Upper Room Weekend Liturgy, May 16 and 17 - Presider: Denise Hackert-Stoner

Zoom:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155  
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-865

Welcome:  Welcome, dear friends, as we celebrate the 7^th and last Sunday of Easter.  Over the past weeks we have witnessed through time and story, the journey of the disciples as they passed through the grief of losing their beloved teacher and leader of their movement, and their shock, disbelief and then recognition and wonder at his continued presence among them.  Today we witness a new reality for them, as they are left to carry the movement forward.  Let’s think about that reality, and what it means to us, as we carry the movement forward ourselves.

Opening Prayer:  Holy One, in this world of noise and distraction we seek to quiet our minds and hearts, allowing your word to instruct us and your presence to fill us.  Amen.

Opening Song:  Invocation by Christopher Grundy 

https://youtu.be/A95UbOPVQKc

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

First Reading:  From the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1 (condensed by Denise)

[As] they were watching, Jesus was lifted up and disappeared out of their sight into a cloud.  While he was going and they were gazing up toward the sky, suddenly two people in white robes stood by them.  They said, “You of Galilee, why do you stand looking up at the sky?  This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into the heavens, will come again in the same way as you have seen him go.”

This story is passed to us by an ancient writer known as Luke.  We respond with Amen.

Second Reading: “Grandma’s Recipes” by Jim Yermin

They’ve all saved Grandma’s recipes…some they know by heart…many in a copy of the book she wrote them in…for it is often amidst her recipes…where memories of her begin.

Whenever they read her handwriting…sort through her ingredients…turn on a mixer…pick up a knife…whenever they bake what Grandma baked…it brings her back to life.

For it is surrounded by Grandma’s recipes…

where aromas of her are strongest…

Where, when they close their eyes and smile,

her memories linger longest.

These are the words of poet Jim Yermin.  We affirm his words with Amen.

Gospel Acclamation:  Alleluia Misa Delgado 

https://youtu.be/uilfwfd-U_g

Gospel:  Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged with the women to meet them.  When they saw him, they fell down before him, but they doubted.  Then Jesus approached them and said, “God authorized me and told me to commission you.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of everyone you meet, far and near. Baptize them in the name of the Creator, and of Jesus the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, instructing them in the practice of the way of life I have lived.  And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of time.”

This story is told by the writer we know as Matthew.  We affirm these words with Amen.

(pause) 

Homily Starter

Since it’s still officially Easter, I think it’s not too late to share an Easter recipe.  There it is, on the blog, sitting right at the top of this liturgy.  If you can read the terrible handwriting I inherited from my dear father, you will see that it’s a recipe for rice pie; specifically, it’s Aunt Eadie’s Rice Pie.  I don’t know who passed the recipe to my aunt, but over the years it has stuck as her recipe.  Now, you have never met my Aunt Eadie.  She was a woman known for hard work, humor, deep faith, meticulous housekeeping, and a love of horse racing.  All four of the Rinaldi sisters were very close, but my mother and Aunt Eadie, being born only 9 months apart, were particularly close.  Eadie passed away at the very young age of 48, almost 50 years ago now.  And through the years, the remaining sisters continued baking her rice pie for every Easter.  My own mom always baked it on Holy Thursday.  Now all of the sisters are gone, and it is left for my cousins and me to bake the rice pie for our families.  I always bake mine on Holy Thursday.  So does my daughter in California.  Traditions stick.  But wherever we are, or whatever day we bake it, if we follow the simple recipe of our mothers we end up with a tasty and satisfying treat to serve as desert on Easter Sunday.  And by the grace that comes with following that recipe, our mothers join us at our tables, no matter how scattered those tables may be. And it is all because Aunt Eadie shared her recipe with the people closest to her.  

In today’s first reading, the disciples of Jesus, finding their teacher whisked away, stood looking up at the sky, which, the story tells us, was where he seemed to disappear.  I’m not going to weigh in on the historical truth of this amazing story.  I’ll leave that to the bible scholars.  To me it doesn’t matter at all.  What I want to focus on is the recipe Jesus left behind.  Because for the people who followed him, his whole life was a recipe for creating the Kin-dom of God right there and then in the lives they lived.  He even left an ingredient list, which we know as the Beatitudes.  Live this way, do these things, spread the word by living it, and you will make something beautiful.  You will grow the Kin-dom, and I will be there with you.  That’s the recipe he left for his friends and followers.  And like my mother and her sisters, those followers kept the recipe. They lived it, passing it down through story, song, and example, through the ages.  And in those stories, and in the way they lived their lives, Jesus was present.  And now it’s our turn.  The same mandate put to the disciples to “practice the way of life that I have lived” is now before us, as is the promise, “I am with you always.”  The recipe is ours now.  Let’s get cooking.

