Upper Room Saturday Liturgy, September 6, 2025 - Presider: Kathie Ryan

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

Welcome: Last week we reflected on the gospel verses that preceded today’s gospel. Tonight we will pick up where we left off and gather once again for our feast. How are we to behave at this feast and who is invited?

Opening Prayer: Holy One, we are forever connected to You, one another and all creation. May our table always be open to all.

Opening Song: More Light by Christopher Gundy 

https://youtu.be/a8XaUlqb8t0

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 A reading from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer

The relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us, the earth gives to me daily and I must return the gift.  Take only what you need. Take only that which is given. Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Share. Give thanks for what you have been given.  Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

These are the inspired words of Robin Kimmerer and we affirm them with AMEN.

Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker

https://youtu.be/o1rc7ojQtJU

Gospel: The Gospel according to a disciple known as Luke (Lk 14:7, 12-14) 

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Jesus  said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

These are the words of a writer known as Luke and we affirm them with AMEN.

Shared Homily 

Last week our gospel ended with the verses “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” This week we start there.  We are to consider humbling ourselves.  I am not particularly keen hearing someone say, “I am trying to be humble” or I want to be humble or isn’t’ he a humble guy.  I don’t even like to think about the word humble very much. Phrases like “eating humble pie” or praying to be humble is like praying to be patient…no thanks…I don’t want to be given the opportunities to be patient or to be humble(d).

Let’s dig deeper into what does it mean to be humble.  In the Abiding Word commentary, Barbara Reid says: “the word humble means to be grounded. The word humility comes from the Latin word humilis which literally means “on the ground” deriving from hummus or grounded to the earth”.   Picturing myself as  “grounded” verses picturing myself groveling changes the meaning of what it means to be humble.

According to another commentary on Luke: If we are grounded our humbleness or humility is “a quality of life, not measured by recognition from our peers but by the certainty that God accepts us as we are.”  God is ultimately the one who blesses us and values us”.   God accepts us as we are, and we are blessed and valued!  Try saying that to yourself in the mirror each morning!  Being grounded in how God sees us not as others may or may not see us.  We can be grateful to be humble with these definitions!

 In the first reading Robin Kimmerer reminds us that we are all connected to the earth. In the gospel Jesus is asking us to pay attention to everyone’s needs regardless of their cultural status or abilities.   We are grounded in the earth and grounded in each other.  

Grounded in the earth and to each other is very comforting and humbling. 

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 prayer of intentions:

We pray for these and all unspoken intentions that we hold in our hearts.  Amen. 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer in one voice:

O Holy One, you are always with us. In the blessed abundance of creation, we gather to celebrate Your nourishing gift of life. May our hearts be open as You invite us to participate in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation. May we be ever aware of Your Spirit within and among us as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty into the fullness of life. 

We are grateful for Your Spirit whose breath inspired the primal waters, calling into being the variety and abundance we see around us. Your Spirit sustains and animates our every endeavor, inviting us to act in wisdom and in truth.

In gratitude and joy we embrace our calling and we lift our voices to proclaim a song of praise:

Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy 

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ

As a community, we gather in the power of your Spirit, refreshing wind, purifying fire and flowing water, for the variety and diversity of Creation. We seek to live as Jesus taught us, wise and holy as Spirit-filled people, courageous and prophetic, ever obedient to your call.

 Please extend your hands in blessing. 

In the power of this creative Spirit, Jesus lived life to the full.
We, too, are blessed in the power of that same Spirit, which we now invoke upon all gathered here, to celebrate the transformative energy symbolized in our gifts of bread and wine, given to nourish and sustain us into the fullness of life.

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)

That same bread, Jesus took and broke, to restore the unity of our broken world. Jesus blessed you, then he shared the bread with those at table saying: 

Take and eat the Bread of Life for all who hunger for peace and justice.

(Lift Cup)

After the meal, he then raised the cup of blessing poured in a spirit of solidarity and empowerment, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine saying: 

Take and drink the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.

pause

We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity.

Receive the Bread of Life and the Cup of Compassion with the words:  We are grounded in the Bread of Life.

Communion song: All Belong Here - The Many - Lyric Video

https://youtu.be/sJBEwqBfw3I

We seek to act justly and courageously in confronting the suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples; to take risks in being proactive on behalf of the marginalized who suffer the environmental injustices of fouled air, tainted water, and a poverty of parks and public spaces that bring people together to enjoy nature. We pray for inspiration to act with the harmony and unity and synthesis that is modeled for us by the trees of the forest, and the stars of the evening.

Holy One, your transforming energy is always moving within us and working through us. 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 the Prayer of Jesus

Generous Creator, the intricate and elegant biodiversity of our world is your hallowed autograph on our lives, on our souls and in our hearts. 

We yearn for the wholeness of being in harmony with Your will and with all living things. 

