Upper Room Fall Retreat Prayers and Liturgy October 23-25 2026

 

                                                            Photo by Dennis McDonald

Welcome Prayer

Presider:  Denise Hackert-Stoner

Welcome, friends, to this, a gift of time and space; a time to breathe in the sweet scents of autumn, to feel the crunch of leaves under our feet, to sit in silent prayer indoors or out, to quietly share thoughts with a friend, or to create art without interruption. 

Let us take a moment of gratitude for this holy time, for this holy space.

PAUSE

Opening Prayer:

Holy One, you are with us always in our everyday lives.  But at this special time, we open ourselves to the presence of your Divine Love in a mindful way.  We drink you in, allowing you to fill us, as you fill these beautiful surroundings. In deep gratitude, we pray, Amen.

First Reading: Falling in Love with What Is, by Tias Little

The journey itself becomes the guide, the teacher. You only have to leave your self-willed agenda behind, slough off your doubts and be open to where the path takes you. As the early Taoist saying goes, “If you fall in love with the road, the Way, you will forget the destination.”  The journey itself is never about accomplishing anything. It is never about gain. And it is never about getting anywhere rather than where you are.

On the path everything is constantly changing and everyone you meet unique and different... Each day we cannot know what lies ahead. You only have to take courage and welcome the new territory in front of you. It is an exercise in trust. When you make a habit of receptivity, you learn to love the world and yourself in it just as it is.

 

Second Reading:  The Avowel, by Denise Levertov

As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.

Scripture Reading: From Psalm 91 (Psalms for Praying, Nan Merrill)

Those who dwell in the shelter of Infinite Light, who abide in the wings of Infinite Love, will raise their voices in praise;

“My refuge and my strength; in You alone will I trust.” 
For You deliver me from the webs of fear, from all that separates and divides;

 
You protect me as an eagle shields its young, your faithfulness is sure, like an arrow set upon the mark.

I will not fear the shadows of the night, nor the confusion that comes by day, nor the dreams that awaken me from sleep, nor the daily changes that life brings.

 
Though a thousand may deride this radical trust, ten thousand laugh as I seek to do your Will, yet I will surrender myself to You, abandoning myself into your Hands without reserve.

 
For You have sent your angels to watch over me, to guide me in all my ways. On their hands, they will bear me up lest I dash my foot against a stone. Though I walk among those who roar like the lion, or are as stealthy as the adder, in your strength will I be saved. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer:  As we enter the darkness of this holy night may we rest in that Love which is pure, glorious, enduring, and true.  And may we arise in the morning as messengers of that Love.  Amen.

Closing Song:  As the Moon by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/qkDwd0uv178

Feel free to stay here in the Healing Center as long as you wish.  Throughout the weekend feel free to use the art supplies in main room downstairs, make use of the private sitting rooms for quiet conversations, walk the trails here at the Center, write about your experiences in the journals provided in the main room.  You are free to borrow one of the books we brought from our collection at the Upper Room as well, or simply sit quietly.  You might, while making your way around this chapel or the rest of the Healing Center, find small writings typed on paper.  Think of these as "Easter Eggs," little surprise words of wisdom for you to enjoy.  You will be invited to share them at our Sunday morning liturgy if you wish.  We will meet for breakfast tomorrow morning, followed by morning prayer.  

Morning Prayer

Presider:  Denise Hackert-Stoner 

 

Opening Prayer: Psalm 118, adapted by Nan Merrill

   

This is the gate to Life;

those who know Love shall

enter through it.

 

I give thanks to You, O Beloved, who

answer our prayers

and invite us to new Life.

The stone which the builders rejected

has become the foundation

of our lives.

This, O Eternal Listener, is your work;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day which You have made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 

First Reading

Once upon a time, when women were birds,
there was the simple understanding that
to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk
was to heal the world through joy.
The birds still remember
what we have forgotten,
that the world is meant to be
celebrated.
~ Terry Tempest Williams

 

Second Reading

All around us, to right and left, in front and behind, above and below, we have only to go a little beyond the frontier of sensible appearances in order to see the divine welling up and showing through. But it is not only close to us, in front of us, that the divine presence has revealed itself. It has sprung up universally, and we find ourselves so surrounded and transfixed by it, that there is no room left to fall down and adore it, even within ourselves.

