know. 

This is a prayer for the forgotten ones, in our neighborhoods, lying abed in hospitals, staring through the bars of a prison cell, sleeping on the cold floor of a refugee camp, digging through a garbage dump for dinner.

This is a prayer of lament for the way the world is set up to care about famous people, powerful people, often cruel and selfish people.  Meanwhile the little ones we are commanded to care about are everywhere hidden and invisible.  The teacher who doesn’t know if she can afford to keep going, the girl who can’t tell anyone about the abuse, the teenager who hears voices in his head and doesn’t see the point of living, the spouse who covers once more for her partner’s lies. 

This prayer is for all the people we don’t know, will never know, and will never see on the evening news. Yet the prophets have told us that the forgotten ones are precious, and that either all of us matter or none of us do.  Help us, we pray, to run our gaze away from screens and mirrors and toward the stranger—hold open the door, invite someone new to dinner, speak a word of gratitude—so that the forgotten are not forgotten.  After all, they hold the world together, and they are doing the best they can.  AMEN

Silent Reflection

Intentions:   We bring to the table:

All those gathered here, for our Community, and for all of us on earth.  

All our families- for those struggling with careers, with health issues. 

All those suffering from mental illness, those who are grieving, and those who await surgery.

All those suffering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

All those who are in-need of fairness-those mistreated because of the color of their skin, sexual orientation, disability, size or gender.

All those who live in abject poverty and for those suffering the devastation of war. 

All those suffering from earthquakes, famine, fires, floods and all environmental disasters.

All those who are suffering from cancer especially those we have on our prayer list.

All our politicians who are at war with each other for the sake of power. May they lay their gauntlets down and do their best for our nation and world.

All nations who are at war, especially the Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel. May all find a way to peace.

All of creation. May we take care of all that you have given us and may we take care of each other with loving kindness.  

Who and what else would you like to bring to the table tonight?

We pray for these and all the unspoken intentions in our hearts.

Closing prayer: Holy One we brought those we love and those who are in-need of knowing they are loved to you tonight. Even in our forgetfulness we know you are holding each of them as we know you are holding each of us. We are one with you and each other.  Amen

Closing Song: Be a Light – shortened Thomas Rhett (lyrics ) ft. Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott & Reba McEntire

https://youtu.be/Oqiw54l_x-8

Upper Room Sunday Liturgy, April 21, 2024 - Presider: Dennis McDonald in Upper Room, Mary Theresa Streck in Zoom

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 
phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155

Earth Day Liturgy – April 21, 2024

Introduction of Theme: 

Dennis: Welcome to all here present.  We gather this day to celebrate Earth Day, reminding ourselves that we are a part of creation and have been provided the opportunity to care for this planet we call home.  We reflect today on our role as co-creators and care-givers of the Earth, and the call to bring harmony to all that we touch with the love and beauty with which the Holy One graces Her creation. 

Let us celebrate with joy the indwelling of our God among us and among all of creation.  Welcome, sisters and brothers, to the table where the broken word and bread and cup of life nourish us and feed our spirit, calling us to care for this home we call Earth.  

Opening Song: I Am the Earth by Glyn Lehmann

https://youtu.be/FyM7XK5WCfQ?si=N5c9OOucP9ITUKRM 

Opening Prayer:

Creator, Source of all that we are, we gather to honor your Creation as an integrated and holy system of plant, animal and human life placed lovingly side by side with water, air, wind, and earth. We pray for the imagination and resolve to establish a supportive ecology so that all of Creation may not just survive but thrive as a continuing sign of your wondrous love. Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: Reading from Susan Drake

As Americans, we have become comfortable with our environment of concrete, steel, plastics, and artificial fibers, colors, and flavorings to such a degree that many question whether or not we even need to focus on a relationship with the creation. We have lost the desire to seek God and the ability to see God in all things. And perhaps, we have closed our eyes to the importance of Divine creation as expressed through the forests because we have substituted the wonders of human creation for the wonders of God's creation. This form of idolatry should concern us.

These are the inspired words of Susan Drake and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.  

Second Reading: A reading from Ilia Delio

Where is this risen Christ? Everywhere and all around us—in you, your neighbor, the dogwood tree outside, the budding grape vine, the ants popping up through the cracks. The whole world is filled with God, who is shining through even the darkest places of our lives. To “go to church” is to awaken to this divine presence in our midst and respond in love with a yes: Your life, O God, is my life and the life of the planet…. 

We have an invitation to go to church in a new way, by praying before the new leaves budding through dormant trees or the wobbly flowers by the side of the road pushing through the solid earth….  [Like Francis of Assisi,] we too can sing with the air we breathe, the sun that shines upon us, the rain that pours down to water the earth. And we can cry with those who are mourning, with the forgotten, with those who are suffering from disease or illness, with the weak, with the imprisoned. We can mourn in the solidarity of compassion but we must live in the hope of new life. For we are Easter people, and we are called to celebrate the whole earth as the body of Christ. Every act done in love gives glory to God: a pause of thanksgiving, a laugh, a gaze at the sun, or just raising a toast to your friends at your virtual gathering. The good news? “He is not here!” Christ is everywhere, and love will make us whole.  

These are inspired words of Ilia Delio and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.  

Gospel: A Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures - Genesis

Humankind was created as God’s reflection:

in the divine image God created them;

female and male, God made them. 

God blessed them and said, “Bear fruit, increase your numbers, and fill the earth—and be responsible for it! Watch over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things on the earth!”  God then told them, “Look! I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit carries its seed inside itself: they will be your food; and to all the animals of the earth and the birds of the air and things that crawl on the ground—everything that has a living soul in it—I give all the green plants for food.” So it was. God looked at all of this creation, and proclaimed that this was good—very good.