Each day we draw on your creative, life-giving energy with gratitude and awe as we find nourishment in seed and field, river and forest. 

May we be stewards and co-creators with you in caring for the gifts of Your Creation.  

We acknowledge our shortcomings, especially our neglect of the environment. We seek to be reconciled with those we have hurt and we resolve to do better.  

With your unfailing wisdom and the wind of Your Spirit, inspire us that we may reach out and love one another and care for the world, our home.

Strengthen us to work for local and global justice so that we may one day reap a harvest of equality and fairness as if they were wildflowers, propagating spontaneously, unerringly and in surprising abundance. 

We are called to live the Gospel of Creation in harmony and gratitude with all our sisters and brothers across the Earth. We will live justly, love tenderly and walk with integrity in Your Presence. Amen.

BLESSING

Let us pray together our closing blessing:

May we treat all of Creation as sacred and discern the best path to an equitable distribution of the resources we share with our sisters and brothers across the globe. Let us live as if the future depends on it. Amen. 

Closing Song: Believe Out Loud by David Lohman 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15tSw_L291Y

Upper Room Sunday Liturgy, September 7, 2025 - Presiders: Deb Trees and Nick Viscio, Ellen Garcia and Gayle Eagan

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

Welcome: Today we continue with the Second Sunday of the Season of Creation. We are so blessed to be with each other in this space and time. Welcome to our celebration whether you are here in person, online, or viewing at a different time. We are all in this together, and one with each other. Thank you for being here to pray, listen and just be. 

Opening Prayer: 

Creator, of us, of all, your patience with our existence on the gift of this planet is boundless. When we have greed, it continues to give, when we abuse it, You help it to heal. It is difficult at times to feel worthy of Your generosity.

Please let the voices of those who care continue to encourage Your tolerance with us and all who are learning to make a better world.   We pray for courage, stamina and creativity as we grapple with our human weaknesses that causes us, at times, to fail as caretakers of the earth. Help us to hear and see the signs You are giving us that indicate the fragility of Your beautiful work.

We ask that You bless our gathering with wisdom in this space and this time. We pray for your confidence in our sincerity to do what is right for all of Your creation and we give thanks for the privilege of being a part of it. Help us find our action to preserve it, take us by the hand that we may hold the hands of others as part of Your plan. Amen. 

Opening Song: Deer’s Cry by Shaun Davy sung by Lisa Kelly

https://youtu.be/34DVkdZAIw4

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: (From Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson)

Nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has displayed a passion for simplifying it. Thus he undoes the built-in checks and balances by which nature holds the species within bounds.” 

The earth's vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relations between plants and the earth, between plants and other plants, between plants and animals. Sometimes we have no choice but to disturb these relationships, but we should do so thoughtfully, with full awareness that what we do may have consequences remote in time and place. 

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.

These are the words of the writer Rachael Carson and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Second Reading: The Hymn of St Francis of Assisi. 

Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom you give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; and bears a likeness of you, Most High.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you've formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through whom you give sustenance to your creatures.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

These are the words and prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and we affirm them by saying AMEN.

Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker 

https://youtu.be/4cs8NDVM3Vk

Gospel: A reading from Luke 14:25-33 (New, New Testament by Hal Taussig)

One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, too and sisters, yes and even his life, he can be no follower of mine. Whoever does not carry his own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no follower of mine. 

Why, which of you, when you want to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will laugh at you, and say, ‘Here is a person who began to build and was not able to finish!’ 

Or what king, when he is setting out to fight another king, does not first sit down and consider if with ten thousand men he is able to meet one who is coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he cannot, then, while the other is still at a distance, he sends envoys and asks for terms of peace. 

And so with every one of you who does not bid farewell to all you have—you cannot be a follower of mine.

This is a reading from the Gospel of Luke, and we affirm these words with AMEN.

Shared Homily Starter: Deb Trees and Nick Viscio

Deb: Creation is not just about making things. Creation is always in perceived destruction, too.

Change is creation and creation is change. As we noted last week, the smallest of us is chewing up leaves to make mulch. Leaves that were finished with one task on the mighty oak tree to bring nutrients and change sunlight to food. Leaves that now we gather from the ground to get rid of: and creation continues.

Jesus asks us to get rid of our old notions about being human and follow his way by not adhering to the “wisdom” of the day. To be first, to put our tribe above all else, to put our very selves above all else and laud it over others. This will only lead to separation. Jesus asks us to choose true love and inclusivity. To follow his example.

In our time on this planet earth today, we may be experiencing deep sadness at what we see as destruction of the earth and the very efforts that so many have taken (and are continuing to take) to save our home. Even gargantuan efforts are stopped in their tracks, efforts that have been fruitful in every way towards our goals of saving Mother Earth and supporting Human Equity. How in the world could this be happening? Why? And what are we to do about it?

