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Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome and Theme: Welcome to our Saturday evening celebration. As a follow-up to Pentecost, we stay with the metaphor of light and fire that symbolizes the Holy Spirit. What a remarkably personal relationship of trust we are called to with the Spirit of the Holy One by today’s readings that herald the light of life and the light of the world.
Opening Prayer: Holy One, we move between rejoicing at seeing You clearly and feeling distraught as our sense of Your light dims in difficult moments. And yet, we are certain that You are always with us and that we belong to You and to each other. May we be patient in our trust and kind in our ways. May our lives imitate the life of Jesus and Your life-giving ways. Amen
Opening Song Berakah, The Blessing by Jan Novotka
https://youtu.be/awJwUf6fq7k
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: An excerpt from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
If the landscape reveals one certainty, it is that the extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation. After the one extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down aeons of emptiness…The whole show has been on fire from the word go. I come down to the water to cool my eyes. But everywhere I look I see fire, that which isn’t flint is tinder, and the whole world sparks and flames.
These are the inspired words of Annie Dillard and we affirm them. Amen.
Second Reading: Psalm 27 (excerpt)
Yahweh, You are my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
You are the stronghold of my life,
of whom shall I be afraid?
One thing I ask of you, Yahweh,
one thing I seek:
that I may dwell in your house
all the days of my life,
to gaze on your beauty
and to meditate in your Temple.
All: May we trust in our God, from whom all light shines
You will keep me safe in your shelter
when trouble arises,
you’ll set me on a rock,
high and out of reach.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of Yahweh
In the land of the living!
Wait for God— stand tall
And let your heart take courage!
Yes, wait for Yahweh!
All: May we trust in our God, from whom all light shines
Alleluia: https://youtu.be/M3y_VgXgB0E
Gospel: Mathew 5: 14 – 16
Jesus said to the crowd, “You are the light of the world. You don’t build a city on a hill, then try to hide it do you? You don’t light a lamp then put it under a bushel basket, do you? No, you set it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before others so that they may see your good acts and give praise to your Abba God in heaven.”
These are the inspired words of the gospel scribe known as Mathew and we affirm them. Amen.
.
Homily and Shared Reflections
In the first reading, Creation is seen as the first extravagant gesture. I’m reminded of looking at the seams, the veins in a leaf one afternoon and noting the intricate, elegant, tiny beauty of the lines. I thought then as now, that there must be a loving and perfect Holy One if such thoroughgoing beauty could be designed in a single leaf, in every leaf, in every glorious feature of our world. To Dillard, “the whole world sparks and flames with extravagance.
She sees fire as powerful as the people of God always have from the story of the burning bush on Mt. Sinai or the Holy Spirit filling the burning hearts of the listeners at Emmaus. Fire is unpredictable, all-consuming, warming, comforting, a beacon of hope and a respite from cold, from being lonely or uncertain. Fire is the Spirit of the Holy, making pure all of Creation.
Not for nothing does the ancient psalm writer call Abba God “my light and my salvation”, my stronghold and shelter. Such humble praise never gets old. And yet, when Jesus preaches, it is we, his followers, who are “the light of the world.” Humility has its place but Jesus wants us not to be reluctant or complacent about using our giftedness that comes as children of Abba God.
Jesus doesn’t change ancient beliefs; he strengthens and emboldens them. His perspective on light gives us the authority and acknowledges our talent to challenge corrupt power structures and give birth to new truths.
When Creator God commands in Genesis “Let there be light!” how many of us have any earthly idea just how personally it is meant ?
What did you hear in the readings? Please share your thoughts and as the gospel suggests, “give light to all in the house”
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
Afire with Divine Presence
Lynn: As we prepare for the eucharist, we give voice to our blessings, concerns and intentions. Please feel free to begin with the words, “I bring to the table....”
We pray for these and all the unspoken intentions in our hearts. Amen.
With open hearts and hands let us pray together our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: Holy One, you are always with us. In the blessed abundance of creation, we gather to celebrate Your nourishing gift of life. May our hearts be open to You as You invite us to participate in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation.
May we be ever aware of Your Spirit within and among us as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty into the fullness of life.
We are grateful for Your Spirit whose breath inspired the primal waters, calling into being the variety and abundance we see around us. Your Spirit sustains and animates our every endeavor, from the radiance of dawn to the dusk that reveals the sterling light of the stars. We are grateful for your guiding light which invites us to act in wisdom and in truth, with constancy and persistence.
In gratitude and joy, we embrace our calling and we lift our voices to sign a song of praise:
Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQAll: As community, we gather in the power of your Spirit, refreshing wind, purifying fire and living breath, grateful for the variety and diversity of life. We seek to live as Jesus taught us, wise and holy as Spirit-filled people, courageous and prophetic, ever obedient to your call.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
All: We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and wine which remind us of our call to be the Your Presence in the world. These common and accessible foods remind us of Your everywhere Presence with us at all times and in all places.
All: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.
All lift the plate
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, this is my very self.
(pause)
All lift the cup
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.
(pause)
As we celebrate and recognize You in this bread and wine, we love and recognize you in each other. We are filled with gratitude and joy. Glory and praise to You now and forever. Loving Source of our being, you commanded, “Let there be light” and so, all the earth shines in the burning glory and warmth of Your Creation. We resolve to live justly, love tenderly and walk with integrity in Your light of wisdom and truth.
Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. Please receive communion with the phrase, May I see the light and be the light
Communion Song: Who Lights the Stars Sung by Kathe Zavala, music by Michael Singer
All: Holy One, your transforming light is always moving within us and working through us. Like Jesus, we choose to be kind and gentle and always stand up for truth. We seek to live compassionate lives, for it is through living as Jesus lived, that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, at this time and in all ways.
Amen.
Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
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
Lynn: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.
All: May we become acquainted with the fiery light of Divine essence. May we be aflame in the meadows, mountains, towns and cities. May we gleam in living water. May we burn with joy and possibility, embraced in the warmth of God’s love. Amen (adapted from a prayer by Hildegarde of Binger)
Closing Song: Go Light Your World by Chris Rice
There is a candle in every soul
some brightly burning, some dark and cold.
There is a Spirit who brings a fire,
ignites a candle and makes a home.
Chorus:
So, carry your candle, run to the darkness
seek out the hopeless, confused and torn.
Hold out your candle for all to see it.
Take your candle and go light the world.
Take your candle and go light the world.
Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to
light his own candle some other way.
See how your sister she’s been robbed and lied to
still holds a candle without a flame.
chorus
Cause we’re a family whose hearts are blazing
So, lets raise our candles and light up the sky.
Praying to our Father in the name of Jesus,
make us a beacon in darkest times.
chorus
