phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome: Deb
There is a saying, “Seeing is Believing.” Today’s Gospel is all about that. Seeing, Believing and Proclaiming it. But another little thread of that story is all about “WHO” is proclaiming! A woman. And not just Any Woman, But a Mary… Which Mary of the Story of Jesus is she really. Welcome to the Upper Room, where we all do our best to “See clearly, Love Dearly, and Follow” to Proclaim the Good News and The Way.
Opening Prayer: Suzanne
You came with a new vision for humanity on earth that is so different from what the world had ever known. Help us envision a kin-dom on earth with loving relationships based on connection, diversity, and mutuality, so that we become united as empowered companions willing and able to create a peaceful community of life.
As our opening song says we Choose Life.
Opening Song: Choose Life by Colleen Fulmer
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: from Brian McLaren - We Make the Road by Walking
Many were still waiting for a ‘Son of David,’ a militant Messiah to swoop in someday, fix everything, and usher in a Golden Age. They expected this revolutionary army to overthrow their oppressors and restore civil law and religious order. But Jesus was living by a different interpretation of the old stories, so he refused to conform to their expectations. Instead of arming his followers with traditional weapons of daggers, swords spears, chariots, and war horses he armed them with the spiritual shields of faith, hope, service, forgiveness, and love. He was telling his followers that the kingdom of God is at hand.
The community affirms these words with AMEN!
Gospel acclamation: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
Gospel: A Reading from the Gospel of John 11:1-45
Now a man named Lazarus, of Bethany, was lying ill; he belonged to the same village as Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus was ill, was the Mary who anointed the Master with perfume, and wiped his feet with her hair.
The sisters, therefore, sent this message to Jesus: “Master, the one you love is ill”; and, when Jesus heard it, he said: “This illness is not to end in death, but is to redound to the glory of God, in order that the Child of God may be glorified through it.”
Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus. Yet, when he heard of the illness of Lazarus, he still stayed two days in the place where he was. Then, after that, he said to his followers: “Let us go to Judea again.” “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Judeans there were but just now seeking to stone you; and are you going there again?” “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” answered Jesus. “If someone walks about in the daytime, she does not stumble, because she can see light; but if she walks about at night, she stumbles, because she does not have light.” And, when he had said this, he added: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may wake him.” “If he has fallen asleep, Master, he will get well,” said his followers. But Jesus meant that he was dead; they, however, supposed that he was speaking of sleep.
Then he said to them plainly: “Lazarus is dead; and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may learn to trust me. But let us go to him.” At this, Thomas, who was called “The Twin,” said to his fellow followers: “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”
When Jesus reached the place, he found that Lazarus had been four days in the tomb already. Bethany being only about two miles from Jerusalem, a number of the people had come there to comfort Martha and Mary because of their brother’s death.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat quietly at home. “Master,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now, I know that God will grant you whatever you ask him.” “Your brother will rise to life,” said Jesus. “I know that he will,” replied Martha, “in the resurrection at the last day.” “I am the resurrection and the life,” said Jesus. “Anyone who believes in me will live, even when having died; and the one who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Master,” she answered, “I believe that you are the Anointed One, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
After saying this, Martha went and called her sister Mary, and whispered: “The Teacher is here, and is asking for you.” As soon as Mary heard that, she got up quickly and went to meet him. Jesus had not then come into the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. So, the Judeans, who were in the house with Mary, comforting her, when they saw her get up quickly and go out, followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she threw herself at his feet. “Master,” she exclaimed, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Judeans who had come with her weeping also, he groaned deeply and was greatly distressed. “Where have you buried him?” he asked. “Come and see, Master,” they answered. Jesus burst into tears. “How he must have loved him!” the Judeans exclaimed; but some of them said: “Could not this man, who gave sight to the blind man, have also prevented Lazarus from dying?”
Again, groaning inwardly, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against the mouth of it. “Move the stone away,” said Jesus. “Master,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time the smell must be offensive, for this is the fourth day since his death.” “Did I not tell you,” replied Jesus, “that if you would believe in me, you should see the glory of God?” So they moved the stone away; and Jesus, with uplifted eyes, said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard my prayer; I know that you always hear me; but I say this for the sake of the people standing near, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” Then, after saying this, Jesus called in a loud voice: “Lazarus! Come out!” The dead man came out, wrapped hand and foot in a winding sheet; his face, too, had been wrapped in a cloth. “Set him free,” said Jesus, “and let him go.”
