phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome and Theme (Dennis): We gather as the Community of the Upper Room, awaiting on this Holy Saturday evening, the emergence of Holy Light from the darkness of the tomb, the darkness of death. As the Light emerges we are called to recognize that this Light resides in each of us, even during dark times in our own lives. It is a Light that breaks through the darkness, opening our minds and our hearts to the reality that Love conquers death, Light unveils the truth, and despair gives way to Hope. Let us celebrate this night when the Light in our midst as a community calls us to follow the Way of Jesus, a way of justice, compassion, and love.
Lighting of the Paschal Candle
Reading 1 (Clare Julian): A reading from the Book of Genesis
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be stewards of the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, the wild animals, and everything that crawls on the ground.”
Humankind was created as God’s reflection:
in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.
God blessed them and said, “Bear fruit, increase your numbers,
and fill the earth—and be responsible for it! Watch over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things on the earth!” God then told them, “Look! I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit carries its seed inside itself: they will be your food; and to all the animals of the earth and the birds of the air and things that crawl on the ground—everything that has a living soul in it—I give all the green plants for food.” So it was. God looked at all of this creation, and proclaimed that this was good—very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God had finished all the work of creation, and so, on that seventh day, God rested. God blessed the seventh day and called it sacred, because on it God rested from all the work of creation.
Blessing of the Paschal Candle
Kim: O Holy Mystery,
your first spoken word was “Light” and it came to be.
Bless and make holy this our Christ candle.
(candle is lit)
Christ, yesterday and today
the beginning and the end
the Alpha and Omega
May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness from our world. May this symbol inflame each one of us with a renewed hope of bringing your light to our world. Amen!
Candles are lit as Dennis intones, “Christ, Our Light”, response is “Thanks be to God”. (3X)
Singing of Exsultet: Ellen Garcia
Opening Song: Awake, O Sleeper by Marty Haugen
Liturgy of the Word
Reading 2 (Lynn): Miriam on the Shores
“All the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.” –Exodus 15:20
Her skirt hangs heavy with seawater,
staccato breath after running from death.
She can still feel soldiers reaching out
to seize her blouse before the waves caved in.
Collapsing on dry earth for a moment,
the impulse to dance begins in her feet,
spreads slowly upwards like a flock of starlings
rising toward a dawn-lit sky.
So many dances in secret before,
night-stolen movements after exhausting days
heaving stones and harvest.
She finds herself now upright, weeping.
To stand here, face to the sun,
feeling an irrepressible desire to
spin
. . . tumble
sashay
. . . turn
shake
. . . twirl
Savoring freedom with her limbs
as if it were a physical presence
like a fierce wind or the breath of labor,
shackles slipping off slowly.
She couldn’t help but dance.
The story says she picked up her tambourine,
which means she had packed it among the essentials.
In fleeing for her life, she knew this would be necessary.
How many of us still live enslaved in Egypt, beholden and weary?
Do you have the courage to run across the sea parted just now for you?
Will you carry your musical instrument and dance right there on the shores?
These are inspired words from Christine Valters Paintner and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Reflection: Denise
Response Song: Where the Light Comes Down by Carrie Newcomer
Reading 3 (Rosie): Not people of the cross by Joan Chittister
Light and dark are the colors of life. No life is ever all of one or all of the other. On the contrary. Life is the interplay, the dialogue, the interpreter between the two.
But being able to read the languages of light and dark around us, knowing which we’re seeing when, is a cultivated spiritual art. It is the difference between being spiritually mature and being a spiritual child, between being wholly alive and only partially alive.
It was the mystics, lost in the presence of God, who could say “alleluia” in the midst of great sufferings of the soul—the sense of rejection that came with desolation or the public ridicule that came with official rejection of all kinds. It was the mystics who could see the light of God in the middle of periods others would have called dark.
