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Welcome: There are over 100 names of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. Christians have litanies of names for God, Muslims have 99 names for God. Other traditions have their specific names for God. We humans have a need for definition, when in reality the definition is mystery.
Let us pray: Holy One, you show us who you are in scripture, in nature, in each other and all creation. Every day we question, and ask, have we found you yet? You must have a big grin across your “face” as you care for us. Amen.
Opening song: More Light by Christopher Gundy video by MTStreck
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A Reading from the Book of Exodus (3:13-14)
Moses asked: “But if they ask me what God’s name is, what am I to tell them?” And God said to Moses, “I Am who I AM. I Am has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is the name you are to remember for all generations.”
These are the inspired words from the Book of Exodus, and the community affirms with AMEN!
Psalm 46 -10 (adapted for meditation).
Be still and know that I AM God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
AMEN!
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker – MTVideo
Gospel: A Reading from the Gospel of John
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; and faith in me as well.
In God’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him,
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, I am the way; I am the truth; and I am the life.
These are the inspired words of John a disciple of Jesus. We affirm these words with AMEN!
Shared Homily This is only a small section of chapter 14 in John, and we could spend all night discovering the truths these verses reveal to each of us. Tonight, I would like to focus on one of the most familiar verses.
We have heard the verse “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am Life” many times. We hear this verse and think of Jesus. Many believe that this is proof Jesus is God. Many have and still say if you do not believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord you are lost and will not be saved. The words of scripture are used to spread love and unity and unfortunately may also spread hatred and division.
Jesus never claimed to be God but rather always pointed to God, his Abba God. The theologians of The Five Gospels, remind us that “I am the way, the truth and life, are actually three I AM statements. I AM being the name of God in Exodus. If you took Latin, French, Spanish or other foreign languages you may remember the verb to be. The first-person singular in the verb to be is I AM. When we dig deep into translation we can understand how God is the great I AM, The Source of our Being. Be still and know that I Am God.
Is Jesus saying he is the Way or could this be another reference to: God (I AM) is the way, truth and life. John was writing from his understanding at the time. John’s community had survived the destruction of the temple and needed to focus on Jesus as the Messiah, hope for the one who was to come.
There is another possible interpretation: “I am the way”, perhaps Jesus is saying I will show you the way. Jesus showed us the way his whole life. Always showing us the way to his Abba God. When Jesus said, “I am the truth”, he could have meant he is telling us the truth about how God wants us to live. (live justly, love tenderly and walk with God). Finally, “I am Life”. Jesus showed us how to live, and he showed us the path to life, the purpose to life. To love one another as God loves us. We could tease these words out over and over and discover all kinds of interpretations and personal truths.
What did you hear in the readings? What resonated in your heart?
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 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 unspoken prayers and blessings. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: O Nurturing, Mothering One, You are always with us. We are grateful for Your constant loving and unconditional presence. At times we forget that You are holding us, attending to us. We fall and You pick us up. You send strangers, friends and family to our aid. We are never without Your Light and Spirit.
We experience great joy and we experience great pain and suffering. You are with us in the joy and the pain and suffering. When we experience Your presence we long to sing our hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy
All: Creator and Lover of all beings, we cannot grow in the darkness of this world without Your Light. Our desire to be in Your light is a gift from You. Help us keep our hearts and minds open to You through our love and care for each other and all creation
Please extend your hands in blessing
This bread and wine is a sign of Your nourishment and a sign of Your great love. Your Spirit is upon us and we belong to You and one another.
We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, revealing us as one with you, and all creation.
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the 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 bread)
Back at the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, share, go and love one another.
(All lift the cup)
Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink of the covenant
Made new again through my life in you.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
Bread and wine are transformed by Your Spirit, and we are transformed when we open ourselves to Your Spirit. Every time we share this bread and wine we choose to be transformed. We choose to love as You love us.
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 the bread and cup with the words: I AM is in me, around and among us.
Communion Song: Learning to Sit with Not knowing – Carrie Newcomer
https://youtu.be/I_t8WqgKL3I
Communion prayer:
Loving Source of our being, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We live justly, we love tenderly, we walk with integrity in Your Presence Amen.
Let us pray together the prayer of 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 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.
The Prayer of Jesus as adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
BLESSING
Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together:
May we continue to be the Face of God to each other. May the certainty of our connectedness to one another and all creation ignite us to love more fully. May we continuously try again and again to let go and live as children of the Holy One. And like Jesus be a shining light and a blessing for all.
All: Amen.
Closing Song: The House That Love is Building
https://youtu.be/dM69BAgvuXw
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