By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us and molds us. We imagined it as distant and inaccessible, whereas in fact we live steeped in its burning layers. As Jacob said, awakening from his dream, the world, this palpable world, which we were wont to treat with the boredom and disrespect with which we habitually regard places with no sacred association for us, is in truth a holy place, and we did not know it.

~ Teilhard de Chardin

 

 

Scripture Reading: Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.  When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the Holy One, who said: “I am the the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.  I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Holy One is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”  He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

 

Closing Prayer:  May we recognize every day as a day made by our Beloved.  May every place we find ourselves, every road we walk upon, be seen in our eyes as a gate to heaven.  And may the actions of our lives be the altars we build in gratitude.  Amen.

Closing Song:  When Jacob Awoke by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/HiKLgFOP7cA

Saturday Mid-day Prayer

Presider:  Anne Samson

 

As I thought about what to include in today’s midday prayer, the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes came to mind: it focuses a lot on how we use our time and we are wisely taking this time for our renewal. But when I re-read Ecclesiastes, I found it quite disheartening, primarily because most of its awesome wisdom is prefaced by negative statements. The tone of the book is set right at the beginning, as the teacher—identified as the son of David, who we assume is Solomon—is quoted as saying

“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.”

And it ends with his final quote of

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
    “Everything is meaningless!”

 

With effort, I culled some of the good stuff for our use today.  

Please join me as I read, if you are so inclined.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
    and patience is better than pride.

 

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
    for anger resides in the lap of fools.

 

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
    For it is not wise to ask such questions.

 

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing
    and benefits those who see the sun.

 

Wisdom is a shelter
    as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
    Wisdom preserves those who have it.

 

 Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten
    what he has made crooked?

 

When times are good, be happy;
    but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
    as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
    anything about their future.

(Ecc. 7, 8-14)

Let’s conclude our midday prayer with this beautiful “oldie.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zx6j4vI8lE

 

EVENING PRAYER

Presiders:  Dennis McDonald and Elaine Pfaff

 

WELCOME :  We welcome one another to this time of prayer together!

 

INTRODUCTION:  I’m so grateful for this opportunity to be with you on this in-person retreat!  On-screen presence in Upper Room is richer than anything I hoped it could be.  Yet I miss the experience of singing together in person.  So, the idea for this gathering popped up – a time we could immerse ourselves in song, particularly in the meditative practice of chanting.

 

Virtually all the world’s sacred traditions have a powerful practice of sacred chanting.  Chanting goes straight to the heart.  Prayerful chanting in a community creates a powerful resonant field and pulls us further into coherence and unity of intention in whatever language is being sung.  No doubt we’ve all had the experience of being moved by music or song in an un-familiar language.  Our hearts somehow understand beyond literal translation.

 

It’s magical how it works.  A gateway in over-lapping worlds

 

Speaking of over-lapping worlds, we are approaching All Saints and All Souls Day at the beginning of November.  And so, we lovingly and intentionally bring into our gathering the holy company of loved ones gone before us.

 

CANDLE LIGHTING:  All participants light their candles while speaking the names of beloveds in the fullness of God.

 

LITANY OF SAINTS: Sung response, Pray WITH Us

 

SILENT REFLECTION

 

UBI CARITAS:  Where there is love and compassion, God is there.

 

https://youtu.be/C-nKwJkqpW4?si=MUy_O6sQ6fTrVixD

                          Ubi caritas et amor

                          Ubi caritas

                          Deus ibi est   

 

ANTIPHON:  {recited alternately in two parts 3 times}

 

                        Where there is love, there is God

     

                         Here there is Love  

 

                         God is here

 

                        Our beloveds rest in God with us

 

SILENT REFLECTION

 

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS

 

 https://youtu.be/D866MGVFA2o?si=ogu5EP1REjAuyODS

Veni Sancte Spiritus (3x)

 

Come, Holy Spirit, from heaven shine forth with your glorious light.
     Veni Sancte Spiritus.

 

Come, Mother of the poor, come, generous Spirit, come, light of our hearts.
     Veni Sancte Spiritus.