It was a sense of Divine Light in all things that kept the Jewish convert Edith Stein strong in the face of death at the hands of the Nazis; and Joan of Arc unyielding to the churchmen who condemned her for following her conscience rather than being obedient to them; and Galileo faithful even in the midst of rejection by a church intent on smothering modern science in the name of faith; and Dorothy Day implacable in her pursuit of peace in a country that called her “communist” for doing it.
Spiritual leaders like these remember what so many of us far too often forget.
Christians are not people of the cross. Christians are people of the empty tomb, the ones who know that every step on the way to the Light is Light.
These are inspired words from Journey Into Light by Joan Chittister and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Reflection: Dennis
Response Song: Be a Light (shortened) Thomas Rhett (lyrics ) ft. Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott &Reba McEntire
Reading 4 (Suzanne O): “The Anointing” by Edwina Gateley
There were no crowds at my ordination
The church was cold and bare.
There was no bishop to bless and
consecrate,
No organ music filled the air.
No solemn procession went before me,
No cross nor incense smell,
There was no song nor incantation
And no pealing triumphant bell.
But I heard the children laughing
In the stench of the city slums.
And I heard the people sobbing
At the roaring of the guns.
And the stones cried out before me
As the sirens wailed and roared
And the blood of women and children
In the arid earth was poured.
There were no crowds at my ordination,
The church was cold and bare.
But the cries of people gathered
And the songs of birds filled the air,
The wind blew cold before me,
The mountains rose and split,
The earth it shuddered and trembled
And a flame eternal was lit.
There were no crowds at my ordination,
The church was cold and bare,
But the Spirit breathed oh, so gently
In the free and open air,
She slipped through the walls and the
barriers,
And from the stones and the earth She
proclaimed:
Oh, see! My blind, blind people,
See Woman – whom I
Have ordained.
These are the inspired words of Edwina Gately and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Reflection: Kim
Alleluia: Alleluia by Elaine Hagenberg
Gospel (Mary Ann): A reading from the Gospel of Matthew
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala came with Mary to inspect the tomb. Suddenly, there was a severe earthquake, and an angel of God descended from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. The angel’s appearance was like lightning, with garments white as snow. The guards shook with fear and fell down as though they were dead. Then the angel spoke, addressing the women: “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus the crucified, who is no longer here. Jesus has been raised, exactly as it was foretold. Come and see the burial place. Then go quickly and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and now goes ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Jesus there. That is the message I have for you.” The women hurried away from the tomb with awe and great joy and ran to carry the good news to the disciples. Suddenly Jesus stood before them and said, “Shalom!” The women came up, embraced Jesus’ feet and worshiped. At this, Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell the disciples to go to Galilee, where they will see me.”
These are the inspired words from the anonymous writer known as Matthew, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Reflection: Donna
Renewal of Baptismal Promises
Donna: (Presider asks the following questions and the assembly answers: We promise)
Do you promise to see what is good for your sisters and brothers everywhere, rejecting injustice and inequity and living with the freedom and responsibility of the family of God?
All: We promise.
Do you promise to work for the realization of God’s vision of harmony and right relations among people and peoples, rejecting the idols of money and property and color and sex and position?
All: We promise.
Do you promise to seek peace and live in peace in one human family, rejecting prejudice and half-heartedness in every form, and all barriers to unity?
All: We promise.
Do you promise to cherish the universe, and this precious planet, working creatively to renew and safeguard the elemental sacraments of air, earth, water?
All: We promise.
Do you believe in God, the great Spirit of Creation, in Jesus, the simple servant of justice and love who lived among us so that all might live with abundant fullness; in the breath of God’s center, the Spirit who continues the work of forgiveness and reconciliation, birthing and blessing, challenge and hope, so that together we can continue the work of creation?
All: We promise.
Sprinkling with Water
Blessing of Water (Denise):
Water has blessed us from the beginning. Since life sprang up from her depths she has nourished, refreshed, and cleansed us. Let us raise our hands tonight to bless her in return:
Sister water, in you we see the generosity of the Divine. In you we seek comfort and healing. With gratitude and joy we bless you tonight, dear sister, and ask your blessing in return. Amen.
