Moment of Oneness, December 31, 2025 - Prepared by Dennis McDonald

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: +1 646 558 8656

Opening Song: When a Child Is Born – Johnny Mathis

https://youtu.be/BbCz_siLELU?si=O8PUVD2zfWvfeUjI 

Opening Prayer: Great Mystery who came as a child in the Season of Light, come into our hearts and open them so that we might share the love born in us this Holy Season. May we, like Jesus, be voices for the voiceless, standing with those oppressed, those forgotten, those hungry and homeless. May the Spirit of New Beginnings flow through us to touch a world in need of healing and grace. Amen.

Reading: Excerpt from a homily by Rev. Dawn Hutchings

During Advent we used a question from Meister Eckhart not once but twice during each of our worship services: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to Christ twenty centuries ago and I don’t give birth to Christ in my person and my culture and my times?” And now, in this the last day of Christmas, I find myself wondering what it actually means for Christ to be born in me or in you.

Writing about Christmas, 20^th century mystic, Thomas Merton once wrote:  “Today, eternity enters into time, and time, sanctified, (or made holy), is caught up into eternity…” We, too, are caught up in the mystery of Christ—the Word Made Flesh—the mystery of God breaking into human hearts seeking a home within our mortal frames.  

If Eckhart is correct, that somehow God is always needing to be born anew in this world; and if Merton is also correct, that somehow through the incarnation eternity enters into this time – into this moment – and our time is made holy, and is somehow caught up into eternity; then we know a second deep truth about Christmas. We know that Christmas becomes God’s invitation for us to join with God in the transformation of this world; making the Dominion of heaven; the kin-dom of heaven– the hope and dream of God – a present reality for this earth.

Christmas, then, is about transformation – and it is about our participation with God in making the world new. 

Jesus comes among us personifying the words of the prophet, preaching good news to the oppressed, healing for the broken-hearted, liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners, and the advent of God’s favor. Jesus comes among us as the “light that shines in the darkness,”  inviting us to join with him in dispelling the shadows that hide us – that hide our sisters and brothers – from the face of God. Jesus comes among us as the face of God, reclaiming the image of God within each of us. 

The mystery of Christmas is this: God came among us then so that God might live – God might thrive – God might act – within us now. This year, as we go about our work as the people of God here in this place at this time, let us remember that Christ lives in us.

Prayers of Petition

We pray for continued blessings on all peacemakers, on leaders who value peace, and on everyone who promotes nonviolent solutions to conflict. We pray for a speedy end to all violence and warfare around the world. 

All: God of peace and gentleness, Hear our prayer.

We pray for the strength of heart and mind to look beyond ourselves and address the needs of our brothers and sisters throughout the world; for the rural and urban poor; for the rebuilding of our communities; and for an end to the cycles of violence that threaten our future. 

All: God of generosity and compassion, Hear our prayer.

We pray for all nations, that they may live in unity, peace, and concord; and that all people may know justice and enjoy the perfect freedom that only God can give. 

All: God of liberty and freedom, Hear our prayer.

We pray that the Holy Spirit may embrace the most vulnerable members of our society; we pray also for an end to the growing disparity between the rich and poor; and for the grace and courage to strive for economic justice. 

All: God of all gifts and blessings, Hear our prayer.

We pray for all immigrants, refugees, and pilgrims from around the world, that they may be welcomed in our midst and be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. 

All: God of outcasts and wanderers, Hear our prayer.

We pray for an end to prejudice throughout our country and the world; that we will respect all people as precious children of God; and that racism, sexism, and all other forms of discrimination will be forever banished from our hearts, our society, and our laws. 

All: God of fellowship and equality, Hear our prayer. 

We pray for all children and families, and particularly for the orphaned, neglected, abused, and those who live in fear of violence or disease; that they may be relieved and protected. 

All: God of children and families, Hear our prayer.

We pray for a reverence of creation; that we will have the tools and the will to conserve it; that we will use its bountiful resources in the service of others; and that we will become better stewards of all that has been entrusted to us. 

All: God of nature and the universe, Hear our prayer. 

Prepared by the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations 

Closing Prayer: The Seed of a New Year by Joyce Rupp

 

Seed of Restoration, reach into the layers of my past year. Bring into view the positive gifts that I missed due to clouded expectations and unwanted experiences. Soften the inner places that have been hardened by hurt. Warm the cold ground of dormant hope.

 

Seed of Curiosity, widen my vision of how life is to be received. Keep me open to what the hidden confines of my soul have yet to reveal. Nudge me to be inquisitive, to be ready for the surprises that awaken the wisdom waiting within me.

 

Seed of Insight, expand my ideas and thoughts so the lessons of your love keep influencing the way I think and act. Visit me with unexpected turns of understanding and perception. Urge me to be transformed into an ever more gracious and caring person.

Seed of Equanimity, disperse anxious remnants of fear and concern. Strengthen me to free them from my tight grasp. Like a seed planted in the soil, encourage my surrender into your abiding presence. When I wait with uncertainty, draw your enduring tranquility into my heart.

