phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Lynn: Welcome and Theme: Welcome to everyone today. Today’s readings give us good reason to find joy and gratitude right here in in our presence and the forever presence of the Holy One. Whether we call it covenant or communion, we are one with God in each other.
Opening Song: “Take us Home By Another Way” by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/KOw7kqKEcFA?si=P5tbAJRohMRj47Qi
Anne: Opening Prayer: Let us put aside past regrets and guilt and be done with them. Let us banish despair from our hearts and minds so that we may live in the blessing of this day, faithfully, gratefully and wholly certain that we always abide in the loving Presence of our God. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A Reading from the book of Nehemiah 8:2-10
Ezra the priest brought the Torah before the assembly, which
consisted of men, women and those children old enough to understand. Standing on a raised platform, he opened the scroll so that all might see and as he did, the people rose. Ezra blessed the Most High and the people with hands raised high, answered “Amen, Amen”. Ezra proceeded to read out of the Torah from daybreak till midday and the people bowed their heads and laid face down on the ground to worship the holy words of Yahweh.
Ezra read and translated so that all could understand and the people listened attentively.
Then, Nehemiah, the Persian governor who was to supervise the rebuilding of Jerusalem, joined Ezra in explaining that “Today is holy to Yahweh. Do not be sad and do not weep”— for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
Nehemiah said further, “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared, for today is holy to Yahweh. Do not be saddened this day for rejoicing in Yahweh must be your strength!”
These are inspired words from Nehemiah and we affirm them. Amen.
Alleluia: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
Gospel Reading: A reading from the Book credited to Luke 7: 20-21
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the reign of God would come. Jesus replied, “You won’t be able to observe the coming of the reign of God. People are not going to be able to say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘Over there!’ No— look, the reign of God is already in your midst, right there in your presence.”
These are the inspired words of the gospel writer know to us as Luke and we affirm them. Amen
Starter Homily/Shared Reflections
Today’s readings are about coming home to where we belong and with whom we belong. First, a little context about the assembly listening to Ezra and Nehemiah; the audience is the first wave of Jews to return to Jerusalem from 70 years of captivity and slavery in the empire of Babylonia. The empire completely destroyed the entire city, all its walls and gates as well as the temple. Over 20,000 Jews were taken away and not liberated until the Persians conquered Babylonia 70 years later. For generations, these Jews tried to keep their faith and rituals in a strange land— with mixed success. As a consequence, some in the assembly don’t know Hebrew and have never heard the Torah read.
The promise of a covenant with Yahweh in a land of their own seems a blessing so great and so wondrous that they lay down in the dirt before the sacred scroll. Surrounded by a landscape of ruins, they weep with joy and gratitude because they are free and they are home with a God who loves them.
The reverential, atonement posture of lying prostrate is not what the priest Ezra or the Persian governor, Nehemiah, deem necessary. Celebration is called for because “rejoicing in Yahweh” is their strength. Our Upper Room church has roots in this assembly. The returnees will rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the temple. We too are building anew. We rejoice as they do; celebrating original blessing rather than original sin; living in gratitude rather than fear of the Holy One; and understanding that our Holy One is “forgiving, gracious, compassionate and slow to anger” (Nehemiah 9:17).
Fast forward about 500 plus years to Jesus telling the Pharisees that the reign of God is already here and now. In the time of the public ministry of Jesus, home is more than land or tribe. The covenant of a chosen people rests not only within an ark or a sacred temple. In truth, not even the person of Jesus himself alone represents our heavenly home. The heavenly reign of God is in our midst, in our presence, as it was with the refugees from Babylon. If God is always in our midst, we are at home anywhere.
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:
Anne: As we prepare for our sacred meal, we bring to this friendship table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please begin with the words, “I bring to the table....”
We pray for these and all the unspoken intentions in our hearts. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
With open hearts and hands let us pray together our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: Holy One, you have birthed us in goodness, gifted us with life and you cherish us in your expansive 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 by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=jFhqLhWvZ2p2h5B7
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, loving power. We, your beloved, 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 integrity of Sophia-Wisdom, and in the gift of your Spirit, you refresh for us the wonder of creation in all its splendor and variety.
(Extend hands in blessing)
We recognize Your Spirit on the gifts of this Eucharistic table , bread of the grain and wine of the grape. May they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth, reminding us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus did more than ask us to remember him. He showed us how to live when he washed the feet of his companions.
(Lift the bread )
When he returned to the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying,
Take and eat. Go and love one another.
(Lift the cup)
He then raised the cup of the covenant, 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.
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 offer the bread to your neighbor with the words: God is with us
Communion Song: “Sweet Secret Peace” by Andres Gonzalez
https://youtu.be/FZsC1gUvaqg?si=y5JUVg9DuI-xPOCT
Prayer after Communion: Like Jesus, we will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and live compassionate lives. It is living as Jesus lived that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify You, Holy One, at this time and always.
Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
Holy One, you are 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
Lynn : Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together
All : May our hearts be filled with gratitude for this day that our
God has made;
May we offer comfort and support to those in need, especially those displaced from home by natural disaster and a most unnatural poverty;
May we stay aware of Divine Presence and and bring it with our
own presence everywhere we go. AMEN!
Closing Song: “Turning of the World” written by Ruth Pelham/Piano
and vocals by Jenifer Jolly
https://youtu.be/BwOW25nDm30?si=YXMtaCogB4YzAbcp
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.