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Welcome to our Saturday liturgy. How much do we need, and how much do we THINK we need? Tonight, as we listen to a portion of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount along side the ancient tale about Midas, let’s consider these questions.
Opening Prayer: Holy One, in all the noise of promotion, advertisement, and commercialism, your small, still voice calls us to simply be. Help us to hear.
Opening Song: Simple Gifts by YoYo Ma and Alison Krause
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: The Golden Touch
A Tale from Ancient Greece
There was once a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr and was granted a wish by the God of wine, Dionysus. For his wish, Midas asked that whatever he touched would turn to gold. Although Dionysus tried to dissuade him, Midas insisted that the wish was an excellent one, and it was granted!
Excitedly, Midas went about touching all sorts of things, turning them into gold.
Soon Midas became hungry. He picked up a piece of food, but he couldn't eat it, for it had turned to gold in his hand! "I'll starve," moaned Midas, "Perhaps this was not such a good wish after all!"
Midas' beloved daughter, seeing his dismay, threw her arms about him to comfort him, and, she too turned to gold! "The golden touch is no blessing," cried Midas. He went to the river and wept. The sand of that river turned as yellow as "fool's gold" for it is there, they say, that King Midas washed away the curse of the golden touch with his own tears
This is the wise story of an ancient storyteller. We affirm it by saying, Amen.
Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips
Gospel: Matthew 6: 24-34 (adapted)
Jesus said to his disciples:
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and riches.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.”
These are the words of Jesus as told by the writer we know as Matthew. We affirm these words with Amen.
Homily Starter
Welcome to summer! The weather has rung in the new season! What about your wardrobe? Is it still in style? What about your grill? Your patio furniture? Are they up to date?
We live in a culture that demands “New.” “Improved.” “Current.” But what about us? The people inside all the clothing? Have we become so obsessed with accumulating new stuff that we no longer remember who we are? When does our desire for nice things cross the line to greed? And how do we know when we’ve crossed that line? Midas was given a great gift. He was able to see in no uncertain terms the line that he had crossed. And he was able to repent, washing himself clean of his greed in the river. He was able to watch the gold float down that river, and hug his daughter once more.
Jesus tells his followers, “No one can serve two masters. You will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.” There is no way around this saying. It’s a very clear message. And not easy to hear, either 2,000 years ago or today. But to me, the beauty of this Gospel, why to me it is really very good news, comes in the next lines: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Yes. Right there. We are valuable. Beyond anything we might be worrying about, beyond anything we may be aching to accumulate. Our lives. Our dear, unique, necessary, fruitful, beautiful lives, they are of great value. And these core lives, our true selves, are cared for, are provided for, are kept safe. No need to embellish them. No need to worry. We just need to remember who we are.
What did you hear in tonight’s readings? Please share your wisdom.
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 voice our intentions beginning with the words, “We bring to the table…..”
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Let us pray together our Eucharistic Prayer:
ALL: O Divine Fire of Love, how often have we felt your tender love, for you love us without limits or boundaries! How often have we been consumed with delight by your love in human touch! How often have we felt your embrace through Earth's beauty, as part of your beloved creation! Your Spirit energizes us to work for a just and peaceful world and we raise our voices with grateful hearts as we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy by Karen Drucker
All: Holy One, we recognize Your Spirit in the gifts of this Eucharistic table and the gifts within each of us. May they become gifts of wisdom, light and truth.
We thank you for Jesus whose message blesses and transform our lives. He showed us how to live as your new creation.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
On the night before he faced his own death, 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 with 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; this is my very self.
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.
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 receive communion with the words, “Open wide the gate.”
Communion Meditation: Seek ye First, Maranatha https://youtu.be/EsBpM9IcBts?si=ptw_0APYwasJNO44
Let us pray together, O Holy One, you call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will live justly. You call us to be your presence in the world. We will love tenderly. You call us to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
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
Please raise your hands in blessing. May the ever-present, empowering and magnificent love of the Holy One, fill us to over-flowing, so that we know that what we seek is already within us. Amen.
Closing Song: Joy in our Hearts, Karen Drucker
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