 

Seed of Happiness, enter the gray spaces in which I lose sight of joy. Awaken enthusiasm. Loosen whatever restrains my spirit from life-giving energy. Release gloom when it wraps around me. Let it slide off like the shell of a seed giving way to a greening shoot.

 

Seed of Unity, touch my heart to the suffering of others through each kind thought and caring deed. Let compassion spread like droplets of rain seeping into the soil of humanity. Thank you for your life resonating in the heartbeat of our co-existence on planet Earth.  May there be peace.

Closing Song: Be a Light by Thomas Rhett (featuring Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott & Reba McEntire  https://youtu.be/Oqiw54l_x-8 

Upper Room Weekend Liturgy, December 27 and 28, 2025 -Presider: Denise Hackert-Stoner, with Mary Theresa Streck on Zoom

Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via Zoom:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 

phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656

Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155

Feast of the Holy Family

Meditation Before Liturgy (2 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

Welcome to our liturgy, and a blessed Christmas season to one and all.  We gather to pray in community; to pray as family.  Let’s think about what that means. 

Opening Prayer:  Holy One, you have called us together tonight and we have responded to your call.  We pray as one for your blessing on each one gathered here as we celebrate your ongoing presence in our individual lives, in our families, in our world, and in the cosmos.  Amen.

Opening Song:  All You Works of God – Marty Haugen

https://youtu.be/vCTyaOcB4xk 
 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Alleluia:  Misa Delgado Book1 https://youtu.be/uilfwfd-U_g

 

Readings and Homily Starter:  

Our readings and homily starter take a bit of a detour tonight.  I’d like us to meditate on the Holy Family using both a very narrow aperture and gradually broadening our view to take in a larger and larger family.  I hope that when we reach the end you will share your thoughts on the concept of Holy Family.

Reading 1:  Luke: 15-18

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

Behold:  This is a Holy Family.

Reading 2:  1 Corinthians: 15-20

Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as God wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

Behold:  The Christian assembly, with all of our differences and all of our parts, is a Holy Family.

Reading 3:  From “Human Family” by Maya Angelou

I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I've seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I've not seen any two
who really were the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

Behold:  The vast human family, all over this earth, with all our differing cultures, religions, and languages, is a Holy Family.

Reading 4:  From Saint Francis, Canticle of the Creatures

  

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, The Highest, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you light the night and he is beautiful
and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Behold:  Everything in this solar system; the sun, moon, stars and planets; and everything on this earth; the elements, plants and animals, is a Holy Family.

Reading 5:  From Brian Swimm and Thomas Berry, The Universe Story

“That the universe is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects is the central commitment of the Ecozoic. Existence itself is derived from and sustained by this intimacy of each being with every other being of the universe.”

Behold:  The ever-expanding Cosmos, with its solar systems, galaxies, nebulas, and energy, light and dark, is a Holy Family. 

Shared Homily:  The readings that we just heard illustrate the holy nature of family, from the micro, very specific Holy Family of scripture, to the macro, vast cosmic family of our universe.  Please share your thoughts on these readings. 

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.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. As bearers of LIGHT and HOPE, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your intentions beginning with the words, “I bring to the table…..” 

We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen. 

With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:

(written by Jay Murnane) 

Holy One, you are continually creating the universe, continually giving birth to all of us. We sense the need to do the same, to set ourselves free from a sense of emptiness and barren hopelessness.

We celebrate you as the Source of light and life and love, and we celebrate your presence and all-ways care. We give thanks, and joined with your vision of harmony and peace, we sing:

Holy, Holy, Holy by Peter Mayer shortened

https://youtu.be/A4kiEGVb3E8

Your wisdom invites us to draw on our tradition, as old as the stars, shining through Sarah and Abraham, shining through your prophets in every age and every culture. We join that enlightening, enlivening tradition with what we are as we risk fidelity to a dream.

Filled with your spirit, we, like Jesus, can give birth in our day to your living word for the sake of hope enfleshed in creativity and confrontation, healing and reconciliation, justice, universal and unconditional love. 

Please extend your hands in blessing.

We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and 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 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.

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, this is my very self.

 (pause) 

 

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.

(pause) 

Holy One, we dare again to dream the ancient dreams and open ourselves to marvelous visions. There are mountains of arrogance to lower, valleys of fear and separation to fill in, to create a community and communion that stretches throughout our consciousness and around our world.

In this way, working to renew the face of the earth, we are opened up to your Spirit, the Spirit of light and life and love born in Jesus. 

For it is through his life and teaching, all honor and glory is yours, Holy One, forever and ever.

All: Amen. 

Please receive communion with the words, “For all the Holy Families.”

Communion Song /Meditation:  Blue Boat Home, Peter Mayer

https://youtu.be/WhsXl1_rEwI?si=N4i2V5SndApbyoDa

All:  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. 

Let us pray as Jesus taught us: 

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. 

Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter

BLESSING

Presider 1: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.

May the Holy Family that is all of creation live in peace and unity.  May we bless one another with the infinite love shown to us in the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  May we be a blessing in our time.  Amen.

Closing Song:  We are Family, Sister Sledge 

https://youtu.be/WHwyTN-hw-8