Upper Room Liturgy - Liturgy for All Souls, All Saints - October 31, 2021 - Presiders: Clare Julian Carbone and Debra Trees

Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via Zoom
Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome and Theme: 

Good morning Everyone. We are so happy to see you here today and to include you who cannot be here in person for our All Souls/All Saints Day liturgical celebration. We ask you to center yourself in this space as we present this opening song. It is an invitation to quiet and internal reflection, from dark to light. May we make ourselves present in this blessed time, an opportunity to love, for ourselves and for our world… 

Opening Song: The Prayer, Hayley Westenra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJCWrBdDd88 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: Susan 

Our first reading is Inspired by the writings of Julian of Norwich. Thomas Merton, writes:

                                                                  

At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion,
a point or spark which belongs entirely to God.

This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. 

It is so to speak, His name written in us…

It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. 
It is in everybody…

These are the inspired words of Thomas Merton, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen. 

Alleluia  (Lynn) 

Gospel: Marggie

Matthew 5:1-12A

A reading from Matthew.

On seeing the crowds of people, Jesus went up the mountain; and, when he had taken his seat, his disciples came up to him; and he began to teach them, saying, 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the realm of heaven. 

Blessed are the mourners, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will find mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted in the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the realm of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 

Be glad and rejoice, because your reward in heaven will be great; this is the way they persecuted the prophets who lived before you.”

These are the writings of the follower Matthew and our community affirms them by saying: Amen. 

(from the work of Hal Taussig and A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century.)

(Pause)

Homily Starter: 

During this time of year our liturgical calendar invites us, through the solemnities of All Souls Day and All Saints Day, to remember in a particular way our ancestors and dearly departed loved ones, as well as Saints, who throughout the centuries, have companioned and inspired us. This is our time to intentionally reach beyond our day to day reality and traverse another realm of eternal existence, mystery and love.  

As Deb and I were planning our liturgy for this morning we resonated with the sense that “all souls” and “all saints” include each of us as well.  We too are holy souls and saints embarking on this human journey towards union with the Divine, towards love and wholeness.  We wish, therefore, to include the human family of one another in this mindful remembrance of All Souls and All Saints!

I invite you now to close your eyes, rest in your heart's gratitude, and bring to your awareness the souls of loved ones who have gone before you, the presences of saints who have mentored you, your own soulful existence, and the soulful presences of those with whom, in some way, you share this precious life.

After a minute or so we will invite you to share your thoughts and reflections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fotXe4n731E&authuser=0

Statement of Faith: Ellen

  
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.

We Bring To The Table

Deb: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. 

We ask for blessing on all of our spoken and unspoken prayers. AMEN

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Deb: With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:

O Holy One, the first passion of Jesus was his passion for you and for justice so that all may reap the beauty and bounty of Creation in equal measure. Jesus lived to incarnate your justice for all the world according to your covenant with Israel. In solidarity with Jesus, and with all the faithful men and women who have gone before us, we lift up our hearts and sing:

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

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ

Holy One, we celebrate the life of your son and our brother, Jesus. He lived his life and walked forward to his death knowing that you were leading him. We walk forward in his pathway and follow his teaching.

We are standing in the right place with Jesus when we let go of money, possessions, pride and privilege, to become vulnerable and open to you, to accept poverty of spirit and reliance on you. 

We are standing with You when we are compassionate for all human beings, and when we extend empathy and love to everyone, especially the poor, oppressed, and mournful. We remember all those who suffer and die each year from war, poverty and unjust disease. We mourn for them, and for all creatures we destroy, and for the earth itself.

We are blessed when we are gentle, nonviolent, courageous and humble, like your saints. We pray to grow in awareness of our unity with all of creation and co-create with You our earth as a sanctuary of peace.

We rejoice, O Holy One, as we join the lineage of Your prophets of justice and peace. We, Your daughters and sons, continue to work with Your grace as we arise and walk forward in the footsteps of our peace-loving brother, Jesus.

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 died, Jesus did more than ask us to remember him.  He showed us how to live in humility and generosity when he washed the feet of his friends.

Community lifts the plates

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.

Community lifts the cup

Clare Julian: 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.

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.

Receive communion with the words: You are the face of God and a blessing to us all.

Communion Meditation/Song: “Come Whoever You Are” 

https://youtu.be/baDDfIuOA88

Prayer after communion: 

 

Holy One, we trust You to continue to share with us Your own Spirit, the Spirit that filled Jesus, for it is through his life and teaching, his loving and healing that all honor and glory is Yours. Amen.

