Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155
phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
The Feast of Epiphany
Welcome: We have all had many aha moments, our own personal epiphanies. As we celebrate Epiphany, may we recognize our epiphanies are to be shared and become lights for one another.
Opening Prayer: Jesus, you came to shine the light and point the way to the Holy One. We live in a world of light and darkness, a world of joy and sorrow. We stand with you holding one another and sharing the light and the darkness. Amen
Opening Song: Be a Light by Thomas Rhett (lyrics ) ft. Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott & Reba McEntire
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A Reading from Isaiah
Arise, shine, for your light has Come!
The glory of YHWH is rising upon you!
Though darkness still covers the earth,
and dense clouds cover the peoples;
upon you YHWH now dawns,
and God’s glory will be seen among you.
The nations will come to your light.
These are words of the Prophet Isaiah and the community affirms them with AMEN!
Alleluia: More Light by Christopher Gundy
Gospel: A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew (MT 2:1-12)
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, astrologers from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn ruler of the Jews?
We observed his star at its rising
and have come to pay him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly disturbed as did
all Jerusalem.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the astrologers secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and offer him homage.”
After their audience with the ruler they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
These are the words of the writer known as Matthew and the community affirms them with AMEN!
Shared Homily: “The nations will come to your light.” The writer or writers of Mathew’s gospel studied ancient scripture. The book of Isaiah was, according to their beliefs filled with hopes, dreams, and clues. They searched these scriptures to find clues about the coming of the Messiah.
All of the Advent and Christmas readings were developed based on digging deep into the Hebrew scriptures. The gospel writers were searching for the time and place, the where, when, and how the Messiah would come.
Just as the gospel writers searched, you and I must search. We must find our own way, discover who the Holy One is for each of us on a personal level. Although we come to our understanding in our own way, and at different times, the good news is that we do not search alone; we search and discover together. We have our own epiphanies, and we share them here with one another.
So, what does this gospel mean for us? If we cannot connect this gospel to life today than it is just another lovely Christmas story. This gospel story refers to the astrologers, or in some translations, the Three Kings, or the Magi or Wisemen. For the sake of connecting the past to the present - let us think of them as seekers, or searchers because that is who they were and today this is who we are; we are present day seekers. Their yearning for the light and consequently, our yearning for the light is what transforms us.
Several of us sat with this scripture and used the spiritual method of lectio divina to go deeper. The theme of searching for the light, finding the light and offering our gifts was present in each discovery. We see light and inspiration in each other. We offer our own light and gifts to one another. We have a community where we meet regularly and each of us brings our own gifts and then goes out and offers light and gifts to others. We hold each other in prayer, we share our reflections during liturgy, and we pray together. We give our gifts at The Welcome Table, Unity House, St. Josephs, St. Vincent’s, the South End Children’s Café, Family Promise, Malala, the Dream Catchers, our Beloved Crafters, our card makers, and this list of our gifts and giving goes on and on.
We dream of a better world together. We put that dream into action every time we share our gifts our light shines and love is born again.
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 Holy One's
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 the table our prayers and intentions:
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer in one voice:
O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us as we set our hearts on belonging to you. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all creation.
You know our limitations and our essential goodness and you love us as we are. You beckon us to your compassionate heart and inspire us to see the good in others and forgive their limitations. Acknowledging your presence in each other and in all of creation, we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this place by Christopher Grundy
Guiding Spirit, when opposing forces in us tug and pull and we are caught in the tension of choices, inspire us to make wise decisions toward what is good.
We thank you for our brother, Jesus, and for all our sisters and brothers who have modeled for us a way to live and love in challenging times. Inspired by them, we choose life over death, we choose to be light in dark times.
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)
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, go, share and love one another.
(Lift cup)
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.
We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
Please receive this bread with the words: I am/you are a light for the world.
Communion Song: Sending you Light by Melanie DeMore https://youtu.be/blwHNC4SPG8?si=x0giOp7HkA1fe7vw
Holy One, your transforming energy is within us and we join our hearts with all who are working for a just world. We pray for wise leaders in our religious communities. We pray for courageous and compassionate leaders in our world communities.
We pray for all of us gathered here and like Jesus, we open ourselves up to your Spirit, for it is through living as he lived that we awaken to your Spirit within,
moving us to glorify you, at this time and all ways.
Amen.
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Holy One, you are 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 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.
Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
BLESSING
Please extend your hands in our final blessing.
ALL: May the Fire of Love ignite our hearts and radiate light through us.
May the Spirit of truth and justice burn within us and may we walk together as we support and tend to one another and all creation.
AMEN.
Our closing song is one from the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Special Season of Light. The link from YouTube for the special is: https://youtu.be/SQyojqPR5cM?si=ssB25ObHPqD9tsp9
If you do not have time to watch the entire show, go to 49 minutes and watch David Suchet share the story of Nicolas Winton
Closing Song: Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert video. Once in David’s Royal City
https://youtu.be/omNPl20uAgE?si=73GbuMK4-sRyiurT
New verse:
Light of God, grow bright within us. Let the love in us increase.
Shine through us in all our service. Lift us up in joy and peace.
Lead us in thy path we pray, make us one this Holy Day.
One in hope, one in love, one in Thee this blessed Holy Day.
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