What did you hear in today’s readings?  Please share your thoughts.

Shared Homily

Let us join in praying our Statement of Faith 

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 for the Community

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 for the community.

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. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all creation.

You know our limitations and our essential goodness, and you love us as we are. You beckon us to your compassionate heart and inspire us to see the good in others and forgive their limitations. Acknowledging your presence in each other and in all of creation, we sing:

Holy, Holy, Holy by Peter Mayer 

https://youtu.be/A4kiEGVb3E8

Guiding Spirit, when opposing forces in us tug and pull and we are caught in the tension of choices, inspire us to make wise decisions toward what is good. 

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 and 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. 

 

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 compassion for a suffering world.

 (pause)

  

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.

(pause) 

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 with the words: “The recipe is Love”

Communion Song: For Good, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo  https://youtu.be/MTHxAzSYBDc?si=Zx4WGDboq17dZRgt

Prayer after Communion:

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 the prayer of Jesus: 

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

Please extend your hands and pray our blessing:

May our lives reflect the love expressed in the life of our brother and teacher, Jesus.  May we not forget that we are the keepers of his recipe, passed down to us by our ancestors through the ages.  May we remember.  

AMEN.

 

Closing Song:  Remember, MaMuse (featuring Claudia Cuentas) https://youtu.be/0omvQR1fMu8?si=tynmCFrfKeeTN3yC

 

Moment of Oneness, May 13, 2026 - Prepared by Mary Theresa Streck

Holy Women of the New Testament

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: 1-301-715-8592

Welcome dear Upper Room Community to our weekly Moment of Oneness. In this month of May—a time of blossoming, renewal, and honoring Mary—we gather to celebrate the Divine Feminine: the nurturing, creative, and justice-seeking presence of God alive in each of us and in all creation.

In David Richo’s book: When Mary Becomes Cosmic, Richo refers to Mary as an archetype of the Divine Feminine. She is a universal symbol that awakens the feminine dimension of divine reality—within the cosmos, within human consciousness, and within the spiritual journey.

We begin tonight with a blessing by Maribai Starr, a meditation that uses the breath to connect with our indwelling feminine presence. This breathing meditation creates deeper awareness of ourselves, while also evoking the intimacy and presence of the Spirit. 

Opening Meditation: Divine Feminine Blessing by Mirabai Starr

https://youtu.be/oJdO3w6d7S0?si=HVCaJaxwk25CpA5y

Beloved One, Shekinah, Indwelling, Feminine Presence, Imminence, Embodiment, Mother-Heart,

Please come flowing into every open window in our souls right now, as we call to you. 

Infuse every cell of our bodies with your fierce and tender Mother-wisdom. 

Give us the strength to speak truth to power in these fractured times. 

Give us the tenderness and humility to listen deeply to those that we are conditioned to otherize. 

And reminder us, again and again when we forget that we belong to each other, and we belong to you. 

A Reading from Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal by Christine Valters Paintner

Mary, you are the morning star
rising in the east before dawn to light a pathway.
Reassure us the fullness of day is coming,
be with us as we wait.
With hopeful and expectant hearts
rest with us as the darkness
begins to fade and the glimmer of the sun
radiates the promise of joy.
The ancient ones looked to the stars
to guide them through 
the wilderness and desert.
Stand with us at the threshold
between night and day
welcoming the Sun of Justice
to illuminate the world again.
Holy Lady of the Stars
you are woven from light
and you remind us that we too 
are made of stardust,
we are formed from the cosmos.
Light our way as we seek
to also bring hope to a struggling world.
Let our hearts bear lanterns
of hope and promise.
Help us to awaken the world to justice and care.

Song Meditation: Ancient Mother – Song by Jan Novotka

https://youtu.be/PJSBqNoIqsM

Prayers for the Community and the world:

Leader: For Earth, our common home, in crisis—

All: Mothering God, heal your creation.

Leader: For forests burning and waters rising—

All: Mothering God, renew the Earth.

Leader: For species lost and ecosystems broken—

All: Mothering God, protect all life.

Leader: For those most affected by climate injustice—

All: Mothering God, bring justice and restoration.

Leader: For hearts hardened by indifference or greed—

All: Mothering God, transform us.

Leader: For ourselves, that we may live more gently—

All: Mothering God, guide our way.

