Upper Room Weekend Liturgy, June 6 and 7, 2026, - Saturday Presider: Julie Corron - Sunday Presiders - Julie Corron and Mary Brandon in the Room and Ellen Garcia and Gayle Eagan on Zoom

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Body and Blood

Welcome: Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve joined us today as we come together to celebrate our community.

Peace Moment

Opening Song: Room at the Table by Carrie Newcomer

https://youtu.be/92OM5bdQ4N4?si=dPimwxVfnzqqJkit

Opening Prayer: Holy One, you enfold us in your love whether we notice or not. In this moment, may we be conscious of your love and rest into your embrace. May we also, in the words of our opening song, gather in together, as we begin our celebration. AMEN

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

Gospel acclamation:  Bernadett’s Alleluia by Joseph Moorman

https://youtu.be/TgzsYa6A2wY?si=dXdZP4SEuJxHnRo4

Gospel 

A Reading from the Gospel attributed to John (John 6:48, 51)  

 

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life…I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” 

These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call John, and the affirms them by saying AMEN!

Second Reading:  A Reading from Richard Rohr

 

[T]he Body of Christ is not out there or over there; it’s in you—it’s here and now and everywhere. The goal is then to move beyond yourself and recognize that what’s true in you is true in all others too. This was supposed to spark a political and social revolution. But Christians wasted centuries arguing about whether it could even be true and how it might be true. The orthodox insistence on “Real Presence” is merely taking the Mystery of Incarnation to its natural, full, and very good conclusion. Here I am quite happy to be traditionally Catholic. “There is only Christ, he is everything, and he is in everything,” Paul shouts (see Colossians 3:11). This is not pantheism; it is the much more subtle and subversive panentheism, or God in all things. (The only trouble with our Catholic belief in “transubstantiation” is that this explanation smacked of pantheism, whereas panentheism would have been much easier to defend and understand.)

These are the inspired words of Richard Rohr, and the community affirms them by saying AMEN!

Homily Starter Julie: When I was training to become a chaplain, we had to write papers that included a theological statement. I would invariably write something along the lines of “just as individual cells make up my body, I believe that we make up the Holy One, who is so much greater than the sum of our parts.” It’s been pointed out to me that this isn’t Christianity but, gasp, panentheism. I don’t know what it says about me as a Catholic priest that this never bothered me in the least. That was even before I knew that none other than Richard Rohr was throwing around the panentheism word to explain the real mystery of the Eucharist: “[T]he Body of Christ is not out there or over there; it’s in you—it’s here and now and everywhere.”

But the line I really love in that reading is “This was supposed to spark a political and social revolution.” What a great reminder that everything about Jesus was revolutionary. Look at today’s gospel, “I am the bread of life.” In The Last Week, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan point out that the gospel meals of Jesus were real meals, not “a morsel and a sip” like our Eucharist. Real meals. When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life,” he is offering real sustenance and real spiritual support to anyone who hungers for it. And today, by extension, through us as the Body of Christ, Jesus is offering real food and care to those in need. That sounds pretty revolutionary to me. How do we reconnect to that radical generosity? How do we offer love and support and care to all who desire it, to all who need it? Looking around at the various ministries that the members of the Upper Room support, it becomes clear—we keep showing up in love and service. We keep showing up as the Body of Christ, as the Body of the Holy One. We keep the spark of love and revolution alive!

My friends, what did you hear today? What will you do? What, if anything, will it cost you?

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 the unspoken intentions held in the silence of our hearts. 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. 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:  Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk

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. 

 

(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, go, share my love with one another.

  

(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 communion with the words: You are the body of Christ!

Communion song:  At This Table by Idina Menzel video by Denise

https://youtu.be/n9Xf4cHOcwQ

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 

Loving source of our being, you call us to live the gospel of peace and justice. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity in your presence. 

BLESSING

Please extend your hands as we bless each other.

ALL: May we trust the Holy One’s love and care every moment of our lives. And may we love extravagantly, our cups overflowing. AMEN.