Let us pray as Jesus taught us:

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) 

Blessing

Let us raise our hands and bless each other.

May we continue to honor and remember the lives and sacrifices of our ancestors who came before us. 

May we acknowledge the presence of the saints in our lives.

May we realize the holiness and saintliness that each of us bring to our lives and to our world.

And may we All be a blessing in our time. AMEN.

Closing Song:  All Saints Day by Carrie Newcomer  

https://youtu.be/GQefafxbS9E

The Eucharistic Prayer is adapted from Beatitudes for Peace by John Dear.

Moment of Oneness - October 27, 2021

Source:  She Lives! Sophia Wisdom Works in the World   Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Kiser

Wisdom’s Works of Caring for Creation

As we approach the Feast Days of All Saints and All Souls, we feel the sharp pangs of loss of someone, of all those in our circle of loved ones who have crossed over the veil. Some ancients say that observance of these days came about from pagan observation of the days each year when they believed the “veil” between our earthly life and the other side is thinnest. Christians saw this observation as a time to pray with and for our dear ones who are not with us on this side, the Saints and all Souls. Rev. Rebecca Kiser shares this passage expanding her understanding of divine images to include the Divine feminine. She writes:

After a crushing loss, when I began sorting out and dealing with my anger and grief, images of God in the feminine arose in my prayer and became agents of healing and restoration. This was surprising to me because, at the time, I was not comfortable using feminine pronouns of imaging God in the Feminine. I had talked of seeing God in the people who came to be with us, bringing dinners and fruit baskets and desserts as well as their love and care. Yet I had difficulty accepting this image or feeling any comfort from it. Suddenly, I remember that old picture from my catechism days, where Jesus is standing at the heart’s door and knocking -- only when I pictured it now, Jesus was carrying a covered casserole. The image captured me, so I decided to sculpt it. The form that emerged from under my hands was a woman, like so many of the people who had come to my door. She carried a 9x13 pan of either lasagna or chicken and rice, I couldn’t decide. She became a focal point of all my ambivalent feelings, for I felt gratitude and comfort from her presence at the same time that I experienced a raging anger that she didn’t do more. I raged at her, and still she stayed, her face concerned, her gift in hand. She was not put off by my anger; she didn’t take her gifts and go home. I came finally to realize that she is who she is, and the anger was mine, the expectations were mine, and the desires for protection and security were mine, the disappointment that came from a false image of God was mine. She is who she has always been, a compassionate, strong, present, passionate, truth, connected from the womb, unafraid, encompassing mysterious. Encountering God this way made me reevaluate the notion of God as beyond gender and see God as encompassing both genders- gender-full rather than gender less. I look on the growth of spirit and creativity I have experienced as gifts from my beloved ones who have departed, and think it is somehow appropriate that it was they who introduced me to the Great Mother in Godde.  I had experienced a turning point in my experience and appreciation of the feminine face of the divine, making it a main focus of my spirituality. 

With this in mind, we pray Deborah Hall’s Litany for Peace:

Mother Sophia, we pray for each other gathered here, for our Community, and for all of us on earth: 

ALL:  May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for our families – for those struggling with careers, with health issues. 

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for our Community, for the mentally ill, for those who are grieving, for those who await surgery to enhance their lives and give them new hope

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for healing, for the emotionally abused, for the physically abused, for the sexually abused, and for the spiritually abused.

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for fairness- for those who are mistreated because of the color of their skin, sexual orientation, disability, size, or gender.

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for knowledge – to assist the undervalued, the underrepresented, the underpaid, and the underdeveloped on this earth.

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for action- for those who live in abject poverty and for those suffering the devastation of war. 

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, we pray for organizational assistance internationally, - for those suffering from earthquakes,

Famine, and other disasters.

ALL: May peace prevail on earth

Sophia, Wisdom of God, in you resides our hope, in you resides our peace, Amen. 

Upper Room Liturgy - October 24, 2021 - Presiders: Santa Orlando and Lindy Sanford-Martinez, ARCWP

Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via Zoom
Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155

A Life of Faith and Love, No Matter What

Introduction:

 

Lindy:  The gospels tell of Jesus encouraging everyone to live a life of love and joy, no matter what.  He did so, no matter what …He told us to look at the wonder of Nature all around us and know that all will be well. 

