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Welcome: “Be not afraid” or “fear not” is repeated more times than any other phrase in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Today’s gospel has many fear filled verses. We know Jesus was unafraid and taught us to be fearless too.
Let us pray: The Holy One is as close to us as our next breath. Breathe deeply. We are free from fear and anxiety. Amen.
Opening song: Breath of the One Life by Jan Novotka
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A Reading from the daily meditations of Richard Rohr
Jesus did not establish an institution, though institutions can serve his cause. He did not organize a political party, though his teachings have a profound impact on politics. Jesus did not even found a religion. No, Jesus began a movement, fueled by the Spirit, a movement whose purpose was to change the face of the earth from the nightmare it often is into the dreams of the Holy One.
These are the inspired words of Richard Rohr, a disciple of Jesus.
Celtic Alleluia
Gospel: A Reading from the gospel of Luke
“Be on your guard lest your spirits become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. That day will suddenly catch you by surprise like a trap. It will come upon all who dwell on the face of the earth, so be on your watch. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Chosen One.”
These are the inspired words of Luke, a disciple of Jesus. The community affirms them AMEN
Shared Homily: Today’s gospel and tomorrow’s gospel on the first Sunday of Advent remind us to be on guard, to stay awake. There will be tribulations, dangers and one will be taken and another left. The church ends the year and starts the year with gospels that evoke fear. If you and I are fearful, someone or something has power over us.
Let’s tease out what these gospels are really about.
“Pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations” What tribulations? The end of the world? The rapture? In truth these verses have little to do with Jesus’ life and message. These scriptures were written about 80 years after the fall of Jerusalem. The trials and tribulations were connected to the destruction of the temple that happened years after Jesus’ death. The gospel writers were trying to make sense of why Jerusalem was destroyed, and they were also trying to make the case that Jesus was the Messiah. “Be on your guard”, here comes tribulations and be ready “to stand before the Chosen One”, (Jesus). The idea of tribulations and standing in front of Jesus sounds scary to me. And yet Jesus did not want us to be filled with fear. He told his followers, repeatedly “be not afraid”. Jesus understood the frailty of our humanity. He knew fear holds us back from living a full and loving life. Jesus reminded us constantly we are never alone and how much we are loved. Fear is definitely not a core value of Jesus. Advent is beginning, we can choose to let go of our fears, and do our best to live in love as Jesus taught us. Breathe deeply, the Holy One is here.
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
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 – 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: I am fearless in the presence of the Holy One.
Communion Song:
I Am the One – Janis Ian, video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
Communion prayer:
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 comes. 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 our blessing together
May we stand with each other in fearless love. May we know we are not alone. May our gathering ignite us to love more fully. And like Jesus be a shining light and a blessing for all.
All: Amen.
Closing Song
Christ, Shine in Our Lives by Chris Muglia
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