Opening Prayer: Holy One, we celebrated Easter just a few weeks ago, yet it feels like it was long ago. We are focused on our daily routine, worried about everyday life. Tonight, we remember The Resurrection and call each of us to be followers of Jesus as his disciples.
Reading: The following are excerpts taken from We Make the Road by Walking— readings for after Easter, by Brian D. McLaren. These readings encourage us to take our part in the uprising started by Jesus.
“The Resurrection has begun. We are part of something rare, something precious, something utterly revolutionary. It is an uprising of hope, not hate—an uprising armed with love, not weapons. It is the someday we have always dreamed of, emerging in the present, rising up among us and within us. This is what it means to be alive, truly alive. Walking the road to a new and better day. Let us tell the others—-Jesus is risen.”
Uprising of Fellowship:
“A kind of fellowship that is a kind of belonging that isn’t based on status, achievement or gender but on a deep belief that everyone matters, is welcome, is loved—no conditions, no exceptions. So the fellowship is for scarred people, and for scared people and for people who want to believe but aren’t sure what or how to believe.”
Uprising of Discipleship:
“Jesus invited us to be his disciples. To be part of his uprising, we must be willing to fail a lot and to keep trying. We will face long, dark nights when nothing happens, But we can never give up hope. He caught us in his net of love, so now we go and spread the net for others. And so, fellow disciples, let’s get moving. Let us walk the road with Jesus.”
Moment of Reflection
Intentions:
Refrain: Let it be so.
Jesus—we recognize you in the Doctors, Nurses and all medical staff, caring for those with Cancer, Covid and Mental Illness. Let it be so.
Jesus–we recognize you in the grocery store worker and all essential workers.
Let it be so.
Jesus–we recognize you in teachers and bus drivers. Let It be so.
Jesus–we recognize you in our love for one another. Let it be so.
Jesus–we recognize you in those who hurt us and those who cannot love us.
Let it be so.
Let us recognize you in all people, animals and all parts of the earth.
Let it be so.
Closing Prayer:
Let us remember Emmaus—how the Risen Jesus walked with his disciples—-reminding them that as the Father sent him–he is sending us. He is sending the Spirit with us to form a new Community. Amen
Closing Song: Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney performed by Beyond the Walls Choir
Welcome to the Upper Room. We continue the Easter season as people who believe death does not have the final say. Today our theme is resurrection which will be described as the ability to rise up when we are afraid. In this week when Pope Francis died let us begin today with a variation of Ave Maria as our opening prayer.
First Reading:Excerpt from Sermon by Pastor Dawn Hutchings
I believe that in order to understand the power of this particular story of resurrection we must move beyond simplistic literal explanations and open ourselves to the more-than-literal symbolic – dare I say it, spiritual understanding of resurrection.
I can tell you without a doubt that I believe in resurrection, and I know that Christ is risen, and I also know that the same power that the early followers of Jesus used to change the world is available to you and to me. Now, more than ever the world needs us to start using that power. Believing in resurrection is not the point. It’s time for us to start practicing resurrection. When I read the accounts of those early followers of the way who abandoned the tomb of the upper room to gather together to build communities of compassion it is clear to me who was raised up by images of resurrection. The followers of Jesus were lifted up from a crouching or cowering position as they boldly proclaimed what they had learned from Jesus. The followers of Jesus began to understand themselves in a whole new way. Practicing resurrection begins when we huddle together refusing to let our fears entomb us. Practicing resurrection happens when we empower one another to rise.
These are inspired words from Pastor Dawn Hutchings, and we affirm them with, Amen.
Second Reading: Excerpt from Easter Address of Pope Francis
I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development. These are the “weapons” of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!
May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions. In the face of the cruelty of conflicts that involve defenseless civilians and attack schools, hospitals and humanitarian workers, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that it is not targets that are struck, but persons, each possessed of a soul and human dignity.
In this Jubilee year, may Easter also be a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners!
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. Easter Sequence). He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5)!
Happy Easter to everyone!
These are inspired words of Pope Francis, and we affirm them with, Amen.
Gospel:A reading from the anonymous writer known as John (Jn20:19-31)
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week the doors were locked in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Temple authorities.
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, the savior showed them the marks of crucifixion.
The disciples were filled with joy when they saw Jesus, who said to them again, “Peace be with you. As Abba God sent me, so I’m sending you.”
