Welcome to this Moment of Oneness, that finds us
at the height of summer. It has been a
challenging summer, to say the least, and looking at the news every day can be
exhausting. But when I look around me as
I stroll through meadow and forest, or even in my own neighborhood, all I see
is growth. If I turn off my earbuds I
can listen instead to the chattering of birds, squirrels and chipmunks. If I pay attention, I notice that the air is
scented with flowers and mown grass.
Despite all the division and all the hate, it is still summer. So tonight, let’s take a moment to be
joyful. Let’s take a moment to be
grateful. Let’s take a moment to
celebrate this season and to praise the One who never tires of loving us, no
matter how tiring we must be sometimes. Let’s
allow ourselves to lay our troubles down and be lifted.
Opening Song: Hallelujah
by MaMuse, video by Denise
First Reading: Psalm
146 (Reimagined by Nan Merrill, “Psalms for Praying)
Praise
be to You!
Praise
the Beloved, O my soul!
I will
praise You with all
my
being;
I will
sing joyfully and with
Thanksgiving
to
You, Heart of my heart!
Put
not your trust in riches,
in
illusionary things that fade away.
For
when our day comes to depart
this
world,
at
that very time, we carry
only
the love
imprinted
upon our soul.
Blessed
are those whose strength is
in the
Beloved,
whose
trust is in You,
O
Divine Lover,
Who
gave birth to the universe –
the
heavens, earth, and sea –
and
all that is within them.
You
are ever-faithful, bringing
balance
and harmony to earth,
nourishment
to body and soul.
You
free us from the bonds
of
fear;
You
give insight to those
who
would see.
You
lift up the faint-hearted,
giving
succour to those who weep.
You
watch over those on journey,
sending
guides and angels
to
lead the way;
O,
that we might become beacons
of
light to those in darkness.
May
You, who live forever in
our
hearts,
loose
the fetters of fear
that
bind us,
That
we might praise You always
with
free and joyful song!
May it
be so!
Moment
of Silent prayers of gratitude.
Second
Reading
It is
not happiness that makes us grateful, it is gratefulness that makes us happy.
Every moment is a gift. … Whatever life gives to you, you can respond with joy.
Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful
response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment – Brother David
Steindl Rast
Intentions
For
the air we breathe…. We are grateful
For
the earth we stand upon…. We are grateful
For
the sun in the sky, for the moon and stars…. We are grateful
For
the rain that gives life…. We are grateful
For
the joy that comes in rising after sleep…. We are grateful
For
the joy that comes in good work…. We are grateful
For
the joy that comes from loving relationships…. We are grateful
For
the joy that comes from every day we spend on this beautiful planet…. We are
grateful.
Please
add your own reasons for gratitude
Closing
Prayer
Holy
One, we thank you for all your good gifts.You gift us with joy to make us strong as we face the struggle, never
alone, but with your Divine Presence in one another and in the beautiful world
in which we move.May we always remember
to look for your face, even in difficult times.And may we always be grateful for this, the life that you have given
us.Amen.
Canticle of the Turning by
Rory Cooney, video by Denise
Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via Zoom Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656 Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Celebrating Mary Magdalene and Each of Us
Welcome to ALL, as we bring our attention to Mary Magdalene and to women who have served throughout the centuries. Women continue to serve the human condition with unequal status but with more than equal presence all over the world. Even in societies that suppress women in every way, there is always hope. Mary Magdalene, through her witness and love, leads the way.
Opening Prayer: We bring each person forward in our minds and hearts as we remember the work we do as women and men, and the love that is shared. May we find the power, persistence and presence to follow Mary Magdalene and Jesus who both lead the way. We ask for this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
When the Blessed One had said these things, he greeted them all, saying, “Peace be with you! Bear my peace within yourselves! Beware that no one lead you astray saying,
‘Look over here!’ Or ‘Look over there!’
For the Child of Humanity is within you! Follow it!”
“Those who seek it will find it. Go then and proclaim the good news of the realm. Do not lay down any rules beyond what I determined for you, nor give a law like the lawgiver, lest you be confined by it.” When he had said this, he departed.
But they were pained. They wept greatly, saying,
“How shall we go to the nations and proclaim the good news of the Child of Humanity?
If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?”
Then Mary stood up. She greeted them all, and said to her brothers and sisters, “Do not weep and be pained, nor doubt, for all his grace will be with you and shelter you. But rather let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us Humans.”
When Mary said this, she turned their heart to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the Savior.
These are words attributed to the Gospel of Mary of Magdalene, in the Hal Taussig translation, and we affirm them by saying, AMEN.
Readings taken from Taussig, Hal. A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition
Shared Homily: Deb Trees
For many years now we have been bringing back the emphasis on Mary Magdalene, celebrating her life and leadership. We bring women’s contributions to our awareness and to the forefront of justice, including women in all levels of church and ministry. Mary Magdalene’s feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on July 22nd. Since that is Tuesday and not Sunday, we are celebrating this wonderful disciple and apostle
today.
According to the discussion of Hal Taussig regarding the Gospel of Mary, he states the following: “At the heart of the Gospel of Mary is a throbbing enthusiasm for becoming a true human being. For this ancient gospel, Jesus is the Savior because he teaches people how to welcome true humanity into themselves. None of the preceding
quotations from the Gospel of Mary point to how Jesus saves them, forgives them, or makes them holy. Rather, the focus of these teachings is on being real human beings.”
“The Child of Humanity is Within You…”
This Theology of Blessing is central to our work in that we applaud and enhance the idea that we are not sinners, not imperfect, not needing to be saved by the cross. Instead, we are holy and striving to be more holy. We achieve this by acting in our present lives with love and blessing for all. We are striving to attain Soul awareness.
Mary was given this teaching from Jesus and shared it as a leader with others.
Although the Gospel of Mary is not complete, it is well worth reading to get another flavor of Early Christian thinking and teaching. In the Gospel, Mary Magdalene strives to share her experience of Jesus with the disciples present. Jesus who was her spiritual teacher.
We all continue to work towards inclusive lives today, which is one of the reasons we are here together in the Upper Room. We strive to highlight the role of women now and in the early church. We celebrate Mary today as an example of female presence and leadership in the early church and continue by our lives to help all remember the
importance of women in the world.
May we continue to be true to our callings, each of us, no matter where we are, as we give voice to the Child of Humanity within us.
And so, my friends, what did you hear, and how will you live your vision today? We look forward to sharing our wisdom together.
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…..”
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Presider: 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 share the bread and wine with the words, You are a Child of Humanity.
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 we continue to hold the Divine in our lives and to strive for Soul Awareness and Ascent. May we continue our lifelong learning to be all that we can be and to humbly be Children of Humanity. May we be a blessing in our time.AMEN.
