Opening Prayer: Holy One, we place ourselves, as part of your ever-evolving creation, in your vast embrace.Hold us as we unfold, as we become, as we fully inhabit our true selves.Help us to be who we are meant to be, preparing to leave traces of good behind when our time comes to enter eternity.
Reading: From “Written in the Stars,” by Adrienne Blatchford
I learned from a very young age that it is important to work hard to be a good Ancestor, even while I am here.Bless and be blessed. Honor your elders. Teach the young. Do it all with love and compassion. Respect the animals, for they give themselves to you. If you make a mistake, whether it be in sewing or in life, make it right. What you put into the universe will be returned to you. Be a steward of the land and water and what they provide.
Intentions:What We Hope to Leave Behind
We turn to the Holy One and ask for courage to stand in the face of injustice and corruption that the planet we leave behind is united in justice.
Response:We pray for courage.
We turn to the Holy One and ask for perseverance to keep reaching out to those who turn a blind eye to the poor and marginalized so that when we leave this world behind it will be a world where everyone shares in its bounty, and everyone has enough.
Response:We pray for perseverance.
We turn to the Holy One and ask for wisdom to discern well the path of life, the path that Jesus pointed out to us, so that when we leave this earth behind we leave that path well-trodden so that others can find their way.
Response:We pray for wisdom.
Holy One, we ask above all for love.Love of this earth and all its people and creatures, everything that has sprung from the infinite source of love that is you, so that when it comes time for us to leave this beautiful creation behind it will be more splendid than when we first beheld it.
Response:We pray for love.
Closing Prayer: From “Time Capsule,” by Manon Voice
In a hundred years forward of timelessness we will tell them
That our village became every visitor we would ever cross.
That we set ourselves free.
We brought our girls home from the prowl of predators.
We taught our boys it was ok to cry.
We proclaimed, “yes, love wins!”
And let those who wish to be called “they” be them.
This body, the campus of organs, is sacred geometry,
And we are the dance of the physical and the spiritual,
The poetry, the physics,
The music and the math;
The universe a reflection of the interior we already have.
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 and welcome to the Upper Room. We are happy you are joining us. This morning we will meet Zacchaeus, the greedy tax collector who has a change of heart after encountering Jesus. We will consider the ways in which awareness and compassion help him and us to have true change of heart.
Tibetan Buddhist teachers often say that just as a bird needs two wings to fly, a Buddhist practitioner must cultivate both wisdom and compassion. Both are equally important, but they must be used together. Wisdom is not just intellectual understanding; it is a deep penetration into the nature of reality. Compassion is not just sympathy; it is a heartfelt understanding of the suffering that all beings experience.
These are the inspired words of Dr. Constance Kassor and the community affirms them by saying: Amen
Second Reading:The Guest House
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
These are the inspired words of the Sufi poet Rumi and the community affirms them by saying: Amen
Alleluia - Dennis
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
These are the inspired words of the gospel writer know as Luke and the community affirms them by saying: Amen
Shared Homily
Presider 2: Let us pray our Statement of Faith together
Statement of Faith
All: We believe in one God, 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 God's Word, bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion, bright star in the firmament of God's prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of God's love, a source of God's wisdom and truth, and an instrument of God's peace in the world.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The life of God that is our innermost life,
the breath of God moving in our being.
The depth of God living in each of us.
We believe that God's 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.
Eucharistic Prayer of Belonging
Presider 1: As we prepare for the sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
Presider 1: We pray for these and all unspoken concerns. Amen.
Presider 2: We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: O Nurturing, Mothering one, You are always with us. We are grateful for Your constant loving and unconditional presence. At times we forget that You are holding us, attending to us. We fall and You pick us up. You send strangers, friends and family to our aid. We are never without Your Light and Spirit.
We experience great joy and we experience great pain and suffering. You are with us in the joy and the pain and suffering. When we experience Your presence we long to sing our hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
All: Creator and Lover of all beings, we cannot grow in the darkness of this world without Your Light. Our desire to be in Your light is a gift from You. Help us keep our hearts and minds open to You through our love and care for each other and all creation.
Presider 2: Please extend your hands in blessing
All: This bread and wine is a sign of Your nourishment and a sign of Your great love. Your Spirit is upon us and we belong to You and one another.
We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, revealing us as one with you, and all creation.
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet. Once again he showed us how to love one another.
