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Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Liturgy of Oneness
Welcome
The Roman Catholic Church is celebrating the Doctrine of the Trinity this weekend. A few years ago, I prepared a homily called Trinity as relationship, a relationship between the “three persons”, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and you and me. My understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity has grown and changed. We at the Upper Room are growing and changing too. We question and challenge the meaning of Creeds, Scriptures, and of course Doctrines. Each of us is on a different part of the journey but we are all on the journey together. Dave’s homily today is insightful and challenges us to question and grow.
Opening Prayer
A Trinity of Power
Within each of us there dwells a trinity of power
The power to nurture and sustain like a parent
The power to liberate through our laughter and tears
The power to release in us and in others a creative and loving spirit. Amen.
Opening Song: “God Beyond all Names”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Htrmq0g_Nk
LITURGY OF THE WORD
A Reading from Progressive Christianity by William Wallace
When the image dies
How will I conceive of you, God?
If I cannot picture your face
To whom shall I talk?
Must I depend on definition,
Or can I commune with one,
Who is beyond description,
Yet manifest in all that is.
Then I shall address you
In the sacredness of every day
In the poetry of the heart
And in the music of my own soul.
These are the inspired words of William Wallace. The communit affirms these words with Amen.
Alleluia: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
Gospel: A Gospel reading according to Matthew. (28:16-20)
The eleven made their way to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had summoned them. At the site of the risen Christ, they fell down in homage, though some doubted what they were seeing. Jesus came forward and addressed them in these words: “All authority has been given me both in heaven and on earth; go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of Abba God, Jesus our brother, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, even until the end of the world.
The community affirms these words with AMEN!
Shared Homily:
As was mentioned, today is Trinity Sunday referring to the Doctrine of the Trinity stating that God is three persons in one God. There is widespread agreement that this was created by the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 CE. The Doctrine of the Trinity was the church’s way of claiming that Jesus was God, while still declaring there is only One God. The Doctrine is so confusing that we were taught it is a Mystery, and one that you and I probably could not understand. Today’s Gospel passage is often used as scriptural justification for the doctrine of the trinity but scholars who study the degree to which the words attributed to Jesus were actually spoken by Jesus have concluded that none of this was spoken by Jesus.
According to Bart Ehrman, the trinity wording was inserted in an effort to foster acceptance of Jesus’ divinity. Paster Dawn Hutchins(https://pasterdawn.com) writes that this kind of outdated, manufactured, and confusing doctrine fails to address the true needs of people today and leaves them wondering why they need “church” at all. Numerous religions have rejected the premise of this doctrine.
Rev. Todd Freeman (http://collegehilltulsa.org) agrees that the doctrine of the trinity is problematic noting that it is “hierarchical and patriarchal,” just as the traditional church has sadly been. However, he sees value in discussing the trinity doctrine as a vehicle for exploring our understanding of God.
Bishop John Shelby Spong suggests that the truth that may be captured by the trinity is that “God is utterly transcendent, as well as present with and among humanity and all creation, as well as within each of us.” The Divine is “living and active in our lives at every turn; creating and recreating, teaching and guiding, refining and empowering.” And because we are made in the image of the Divine, we too can be and do all these things.
As suggested by Bishop Spong, maybe today’s liturgy is an opportunity to open ourselves to thinking of God not as a noun to be defined but a verb to be lived. Or, as Rev. William Wallace suggests, think of the Divine not as a proposition to be debated but a presence to be experienced. Wallace writes: “If you have experienced the presence of God, you do not have to prove it. If you have to prove the existence of God it is likely that you have not experienced the presence.” (progressivechristianity.org)
The church has always been trying to preserve the divinity of Jesus. And I could not help but wonder what would happen if we came to understand that Jesus was not God, but rather, fully human and deeply connected with his divinity. What if his spark of the Divine was the same spark that we all have? Or the same spark that empowered people like Ghandi and Mother Theresa? Would we think less of Jesus’ outreach to the poor, the marginalized and the sick? Would the healing he brought to so many mean less? Would his message of radial love lose some of its generosity or potency? Would our motivation to live as he lived suddenly decrease? Whether we have come to believe Jesus is the second person of the Trinity or have journeyed on a different path, is not what is important. The importance in living our lives is in choosing to preserve not an image of Jesus but rather his mission.
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.
As we prepare for the sacred meal, we bring to the table our prayers and intentions: We pray for these and all unspoken prayers of our hearts. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
With open hands and hearts let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:
All: O Holy One you have sent prophets and messengers to show us the way-Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, Moses and Jesus, Buddha and Mohammad, Hildegard and Teresa, Oscar and Dorothy, and all of here and now who celebrate this liturgy today.
Everything we do, we do together with You. We cannot be without You. We cannot be without each other. You are made visible in this world with our acts of love and kindness. With grateful hearts we raise our voices and sing:
Holy, Holy: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy
All: Holy One, slowly this world is moving toward oneness. Your pattern of Love is in everything and there are messages of Love in every pattern. Help us to stand with each other in love and suffering. The pain of one, is the pain of all. May we co-create with You and restore balance and harmony in our world.
On the night before he died Jesus did more than ask us to remember him. He showed us how to live when he washed the feet of his friends.
lift the bread
All: At the table, he took the Bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat of the Bread of Life
Given to strengthen you
Whenever you remember me like this
Go and share your love with one another. (pause)
lift the cup
ALL: Jesus then raised a cup of blessing, spoke the grace 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.
We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. Please receive this bread with the words: God and I are one.
Communion Song: “You are the face of God” by Karen Drucker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPT7687_yko
ALL: Holy One we know you as the voice of kindness within us and the constant hope that lives in our hearts. We are grateful for the gift of your Spirit, always drawing beauty and balance out of chaos. And like Jesus,
Standing where he stood,
and for what he stood,
and with whom he stood,
we are united in your Spirit
now and forever. Amen.
Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
Adapted from Miriam Therese Winter
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 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.
All: Loving Source of our being, we are called to live the gospel of peace and love. This is our faith, to embrace life, to increase love, to have courage to be and walk into the mystery of your presence.
Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.
May you know you are one with all creation, and our God is not a noun but a verb to be lived. Love intentionally, love extravagantly, love unconditionally. Our world waits in the darkness for the light that is you. Amen.
Closing Song: I Am the One – Janis Ian, video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
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