These are the inspired words of the anonymous author of Genesis, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen. 

Homily Starter: 

Our opening song ask the questions, Are we listening to Mother Earth? Are we listening to the message being sent by way of storms, fires, floods, etc.? Are we listening to the animals, the plants, as we watch and learn of the demise of various species? Can we feel the heartbeat beneath our feet? 

Our first reading, from Susan Drake, reinforces this message much more strongly, questioning if we have lost our way in seeking God, and our ability to see the Divine in all things, in all of creation. Are we so captured by the ways of the world of commerce, of progress, of development that we lose sight of their impact on the future of the planet. 

The photo chosen for today’s liturgy shows hands holding the earth, and it might recall for us the song, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, but if we ponder our readings today, that is a misnomer for the song. In reality, if we truly believe what we often say here in the Upper Room that we are co-creators with the Divine, then the photo reflects that it is we who hold the world in our hands, and what we do or don’t do has an impact on our future and the future of the planet. 

Our reading from Genesis reminds us that we are created in the divine image as a reflection of the Creative Force of the Universe, and are charged with being responsible for creation, to be stewards of all that lives and breathes. St. Theresa of Avila says it this way, “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.”

In this season of Easter, of New Life, of the Risen Christ, our reading from Ilia Delio reminds us that the Christ, existing from the beginning of time, is “everywhere and all around us”, and invites us to go to church in a new way. This new way is to see church beyond the confines of four walls, entering into and engaging with creation in all its joys and sorrows. Once again, she reminds us to be the Body of Christ in the world. We are an Easter People, we are not waiting for the return of the Christ, we are divinely created with a mission today to watch over and care for this home of ours, this evolving planet.  We are called to feel the heartbeat beneath our feet.

Pope Francis in June 2013 said, “I would like us all to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter.”

Are you in tune with the Earth? Do you feel/sense the heartbeat? Is it strong or fading? How might you counter the culture of waste and disposable? How can we live as Christ’s body as responsible stewards of the Earth?

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

Dennis:  As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.

Intentions read

We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace. 

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Dennis: Please join us, with arms raised, in the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer. 

Great Mystery surrounding us, we lift up our hearts to understand that our spirits are one. You are with us, and we live. Everything lives because of you, and everything is one. 

Your wisdom moves among us like the wind, and we are blessed.

So now we enter into the oneness of creation, attune ourselves to join in the harmony, let ourselves embrace that oneness with thankfulness and joy. And so, we join with all of creation and sing in glory for the beauty that encircles us.

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=lF8UEluHJgyAuxbZ

All: Creator of the whole universe, we glory in the environment, especially forests, that surround us. May we have the vision and strength to protect all forest ecosystems and the whole of Your creation, which have been corrupted by human exploitation, pollution, and destruction, so that the whole of creation may be renewed and made whole, 

We join with the earth and with each other, to bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air.

We join with the earth and with each other to renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures.

We join with the earth and with each other to celebrate the seas, to rejoice in the sunlight, to sing the song of the stars.

We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery: for the healing of the earth and the renewal of life.

We join together and call the Spirit upon the gifts of the earth, bread and wine, as we bless them and remember our call to be the Body of Christ in the world. 

On the night before he died, he sat at a table with friends and relived with them his work, his teaching and wisdom of the universe. Then he went among them as servant, washing their feet, touching their hearts.  

When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:  

Take and eat, the bread of life for all who hunger. (pause) 

Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them 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 receive communion we will become communion, both love’s nourishment and love’s challenge.

Please receive communion saying:  I am in communion with all of Creation. 

Communion Meditation Song: Ode to Earth

https://youtu.be/WsBdhqgsV2E

All: Mystery of Life present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures, embrace with tenderness all that exists. May the power of divine love pour upon us, that we may protect life and beauty. Help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards divine light and love. We are thankful for the pulse of life that fills us each day. May we be encouraged and strengthened for our struggle for justice, love, and peace in the world.

Dennis: Let us pray the prayer of Jesus with an eye toward our connection to creation:

Generous Creator, the intricate and elegant biodiversity of our world is your hallowed autograph on our lives, on our souls and in our hearts. 

We yearn for the wholeness of being in harmony with Your will and with all living things. 

Each day we draw on your creative, life-giving energy with gratitude and awe as we find nourishment in, seed and field, river and forest. 

May we be stewards and co-creators with you in caring for the gifts of Your Creation.  

We acknowledge our shortcomings, especially our neglect of the environment as we mark Earth Day. We seek to be reconciled with those we have hurt and we resolve to do better.  

With your unfailing wisdom and the wind of Your Spirit, inspire us that we may reach out and love one another and care for the world, our home.

Strengthen us to work for local and global justice so that we may one day reap a harvest of equality and fairness as if they were wildflowers, propagating spontaneously, unerringly and in surprising abundance. Amen.     Lynn Kinlan

BLESSING

Let us raise our hands and pray our closing blessing:

Let us pray for an end to the
Waste and desecration of God's creation
For access to the fruits of creation
To be shared equally among all people
And for communities and nations to find sustenance
In the fruits of the earth and the water God has given us.

Almighty God, you created the world and gave it
Into our care so that, in obedience to you,
We might serve all people:
Inspire us to use the riches of creation with wisdom,
and to ensure that their blessings are shared by all;
That, trusting in your bounty, all people may be
Empowered to seek freedom from poverty, famine, and oppression. Amen.

- Author Unknown

Closing Song: Mother Earth by Karliene

https://youtu.be/caIo1UGSDgw?si=pxZiUGW_yBuZcrt1