Presiders stand at table, Presider 1 lifts bread.
All: Back at the table, he took the Passover Bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.
Presider 2 lifts the cup as community prays 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.
Bread and wine is transformed by Your Spirit and we are transformed when we open ourselves to Your Spirit. Every time we share this bread and wine we choose to be transformed. We choose to love as You love us.
As we celebrate and recognize You in this bread and wine we love and recognize you in each other. We are filled with gratitude and joy. Glory and Praise to you both now and forever. Amen
Presiders hold bread and cup:
All:
Through Jesus, we have learned how to live.
Through Jesus, we have learned how to love.
Through Jesus, we have learned how to serve.
AMEN.
Presider 2: Please join in the prayer for the breaking of the bread:
Presiders break the bread
All: Loving Source of our being, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We live justly, we love tenderly, we walk with integrity in Your Presence.
Presider 1: Let us pray our communion prayer together:
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.
Presider 2: Our Eucharistic celebration is all-inclusive. We belong to the Loving One and to each other. Everyone is invited to receive at this friendship table.
Presider 1: Let us pray the Aramaic prayer of Jesus:
Father-Mother-Source of all that is-
Shining Vibration going out to all that is
Focus Your Light Within us. May it be
Held holy inside us.
Come quickly Divine Feminine
Prescence, ruling principles that guide our lives toward unity.
May your heart’s desire be done on earth for unity and harmony.
Give us what we need each day in bread and insight and wisdom.
Loose the cords of mistakes and sins binding us; release the strands that tie us and one another in knots.
Let us not be seduced by the appearances of things. Let not surface things elude us.
Free us from what holds us back from our true purpose.
Amen
BLESSING
Presider 2: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together
May we continue to be the Face of God to each other. May the certainty of our connectedness to one another and all creation ignite us to love more fully. May we, like Jesus be a shining light and a blessing for all.
Please join us between 4:30 and 4:55 pm 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
GOOD NEWS!!
Welcome: The word Gospel is often translated as “good news”.Sometimes when I read a passage, I don’t hear good news. What will we each hear today?
Let us pray: Holy One, our lives are like a roller coaster, twists and turns and upside down, and then we hear Jesus speak to us and he too shakes up our lives. One thing is for certain, you are holding us, and caring for us as we are on this wild ride of life.Thank G-d! Amen.
Opening song:
Behold the Kingdom – John Michael Talbot – video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
Moses went up to God, and YHWH called out from the mountain and said, “this is what you are to say to the house of Jacob, what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You saw for yourselves what I did to Egypt, how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. If you now listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then out of all people you will be my cherished ones. Truly the whole earth is my own.’
These are the sacred words of the Torah, the book of Exodus.Our community affirms them.AMEN
When you are invited to a wedding party, don’t sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished has been invited. Otherwise, the host might come and say to you, ‘Make room for this person,’ and you would have to proceed shamefacedly to the lowest place.What you should do is go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your hosts approach you, they will say ‘My friend come up higher.’ This will win you the esteem of the other guests. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
We affirm these words by saying: AMEN
Shared Homily:
At first glance, this wedding party story does not really have much to say to us today.Most wedding celebrations have assigned tables, or if the wedding is very casual, we mingle among our friends and family.I don’t know about you, but I never once took it upon myself to go over and sit at the head table next to the bride and groom.Luke used the wedding feast as an example for his listeners that made perfect sense to them but to us, not so much. This parable is not about etiquette at a wedding, or even about being shamed or humiliated in a gathering. Luke was really using the wedding party story to make an important point about the way of Jesus.
Jesus never exalted himself. Jesus focused on others, particularly those who had no standing, no power. Jesus called those who were outcasts to sit in the front row. Jesus lived and loved at the margins.
As always, Jesus is modeling a way of life that is expected of us. Our world is upside down, the war in Ukraine, the demonstrations in Iran, the antisemitism, antiracism, antifeminism. In our own families and communities, separations, anxiety and depression, the list goes on and on. Don’t allow feelings of being overwhelmed and anxiety stop you. We have each other.We can do something; we must do something. Do small things with great love and never give up. Jesus was able to stand at the margins because he believed the words of his Abba God in Exodus: ‘truly the whole earth is my own’.Jesus knew he belonged to the Holy One. When we know who we belong to, when we are sure, we can do anything.
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.
