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Welcome to our Saturday evening liturgy as we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. Epiphany with its star of wonder guiding the three kings to Jesus.
Opening Prayer
Holy One, we gather this evening in your name. We follow the light of your love back to you and back to each other. Help us to see your light even in our darkest moments. Help us enter into wonder every day. Amen.
Opening Song: Who Lights the Stars
https://youtu.be/5jF_YWsM4SI
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians 3:2-7
You have surely heard how the gift of God’s grace to me was designed for your benefit, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation. I have described it briefly so that you might appreciate my insight into the mystery of the Christ.
In former generations, this mystery was not made known to humankind. Now, the mystery has been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, all people have the same inheritance, and form the same body, and enjoy the same promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. By the gift of divine grace given to me through God's power, I have become a servant of this good news.
These are the inspired words of a follower of Paul. We affirm them by saying AMEN.
Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we know as Matthew. We affirm them by saying AMEN.
Homily Starter: Tonight we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, when the Magi arrived bearing gifts for the baby Jesus. They didn’t bring what we would consider traditional baby gifts. There were no baby blankets or onesies on their camels. Instead, they brought this baby gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gifts fit for a king.
In turn, Jesus gave these three foreign kings, and by extension all of us, a gift as well. Jesus gave these foreigners the gift of inclusion. The miracle, the message, of Jesus was not just for the Jews but for all people. That’s something that we take for granted now but it was pretty radical at the time. That message is reinforced in the first reading when it says, “all people have the same inheritance, and form the same body, and enjoy the same promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” All people. All of us. What a miracle!
And guess what? We don’t even need to bring Jesus lavish gifts like gold to honor him. We simply need to follow his teachings and welcome the foreigner, the stranger, the person we’ve never met before. I say simply but I know it isn’t always easy. There is so much division and polarization in the world today. It’s hard to keep going sometimes. I’m late to start reading (or, in my case, listening to) Valerie Kaur’s See No Stranger, the Upper Room’s current discussion book. She writes “And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love. Revolutionary love is the choice to enter into wonder and labor for others, for our opponents, and for ourselves in order to transform the world around us.”
In the old Christmas carol, it was the star of wonder that led the Magi, the Three Kings, to Jesus. In the dark of winter, in the dark of discouragement, let wonder inspire us and light our way and our work. It doesn’t have to be huge acts. It could be as simple as the next time you meet someone new, the next time you encounter someone different than you, smiling, saying hello, making them feel welcome, including them in your world. That way the gifts of the Magi, the Three Kings, live on forever.
What did you hear? What will you do? What will it cost you? We would love to hear your insights on the 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
As we prepare for the sacred meal, we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. 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
adapted from Diarmuid O’Murchu
With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:
Gracious God, source and sustenance of life, redeeming presence residing within and beyond every part of this grand Universe, Holy Spirit, who enlivens and inebriates all that exists, we celebrate your presence among us today.
Down through the ages, you rescue us from darkness.
you light up our ways with wise and holy people. You restore our spirits and you revive our dwindling hope.
May the Spirit of life and wholeness transform us, allowing us to see the path of mercy, love, and life that will lead us to the Kin-dom.
For all you bring to our lives, we acclaim your love and greatness,
and we join with all creation to sing our hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Words and music by Karen Drucker
Please extend your hands in blessing.
Source of every path that leads to wholeness, maker and healer of all, we bring before you the darkness of our world, and the pain and suffering of your people.
We seek to be healed and to heal; we seek to be reconciled and to reconcile; we seek the road that leads to peace in our hearts and in our world.
We ask you to awaken anew in our hearts the empowering grace of your abundant Spirit, who infuses these gifts of bread and wine with the transforming energy of life, to nourish and sustain us.
As we gather around this friendship table, we recall God’s
blessing and love from ages past, and we celebrate anew
the gift of life which we share among us at this Eucharistic feast.
The bread we break and the cup we share are symbols of our world of abundance where all are invited to partake of the fullness of life. May all be invited to the feast; may no one be excluded.
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. Once again, he showed us how to love one another.
All lift the plate and pray:
Back at the table, he took the Bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, go and share my love with one another.
All lift the cup and pray:
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. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity on the path that leads to life.
Please receive communion saying: “I live in the light of wonder.”
Communion Song: Christ Be Our Light, by Bernadette Farrell
https://youtu.be/nn7Hl6ki9z8
Prayer After Communion
In faith and hope we are sustained,
In grace our dignity reclaimed,
In praise we thank our God.
Grant that we may strive to create a world where suffering and pain are diminished, where justice and peace are restored, and where all people can live in health and wholeness, united in acclaiming the God of life, whose abundance is offered to each and to all.
This prayer we make in the name of our loving God through, with, and in whom we have our being. Amen.
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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
Let us raise our hands and bless each other.
May we bask in the Holy One’s light. May we bring that light to others. May wonder guide our steps. And may our name be a blessing in our time. Amen.
Closing Song: Be a Light – shortened Thomas Rhett (lyrics ) ft. Keith Urban, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott & Reba McEntire
https://youtu.be/Oqiw54l_x-8
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