Saturday, August 13, 2022

Upper Room Sunday Liturgy, August 14, 2022 - Presiders: Christina Homer and Lynn Kinlan



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- Lynn: Today, we see Jesus as a catalyst for spiritual and social change and we consider how we treat one another and ourselves in the wake of change. We know the word catalyst from our long ago chem class where it was defined as “a substance that causes a chemical reaction without itself being affected.” We can imagine Jesus as lovingly unchanging toward the heartbroken, those in need of healing and the outcasts of his time. He ministered, never declining to help, never failing to hope while remaining true to himself and the Holy One.

Opening Prayer- ChristinaWe are thankful for the model of Jesus, our brotherwho ignites a fire in our hearts toward inner peace, that we better might serve the sacred cause of outward justice. We admit to wrestling with a tension between complacency, resignation and patience which leads us to pray for grace and guidance. Help us to be patient, but not entirely passive; to be disturbed by injustice but not self-righteousto be tireless in the pursuit of change but not disillusioned when progress is slower than we wish. Guide us Holy One in the steps of Jesus in our relationships both personal and civic. Amen

 

Opening Song:” Visitation” by Carrie Newcomer

https://youtu.be/P9lqUqjyIIg


LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

 

First Reading: “Fighting Injustice without Being Consumed with Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh

Visualize a physician who has to meet many sick people. He or she may say, “How can I enjoy my health if people around me are sick?” And if the doctor himself is sick, there is no hope for anyone. Therefore, the duty of a doctor is to keep herself healthy, so that she can help her patients. Because if you see many – too many – people suffering in the world around you, and if you don’t know how to suffer less, how to nourish yourself with joy and happiness, you will become like them, and not be able to help.

There are many refreshing and healing elements of nature, around us and in us. And if you know how to get in touch with them, you can gain the nourishment and healing that you need. This not only benefits you: if you suffer less, if you can nourish yourself, then you will also be able to help others around you.

The practice of mindful breathing, of mindful walking – allowing yourself to be fully present in the here and now is very important. If we can stop running, looking for things, we can allow ourselves to be fully present in the here and now. Then we can become instruments of peace, of happiness, of joy, to help others suffer less.

If we don’t know how to go home to ourselves, to take care of ourselves, we will be overwhelmed by the collective energy of hate, anger and bitterness. So go home to yourself. There is a safe island within. We realize that one in-breath, or one mindful step, can help to create a little more calm and peace, so that we do not give up. We see that hope is always there. And we don’t feel powerless, helpless

If a group of people can do that, then they can be a refuge for many other people. That is why building a group of practitioners is very, very important.

These are the inspired words of Thich Nhat Hanh and we affirm them. Amen.

 

Second Reading: Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. King

 

We know that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded. For years now I have heard the word "wait." It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has almost always meant "never." It has been a tranquilizing thalidomide, relieving the emotional stress for a moment, only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration.  We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our God-given and constitutional rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet like speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.

I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that our stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says, "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods "; who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time; and who advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." 

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men and women willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.

These are the inspired words of Martin Luther King and we affirm them. Amen.

 

Alleluia: Dennis 

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:49 – 53

 

“I’ve come to light a fire to the earth. How I wish the blaze was ignited already!  

There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

Do you think I’ve come here to bring peace on earth? I tell you; the opposite is true: I’ve come to bring division. From now on a household of five will be divided — three against two and two against three, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in -law against mother-in-law. 

These are the inspired words of the gospel writer known as Luke and we affirm them. Amen

 

Homily and Shared Reflections  Lynn

 

“I’ve come to light a fire to the earth… I’ve come to bring division…” Seems like maybe we’ve caught Jesus on a bad day.  A St. Louis University theologian points out that in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, earth” was also the word for earth-oven or the community stove in the center of a Mediterranean village. It was made of mud or clay and fueled with salted and dried camel dung patties and a block of salt on the bottom. And it was the heart of community life. So, perhaps Jesus is come to light a fire in the middle of the village for everyone. Like the salt of the earth, he is a catalyst causing action and reaction; bringing an inner peace unlike the tense peace in militarized, Roman-occupied lands. James Kavanaugh, a post Vatican II reform voice said, that when this mindful, prayerful peace takes hold, it brings an interior freedom that makes us dangerous and divisive especially if we can’t be bought off or intimidated.”