After saying this, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”
It happened that one of the Twelve, Thomas - nicknamed Didymus, or “Twin”-was absent when Jesus came. The other disciples kept telling him, “We’ve seen Jesus!”
Thomas’ answer was, “I’ll never believe it without putting my finger in the nail marks and my hand into the spear wound.”
On the eighth day, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came and stood before them, saying, “Peace be with you.”
Then, to Thomas, Jesus said, “Take your finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don’t persist in your unbelief but believe!”
Thomas said in response, “My Savior and my God!”
Jesus then said, “You’ve become a believer because you saw me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus performed many other signs as well - signs not recorded here - in the presence of the disciples. But these have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Only Begotten, so that by believing you may have life in Jesus’ Name.
These are inspired words from the Gospel attributed to John, and we affirm them with Amen.
Homily Starter - Donna
I can relate to Thomas and the other disciples in the gospel story. The fear that brings them to the upper room to take cover and maybe even hide from the events of the last days that ended with the horrific death of Jesus, their teacher, friend and role model. I can relate not because I have experienced the horrific, unjust, execution of a friend, but because there have been times in my life when I have experienced enough fear to want to take cover and hide. Jesus, Pastor Dawn, and Pope Francis, all encourage us today in our readings to find peace and courage in the face of fear. Pastor Dawn says that we can tap into the power of knowing resurrection in a spiritual way to find the courage we need to rise up and transform fear into actions.
Our fears can dissolve when we remember what Pope Francis reminds us of: Each person has a soul and must be treated with dignity. When we are tempted to allow fear to lead us, we sow seeds of destruction and death. We must embrace “weapons of peace” which means following the teachings of Jesus to love God, ourselves and others, planting seeds of life, even when we would prefer to hide or let someone else do the work.
So, I am going to practice what I preach right now by sharing with you what I would like to say to Pope Francis if he was still doing his phone calls to hear from the people. I am picturing a conversation with him in the present as if I could talk to him after he died. I would say:
“Thank you for taking the time to have phone conversations with the people. When I watched you on television become the 266th pope I had tears of joy because of the amazing humility I saw in you. In your first address as the pope, you asked the people to pray for you and said, ‘Let us always pray for Us, one for the other, let us pray for the whole world.’”
I would also say (this is the part that would take lots of courage):
“Our paths crossed briefly once. You were in the U.S. talking to the bishops in St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D. C. I was outside waiting to see you leave that assembly in the pope mobile.When you were passing me, our eyes met. This was a very powerful moment. I met your eyes as a priest, a lesbian and a partner in building the kindom on earth. I wonder if you even remember that moment. I will never forget it because I was able to communicate my lived truth with my sign, with my attire, and by following my call to ordination.
I admire all the brave things you have done in your life that came from how you were changed by your experience of life. My life experience has taught me that treating women and all people with equality is needed as one of those “weapons of peace” in the church and in the world. I am fortunate to be in a movement that is working for this important change. I ask you to pray for us.”
I hope my imaginary phone call with Pope Francis shows how much I admire his life and ministry. I wish to say a respectful good-bye and I wish him peace. Honestly, I feel disappointed that he was not able to accomplish more for the sacramental role of women or the LGBTQ+ community.
This position I find myself in teaches me that none of us can be all things to all the problems of the world and that includes any pope, any church structure or any government. We must embrace our individual vocations, informed by the Gospel and our life experiences. We must rely on each other, God and ourselves. My prayer is that on the last day of my life I will know that I stayed in the race and fought the good fight as Francis did. He gave his last address only hours before he died. We must do our part accepting that we have one life and can only offer our specific gifts to the greater good. We can be comforted in knowing that it is not all up to one person but to the combined efforts of us all from generation to generation. We must not be entombed by our fears but rise up over and over again to become our best selves. Each one of us is needed and must be in solidarity with each other because there is still so much work to be done.
Shared Homily
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
Presider: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we voice our intentions beginning with the words, “We bring to the table…..”
Presider: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Presider 1:Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together:
All: 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 by Christopher Grundy
ALL: 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.
Presider 2: Please extend your hands in blessing.
All: 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 the Seder 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.
All lift their plate and pray the following:
When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the Passover bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat; this is my very self.
All lift their cup and pray the following:
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.
Please receive communion with the words: Rise up and live.
In faith and hope we are sustained; in grace and dignity reclaimed. In praise, we thank you.
