Moment of Oneness, January 4. 2023

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

Opening Song: The Magi by Peter Yarrow

https://youtu.be/OY0EPRoBieU?t=8 

Oh the magi were the prophets
And they wandered through the desert
They saw the star above them
And they knew they'd find their way
Through the valley of the shadow
With the hope of human kindness
They were strengthened by the vision
Of a new and brighter day

[Chorus:]
And the wisemen spoke of peace on earth
Of harmony and struggle
Know you now a cycle's gone and a new one is revealed
In the weaving of your fingers
In the whisper of a love that's born again
In the weaving of your fingers
In a promise that he made that never ends

Well now each man is a pilgrim
Yes, we all must make the journey
And it seems that time is telling us to be all that we can
To help lift up the fallen, we must sow the seeds of goodness
The torch is passed among us now to light the way of man

For the heart of man's a palace
And his dreams are as the sunlight
They burn away the darkness, as they warm the freezing cold
As an eagle flying higher, as a river through the canyon
The diamond star shines down upon, a pathway to the soul

[Chorus 2x]

And the wisemen spoke of peace on earth
Of harmony and struggle
Know you now a cycle's gone and a new one is revealed
In the weaving of your fingers
In the whisper of a love that's born again
In the weaving of your fingers
In a promise that he made that never ends

In a promise that he made that never ends
In a promise that he made that never ends

Opening Prayer: Great Mystery who came as a child in the Season of Light, come into our hearts and open them so that we might share the love born in us this Holy Season. May we, like Jesus, be voices for the voiceless, standing with those oppressed, those forgotten, those hungry and homeless. May the Spirit of New Beginnings flow through us to touch a world in need of healing and grace. Amen.

Reading: Excerpt from a homily by Rev. Dawn Hutchings

During Advent we used a question from Meister Eckhart not once but twice during each of our worship services: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to Christ twenty centuries ago and I don’t give birth to Christ in my person and my culture and my times?” And now, in this the last day of Christmas, I find myself wondering what it actually means for Christ to be born in me or in you.

Writing about Christmas, 20^th century mystic, Thomas Merton once wrote:  “Today, eternity enters into time, and time, sanctified, (or made holy), is caught up into eternity…” We, too, are caught up in the mystery of Christ—the Word Made Flesh—the mystery of God breaking into human hearts seeking a home within our mortal frames.  

If Eckhart is correct, that somehow God is always needing to be born anew in this world; and if Merton is also correct, that somehow through the incarnation eternity enters into this time – into this moment – and our time is made holy, and is somehow caught up into eternity; then we know a second deep truth about Christmas. We know that Christmas becomes God’s invitation for us to join with God in the transformation of this world; making the Dominion of heaven; the kin-dom of heaven– the hope and dream of God – a present reality for this earth.

Christmas, then, is about transformation – and it is about our participation with God in making the world new. 

Jesus comes among us personifying the words of the prophet, preaching good news to the oppressed, healing for the broken-hearted, liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners, and the advent of God’s favor. Jesus comes among us as the “light that shines in the darkness,”  inviting us to join with him in dispelling the shadows that hide us – that hide our sisters and brothers – from the face of God. Jesus comes among us as the face of God, reclaiming the image of God within each of us. 

The mystery of Christmas is this: God came among us then so that God might live – God might thrive – God might act – within us now. This year, as we go about our work as the people of God here in this place at this time, let us remember that Christ lives in us.

Prayers of Petition

We pray for continued blessings on all peacemakers, on leaders who value peace, and on everyone who promotes nonviolent solutions to conflict. We pray for a speedy end to all violence and warfare around the world. 

All: God of peace and gentleness, Hear our prayer.

We pray for the strength of heart and mind to look beyond ourselves and address the needs of our brothers and sisters throughout the world; for the rural and urban poor; for the rebuilding of our communities; and for an end to the cycles of violence that threaten our future. 

All: God of generosity and compassion, Hear our prayer.

We pray for all nations, that they may live in unity, peace, and concord; and that all people may know justice and enjoy the perfect freedom that only God can give. 

All: God of liberty and freedom, Hear our prayer.

We pray that the Holy Spirit may embrace the most vulnerable members of our society; we pray also for an end to the growing disparity between the rich and poor; and for the grace and courage to strive for economic justice. 

All: God of all gifts and blessings, Hear our prayer.

We pray for all immigrants, refugees, and pilgrims from around the world, that they may be welcomed in our midst and be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. 

All: God of outcasts and wanderers, Hear our prayer.

We pray for an end to prejudice throughout our country and the world; that we will respect all people as precious children of God; and that racism, sexism, and all other forms of discrimination will be forever banished from our hearts, our society, and our laws. 

All: God of fellowship and equality, Hear our prayer. 

We pray for all children and families, and particularly for the orphaned, neglected, abused, and those who live in fear of violence or disease; that they may be relieved and protected. 

All: God of children and families, Hear our prayer.

We pray for a reverence of creation; that we will have the tools and the will to conserve it; that we will use its bountiful resources in the service of others; and that we will become better stewards of all that has been entrusted to us. 

All: God of nature and the universe, Hear our prayer. 

Prepared by the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations 

Closing Prayer: The Seed of a New Year by Joyce Rupp

 

Seed of Restoration, reach into the layers of my past year. Bring into view the positive gifts that I missed due to clouded expectations and unwanted experiences. Soften the inner places that have been hardened by hurt. Warm the cold ground of dormant hope.

 

Seed of Curiosity, widen my vision of how life is to be received. Keep me open to what the hidden confines of my soul have yet to reveal. Nudge me to be inquisitive, to be ready for the surprises that awaken the wisdom waiting within me.

 

Seed of Insight, expand my ideas and thoughts so the lessons of your love keep influencing the way I think and act. Visit me with unexpected turns of understanding and perception. Urge me to be transformed into an ever more gracious and caring person.

Seed of Equanimity, disperse anxious remnants of fear and concern. Strengthen me to free them from my tight grasp. Like a seed planted in the soil, encourage my surrender into your abiding presence. When I wait with uncertainty, draw your enduring tranquility into my heart.

 

Seed of Happiness, enter the gray spaces in which I lose sight of joy. Awaken enthusiasm. Loosen whatever restrains my spirit from life-giving energy. Release gloom when it wraps around me. Let it slide off like the shell of a seed giving way to a greening shoot.

 

Seed of Unity, touch my heart to the suffering of others through each kind thought and caring deed. Let compassion spread like droplets of rain seeping into the soil of humanity. Thank you for your life resonating in the heartbeat of our co-existence on planet Earth.  May there be peace.

Closing Song: Be a Light by Thomas Rhett (featuring Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott & Reba McEntire  https://youtu.be/Oqiw54l_x-8