Opening Prayer: Let us breathe deeply for the Holy One is as close to us as our next breath. We often feel lonely, but we are never alone. We often feel separated, but we are always connected. When these unwanted feelings come, may we experience your presence. Amen
I want you to be honest: Would you rather have a friend who is always right or one who is in right relationship with you? I think I know the answer: We’d rather have someone who’s in right relationship with us. In fact, someone who’s right all the time can be pretty obnoxious. Would we rather have a friend who’s always correct or a friend to whom we’re always connected? Of course, we’d rather have the second.
Jesus says people who live the vulnerable life of connection and relationship will bear much fruit. These are the people we trust, like, and admire. And yet so many of us are afraid to be the very thing that we admire the most. How foolish human beings are! But again, Jesus has told us the way: he is the vine. We are the branches. None of us can be or need to be correct, but we can always be connected.
Silent Reflection
Intentions:We bring to the table:
All those gathered here, for our Community, and for all of us on earth.
All our families- for those struggling with careers, with health issues.
All those suffering from mental illness, those who are grieving, and those who await surgery.
All those suffering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
All those who are in-need of fairness-those mistreated because of the color of their skin, sexual orientation, disability, size or gender.
All those who live in abject poverty and for those suffering the devastation of war.
All those suffering from earthquakes, famine, fires, floods and all environmental disasters.
All those who are suffering from cancer especially those we have on our prayer list.
All our politicians who are at war with each other for the sake of power. May they lay their gauntlets down and do their best for our nation and world.
All nations who are at war, especially the Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel. May all find a way to peace.
All of creation. May we take care of all that you have given us and may we take care of each other with loving kindness.
Who and what else would you like to bring to the table tonight?
We pray for these and all the unspoken intentions in our hearts
Closing prayer: Holy One we brought those we love and those who are in-need of knowing they are loved to you tonight. Even in our forgetfulness we know you are holding each of them as we know you are holding each of us. We are one with you and each other.Amen
Closing Song:Coming Together by Christopher Grundy
Welcome to the Upper Room’s celebration of All Saints and All Souls. Today we remember all those who have gone before us who are significant in our lives. Let us pray as one family in the communion of saints and give thanks for those who have left loving footprints on our hearts.
Opening Prayer
Loving Spirit, today we gather to our hearts all those who have influenced our lives with their love and goodness. Although they have passed on to the other side of this life, their lives continue to affect who we are and what we do. Like the sound of a bell resounding in the welcoming air, so has the goodness of these holy ones resonated in our lives. We thank you for them and the bond we have with them. Amen. (Joyce Rupp)
Opening Song: A Gathering of Spirits by Carrie Newcomer
First Reading: A Reflection for Feast of All Saints-and All Souls by Joyce Rupp
What is it like for you to pause and recall the deceased people of your past who enabled you to be the person you are today? I don’t do it often enough but when I do, these memories bring both gratitude and a resolve to shape my life in a way that makes a positive difference. This is the time of year when Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) takes center stage before the feast of All Saints and All Souls Day. These celebrations have their roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sah'-win), which emphasized a potential connection with those who have died and gone before us, who somehow remain available to us if we call upon them to draw near. The festival recognizes this ethereal relationship—a “thin veil”—a time when the world of spirits easily opens up to allow passing back and forth from their realm of existence to ours. Some find this possibility spooky or fearful, while others accept this inexplicable kinship as strengthening and uplifting. The latter has been my experience.
Probably not many people have this intimate connection in mind when praying The Litany of Saints which addresses designated holy ones. Yet those very requests invite a relationship with the saints—"pray for us, hear us, be with us, reassure us.” We encourage a similar connection when remembering valued relatives, teachers, guides and mentors. When I journey back in my personal history, I am awed by how many persons touched my life—a great aunt whose generous, nonjudgmental love taught me the value of kindness, my second grade teacher who inspired me to approach prayer as a personal relationship, the college professor who asked me the surprising question that led to my entering a religious community, the friend whose compassion resurrected my joy—on and on the memories flow, and with them comes an ever fuller amazement and appreciation.
