phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Taking a Leap of Faith with Debra Trees and Judi Kelly
Judi: We welcome everyone both physically here, on Zoom or watching and listening at another time. Our community is strong because we are together, supporting each other and loving each other. We are grateful for your presence with us today or whenever you are able to be here. We invite you to quiet your space, your mind, your emotions, and your very self as you prepare to be in this spiritual space.
Opening Song: Be Still and Know by Shaina Knoll
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Our first reading is from the Book of 1 Kings, (19:9a, 11-13a)
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
These are the inspired words from the Book 1 Kings, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Alleluia: Celtic Alleluia
The Gospel reading is from Matthew, (14:22-33)
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come."
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God."
These are the inspired words from the anonymous author known at Matthew, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Shared Homily
Recently I saw a billboard which showed a man kneeling and holding his head in his hands. The caption said: “Anxious? Jesus gives you rest,” in big letters across the entire billboard. Maybe that is true for some situations, but for many of the insights that Jesus was trying to get across, rest is not the word I would use.
Jesus taught in parables and performed miracles. He often went into solitude to regenerate and when he came into the open again, watch out. He also used his “staff” to make points about what he was trying to teach, or just to illuminate his own sense of reality. And Peter seems to be one of his favorite targets. (And recipients of Christ Wisdom and lightbulb moments!) Poor Peter.
Here he is on this day, learning how to walk on water. “If you can do it. I can too”.
How many times have we started out on a leap of faith, only to find ourselves drowning in the situation. Things are not always what they seem.
Jesus pushes us and pulls us and chides us into seeing beyond our present reality. And behold, a new way of seeing arises. Sometimes that connection for us is a whisper, as it was for Elijah. We know the presence of the Spirit by the stillness around us.
Shocking us into seeing things that are possible is what Jesus does to us and for us. He cares enough about each of us that he takes the time to be with us. He walks on water towards his disciples, and right now that happens to be me and You. We as his disciples here on earth continue to listen to what Jesus is asking of us.
Where in your life do you need to take it up a notch and see things differently? Look around you and see Jesus reaching out his hand to you so you will not fall. Quiet yourself to listen to the truth that only you can know. You cannot fail taking a leap of faith towards love and enlightenment.
What did you hear in your heart and mind? Please share your insights with all of us. Mute yourself after your shared response.
Judi:
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.
Deb: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we voice our intentions beginning with the words, “We bring to the table…..”
Deb: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
Deb: 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: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy
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.
Judi: 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:
Deb: 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: You are a reflection of the Divine.
Communion Song: You hold me up, Josh Groben. https://youtu.be/oni0tO_HN30
Judi: 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.
Deb: 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
(Miriam Therese Winter)
Judi: Let us pray together our blessing:
May we as a community, find the courage to step out in faith.
To follow Jesus and where he leads us.
To know that we are safe and sound in the Holy One’s embrace.
And to always show love and light to each other. AMEN
Closing Song: Walk on Water by Elevation Rhythm