Through Laudato Si, The Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality from Pope Francis, and the Creation Movement over the past many years, there have been recommendations for actions to be taken.

• • Creating a garden for insects
• • Sunday walk to church in local communities
• • Less use, Reuse, and Recycling efforts
• • Alternative energy development, use and consumption
• • Walking, bicycling, ride-sharing
• • Dedicated funds and personal resources to environmental issues
• • Using our voices to advocate for healthy solutions

We have so many ways of continuing our love of the Earth, our communities, ourselves. These efforts will not stop.

Nick: Our first reading is from the book “Silent Spring” by Rachael Carson. She released the book in 1962 and was subjected to intense scrutiny, investigation and was vilified by the government and industry. Within time, her writing lead to the understanding and elimination of the use of DDT which brought many bird species back from the brink of extinction. In her book she asks readers to examine their self interests and challenges us to “Master ourselves and our appetites to live as humans who are an equal part of the earth, not it’s master.” Can we do this?

Deb: As we look at the seeming destruction of some of our work, the callous regard for the effects on human lives and environmental well-being, what actions can we take now to love and include all? Awareness, standing up and standing strong, using our voices in communicating and advocating, these are all happening. Bite by bite we chew down the oak leaves of a time gone by that no longer serves humanity or our home. Followers of Jesus, we continue to be Children of Humanity and Create Anew. We are always hopeful and full of Love. Just as our Creator is. 

What did you hear today? What will you do about it? What will it cost you?

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
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 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 blessings, cares and concerns.

Intentions shared

We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace. 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

(Eucharistic prayer taken from the work of Diarmuid O’Murchu and Jay Murnane)

Presider: Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together:  

O Holy One, you have been called by many names by many people in the centuries of our planet’s life. Yet, no name truly defines you or describes you.  We celebrate you as the marvelous, loving energy of life who caused us and our world to be. We celebrate you as the Source of light and life and love, and we celebrate your presence and all-ways care.

All: O Holy One, we stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history – a time when humanity must choose its future. 

As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future holds both peril and great promise.

May we recognize that, in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms, we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. 

United with our vast universe, with our Mother-Planet and her people everywhere, with one another and You, Holy One, our spirits dance and sing this song of praise: 

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ

We give grateful thanks for those who came before us, for all those who gave from their hearts, who gave from their lives, that there might be a better world, a safer world, a kinder world, we pray for peace in their name. 

And for the children, that they may live, that they may have children of their own and that it will go on - this great blossoming that is meant to go on and on – we pray for peace, in their name. 

And for all peoples of this earth who have no voice in this,

For the animals that have no voice in this,

For the plants, the trees, the flowers that have no voice in this,

For all who share this earth with us, we pray for peace in their name.

We thank you for our brother, Jesus. He showed us so simply, so tenderly, how the world is in our hands. He had nothing in this world but your love, companions on the journey, and his very self. Together, that was more than enough, and that remains our clarity in the midst of confusion: the miracle of healing, new hope, nurturance, nourishment, liberation and life.

Presider 2: Please extend your hands in blessing. 

All: Your Spirit is here in us and in the gifts of this Eucharistic table. May we become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.

Presiders stand at table, Presider 1 lifts bread.

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 consume the bread and drink the cup with the words: We are a blessed part of creation.

Communion Song: Let There be Peace on Earth by Jill Jackson Miller, 

sung by Vince & Jenny Gill

https://youtu.be/0_DxNpW1kHQ

Prayer After Communion

Loving Source of All, we have looked for others to save us and to save our world. Yet, we are called, and consecrated and sent into the world to establish justice and show the blessed fulfillment that comes with simplicity and the giving of ourselves in love.  We will make new our commitment to the harmony of the original vision of creation. 

We will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and our small circles. Like Jesus, in all openness, we will be filled with your own Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

For it is through learning to live as he lived,

And why he lived,

And for whom he lived,

That we awaken to your Spirit within,

Moving us to worship you truly,

O Holy One,

At this time and all time and in all ways.

And we say yes to You!

Presider 1: Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:

All:  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)  

OR:

Celtic Version of the Prayer of Jesus

Holy One beyond all names

Eternal Wellspring

May love rise again in us today

With food for every table

Shelter for every family

And reverence for every life

Forgie us our failings in love

And free us from all falseness

That the light of our souls may shine

And the strength of our spirits endure

For Earth and all its people

This day, tonight and forever.

Amen.  (from John Philip Newell)

BLESSING

Presider 1: Let us pray together our blessing:

May wonder and thanksgiving fill us, may compassion penetrate us, that we may penetrate the numbness that continues our society’s injustices. May we know that we are loved.

May we continue to be the face of the Holy One to each other and may we be a blessing in our time!  Amen.

Presider 2: Please join in singing our Closing Song 

Closing Song: All You Works of God. 

https://youtu.be/vCTyaOcB4xk