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Welcome: Welcome to
you all! I’m so happy to be with you here today as we celebrate liturgy
together.
Opening
Prayer: Let us pray. Holy One, quiet our minds so
that we can find your peace within us. In that peace, let wisdom grow. AMEN
Opening Song: Quiet Place by the Many – video by MT
Streck
https://youtu.be/hcq385i1kHE
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First
Reading
A Reading
from the Prophet Isaiah 55:1-3
You who are
thirsty!
Come to the water!
You who have
no money!
Come! Buy, and eat!
Come! Buy
wine and milk,
without money, without price!
Why spend
your money for that which is not bread,
your wages for that which fails to satisfy?
Listen to
me. Listen well, and you will eat well.
You will
delight in rich fare.
Incline your
ear and come to me.
Listen, that
you may live, for my words give life.
I will make
an everlasting covenant with you,
sealed in my love,
- my love which is steadfast, sure, and enduring.
These are
the inspired words of an Isaian prophet, and the community affirms them by
saying AMEN.
Gospel
Acclamation:
Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker – MT Video
https://youtu.be/4cs8NDVM3Vk
Gospel: A Reading from the Gospel attributed to
Matthew 14:13-21
When
Jesus heard that John the Baptizer had been beheaded at Herod's banquet, and
how it had taken place, he took a boat and withdrew to a deserted place by
himself. Hearing of Jesus' whereabouts, the crowds followed him on foot
from the towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the great crowd and he had
compassion for them and cured those who were sick.
When
evening came, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a deserted place,
and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the
villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus
responded “They needn’t go away. You give them something to eat.”
The disciples replied, “We have only five loaves and two fish.”
Jesus said, “Bring the loaves and fish to me.” Then he ordered the
crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish,
Jesus looked to the heavens, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the
disciples. The disciples then gave them to the crowds. All ate and
were filled. The disciples gathered what was left of the broken pieces of
bread, twelve baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting the women and children.
These
are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call Matthew, and the
community affirms them by saying AMEN.
Homily
Starter—Julie: Do you remember back a few decades ago
when Bring Your Daughter to Work Day started? It was cast as a way to show
girls more of the world of work, to make up for decades, centuries, of sexism
and gendered career choices. But it didn’t take long, maybe 10 years, for it to
get rebranded as Bring Your Child to Work Day and for the boys to pile in. I
remember a coworker grumbling about that, about the girls getting lost in the
shuffle.
Turns
out that there are scholars out there who worry that the same thing will happen
to Sophia Wisdom, the feminine face of Wisdom. From the Inclusive Lectionary’s
commentary,
Some scholars interpret Jesus,
especially in “Matthew’s” gospel, as Wisdom personified. Other scholars, while recognizing that
Matthew’s Jesus embodies the religious wisdom of his time, are reluctant to say
Jesus personifies Wisdom, since that involves the replacement of a strong
female Biblical image of the Holy with yet another male image.
Yet another
male image. Oof. There are certainly plenty of male images in Christianity.
Even in our first reading, I don’t hear a strongly feminine voice in Wisdom
inviting us to partake of her life sustaining food, her life sustaining voice.
Although if you’re hungry, I don’t know that it makes much difference who’s
providing the food. Still, after millennia of women from Mary of Magdala to
Thecla and all the unnamed women in scripture being erased, discredited, and
scratched out of artwork, it’s hard to sign Wisdom over to Jesus. He’s already
got a lot, right? For myself, I really, really want to keep Wisdom with Sophia
and compassionate love with Jesus. As if we can really divvy up the Holy! But
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Which is to
say, what would you like to share about today’s 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.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
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 the unspoken concerns held in the silence of our hearts. AMEN
Eucharistic Prayer
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 – New
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk
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.
(Extend
hands in blessing.)
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 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.
(Lift the bread)
When he returned to his place at the
table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it
to them saying:
Take and eat. Go and love one another.
(Lift the cup)
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.
In faith
and hope we are sustained; in grace and dignity reclaimed. In praise,
we thank you.
Please receive communion with the words:
I am wise.
Communion
Meditation: Come to the Water by John Foley, SJ
https://youtu.be/_FMuokL8tZc
Prayer
after communion: Let
us pray. 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.
Prayer
of Jesus
Let
us pray as Jesus taught us:
Holy One, you are 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.
Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
BLESSING
Please
raise your hands as we bless each other:
May we shine like the face of God to each other. May we honor our
own wisdom. May we be a blessing in our time! AMEN
Closing Song: Shine—Dolly Parton
https://youtu.be/8e-Ip9RagkU?si=4kmNB8rssnFmKvGA
"Shine"
Give
me a word
Give me a sign
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?
Lay me on the ground
Or fly me in the sky
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?
Chorus
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Love is in the water
Love is in the air
Show me where to look
Tell me will love be there?
Will love be there?
Teach me how to speak
Teach me how to share
Teach me where to go
Tell me will love be there?
Will love be there?
Chorus
Give me a word
Give me a sign
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?
Lay me on the ground
Or fly me in the sky
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?
Chorus
I'm gonna let it shine, I'm gonna let it shine
Heaven, send a light. Let it shine on me
Hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Heaven, send a light. Let it shine on me
(Shine) Shine on me. Hey, hey, yeah-hey-yeah
(Shine) Well, come on and shine
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