Closing Song: Everything is Holy Now, Peter Mayer

https://youtu.be/s_SgAmljIJc 

Moment of Oneness, June 3, 2026 - Prepared by Denise Hackert Stoner

 

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

Opening Prayer:  Beloved, we thank you for safe passage through the darkness of winter.  We thank you for the rain that fell this spring.  And we thank you for the coming season of blossom and fruit, of warmth and growth.  May we turn to you as flowers turn to the sun, in love and gratitude.  Amen.

Opening Song:  Arise by Three Altos 

https://youtu.be/pYgJqEmbE38

Reading:  From:  Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Our family spent summers canoe camping in the Adirondacks and every day began this way.  I can picture my father, in his red-checked wool shirt, standing atop the rocks above the lake.  When he lifts the coffeepot from the stove the morning bustle stops; we know without being told that it’s time to pay attention.  He stands at the edge of camp with the coffeepot in his hands, holding the top in place with a folded pot holder.  He pours coffee out on the ground in a thick brown stream.  The sunlight catches the flow, striping it amber and brown and black as it falls to the earth and steams in the cool morning air. With his face to the morning sun, he pours and speaks into the stillness, “Here’s to the gods of Tahawus.” The stream runs down over smooth granite to merge with the lake water, as clear and brown as the coffee.  I watch it trickle, picking up bits of pale lichen and soaking a tiny clump of moss as it follows a crack to the water’s edge.  The moss swells with the liquid and unfurls its leaves to the sun.  Then and only then does he pour out steaming cups of coffee for himself and my mother, who stands at the stove making pancakes.  So begins each morning in the north woods: the words that come before all else.  I was pretty sure that no other family I knew began their day like this, but I never questioned the source of those words and my father never explained.  They were just part of our life among the lakes.  But their rhythm made me feel at home and the ceremony drew a circle around our family.  By those words we said “Here we are,” and I imagined that the land heard us—murmured to itself, “Ohh, here are the ones who know how to say thank you.”

Prayer of Gratitude

For the sights of summer:  bright flowers, colorful birds and butterflies, green fields, hopscotch grids on city sidewalks, strutting pigeons, flickering fireflies, mischievous squirrels, children splashing in pools, or running through sprinklers, quiet lakes reflecting moonlight, and all of the sights we contemplate now…….

For all of these, we thank you.

For the sounds of summer:  singing birds, chattering squirrels and chipmunks, music of the ice cream truck, crashing ocean waves, whine of cicadas, rhythmic thumping of basketballs on pavement, rainfall, laughter of children set free from school, music of outdoor concerts, and all of the sounds we contemplate now…..

For all of these, we thank you

For the smells of summer:  fragrance of roses and honeysuckle, fresh, sun-warmed mint, basil, and all fresh herbs, barbeques, the ocean, freshly-mowed grass, the garden after a rain, and all the aromas we contemplate now…..

For all of these, we thank you

For the sensations of summer:  sun on bare skin, sand under bare feet, immersion into cool water on a hot day, ice cream on the tongue, the warmth of a bonfire as the day cools into night, and all the sensations we contemplate now…..

For all of these, we thank you

For the flavors of summer:  sweet corn, fresh herbs, young lettuce, ice cream eaten outdoors, barbequed hamburgers, marshmallows toasted over open flame, and all the flavors we contemplate now…..

 For all of these, we thank you

Closing Prayer:  Holy One, we thank you for the gift of our senses.  May we not forget, as this blessed season unfolds, to notice its many facets as they glitter through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin; for the gifts of summer are fleeting.  We thank you for every season of our lives, and particularly now, as we stand at its doorway, we thank you for summer.  Amen.

Closing Song: Wonderful World, Kings Return                               https://youtu.be/k-7uK5Ff2WY?si=Ionf02dYXKToaIaA

THE COMPANIONS’ ROSARY

THE COMPANIONS’ ROSARY

Praying the Holy Rosary

In Original Blessing Theology

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Meeting ID: 886 8634 3421

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