phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
The Call of Discipleship
Welcome and Theme (Dennis): Jesus’ call to his disciples was to invite them to see the world in a new way, to open their eyes more fully to those, who like them, were oppressed. His call was to spread the Good News that justice, dignity, and equality was everyone’s right. We are called, through our baptism to be today’s disciples sharing the Good News with all with whom we come in contact.
Opening Song: Every Step of the Way by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/Wj0cHXzAGTI?si=wkW4ljVJWi4X1BJe
Opening Prayer (Deven):
Beloved, grant us the grace of Awareness. Keep us ever growing in our Awareness that we are present with all humanity. May our nets be cast but not stuck in the mud and sea weeds so that we may freely remove our nets and cast where our discipleship will do the work of Love and follow the example, life and teachings of Jesus.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Reading 1: A reading from Diarmuid O’Murchu
By the making of the New Reign of God the heart and core of his mission, Jesus was not merely activating a renewal program for the Jewish religion, nor was he consciously trying to invent a new religion. No, his dream, as John’s Gospel illustrates, was to call humans to a radical realignment with the God at the heart of creation as a cosmic-planetary organism. It was an awakening call, ever old and ever to embrace afresh, in radical love, justice, and liberation. Beyond all human, social, and political ideologies, Jesus brought a dream of a new heaven and new earth. As a Christian people, we still have not caught up with that visionary cosmic Jesus.
These are the inspired words of Diarmuid O’Murchu from Ancestral Grace, Meeting God in Our Human Story
Second Reading: A reading from “In Trembling Boldness: Wisdom for Today from Ancient Jesus People”
Pay Attention to Me
It was Alberto’s normal workday. Get up at five. Throw on some clothes. Grab a couple of leftover tortillas for the road. Up the hill and into town. Cross the main street and walk the seven blocks. Give the usual wave to the older woman opening up the coffee shop, who always waved back. He knew he had to hurry a bit to get to the corner where he and his fellow workers met the truck picking them up to ride to the garden where they all worked.
He made it with a good five minutes to spare this morning. But none of them were there. There were always some there but not today.
When the time for the truck came and went without either his colleagues or the truck, his latent anxiousness snapped into real worry. Most of the crew at the garden did not have proper papers, including Alberto.. Had they all been picked up by the police?
Should he leave to be sure that he wouldn’t be picked up?
Just then he saw a police van turn the corner, driving very slowly. The driver kept cruising, but stared intensely at Alberto. When he rolled down the window Alberto avoided his glance. He felt like running. But where would be run to?
The he remembered the woman at the coffee shop.
The police van had turned the corner and might be circling around to come back toward Aberto. So with the coffee shop just two-and-a-half blocks away, he made a dash for it. And he got in the coffee shop door without seeing the police van. Although the shop was not yet open, the older woman who always waved back quickly let him in.
This is a reminder that Jesus people were chased by police for no good reason, as many today are also chased. Alberto was trying to hide from the police’s attention and was able to get away because the coffee shop lady paid attention to him.
These are inspired words from “In Trembling Boldness: Wisdom for Today from Ancient Jesus People” by Natalie R. Perkins and Hal Taussig
Alleluia: More Light by Christopher Grundy video by MT Streck
Gospel: A reading from the Gospel attributed to Mark
After John’s arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the Good News of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Change your hearts and minds, and believe this Good News!” While walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw the brothers Simon and Andrew casting their nets into the sea, since they fished by trade. Jesus said to them, “Follow me; I will make you fishers of humankind.” They immediately abandoned their nets and followed Jesus. Proceeding a little further along, Jesus saw the brothers James and John Bar-Zebedee. They too were in their boat, putting their nets in order. Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee standing in the boat with the hired help, and went off in the company of Jesus.
These are inspired words attributed to Mark, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Shared Homily
In our first two readings today there were two ideas that stood out for Deven and me as we considered the Gospel theme of discipleship. The first reading offered to us by Diarmuid O’Murchu sees Jesus calling “humans to a radical realignment with the God at the heart of creation.” As O’Murchu states, Jesus was not looking to renew the Jewish faith, nor create a new religion, he was attempting to live out the commandments and teach others to do likewise. His command to love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself, covered all 10 commandments, if you think about it. The first three speak of one’s love of God, while the others speak of loving one’s neighbor by not hurting/killing, gossiping/lying, stealing, desiring/coveting. The commandments are a means of survival in our relationship with others and creation. Jesus promoted the idea of justice, love, and liberation, all of which grow out of the commandments. His life and ministry was one of living this way of being in the world, with the hope that his followers would do likewise.