Leader: For whom or for what shall we pray? (please voice your intentions)

All: Mothering God, you hear us. Amen.

Blessing

Please raise your hands in blessing and pray together: 

May the Divine Feminine—known in Mary,
in Sophia, and in the living Earth—
bless and keep you.

May you walk gently upon the Earth,
act justly for all beings,
and trust the sacred power within you.

Amen.

Closing Song: Song: Litany of Mary Lyrics (Laura & David Ash)

https://youtu.be/wqS8V7t-uPo?si=8eR69kgCtVDGoPbb

Upper Room Mother's Day Liturgy, May 10, 2026 - Presiders: Deb Trees, Bridget Ball, Terri Kersch and Suzanne DeFroy, Phillis Sheppard (Zoom)

Zoom:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155  
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-865

Welcome and Opening Prayer:

Welcome to all, online, in Zoom, in the Upper Room space. We are here together as family, wherever we are. We share a common awareness of how much we are loved, just because we exist. And we learn to love others in return because of this awareness and care. Let us listen with open hearts, minds and souls to the word today. Happy Mother’s Day.

Opening Song: Ancient Mother by Jan Novotka  

https://youtu.be/PJSBqNoIqsM

First Reading: From The Friendship of Women, by Joan Chittister

Elizabeth was the cousin to whom Mary of Nazareth went betrothed, yes, but pregnant by someone other than Joseph “before they came together” and unmarried. It was a major issue, both religious and social. To be pregnant and unmarried in the Jewish community of the time was not simply to risk disapproval, it was to risk death. It was certainly to be shunned. But Elizabeth, contrary to all tradition, against all common sense, took Mary into her home, no questions asked, no verdict levied. 

More than that, Elizabeth recognized in Mary the great gain that would eventually come from a situation that looked like such great loss to everyone else. Elizabeth accepted Mary for who she was and she saw the goodness in her. Literally. Immediately.

These are words of wisdom from Sr. Joan Chittister, and we affirm them by saying AMEN.

Second Reading: From The Friendship of Women, by Joan Chittister

Anne, according to tradition, was the wife of Joachim and the mother of Mary of Nazareth. She is an obscure figure. And is known only through the apocrypha, the unofficial gospels of the early church, but real in the mind of any woman who seeks to touch the spirit of women who are our ancestors in the long, plodding game of life. Anne becomes the mother of that whole long line of women who looked to Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, as a model of courage and endurance, of integrity and goodness. Anne is the root that nourishes the tree. In looking to Mary as a model, we must look at Anne, as well. It was Anne who nurtured Mary to become the woman she was. It is the Annes’ in our own lives, that bevy of invisible women, who have nurtured us as well.

It is the Anne quality that reminds us of what it means to stand on the shoulders of the matriarchs who have gone before us, anonymous and invisible and uncomplaining. Because of what they gave to us unseen, we pour out ourselves on our friends. We live in the tradition of those women who prepared the way for us. Invisibly, often. Immeasurably, sometimes. Unreservedly, always. And one day, sooner or later, we ourselves all become Anne, the nurturer.

These are words of wisdom from Sr. Joan Chittister, and we affirm them with a heartfelt, AMEN.

Third reading: From In God’s Womb by Edwina Gateley.

I am very happy. There is no happiness that can be compared with that of being with God. God supports me and reminds me of his presence. Here I could be a real prey to loneliness and a sense of isolation and insecurity. When I begin to feel lonely, I call upon God to hold me up, and God has never failed me. God is like a father or a mother walking gently behind the child -allowing the child freedom to walk, explore, and wonder-but never leaving her shadow and continually attentive in case she should call and reach out her hand.

Surely this God of ours is great in love! How could I be afraid? God is unable to leave me alone. God is my strength, my inspiration, my hope, and all my joy. Do not ask yourself if you have time to pray, ask yourself if you have time to love. For that is what it is.

These are words of wisdom from Edwina Gateley, and we affirm them with a resounding, AMEN.

Gospel Acclamation: Bernadett’s Alleluia by Joseph Moorman

https://youtu.be/TgzsYa6A2wY?si=CvTNvGSxI_GS0QsU  

Gospel: The Gospel from the community named John. (from The New, New Testament by Hal Tausig et.al.)

If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the [Mother]/Father, and she will give you another helper, to be with you always—the spirit of truth. The world cannot receive this Spirit, because it does not see it or recognize it, but you recognize it, because it is with you, and is in you. I will not leave you bereaved; I will come to you. In a little while the world will see me no more, but you will still see me; because I am living, you will be living also.  At that time, you will recognize that I am in the [Mother]/Father, and you in me, and I in you. It is they who have my commandments and keep them that love me; and the person who loves me will be loved by my [Mother]/Father, and I will love her, and will reveal myself to her.