In union with all peoples living and dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers, asking wisdom and courage: - to discern more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily lives; - to act justly and courageously in confronting the pain and suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples; - to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and marginalized; - and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the labels of race, creed and color.
And may we ever be aware and alert to the new things Your Spirit makes possible in us, as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty, into the fullness of life to which all are called, participating in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation.
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.
Presider 1: Let us pray the prayer Jesus:
O 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 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
(Miriam Therese Winter)
BLESSING
Presider: Let us pray together our blessing:
May you find harmony between your soul and your life.
May the sanctuary of your soul never become haunted.
May you never place walls between the light and yourself.
May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible world to gather you, mind you and embrace you in belonging.
May you rise up over and over again bringing your highest self into the world.
Welcome, as we continue our celebration of Easter.Let us recognize the presence of our brother Jesus in this gathering.And let us celebrate.
Opening Prayer:Holy One, open our minds and hearts to your truth.Allow us to hear you, to see you, to live in your Divine Love, just as our brother Jesus did.And as we strive to live as he did, help us to become more and more the people you created us to be.Amen.
Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying, “What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.
This is an ancient account of the early followers of Jesus, told to us by the author we know as Luke.We respond by saying, Amen.
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
This account of the resurrection of Jesus is passed down from the ancient writer we know as Mark.We respond with, Amen.
Homily Starter:
We know that death changes lots of things.We have all experienced the changes it brings to our lives and the lives of others.But we learn from the experience of Jesus and his friends that death does not, after all, change everything.It does not change the fundamental truth that lives in the core of a person.That truth, the personhood uniquely created and beloved by God, continues to live in some way.We see this in the resurrection experience. It is this profound truth that we explore tonight.
There are many ways to die.One day, sooner or later, we will, each of us, experience bodily death.But before then, at some time during our lives, we all experience profound changes; changes that are so life-altering that we might compare them to a death.I can share one such experience.
When I was in my early forties, I initiated divorce proceedings.For almost 20 years I had been a wife.I was the mother of two young teens.I worked at a job I loved, but from which I earned very little money.I had friends, and my husband and I had friendships with other couples.I was active in my parish, and many of my friendships were rooted there.
And then, the divorce.Suddenly a single parent, I was forced to find a better paying job.Some of my friends didn’t seem to recognize me.One friend from church turned away weeping when I told her about the divorce.I lost touch with our couple friends.I walked the earth as the same person but unrecognizable to many people, including myself.
And yet, as time passed, and as life carried me farther into this new territory, I began to recognize myself more and more.I realized that although the waters I navigated, and even the boat I traveled in may have changed, the person working the paddle was the same.I was still me.At my core I had not changed.
Is it so surprising then, that when Mary Magdalene and the other two disciples reported seeing Jesus in different forms, they were met with disbelief?Life changes us in some ways.It seems that death changes us even more.And yet…
Soon after, these same disbelieving disciples were healing people and invoking the name of Jesus.Not their dead friend, but the person at the core, the one who even after suffering and dying, was in some way with them, paddling his boat before them, navigating them through the waters of change.
What did you hear in tonight’s readings?Please share your thoughts.
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 this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our prayers for the community.
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
(Written by Jay Murnane)
Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together.
Blessed are you, Holy One, source of all creation. Through your goodness you made this world and called us to be Your co-creators. We give thanks for the diversity and beauty of life around us and within us.
We open our awareness to the goodness of all of creation and we remember our responsibility to serve. You invite us to build the earth into a community of love rooted in justice. You placed confidence in us, for you made us and you know that we are good.
In joy and in thanksgiving we join with all the faithful servants who have gone before us and we sing:
We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, and revealing us as one with you and all of creation.
He lived among us to show us who we are and challenged us to know you. He taught us the strength of compassionate 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 died, Jesus gathered for supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet, so that they would re-member him.
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)
What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives. As we share communion, we become Communion both love’s nourishment and love’s challenge.
Please receive Communion with the words, I honor the Divine within you.
Holy One, we are willing to do everything Jesus did, to re-create the living presence of a love that does justice, of a compassion that heals and liberates, of a joy that generates hope, of a light that illumines people and confronts the darkness of every injustice and inequity.
We trust you to continue to share with us your own spirit, the spirit that animated Jesus, for it is through his life and teaching, all honor and glory is yours, O Holy One, forever and ever.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 in Blessing:
May our lives reflect the Holy One.May we continue to recognize the Divine in ourselves and in one another.Amen.
