phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Capernaum Israel November 2016
Welcome: Tonight’s gospel is simplistic and idealistic. Jesus’ world was as chaotic as ours. Let’s see what resonates for us as we celebrate together.
Opening Prayer: Holy One you sent Jesus and so many others to show us the way to you. Help all of us stay on the path to you.
Opening song: The Times they are a Changing by Bob Dylan
https://youtu.be/fS7aBrBUaFU?si=bVSyhyzbLAnrkt4X
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A reading from the book of Isaiah (55:6,8-9)
Seek me while I may be found, call upon me while I am near. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, my ways, says YHWH. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high above my ways are above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
These are the words of the Prophet Isaiah and the community affirms these words with AMEN.
Second Reading: A reading from Brian McLaren
This is my dream and perhaps it is your dream, and our dream together: that in this time of turbulance when worlds are falling apart, all of us with willing hearts can come together…together with one another, poor and rich, whatever our race and gender, wherever we live, whatever our religion or education. I dream that some of us, maybe enough of us, will come together not only in a circle of humanity, but in a sphere as big as the whole Earth, to rediscover ourselves as Earth’s multi-colored multicultured children, members of the Universe.
We affirm these words with AMEN!
Celtic Alleluia: – Christopher Walker MTVideo
Gospel: A Gospel reading according to the writer known as Mark (3 20-27)
Jesus goes home and once again a crowd gathers, so they were not even able to eat. When his relatives heard about it, they came to get him. (You see, they thought he was out of his mind.) The scholars that had come from Jerusalem said, “he is under the control of Beelzebul” and “He drives out demons in the name of the head demon!
Jesus called them over; he spoke to them in riddles: “How can Satan drive out Satan? After all, if a government is divided against itself, the government cannot endure. And if a household is divided against itself, that household won’t be able to survive. So, if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot endure but is done for. “No one can enter a powerful man’s house to steal his belongings unless he first ties him up. Only then does he loot his house.
We affirm these words by saying: AMEN
Shared Homily
Whenever we read scriptures, we have several lenses we can see them with. If we read them literally, we must put them in context with what life was like at the time they were written. Jesus was born and grew up during the Roman Occupation. There were many rebellions against the Romans. The people of Israel wanted their land and religious freedoms. Some groups gathered to fight Rome, while many were waiting for the Messiah to come and destroy Rome. The Roman government sent rulers with their armies to squash any perceived rebellion. Israel lived under the thumb/hammer of Rome. Jesus was making a name for himself, and it was not sitting well his family, with Rome and the religious authorities.
In this gospel passage, Jesus is going home but he is in Capernaum not Nazareth. Capernaum is a large fishing village and is where Jesus called many of his disciples. Peter and many of Jesus’ followers lived in Capernaum. Crowds were gathering with hopes of healings. Jesus was disturbing the status quo. He was becoming a “hero” to the people and that idea was upsetting his family, the religious authorities and definitely the Romans.
Many times, when Jesus healed people, there was a belief that he was removing demons. In Jesus’ time illnesses were connected to sin, demons, or black magic. The religious authorities raised the question is Jesus’ healing because he is in league with Beelzebub or demons.
How does Jesus respond to his family who is worried about him, and the authorities who accuse him of healing from evil or demonic sources?
Jesus reminds them and us that we must not live a divided life. When our houses or governments are divided, we suffer. We suffer when our families are in turmoil, we suffer when our governments are in turmoil. Divisions, tragedy, wars, illnesses are coming. We need to be prepared as best we can.
Jesus showed us how to prepare. He was non-violent, the person was important, the “sin” always forgiven. He showed us how to love. Jesus always brings us back to love, but that is the ideal life. I have yet to discover a family, including mine, that does not struggle, that doesn’t have arguments, misunderstandings, disagreement and divisions. We see what is happening with our government and governments around the world. We struggle, fight wars, and protest taking sides on issues.
In the second reading Brian McLaren describes his dream that we will come together. In the first reading Isaiah reminds us that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. Jesus lived a life of love and was killed. Even Jesus did not obtain his life’s mission of love and peace. Some tell us we just must believe in Jesus, he is our savior, and we will be saved. Others tell us we just must have faith and trust in the church. If we are looking to Jesus to save us, or the church to save us we may be missing the point. Jesus modeled and showed us how to live. It is not easy, it is a struggle every day but as Mother Theresa said, “do small things with great love.” The Holy One created us to love and connect with one another. Even when we are not doing a great job, the Holy One has our back, loves us unconditionally and will support us in our efforts.
Statement of Faith
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
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….”
We pray for these and all unspoken prayers and blessings. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: 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
All: 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
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 the 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)
Back at the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying,
Take and eat, go and share my love with one another.
(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.
Please receive the bread and cup with the words: I will have the faith of Jesus.
Communion Song: The River by Garth Brooks
https://youtube.com/watch?v=tAgUQ7lMKOs&feature=shared
Post-Communion prayer: 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.
Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
ALL: 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
Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.
May we learn to live with our many differences. May we dream and work for change. May we love extravangently now and always. Amen.
Closing Song: Climb Every Mountain by Audra MacDonald
https://youtu.be/xbrqm3umaKg?si=HYnb2H9nR9U_Z-Q2
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