 

Come from the four winds, O Spirit, come breath of God; disperse the shadows over us, renew and strengthen your people.
     Veni Sancte Spiritus.

 

SILENT REFLECTION

                              

CLOSING PRAYER/SONG: Peace to You – Weston Priory (Norbert

 

https://youtu.be/DLX7I9x-5f0?si=IP6v5VU8bGxjMNop

Liturgy Fall Retreat October 25, 2026

Presider:  Denise Hackert-Stoner

 

We come together to celebrate.  We celebrate a weekend spent in joy and in prayer, among dear friends.  We celebrate our world as it is, a world approaching the darkness of winter, a world full of uncertainties and wonderful possibilities.  And we celebrate the knowledge that like the autumn leaves that fall, each one leaving behind a bud that contains next spring’s leaf, everything we need to co-create those bright possibilities for our world is right here.

 

Opening Prayer: 

Holy One, help us to have the faith and wisdom of a tree, sure in its deep trust that the darkness of winter is not an end, but only a time of rest and waiting.  Help us to know that, like the tree, we have everything we need to bloom once more.

 

Opening Song:  Be Still by John McCutcheon

https://youtu.be/ic3LlVs0bjY?si=OsLBOKBA9dyC3axE

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

First Reading : The Wild Geese, by Wendell Berry

Horseback on Sunday morning, harvest over,
we taste persimmon and wild grape,
sharp sweet of summer's end.
In time's maze over fall fields,
we name names that went west from here,
names that rest on graves.
We open a persimmon seed
to find the tree that stands in promise,
pale, in the seed's marrow.
Geese appear high over us, pass,
and the sky closes.
Abandon, as in love or sleep,
holds them to their way,
clear, in the ancient faith:
what we need is here.
And we pray, not for new earth or heaven,
but to be quiet in heart,
and in eye clear.

What we need is here.

 

These are the words of poet Wendell Berry.  We affirm his words with Amen.

Alleluia: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC4nbwmQDVw

Gospel:  Matthew 14:13-21

 

When Jesus got the news (of John the Baptist’s death), he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.

Toward evening the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”

But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”

“All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said.

 

Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed.

 

These are the words of the gospel writer known as Matthew.  We affirm his words with Amen.

 

Homily Starter:

 

“What we need is here.”

 

A whole tree, inside a seed.  A new leaf in the bud as a dead leaf falls.  A supper for 5,000 in a few loaves and fishes.  Why do we doubt that everything we need is right here? 

 

This weekend has been a feast of communion, with one another and with the beautiful world of nature.  It has been, in the true sense of the word, a retreat.  We have retreated from the uncertainty of the wider world.  But I hope that, like the leaves with their buds, like the tree with its seeds, like that crowd of people who tracked down their grieving teacher because they couldn’t bear to be away from him, we have come to recognize the peace that is within, the wisdom that lives in our very bodies and minds, the faith that knows for certain, that yes, what we need is here, and with it we can meet the world with clear eyes and quiet hearts.

 

I invite you now, if you wish, to share a moment, an insight, or, perhaps, one of the little Easter Egg notes you may have found during your stay here.  We would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Statement of Faith

 

All: 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. 

 

Eucharistic Prayer

 

As we prepare for the sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.  Please feel free to voice your concerns or blessings, beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”

 

We pray for these and all unspoken concerns. Amen.

 

We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:

 

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 by Karen Drucker 

https://youtu.be/kl7vmiZ1YuI

 

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.

 

Back at the table, he took the Passover Bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.

 

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.

 

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 communion with the words, “What we need is here.”

 

Communion Meditation:  May the Christ Light, Kathy Sherman

https://youtu.be/tY0Rj9Yd2lk

 

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.

 

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 interpreted by Miriam Therese Winter

 

Through Jesus, we have learned how to live.

Through Jesus, we have learned how to love.

Through Jesus, we have learned how to serve.

AMEN.

 

 

Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together

 

May we learn from every leaf that falls.  May we learn from every tree that stands.  May we learn from every dear soul we meet.  May we know that everything we need is here.

 

All: Amen.

 

Closing Song:  Blessings by Hollow Coves

https://youtu.be/5M3JL9sHS5Q