Deven, in choosing our second reading, was struck by this idea of paying attention to the world around you. Jesus is often saying to his disciples, in one way or another, pay attention to what I am teaching you, and to what you are seeing. This leads to the path of discipleship. If you learn the lesson of justice, love, and liberation, then when you see something, when something catches your attention that is hateful, unjust, or oppressive as disciples we are called to act, to address the situation, to walk the path of discipleship. The woman in our reading knew the story of Alberto, had seen him day after day pass by the shop and wait for transport to the garden to work. She understood the danger that faced him when he came running to the shop. It was because of her paying attention that she was able to act on behalf of Alberto. She was living out discipleship.
Finally, our Gospel today tells the story of his calling forth his disciples. It is a fanciful story of his walking along and just calling them and they following, leaving their other life behind them. According to the Jesus Seminar Fellows this more than likely is not the way it happened. It is more likely that Jesus being an itinerant preacher made an impact of them and they connected to his message and decided to become an adherent, learn from him, and respond accordingly. This seems much more believable as we watch today and see people following various personalities, both good and bad, because they are swept up by the message that person promotes. Many follow those who do not live out the message of love, justice, and liberation but rather promote hate, injustice, and oppression. Fortunately, there are many who follow positive, strong voices who call for love, justice, and liberation. They speak and act out of their belief that each person is due respect, dignity, and a good life. They rail against injustice, discrimination, and oppression. They pay attention and respond.
We, as members of the Upper Room, have been called to discipleship, to follow the way of Jesus and his call for love, justice, and liberation. How do each of us take up the mantle of discipleship? How do we, like the woman in the coffee shop, pay attention, and what do we see? Who is seen as today’s role models for living out the way of Jesus? How does or can the Upper Room support you in your discipleship?
We welcome your thoughts.
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
Presider: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.
Intentions read
Presider: We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace.
Dennis: Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together:
All: O Holy One, you have birthed us in goodness, gifted us with life and cherished us in love. In the heart of our being, your Spirit dwells; a Spirit of courage and vision, a Spirit of wisdom and truth.
In the power of that same Spirit, we lift our hearts in prayer, invoking anew the gift of wisdom and enlightenment, that we may continue to praise and thank you, in union with all who sing the ancient hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place – with lyrics – Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=VrtPUsMtj-9xpRO9
ALL: Holy One, we see around us the work of your hands, the fruit of your wisdom and love. The unfolding story of creation witnesses unceasingly to your creative power. We, your creatures, often deviate from that wisdom, thus hindering your creative presence in our midst.
Sending among us Jesus, our brother, you birth afresh in our world the power of Sophia-Wisdom, and in the gift of Your Spirit, your creative goodness blooms anew, amid the variety and wonder of life.
Deven: Please extend your hands in blessing.
All: We invoke Your Spirit upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain and wine of the grape, that they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced his own death and for the sake of living fully, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly within them, he bent down and washed their feet.
All lift their plate and pray the following:
When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the Passover bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, the bread of life for all who hunger.
All lift their cup and pray the following:
He then raised high the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink, the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.
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.
Please consume the bread and drink the cup with the words:
Communion Meditation: We Are the Ones by Karen Drucker
In faith and hope we are sustained; in grace and dignity reclaimed. In praise, we thank you.
In union with all peoples living and dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers, asking wisdom and courage:
- to discern more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily lives;
- to act justly and courageously in confronting the pain and suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples;
- to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and marginalized;
- and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the labels of race, creed and color.
And may we ever be aware and alert to the new things Your Spirit makes possible in us, as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty, into the fullness of life to which all are called, participating in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation.
Like Jesus, we will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and we will live compassionate lives, for it is through living as Jesus lived, that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, O Holy One, at this time and all ways.
Amen.
Presider 1: Let us pray the prayer Jesus:
O 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
Presider: Let us pray together our blessing:
May we be open to the call to discipleship, being attentive to those in need for tenderness and kindness. May we be aware of the call for justice and peace at home and throughout the world. And may we recognize that in our community of believers there is strength and support to bring Light to the world. Amen.
Closing Song: Anthem by Rory Cooney
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