phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
We Are One
Welcome: Welcome to you all! I’m so happy to be here with you all today as we celebrate our oneness and our glorious gifts.
Opening Prayer: Let us pray. Holy One, you bestow different gifts on each of us while reminding us that we are all one. Let us share our gifts freely, today and every day. AMEN.
Opening Song: All Are Welcome by Marty Haugen
https://youtu.be/qRcdtSrHzp0
LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING
A Reading from Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians 12:12-22, 24b-26
As the human body is one, but has many parts; and as all the parts of
the body, though many, are one single body, so it is with the Christ.
We were all baptized by one Spirit to form the one body of Christ,
Judeans or Greeks, slaves or free; and we were all given the one
Spirit to drink; and the body of Christ is not made up of one part,
but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I don't belong
to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the
body. If the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not
belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of
the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of
hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense
of smell be? But as it is, God has placed the parts in the body, every
one of them, just as God wanted them to be. If they were all one
part, where would the body be?
There are many parts, but one body.
The eye can't say to the hand, “I have no need of you!” And the
head can't say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those
parts of the body often deemed "weaker" are indispensable in the
body of Christ...
God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that
were not given honor, so that there should be no division in the
body, so that its parts should have equal concern for one another.
Thus, if one part suffers, every part suffers. If one part is honored,
all rejoice together with it.
These are the inspired words of the Apostle Paul and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.
PSALM from 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
The psalm response is:
Different gifts come from the same Spirit.
R: Different gifts come from the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,
but the same Spirit.
There are many different ways of serving,
but it is always to the same God.
There are many different forms of action,
but it is the same God who inspires them all in all.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good.
R: Different gifts come from the same Spirit.
Through the Spirit, one is given a message of wisdom.
By the same Spirit, another the gift to express understanding.
By the same Spirit, another is given faith.
By the One Spirit, another the gifts of healing.
R: Different gifts come from the same Spirit.
Through the Spirit, another works wonders.
Through the Spirit, another prophesies.
Another discerns spirits.
Another speaks in many tongues.
Another interprets those languages.
All these gifts are inspired by the one and same Spirit.
She gives to each individually, as She moves.
R: Different gifts come from the same Spirit.
ALLELUIA Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
https://youtu.be/4cs8NDVM3Vk
GOSPEL
The Good News attributed to Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Many others have undertaken to compile a narrative of the
events fulfilled among us, just as they were passed on to us by
the original eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word. I, too, have
investigated everything carefully - from the beginning - and
have decided to write an orderly account for you, noble
Theophilus, so that you may know the truth of the teaching you
received.
...
After Jesus was baptized, the Spirit led him to the desert where
he was tested. Then, Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of
the Spirit in him. His reputation spread throughout the region.
He was teaching in the synagogues in Galilee, and all were loud
in their praise. When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as
was his custom. He stood up to do the reading. When the book
of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, Jesus unrolled the
scroll and found the passages where it was written:
“The Spirit of God is upon me.
The Most High has anointed me
to bring Good News to those who are poor.
God has sent me to proclaim liberty to those held captive,
recovery of sight to those who are blind,
release to those in prison—
to proclaim the year of God’s favor.”
Rolling up the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant and sat
down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Today, in your hearing these
scriptures are fulfilled.”
These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call Luke and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.
Homily Starter—Julie:
I recently wrote a paper on my personal theology. I’ll spare you the five and half pages and sum it up in this one sentence, “At the very heart of me, I believe that just as our cells make up our bodies, we all make up our God, Who is so much greater than the sum of our parts.” Paul wrote something similar at the beginning of today’s first reading, “As the human body is one, but has many parts; and as all the parts of the body, though many, are one single body, so it is with the Christ. We were all baptized by one Spirit to form the one body of Christ, Judeans or Greeks, slaves or free… .” It’s unfortunately just as radical a concept today as it was two thousand years ago. Our society is so divided by labels that have nothing to do with our humanity. We are all made in the image of the Holy One. We are all the body of Christ. All of us, without exception.
And while we’re being radical, I have to share this tidbit from the inclusive lectionary’s commentary on today’s gospel.
Since this evangelist adds numerous stories about women and a series of parables and stories about Jesus not found in “Matthew” and “Mark”, the writer may be suggesting that the previous gospels were not as accurate as they could or should have been. The fact that the writer implies male identity does not exclude the possibility of a woman evangelist. Had a woman writer been forthcoming about her gender, the gospel might have been discredited. We know from Acts that several wealthy, Gentile women were converted by Paul to faith in Jesus. These women may well have been literate. Lydia, who ran an upscale business, is an example of such a woman. Lk 8:1-3 also refers to women who supported Jesus’ mission out of their own wealth. In addition, there are so many narratives about women in this gospel that do not appear in any of the other gospels, that a tradition kept – even written down – by women, about women and Jesus, is reasonable. While it is possible that a male author knew of this source and chose to include it, it is also reasonable to infer that a woman familiar with the source decided to write a “more full account” of the gospel by including narratives from the “women’s source”. 20th century Biblical interpreters sometime noted that Luke’s gospel differed from Mark and Matthew in ways that were considered “feminine”, e.g. the color of the narratives and the emotional dimension of the narratives.
So that “anonymous storyteller” as I like to call them could be Luke or Lydia or someone else of another gender. Radical, right??
What did you hear? What will you do? What will it cost you? What would you like to share about today’s 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.
Prayers of the Community
Julie: 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 the unspoken concerns held in the silence of our hearts. AMEN
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
O Holy One, you have birthed us in goodness, gifted us with life and cherished us in 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 – Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk
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 power. We, your creatures, 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 power of Sophia-Wisdom, and in the gift of Your Spirit, your creative goodness blooms anew, amid the variety and wonder of life.
(Extend hands in blessing.)
We invoke Your Spirit upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain and wine of the grape, that they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced his own death and for the sake of living fully, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly within them, he bent down and washed their feet.
(Lift the bread)
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. Go and love one another.
(Lift the cup)
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.
In faith and hope we are sustained; in grace and dignity reclaimed. In praise, we thank you.
Please receive communion with the words: I am the body of Christ.
Communion Meditation: Would You Harbor Me?” Sung by the Three Altos
https://youtu.be/yN3LSyaNO2U
Prayer after communion: Let us pray. Like Jesus, we will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and we will live compassionate lives, for it is through living as Jesus lived, that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, O Holy One, at this time and all ways. AMEN.
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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
Please raise your hands as we bless each other:
May we love and care for each other always. May we share our gifts with the world. May our name be a blessing in our time. AMEN.
Closing Song: We Go Forth by Jan Novotka
https://youtu.be/jtSAZp5hdME
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