Laetare Sunday
Welcome and Opening Peace Prayer:
Hello to all here in the Upper Room, In Zoom, or viewing this liturgy at another time. Welcome to this sacred space. Diana Butler Bass says it so well -
“Right now, it’s hard to look at the world. It is difficult to watch the news, open social media, read a newspaper. All that division and anger and confusion and suffering and fear and pain. Authoritarianism, injustice, mass murder, starvation, war, genocide … every single day I fear what I may see.
God sees beyond, through, and past the covering of the fig leaves. God sees creation “without deceit.” God beholds the world as it really is, a beloved community, a feast of abundance, sparkling in the light and glory of love.
And God invites us to see that goodness also – with our own eyes. To see differently, looking beyond, under, through, and past shadows.”
Wonderful words and thoughts. Let us listen and realize the goodness that is always shining through…
Opening Song: Awake O’ Sleeper by Marty Haugen
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Our first reading is from the Internet…
Question – “How to be light in a dark world.”
(Accessed March, 2026 from WWW using AI)
To be "light" means embodying positivity, joy, and service to others through small, intentional actions like smiling, encouragement, and generosity. Cultivate this state by practicing daily gratitude, maintaining a nurturing, loving, and non-judgmental attitude. Physically, you can feel lighter by releasing tension, managing stress through movement, and nourishing your body with healthy foods.
Here are specific ways to be a light, based on different approaches:
Ways to Be a Light in the World (Acts of Service & Kindness)
* Small Actions: Smile at strangers, hold doors, send a card, or pay for someone's coffee.
* Acts of Service: Offer to walk a neighbor’s dog, help with grocery shopping for the elderly, or mentor someone.
* Generosity: Donate to charity, share your skills, or offer encouraging words, especially to those grieving or struggling.
Cultivating Inner Light (Mindset & Spirit)
* Joy and Gratitude: Focus on gratitude and joy, even in difficult times, by recognizing that a "new day" of hope is always coming.
* Positivity: Actively choose patience, love, and kindness over judgment.
* Presence: Be fully present with people, listening and encouraging them.
Feeling Physically Lighter (Body & Stress Management)
* Movement: Shake out stress with light, rhythmic movement, or try yoga/stretching.
* Release: Visualize letting go of burdens (responsibilities, stress) by "packing them away" in a metaphorical suitcase.
* Self-Care: Nourish your body with fresh food, hydrate, and get adequate rest to avoid feeling weighed down.
Spiritual Approach
* Reflection: Actively reflect love, compassion, and grace as a "light in the darkness".
* Prayer/Meditation: Start the day with prayer, meditation, or quiet time to set a positive, peaceful tone.
A Cultivation of resources from the internet using AI, and we affirm this wisdom with a resounding, AMEN.
Gospel Acclamation: Spirit of the Living God by Michael Crawford-video by MTStreck
Gospel: A reading from the Gospel according to John.
As Jesus passed by, he saw someone who had been blind from his birth. Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he said, “and wash your eyes in the Bath of Siloam” (a word which means “messenger”). So he went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.
His neighbors, and those who had formerly known him by sight as a beggar, exclaimed: “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” “Yes,” some said, “it is”; while others said: “No, but he is like him.” The man himself said: “I am he.”
They took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay and gave him his sight. So the Pharisees also questioned the man as to how he had gained his sight. “He put clay on my eyes,” he answered, “and I washed them, and I can see.” “The man cannot be from God,” said some of the Pharisees, “for he does not keep the sabbath.” “How is it possible,” retorted others, “for a bad man to give signs like this?” So there was a difference of opinion among them, and they again questioned the man. “What do you yourself say about him, for it is to you that he has given sight?” He said, “He is a prophet.” “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind, but now I see.”
“You,” they retorted, “were born totally depraved; and are you trying to teach us?” So they expelled him.
Jesus heard of their having put him out; and, when he had found the man, he asked: “Do you trust in the Child of Humanity?”
“Tell me who he is, sir,” he replied, “so that I may believe in him.”
“Not only have you seen him,” said Jesus, “but it is he who is now speaking to you.”
“Then, sir, I do trust,” said the man, bowing to the ground before him.
These are the words from the Gospel writer known as John, and we affirm them with a resounding, AMEN.
(From Taussig, Hal. A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts (pp. 201-202). Mariner Books. Kindle Edition.)
Laetare Sunday, Homily Starter, Deb Trees, March 15, 2026
Old habits die hard they say, and Our Lenten practices are old habits indeed. How many of us are following some form of fasting, penitence, Friday Fish Rituals, and refraining from our favorites as we go through this 40 Days till we get to Easter and Resurrection?
For many years I have said, “I am giving up, giving up.” If we believe that we are beautiful and beloved creatures of the Holy One, why do we have to beat ourselves over the head with a board, put ashes on our foreheads, keep telling ourselves we are sinners and that Christ came to die for us on the cross. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa. Through my most grievous fault. As I have come to live a life enriched by Original Blessing Theology and not Atonement Theology, I have moved away from acts of penance and giving up chocolate. 😊
But not so fast. Habits of our traditions run deep. On a Friday night in Lent, I find myself making sure I am not eating meat. Not even Fish, although every Friday is Fish Day in my house. (My Stephen eats fish every day!)
And so, on this Laetare Sunday, a word that means Rejoice! we are “allowed to” wear Pink, have fun, smile and rejoice. Resurrection is coming. I am struck by how entrenched we can become in our patterns.
Jesus is brave as he performs miracles and speaks truth to power. He is breaking tradition and habits. I believe he knows what he’s doing and knows that it won’t end well for him. But he also is true to his calling. And he listens to all those around him with ears of awareness and love. He himself leads by example. He doesn’t let the rules of the day deter him from his mission; To bring the joy of the Creator to his life and the lives of all who see him for who he is. The blind man, the Pharisees, and All of us.
We have done an amazing act by our following of Jesus and still our work continues on in others. Do we need a label like Christian, Christ-like or any other word for spirituality of our existence? We, as followers of Jesus, have through thousands of years helped others to be the light in the darkness. This has happened by our example and by following the example of Jesus. And look at the outcome. A search of the internet for “how to be light in dark times” comes up with all these suggestions. They are exactly the light of our faith. Perfect. No need to say Jesus, or Christ, or Christian. The actions are the love that we all need. And I think Jesus is so happy with that outcome!
Peace to you on this Pink Sunday of Joy, this Laetare Sunday of Rejoicing. May each of us walk the final days of Lent, remembering what the cost may be, and knowing we can have Hope in Love and Light.
What did you hear my dear friends? Please share if you feel called.
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 by Peter Mayer - Video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
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 with the words: We are light for each other.
Communion Song: Deep Peace by Bill Douglas
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
(adapted by Miriam Therese Winter)
BLESSING
Presider: Jan Richardson in “How the Light Comes”, says the following – “I cannot tell you how the light comes, but that it does. That it will. That it works its way into the deepest dark that enfolds you, though it may seem long ages in coming or arrive in a shape you did not foresee.”
Let us pray together our blessing:
May we be the light for ourselves and for others.
May our light be enduring and extravagant. May we be a blessing in our time. AMEN.
Closing Song: When You’re Smiling. Frank Sinatra.
https://youtu.be/6AEUEmxMUtQ?si=j-iNUKsgBJt99Wlb
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