These are the inspired words of Joyce Rupp and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
GOSPEL: A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew (5:1-12) and The Beatitudes for the 21st Century by Jan Phillips
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside, and after he sat down and the disciples had gathered around, Jesus began to teach them:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed be the story-tellers, music-makers, and artists at life, for they are the true light of the world.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed be the tender-hearted who mourn and grieve the wars we've fought, the lives we've lost, may peace ride in on the river of their tears.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed be the Earth and those who tend her, for she is the source and sustenance of our lives.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed be the children who hunger for food, learning, and homes that are safe, for their future is shaped by our choices today.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed be the persecuted and wrongly judged, for theirs is a sorrow lessened only by mercy and human kindness.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed be the prophets who speak and write of a world beyond war, for theirs are the words becoming flesh.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed be those who are calling for freedom, resisting oppression and risking their lives in the struggle for justice, for they are the shapers of a brighter world.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed be the refugees fleeing the violence of war and poverty may they find shelter, peace, and work that sustains them.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Homily Starter: Mary Theresa
Today our focus is on remembering all those dear ones who are walking with us from the other side of the thin veil. Many of us use the phrase “crossed over” when referring to the passing of a loved one. Our faith and our hope is that life continues when we no longer need our physical bodies.
My dear Jay is on the other side of this thin veil and there are times when I call on him to help me through a difficult decision. When the insight comes to me, I remember to thank him. Jay was an amazing example of a lover of all creation. He lived the beatitudes.
I have a number of “spirit guides” I call on and truly believe that when I invoke their names, they are there with me. Do I have concrete evidence?No, just a knowing that is real and tangible for me.
All Saints and All Souls Day remind us that our lives are precious and our days together in our physical form are limited. And it also reminds us that we are part of an amazing web of energy that is timeless.
During the month of November, I encourage you tofind a quiet spot of solitude where you can gather treasured memories of the wise ones, the truth-tellers and shapers-of-heart, who have influenced your life.
This morning, I invite you to remember one person who has left footprints on your heart. That person may be someone whose wisdom significantly marked the path of life you have taken
orstood by you and moved you through troublesome times
or someone whose spirituality or theology has guided and grounded your own or brought you steadfast love and indelible acceptance,
or inspired and encouraged you to believe in your abilities.
Community Sharing
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 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.
Prayers of the Community
As we prepare for the sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your prayers beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
We pray for these and all unspoken prayers. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:
Sacred One, Giver and Sustainer of life, thank you for all those who lived and loved deeply, who found the source of their inner strength from you.We are grateful for the light-filled ones who enkindled our spirits with their teachings and the spark of their beliefs, for the risk-takers who faced their fears and took action, and for the faith-filled ones who brought us to you by their words and example. With the communion of saints and all the great lovers of life, we sing your praise:
(adapted from Out of the Ordinary, All Saints Day, All Souls Day by Joyce Rupp)
Radiant Holy One, we celebrate the life of your son and our brother, Jesus. He lived his life knowing that you were leading him. We walk in his pathway and follow his teaching.
We are standing with Jesus when we let go of money, possessions, pride and privilege, to become vulnerable and open to you, to accept poverty of spirit and reliance on you.
We are standing with You when we are compassionate for all human beings, and when we extend empathy and love to everyone, especially the poor, oppressed, and mournful. We remember all those who suffer and die each year from war, poverty and unjust disease. We mourn for them, and for all creatures we destroy, and for the earth itself.
We are blessed when we are gentle, nonviolent, courageous and humble, like your saints. We pray to grow in awareness of our unity with all of creation and co-create with You our earth as a sanctuary of peace.
We rejoice, O Sacred One, as we join the lineage of Your prophets of justice and peace. We, Your daughters and sons, continue to work with Your grace as we arise and walk in the footsteps of our peace-loving brother, Jesus.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
We are ever aware of your Spirit in us and among us at this Eucharistic table and we are grateful for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world.
On the night before he faced his own 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.
Lift plate as the community prays the following:
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.
Lift cup as the community prays the following:
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.
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.
Receive communion with the words: You are the face of God and a blessing to us all.
Holy One, we trust You to continue to share with us Your own Spirit, the Spirit that filled Jesus, for it is through his life and teaching, his loving and healing that all honor and glory is Yours. Amen.
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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 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 Winter)
Blessing
Let us raise our hands and bless each other.
May we continue to honor and remember the lives and sacrifices of our ancestors who came before us.
May we acknowledge the presence of the saints in our lives.
May we realize the holiness and saintliness that each of us bring to our lives and to our world.