Eucharistic Prayer of Belonging
As we prepare for the sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares, and concerns.Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
We pray for these and all unspoken prayers and blessings. Amen.
We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: O Nurturing, Mothering One, You are always with us. We are grateful for Your constant loving and unconditional presence. At times we forget that You are holding us, attending to us. We fall and You pick us up. You send strangers, friends and family to our aid. We are never without Your Light and Spirit.
We experience great joy and we experience great pain and suffering. You are with us in the joy and the pain and suffering. When we experience Your presence we long to sing our hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place – Holy Holy Holy by Christopher Grundy
All: Creator and Lover of all beings, we cannot grow in the darkness of this world without Your Light. Our desire to be in Your light is a gift from You. Help us keep our hearts and minds open to You through our love and care for each other and all creation
Please extend your hands in blessing
All: This bread and wine is a sign of Your nourishment and a sign of Your great love. Your Spirit is upon us and we belong to You and one another.
We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, revealing us as one with you, and all creation.
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet. Once again he showed us how to love one another.
(All lift the bread)
All: Back at the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.
(All lift the cup)
ALL: 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.
Bread and wine are transformed by Your Spirit and we are transformed when we open ourselves to Your Spirit. Every time we share this bread and wine we choose to be transformed. We choose to love as You love us.
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 the bread and cup with the words: There is nothing I cannot do in your love.
Loving Source of our being, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We live justly, we love tenderly, we walk with integrity in Your Presence Amen.
Let us pray together the prayer of 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 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 Prayer of Jesus as interpreted by Miriam Therese Winter
BLESSING
Please extend your hands and pray the blessing
May we always know we belong to the Holy One. May the certainty of our connectedness to one another and all creation ignite us to love more fully. May we stand together at the margins and like Jesus be a shining light and a blessing for all.
All: Amen.
Closing Song Being Kind by Empty Hands Music (Nimo)
Opening Prayer: French Trappist monk Charles de Foucauld (adapted by Dennis McDonald)
Great Mystery, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures - I wish no more than this, O God.
Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence,
For you are my Source of Life.
Reading: The Sacrament of Letting Go by Macrina Wiederkehr
Slowly She celebrated the sacrament of Letting Go… First she surrendered her Green Then the Orange, yellow, and Red… Finally she let go of her Brown… Shedding her last leaf She stood empty and silent, stripped bare Leaning against the sky she began her vigil of trust… Shedding her last leaf She watched its journey to the ground… She stood in silence, Wearing the color of emptiness Her branches wondering: How do you give shade, with so much gone? And then, the sacrament of waiting began The sunrise and sunset watched with Tenderness, clothing her with silhouettes They kept her hope alive. They helped her understand that her vulnerability her dependence and need her emptiness her readiness to receive were giving her a new kind of beauty. Every morning and every evening she stood in silence and celebrated the sacrament of waiting.
Reflection – 1 minute
Litany: Blessing the Season of Autumn
Voice 1: Blessed are you, autumn, chalice of transformation, you lift a cup of death to our lips and we taste new life.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 2: Blessed are you, autumn, season of the heart’s yearning, you usher us into places of mystery and, like the leaves, we fall trustingly into eternal, unseen hands.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 1: Blessed are you, autumn, with your flair for drama you call to the poet in our hearts, “return to the earth, become good soil; wait for new seeds.”
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 2: Blessed are you, autumn, you turn our faces toward the west. Prayerfully reflecting on life’s transitory nature we sense all things moving toward life-giving death.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 1: Blessed are you, autumn, you draw us away from summer’s hot breath. As your air becomes frosty and cool, you lead us to inner reflection.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 2: Blessed are you, autumn, season of so much bounty.You invite us to imitate your generosity in giving freely from the goodness of our lives, holding nothing back.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 1: Blessed are you, autumn, your harvesting time has come.As we gather your riches into our barns, reveal to us our own inner riches, waiting to be harvested.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 2: Blessed are you, autumn, season of surrender, you teach us the wisdom of letting go as you draw us into new ways of living.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 1: Blessed are you, autumn, season of unpredictability.You inspire us to be flexible to learn from our shifting moods.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Voice 2: Blessed are you, autumn, feast of thanksgiving. You change our hearts into fountains of gratitude as we receive your gracious gifts.
R/ Blessed are you, autumn.
Closing Song: Leaves Don’t Drop, They Just Let Go by Carrie Newcomer