In consequence of this, many of the Judeans who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did, learned to trust in him.
We affirm these words with a resounding AMEN!
Homily Starter: Deb Trees
The Gospel reading today from Hal Tausig’s New New Testament is one of the Year A Scrutiny readings, used during Lent in preparation for catechumens. This Fifth week of Lent, we get closer to the Big Event of Jesus’s last week, and Resurrection. The Proclamation of who Jesus really was by Mary, gives his community something to think about and talk about as the life and death of Jesus unfolded before their eyes.
In a recent article from November 2024 in the Biblical Archaeological Society, Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, outlines her work translating the manuscripts about Martha and Mary. The Mystery of Mary and Martha gives witness to changes and additions of the name of Martha by scribes, changing the story, and diluting the importance of one woman’s witness, Mary (who is thought to be Mary Magdalen). The message of Jesus, the Power of Jesus, could not be allowed to be proclaimed by one woman of such stature.
Today we face similar actions. Removing references to women, persons of color, Hispanics, disabilities, sexual preferences. This list goes on and on. Attempting to change society with a pen-stroke, removing contributions of many. We stand strong in witnessing to our lives, and we stand strong in witnessing to the light and life of Jesus and his message.
Suzanne
Miracles are stories that can shine light on deeper truths and are often a puzzle to uncover a hidden meaning. In the first chapter of John, he begins by saying “What has come into being in Jesus was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John then situates the story of Lazarus as the seventh and last miracle that takes place about one week before the last days of Jesus’ life. He is the only gospel writer to tell this story of Lazarus foreshadowing the greater resurrection of the spirit of Jesus slipping into the reality of eternal life. Both these stories speak to rising from the dead establishing an ethereal connection between the layers of earthly and spiritual realities.
In day-to-day life Lazarus was part of Jesus’ circle of friends. When Jesus wept, we can feel the compassion he had for Mary as well as for his own grief. Deep concern and empathy are very powerful expressions of humanity’s spiritual goodness. Brian McLaren introduced a new paradigm for the kingdom of heaven as existing on earth through a ‘Companionship of Empowerment.’ The ‘Good News of faith, hope, service, and love are woven into the story of Lazarus as spiritual shields against oppression overcoming fear, hypocrisy, and hatred. Howard Thurman, who was the civil rights mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. called these the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited. With Jesus they no longer have dominion over the oppressed.
The underlying miracle is how Jesus showed us that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Through the transforming energy of love, the earthly realities of suffering, oppression and even death can be overcome. Could the story of Lazarus and the ‘Companionship of Empowerment’ be a profound revelation of the mysterious and powerful connection between the earth and spiritual domains? We are left wondering whether Lazarus suffered a physical or spiritual death, to awaken and have a new beginning in a renewed life.
Please share what you heard today and the message it brings for this time of Lent.
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 bring to the table our prayers and intentions, starting with the words I bring to the table.
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer in one voice.
O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us as we set our hearts on belonging to you. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all creation.
You know our limitations and our essential goodness, and you love us as we are. You beckon us to your compassionate heart and inspire us to see the good in others and forgive their limitations. Acknowledging your presence in each other and in all of creation, we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
Guiding Spirit, when opposing forces in us tug and pull and we are caught in the tension of choices, inspire us to make wise decisions toward what is good.
We thank you for our brother, Jesus, and for all our sisters and brothers who have modeled for us a way to live and love in challenging times. Inspired by them, we choose life over death, we choose to be light in dark times.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
We are ever aware of your Spirit in us and among us at this Eucharistic table and we are grateful 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 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.
(Lift plate)
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, share your love with one another.
(Lift cup)
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.
We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. Please receive this bread with the words: We choose life in our doubt and faith.
Communion song: Blessings by Hollow Coves
Post-Communion Prayer
Holy One, your transforming energy is within us, and we join our hearts with all who are working for a just world. We pray for wise leaders in our spiritual communities. We pray for courageous and compassionate leaders in our world communities.
We pray for all of us gathered here and like Jesus, we open ourselves up to your Spirit, for it is through living as he lived that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, 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
Loving source of our being, you call us to live the gospel of peace and justice. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity in your presence.
BLESSING
Please extend your hands in our final blessing.
ALL: May the Fire of Love ignite our hearts and radiate light through us. May the Spirit of truth and justice burn within us. May we walk together as a ‘Companionship of Empowerment’ to support and tend to one another and all creation.
AMEN.
Closing Song: The Point of Arrival by Carrie Newcomer