   What does that mean to you?  What does it mean to me?  What did that probably mean to Jesus?

 

Pause

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

Gospel:  Nori

 

   As Jesus was leaving Jericho with the disciples and a large crowd a blind beggar named Bartimaeus ben-Timaeus, was sitting at the side of the road.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, “Heir of David, have pity on me!”

  Many people scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the louder, “Heir of David, have pity on me!”  

  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.”

  So they called the blind man.  “Don’t be afraid,” they said.

“Get up; Jesus is calling you.”  So throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and went to Jesus.

  Then Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?”

  Rabbani,” the blind man said, “I want to see.”

  Jesus replied, “Go, your faith has saved you.”  And immediately Bartimaeus received the gift of sight and began to follow Jesus along the road.

 

   These holy words were written in a gospel known as Mark 10:46-52

 

Alleluia:  Dennis

 

Second Reading:  Kathie

 

   These are the holy words of living poet John O'Donohue written in his book titled Anam Cara:

   "It is a starting truth that how you see and what you see determines how and who you will be.  Explore your particular staples of vision: "To the fearful eye, all is threatening . To the judgmental eye, everything is closed in definite frames. To the resentful eye, everything is begrudged. To the indifferent eye, nothing calls or awakens. To the inferior eye, everyone else is greater, more beautiful, brilliant and gifted than you. To the loving eye, everything is real. Love is the light in which we see light. If we could look at the world in a loving way, then the world would rise up before us full of invitation, possibility and depth. To recognize how you see things can bring you self-knowledge and enable you to glimpse the treasures your life secretly holds."

Pause

 

Shared Homily:   

   Santa: In today’s gospel the words ``Your Faith has healed you" were spoken by Jesus to the blind beggar named Bartimaeus. I'm pretty sure Bartimaeus spent some time trying to decipher what Jesus really meant, yet he followed him anyway.  Today I will share my thoughts on what those words mean to me using as a backdrop Lindy's research into the Aramaic meaning of Faith. In modern Aramaic, Faith translates into the word Ehmoohah (phonetically spelled), roughly meaning: Living life reliant on the Holy One. 

Ehmoohad or Faith now becomes a verb. It is not just a belief, not just knowing, not just trust; instead it is Actively living out the tenets that guide you throughout all of life. 

When I teach my students about Evolution I first need to clarify the difference between science and faith so as not to go to  battle down the line with fundamentalists. Ultimately I want them to realize science is based on observable facts and evidence and Faith is not. The students quickly understand Faith is based on a set of beliefs. That definition works for them, but I suggest it is so much more. 

I believe Faith (the Active living and reliance on a higher power) comes from looking back on the experiences of our lives to the times when the energy of the Divine was working within us to change our perception and actions. Time needs to be spent deeply listening to the inner voice which may be asking us to SEE in a new way. If in fact our hearts and eyes are open, Faith may be the Grace that is given to sustain us on life’s journey.

The only thing we know about Bartimaeus is that he was a blind beggar. This puts him on the margins of society reliant on the alms of passersby and ultimately reliant on his God.  We know he could not see, yet his heart was open and he Saw the light. His life experiences, his deep listening and deep trust allowed him to call out to Jesus inviting endless possibilities.

We live in an age where many people believe they are in total control of their lives. They rely on money and power or education and technology to have all the answers. These people may be actively living yet I would not call that Faith. Faith continues to be actively present in the people of emergent countries who live in dire conditions and perhaps in the Paralympians from all over the world.  As I watched the Paralympics, I thought about the internal force that propelled these athletes to beat unimaginable hurdles. Although most of the stories that were told did not mention reliance on a higher power, I believe that the Inner strength, inner trust, and unequivocal knowing were pure gifts , that to me is Faith. John O’Donohue reminds us that by  looking at life through loving eyes can change the possibility and depth of your life, perhaps  only then can your faith heal you.

You are invited to share your thoughts on today's reading, please remember to unmute yourself

 

Homily Closing

 

Lindy:  Thank you for sharing the wisdom in your hearts.  Our words and our compassion each for the other are like sharing bread and wine.  As we receive these words of faith and wisdom, we become faith and wisdom.  

 

Statement of Faith 

 

  Nori: Join us as we make our 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. 

 

pause

 

Bring Prayers to the Table

 

   Lindy: Now we bring all our cares and concerns to this Holy Table. If you want to speak raise your hand if you are here in the room, or tap the hand on the lower center of your Zoom screen to tell us of that you wish to bring your prayers to the table.  