These are words of wisdom from the Community of John, and we affirm them as the Community of the Upper Room, with AMEN.

Homily Starter: Deb Trees

In our minds eye, we know and see God as a spirit and as a person. Although predominantly God in our culture has been given a masculine persona, there are many references in the Bible to God as a mother.

This view of God as mother is important for us to embrace. Jesus refers to it and has this experience with the God of his life. He tries to expand the thoughts of the people around him to see the God of the Israelites as a mothering servant.

In the past several weeks, we’ve all seen lots of advertisements for Mother’s Day. As we prepare to remember our mothers and the mothers in our lives, we are given special guidance to make sure that we take care of them. We are encouraged to make them feel as special as they have made us feel in our lives. But there was one ad that I saw that really impressed me for today’s theme of God as mother. “I would not be me if it were not for you.” (Marketing – advertising for Floral Company for Mother’s Day as seen on TV, 5-1-2026)

When I heard this, I was reminded of Tom Going, our faithful friend, benefactor and companion. He told us about Ubuntu from African tradition and made sure that we knew its meaning: I am because we are. Most of the time when we would say that as human beings we’re speaking to each other. We might say it to a loved one or to a family group or to our tribe. But what if we were saying something a little different today.

The ad I saw was many mothers in different situations around children, and the ad ended with “I would not be me if it were not for you.”  The mothers saying it to their children.

Today, I hear God saying that to us! God needs us just as much as we need God. God as a mothering servant. I am because you are.

Jesus tried to teach us these things and show us, especially in relation to opening our mind about women. He was always including his mother, and she was there for him every step of the way right to his very end. There was a special relationship there. She taught him what he knew about being Inclusive. And he, as a man of his time, then tried to teach his tribe and the people around him.

That spirit that guides us, cares for us, cradles us, shelters us, needles us, also grows with each of us in love and depth. The Actions of Mothering happen all around us as God our Mother becomes one of us. Jesus could see this side of Spirit. And he tries to open our minds to this facet of our usual vision of an Omnipotent and Powerful God.

But this soft side takes form WITH our companionship and accompaniment. Never in a vacuum. God needs us just as much as we need Her.

What did you hear my friends? Please share your insights and wisdom.

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 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.

 

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

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together: 

Holy One, we yearn to be close to you and to live in the embrace of your gentle wisdom. Your divine grace and love lead us away from our anxieties, fears and distractions and toward all that is blessed and joyous.  

Each of us is divinely created in Your image. We are precious to you and to each other because of who we are. We are beloved and blessed in your unconditional love, quite apart from how we act or fail to act.  

Thankful for Jesus who treated all of Creation with respect and abundant love, we resolve to follow his example to be a light in the darkness. We recognize Your loving Presence here with us today and always, and we sing: 

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

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk 

Dearest Holy One, there are times when we feel scarcity and emptiness even though we know You love us more than our human imagination can grasp. May we have the presence of mind to live in Your love. We strive to see You reflected in every person we meet. Guide us in sharing our gifts and in being open hearted so that we may accept help from others.   

We thank you for Jesus, who knew what it was like to be an outsider in occupied and foreign lands. May his presence prompt us to bring gospel kindness and understanding to the divisions and conflicts of our time.  

Please extend your hands in blessing. 

We call upon your Spirit that is present in us at this Eucharistic table. We are grateful for the bread and wine that remind us of our call to be the light of Christ to the world.  

On the night before he faced betrayal and death, Jesus shared supper with his 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.  

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. 

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. 

 

Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace, using the words: You are the face of the Holy One.

Communion Song: Standing on the Shoulders by Joyce Johnson Rouse (Earth Mama)

https://youtu.be/4ax09Nokve4?si=V1gXzsnihcbYrrBk 

Post-Communion Prayer

Holy One, your transforming grace inspires us to follow our consciences and bring comfort to wherever people are in need.  We pray for wisdom, patience and persistence to make a difference in our world. We resolve to love as Jesus loved, to discern the better angels of our nature with hearts open to your Spirit. 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

Please raise your hands in blessing:

Blessings to each of us as we go on our way into the world. We bring the beauty and love of the Mother with us. We shine with dignity and caring for ourselves and those around us. We search for ways to support the work of peace and justice in our world. May it be so.

Closing Song: I love my Mama. LunchMoney Lewis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iagEc50WcVg