 

Jesus breaks the rules of gender, class, tribe and theology. Think of all the bystanders who wonder at his eating with Zachaeus the tax collector, for example. Of course, the result was some degree of division and discord. First century society was a highly structured era and people were not used to change. There will always be naysayers and only a few mayenjoy an awakening from their fears and cautions. Dr.Kingacknowledges this when he calls the “silence of good people” and folks “more devoted to order than justice”, stumbling blocks to change. 

 

We who have befriended Jesus know that social or spiritual change takes prayer, mindful living and long, hard work— both Thich Nath Hanh and Dr. King admit as much. Maybe, the process of trying to light a fireis the blessing regardless of the outcome in the short term. Even Moses didn’t get to see the Promised Land but he knew others would. 

 

What did you hear in the readings? Share with us your reaction, your feelings and your view of Jesus as a catalyst in his times

 

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.

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

 

Lynn:  As we prepare for the Eucharist, we give voice to our blessings, concerns and intentions. Please feel free to begin with the words, “I bring to the table…..” 

 

Lynn: We pray for these, for the prayers written in our Community Book of intentions and for the unspoken intentions in our hearts. Amen. 

 

Christina: With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice: 

 

Christina/All: Holy One, you are always with us. In the blessed abundance of creation, we gather to celebrate Your nourishing gift of life. May our hearts be open to You as You invite us to participate in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation. May we be filled with gratitude and a sense of possibility as we work for relationships that are more equal and a society that is more just. May we be ever aware of Your Spirit within and among us as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty into the fullness of life.  

 

We are grateful for Your Spirit whose breath inspired the primal waters, calling into being the variety and abundance we see around us. Your Spirit sustains and animates our every endeavor, from dawn till the radiance of the sun at dusk gives way to the light of the stars. We are grateful for your guiding light which invites us to act in wisdom and in truth, with constancy and persistence until abundance is shared and freedom is ensured.

 

In gratitude and joy we embrace our calling and we lift our voices to sign a song of praise:

 

Holy, Holy, HolyHere in This Place by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ


Lynn/All:  As a community, we gather in the power of your Spirit, refreshing wind, purifying fire and living breath, for the variety and diversity of life. We seek to live as Jesus taught us, wise and holy as Spirit-filled people, courageous and prophetic, ever observant to your call.

Please extend your hands in blessing.

 

All: We are grateful for Jesus, courageous and humble servant, advocate for the lowly and dispossessed who reveals to us that we are one with You and with each other. We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Friendship Table and for this sacred bread and wine which remind us of our design and purpose to be the Your Presence in the world. 

 

All: On the night before he faced betrayal and 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. 

 

All lift plates (Presiders at UR stand)

 

Christina: 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) 

 

All lift cups

 

Lynn: 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) 

 

Christina/All: 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.  Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. Please receive the bread with the phrase I walk in the steps of Jesus.


Communion Song: “Calling All Angels” by Ma Muse

https://youtu.be/JHJXHUhvuC8

 

Christina/ All: In union with all peoples living and dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers, asking wisdom and courage to discern more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily lives: to act justly and courageously in confronting the pain and suffering of our world; to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and marginalized; and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the labels of race, creed and color.

Lynn/All: Holy One, your transforming light is always moving within us and working through us. Like Jesus, we open wide all that has been closed about us, and we live mindful, compassionate lives; for it is through living as Jesus 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

 

Lynn: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.

 

May we continue to be the face of God to each other in our families, both original and chosen. 

May we live in our neighborhoods and towns as though we are strangers and aliens no longer  

May we call each other to extravagant generosity that helps to heal political division.

 May our hearts of burning love, conserved by mindfulness, shine for all to see and share. 

All: AMEN 

 

Closing Song: “Send Down the Fire” by Marty Haugen

https://youtu.be/2cSkl0IiioM



 

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