Presider: May you live the Good News and may your name be a blessing in our time.
Sprinkling Song: Hallelujah by MaMuse
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Dennis: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we bring our blessings, cares and concerns to the table beginning with the words I bring to the table.
Intentions offered
We pray for these blessings, cares, and concerns, and all the unspoken intentions of our hearts…Amen.
Kim: Let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer with open hands:
All: Gracious God, we gather with you on this Easter, doused in the living water of renewal and thankful for Jesus. He opens our hearts to sense the grace and texture of love at its finest. Even as it is offered and refused, even when given away or betrayed, Divine love remains whole and everlasting. The inspiration of Your Spirit reminds us that love rises to the challenge of suffering, graces our living through uncertain times and enlivens our ability to hope in resurrection and rising. With gratitude for the blessedness of our lives, we sing a hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
All: We celebrate rebirth tonight but the heart and soul of faith allows us to see it every day and night; each day a new dawn breaks, each night a distant star is born and the dormant season of winter turns into the greenery of Spring. Tonight, more than any other night, we insist that death is not the end but rather a transformation into new possibilities.
We pray that reluctant endings and disappointments lead to measures of healing and new life. Nothing that exists is ever destroyed completely in the awesome Creation plan of the Divine and so we rest assured of the love of the Holy One in and among us forever and ever.
Donna: Please extend your hands in blessing:
All: We call upon Your Spirit present among us to bless this bread and wine, reminders of our call to be the light of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced betrayal and death, Jesus shared supper with friends and spoke of all that he had taught them during their years together. To symbolize the service and humility of their lives, Jesus washed their feet.
Upon returning to the table, Jesus lifted the bread, spoke a blessing and shared the bread of life for all who hunger.
(pause)
Then he lifted the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace and shared the cup of compassion for a broken world.
(pause)
All: What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives. As we share communion, we become Communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.
(consume bread and drink from the cup)
Please receive the bread and cup with the words, I am a spark of the Divine.
Communion Song: Arise by Three Altos
Denise: Let us pray as Jesus taught:
Holy One, you are within, around and among us.
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.
Miriam Therese Winters
Final Blessings
Blessing of the Ordained
Dennis: When we were ordained we each proclaimed, when our name was called, that we were ready to serve our sisters and brothers, be effective in our work and ministry, persevere in prayer, and reach out to all with compassion and concern.
Once a year, on this holy night, we recommit ourselves to this calling and ask that you, our community, bless us.
We also wear both the Alb and the stole on this special occasion in recognition of our commitment and dedication to the call of the Holy One in our lives.
If you would be so kind as to pray the prayer of blessing:
All: O Holy One you are within us and around us as we bless your servants today:
May you know that you are a co-creator with the Holy One, speaking your wisdom,
your compassion to the broken-hearted, and truth to power.
May your heart be open to extend love to all you meet and comfort for those in sorrow.
May your hands serve others generously and may you feel the loving embrace of the Beloved. Amen.
Kim: Let us raise our hands in blessing one another.
All: We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that lit the cosmos at the beginning of time.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that is expanding across time.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that was fanned into flame by those who ignited our lives in love and wisdom and joy.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that is a sacred trust held by us to pass on to generations yet to come.
We rejoice. We remember. We celebrate. AMEN, ALLELUIA!
Closing Song: City of God by Marty Haugen
Awake from your slumber!
Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning
For all those who weep.
The people in darkness
Have seen a great light
The God of our longing
Has conquered the night.
Refrain: Let us build the city of God!
May our tears be turned to dancing!
For our God, our light, and our love,
Has turned the night into day!
We are sons of the morning;
We are daughters of day.
The One Who has loved us
Has brightened our way.
The God of all kindness
Has called us to be.
A light for God’s people
To set their hearts free.
Refrain
Oh, comfort my people;
Make gentle your words
Proclaim to my city
The day of her birth.
O city of gladness
Now lift up your voice
Proclaim the good tidings
That all may rejoice!
Refrain
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