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Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Gratitude Liturgy: Thanksgiving, 2023
Welcome
Lindy: As we prepare for today’s time with family and friends…both near and far…we start by experiencing deep gratitude for so very much…together …and speak it out to all of Creation!
Opening song: Deep Peace, Sara Thomsen, Video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A reading from author and historian Diana Butler Bass
The words “gratitude” and “grace” come from the same root word, gratia in Latin. “Grace” is a theological word, one with profound spiritual meaning. Grace means “unmerited favor.” When I think of grace, I particularly like the image of God tossing gifts around—a sort of indiscriminate giver of sustenance, joy, love, and pleasure. Grace—gifts given without being earned and with no expectation of return—is, as the old hymn says, amazing. Because you can neither earn nor pay back the gift, your heart fills with gratitude. And the power of that emotion transforms the way you see the world and experience life. Grace begets gratitude, which, in turn, widens our hearts toward greater goodness and love.
These are holy words written by Diana Butler Bass and we affirm them by saying “Amen”
Second reading: A Reading known as The Canticle to Sister Moon, Brother Sun
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens, you have made them bright, precious and fair.
Praise be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
These words are from a man known as Francis of Assisi and we affirm them by saying “AMEN.”
Third Reading: A Reading from Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, a 13th Century poet
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” “Today, let us swim wildly, joyously in gratitude.”
These words are attributed to the poet, Rumi, and we affirm them by saying “AMEN.”
Alleluia: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
Gospel: A reading from the gospel known as Luke…
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
He traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”Lk 17:11-19
These words are written in a gospel attributed to Luke and we affirm them by saying “AMEN.”
Shared Homily
Lindy: Gratitude is perhaps the greatest gift of all! As the poet Rumi said, “It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity..” It opens us up to see, hear, feel, sometimes even taste or smell how much we are each loved!
…..What do you hear in these readings?.....
Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Your holy words bless us all!...Let us now share our statement of faith…
Statement of Faith - Denise
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.
Prayers of the Community
Lindy: 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….”
Lindy: We pray for these and all unspoken prayers and blessings. Amen.
Pause…
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER OF BELONGING
Denise: We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice.
Denise: 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
Denise: 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.
Lindy: 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 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)
Denise: Back at the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying “Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.”
(All lift the cup)
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.
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.
Lindy: Please receive the bread and cup with the words: With love we can change the world.
Communion Song: Creation Calls – Are You Listening by Brian Doerksen
Lindy: 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
Lindy: Let us raise our hands in blessing one another.
ALL: May we hear Jesus calling. May we do our part to bring justice into the world. Where there is justice there is peace. May our gathering ignite us to love more fully. And like Jesus may we be a shining light and a blessing for all. Amen.
Closing Song: Blessing Song by Jan Phillips –
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