Dennis will close with our last prayers.

 

pause

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

 

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

 

Pause  

 

   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: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ

 

   Santa: 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, Jesus sat at a table with friends and re-lived with them his work, his teaching and wisdom of the universe. Then he went among them as a servant would, washing their feet, touching their hearts.  

 

  Lindy:  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.”

 

Pause 

 

   Lindy: Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying: 

  “Take and drink…. Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.” 

 

Pause

    Santa: 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 this blessed bread and cup with the words, “As we receive these words of faith and wisdom, we become faith and wisdom.

 

 

Communion Meditation:

Peace Is Flowing Like A River

https://youtu.be/B1NzTyYKn5Q 

 Prayer Of Jesus

  

   Lindy: Let us pray the prayer Jesus: 

   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)  

Moment of Silence… 

 

BLESSING

 

Santa: Let us raise our hands and pray our closing blessing:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

 

Closing Song: 

 

On Eagle’s Wings by Michael Joncas

https://youtu.be/y22lG4Z49Lo 

Moment of Oneness - October 20, 2021

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

Opening Song: You Say ~ I Believe by Lauren Daigle

https://youtu.be/9uvsNrK1QT8 

Opening Prayer:

Gracious God,

You have so richly blessed us with life,

With love and joy,

With hope in the midst of despair.

Help us to be the salt of the earth.

Help us to be the light of the world,

Sharing with others that which we have received,

Boldly proclaiming the good news of your love,

Finding the seeds of your kingdom within us 

And letting your way grow in our lives and throughout the world.

Reading:

The beatitudes are for people who have their hearts set on having the reign of God come about. Beatitudes are a way of life designed for those who want their lives to be a blessing. Beatitude people are searching people. They have this working with God on their minds and they can’t rest until the world is right and just and equitable for all. They urge us out of the comfortable and the ordinary. They invite us to risk in our daily living and meet the holy in the unsettling questions of the day. They tell us that God is forever in our midst if we bless the world with Beatitude-living. The beatitudes are values that come straight from the mind of Christ. Translated into simple language, Jesus could have said something like this:

1. Blessed are those who are convinced of their basic dependency on God, whose lives are emptied of all that doesn’t matter, those for whom the riches of this world just aren’t that important ~ The Kin-dom of heaven is theirs. 

2. Blessed are those who know that all they are is gift from God, and so they can be content with their greatness and their smallness, knowing themselves and being true to themselves. ~For they shall have the earth for their heritage.

3. Blessed are those who wear compassion like a garment, those who have learned how to find themselves by losing themselves in another’s sorrow. ~ For they too shall receive comfort. 

4. Blessed are those who are hungry for goodness, those who never get enough of God and the truth and righteousness. ~For they shall be satisfied.

5. Blessed are the merciful, those who remember how much has been forgiven them, and are able to extend this forgiveness into the lives of other. ~For they shall see God.

6. Blessed are those whose hearts are free and simple, those who have smashed all false images and are seeking honesty for truth. ~ For they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the creators of peace, those who build roads that unite rather than walls that divide, those who bless the world with the healing power of their presence. ~ For they shall be called children off God.

8. Blessed are those whose love has been tried, like gold, in those who have lived their belief out loud, no matter what the cost of pain. ~For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Silent prayers/meditation

Closing Blessing:

By Margaret Silf

Landmarks: An Ignatian Journey

I bless the poverty in your heart, that knows its own emptiness, because that gives me the space to grow my Kin-dom there.

I bless that in you that touches others gently, because everyone responds to gentleness, and gentleness can capture even hardened hearts. 

I bless that in you which grieves and aches for all that is lost or can never be, because that is my opportunity to comfort you with me, much greater love. 

I bless that in you which longs and strives after your own deepest truth and after truth for the world, because even as you pray, I am constantly satisfying these deep unspoken longings. 

I bless you every time you show mercy and forgiveness, because that is like a little window in your heart, setting you free from resentment and opening up a space for me to enter and to heal. 

I bless the purity of your heart, because that is the elusive center where your deepest desire meets mine. That is where we meet face to face.

I bless the peacemaker in you, that in you which seeks the peace that passes all understanding, knowing the cost of its obtaining, because that is what I sent my Son to give, and in your peacemaking you become my daughter. 

I bless even those things in your experience of journeying with me that feel like persecution and abuse and misunderstanding, because they are the proof that your faith is no illusion.