phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-865
Welcome
Welcome, beloved community to this sacred space where we come just as we are—with full hearts, weary hearts, hopeful hearts, and searching hearts.
Today we gather in the presence of the Holy One,
who meets us not in perfection, but in tenderness…
not in certainty, but in companionship.
Here, we are reminded that we are known by name,
held in love, and gently guided by the voice of the Good Shepherd—
the One who invites us, above all else,
to pause… to breathe… and to be.
As we begin, may we allow ourselves to slow down,
to catch our breath, and to trust that in this moment, we are already home.
Opening Prayer
Loving and Gentle Shepherd, Breath of Life within us, You meet us in the quiet spaces, in the places where words fall short and all we can offer is our breath.
When we are lost, you call us by name. When we are weary, you lead us to rest.
When we are afraid, you stay.
Be with us now in this gathering. Still our racing thoughts.
Soften what is tense within us. Open our hearts to your presence.
Feed us with your love, renew us with your compassion, and guide us in your way, that we may not only hear your voice, but become your voice in the world.
Teach us to be shepherds for one another: to listen deeply, to love gently, to remain when others are in need.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother, Amen.
Opening Song: Catch Your Breath by Rachel Kohrs
https://youtu.be/fDrxT6nFtfQ?si=NkbRFAH4E-f0gmhf
Reading 1: Psalm 23: a meditation by Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Love, you shepherd me;
generously, you place my life in my hands.
You rest me in the meadow of your presence,
I drink from the gentle brook of your peace.
You are my next breath, and the next.
You are my path, my steps.
The way to life leads through death;
you go there, and I willingly follow you,
your presence beside me,
your wisdom before me.
Despite my fears and doubts this life is a feast.
You embrace me with such love,
feed me with such delight.
Your goodness and mercy shadow me;
and with every breath
I am returned again and again to you.
Gospel Acclamation: I am the Good Shepherd by John Michael Talbot
https://youtu.be/sFRcyFcyesA?si=idT_HppUJ-iiEinV
Gospel: Our Gospel reading is from the Gospel writer known as John.
John 10:1-18 MSG
“Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”
Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep rustlers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”
Shared Homily – Mary Ann Matthys
There is a moment most of us know well. It is not a dramatic moment. It is not the kind that makes the evening news. It is quieter than that — and far more personal. It is the moment when life has pressed in so hard, from so many directions, that you simply cannot find your footing. You cannot find your next step. You can barely find your breath. Maybe it came in the middle of the night. Maybe it came in a doctor's office, or at a graveside, or in the silence after a door closed for the last time. Maybe it is with you even now, sitting in this very place.
Rachel Kohrs sings to us from that exact moment. When you can't seem to find your step — just hold me and tell me, you just have to catch your breath. No fixing. No rushing. No demand that you pull yourself together. Just presence. Just the quiet promise: I'll be there to stay with you, cry with you, hold you until it's day.
That is not just a love song. That is a theology, a reminder that Jesus our brother, our friend, our Good Shepherd is present with us. He carries us so we can rest as restoration begins. He shows us the path that leads to abundance and nurtures us as we walk it. As we draw near to the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd draws near to us, holding us gently, fully present, loving us in our tender moments.
Jesus, knows each sheep by name…He is a radical balance of human and divine who walks ahead of us and strives with us in our time of need. There is something powerful about being fully known and accepted just as we are. It is when we are known in this way that we are free to soar, to be and become the person we are meant to be.
The story of the Good Shepherd is meant to comfort but more than that it is an invitation to a ministry of presence, compassion and kindness. We are invited to be the Good Shepherd with those we encounter each day. Not only in the easy times but in the gut wrenching times when life is a mess and the person in front of us wonders how much longer they can go on.
In those moments, we have a choice. Do we accept the person where they are knowing this is not where they will stay, and love them with compassion, as Jesus did? Do we bring peace and presence? Or do we stare and walk away?
It is in those moments we can speak the quiet promise from Rachel’s song…”I’ll be there to stay with you, cry with you, hold you until it’s day.”
Amen
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 gather at this sacred table, we are held in the care of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who knows each of us by name and leads us beside still waters. Please state your intentions beginning with "I bring to the table…"
We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of the Good Shepherd, where no one is lost and all are welcomed home.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Eucharistic Prayer
Holy One, we come together in unity of heart, compassion, and shared purpose with people everywhere—those here and those we remember. With all living beings across this Earth, we open our hearts to connection, understanding, and care. In your tender care, we are freed from division, fear, conflict, pride, and injustice. We are made whole through your love and mercy. With gratitude, we offer ourselves to the work of healing, growing, and supporting one another. Together, we speak with one voice, honoring the beauty of life and our shared responsibility to nurture it, with these words of thanks and praise.
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk
Please extend your hands in blessing.
All: Holy One you have set before us a banquet of love. Together, we call on Your Spirit, present in these gifts-bread that satisfies our hunger and wine that quenches our thirst–to make us more deeply One, living in the fullness of holy compassion and Sophia wisdom.
All: We recognize Your Spirit upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain and wine of the grape, that they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced his own death and for the sake of living fully, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly within them, he bent down and washed their feet.
All lift their plate and pray the following:
When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the Passover bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this is my very self.
Do this in memory of me.
All lift their cup and pray the following:
Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink of the covenant, made new again through my life in you.
Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.
Please receive communion with the words: I rest in the arms of the Shepherd.
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.
Please receive communion with the words: I rest in the arms of the Shepherd.
Communion Song: Shepherd Me, O God by Marty Haugen
https://youtu.be/MODUEB_NW-U?si=9I3q6_2xaWBP5P9G
Post Communion Prayer
Knowing that the Good Shepherd leaves the comfort of the flock to seek out the lost, the wounded, and the forgotten, we seek to be alert to how we can bring the love and unity of the Body of Christ to wherever and with whomever is in need. We ask for the grace to search as Jesus searches, to carry as Jesus carries, and to heal with the tender heart of the Good Shepherd. Amen.
We will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and our small circles. Like Jesus, in all openness, we will be filled with your own Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
For it is through learning to live as he 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 One,
At this time and all time and in all ways.
And we say yes to You!
Presider: Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
All: 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)
Closing Blessing
May you go forth as one led beside still waters, restored in soul, and strengthened in your commitment to walk humbly and love deeply.
May you be guided along right paths, blessed with courage and compassion to choose active hope when all feels dark and uncertain, trusting that the Good Shepherd walks with you even through the valley of shadows.
May you live as one whose cup overflows, sharing from what you have to nourish and sustain, spreading the love of the One who prepares a table before you.
May you have the imaginative sympathy and love of Wisdom Sophia to follow where the Shepherd leads and co-create a world where Love abides.
May goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life, as you dwell in the presence of the Good Shepherd, now and forever. Amen.
Closing song: Psalm 23 by Bobby McFerrin
https://youtu.be/000AuO_lBJk?si=smr1-u8jxF9lSnkG
