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| MMOJ Community Celebrates First Sunday of Advent with Co-Presiders Kathryn Shea ARCWP mand Lee Breyer |
Welcome
ALL: Advent Prayer: by Jay Murnane (See back page)
Gathering Song: Sing Out Earth and Skies #556. vs. 1,3, 5
Opening Prayer. Presider: Nurturing God, you became human in Jesus and showed us how to live life fully. You know what it means to laugh and cry, to walk and talk, to love and be loved. We know that your mothering presence is always with us. May we, like Mary, rejoice as we give birth to God within us, and in everything we say and do. ALL: Amen.
ALL: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth. O loving God, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. O Jesus Christ, holy Child of our loving God; You fill us with joy in your presence. You who are with our God, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One; you alone are Messiah. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ; with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God. Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122. Responsorial. ALL: How I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of our God.”
Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Gospel Acclamation (ALL: Sing): Celtic Alleluia!
Gospel Proclamation: Matthew 24:37-44
Response. ALL: Glory and praise to you, Jesus the Christ!
HOMILY STARTER
for
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
by
Kathryn Shea
Poem for South African Women
Commemoration of the 40,000 women and children who,
August 9, 1956, presented themselves in bodily protest against
the “dompass” in the capital of apartheid. Presented at The
United Nations, August 9, 1978.
August 9, 1956, presented themselves in bodily protest against
the “dompass” in the capital of apartheid. Presented at The
United Nations, August 9, 1978.
Our own shadows disappear as the feet of thousands
by the tens of thousands pound the fallow land
into new dust that
rising like a marvelous pollen will be
fertile
even as the first woman whispering
imagination to the trees around her made
for righteous fruit
from such deliberate defense of life
as no other still
will claim inferior to any other safety
in the world
by the tens of thousands pound the fallow land
into new dust that
rising like a marvelous pollen will be
fertile
even as the first woman whispering
imagination to the trees around her made
for righteous fruit
from such deliberate defense of life
as no other still
will claim inferior to any other safety
in the world
The whispers too they
intimate to the inmost ear of every spirit
now aroused they
carousing in ferocious affirmation
of all peaceable and loving amplitude
sound a certainly unbounded heat
from a baptismal smoke where yes
there will be fire
intimate to the inmost ear of every spirit
now aroused they
carousing in ferocious affirmation
of all peaceable and loving amplitude
sound a certainly unbounded heat
from a baptismal smoke where yes
there will be fire
And the babies cease alarm as mothers
raising arms
and heart high as the stars so far unseen
nevertheless hurl into the universe
a moving force
irreversible as light years
traveling to the open
eye
raising arms
and heart high as the stars so far unseen
nevertheless hurl into the universe
a moving force
irreversible as light years
traveling to the open
eye
And who will join this standing up
and the ones who stood without sweet company
will sing and sing
back into the mountains and
if necessary
even under the sea
and the ones who stood without sweet company
will sing and sing
back into the mountains and
if necessary
even under the sea
we are the ones we have been waiting for
from Passion (1980)
and from Directed by Desire. The Collected Poems of June Jordan.Copyright 2005 by the June M. Jordan Literary Estate Trust
and from Directed by Desire. The Collected Poems of June Jordan.Copyright 2005 by the June M. Jordan Literary Estate Trust
So, when I think about our readings today, for me they remind me of God’s vision for our world; “the kindom that will come.” But who is to bring us this kindom on Earth? I believe it is us. As Sally said several weeks ago, Jesus doesn’t’ need to come again. He came already to show us how to live and bring God’s kindom to our world. Jesus is here, alive in us, every moment of every day. For me, it’s about standing up to injustice and inequality, taking responsibility for bringing the kindom. It’s about staying alert, being vigilant, and wearing the armor of light. We surly are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
Let’s take a moment to quiet ourselves and meditate on our readings. And then, share how the readings speak to you.
Dialogue Homily
Profession of Faith. ALL: We believe in God who is creator and nurturer of all. We believe in Jesus, the Christ, who is our love, our hope, and our light. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia, who energizes and guides us to build caring communities and to challenge injustices. We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends who support us on life’s journey. We believe in the partnership and equality of women and men in our church,our society and our world. We believe that we are all one in the community of creation. We believe that God calls us to live fully, love tenderly, and serve generously. Amen.
Community Petitions.
Presider: For a deeper coming of Christ in our world, we pray.
OUR Response: Nurturing God, hear us.
Presider: May we experience the coming of God anew in our lives, we pray. R. Presider: May people who suffer from destitution & despair experience the mothering comfort of God, we pray. R.
Presider: May the sick and suffering receive the nurturing, healing love of God, we pray. R.
Presider: May those who have died rest in God’s eternal embrace, we pray. R.
Presider: What other Intentions do we have?
Offertory Song: You Come, You Come, Emmanuel (words on last page. Tune of “O Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel)
Presider: Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal, may we become your new creation.
ALL: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: God is with you. ALL: And also with you. Presider: Lift up your hearts. ALL: We lift them up to God. Presider: Let us give thanks to our God.
Eucharistic Prayers.
Voice: Mothering God, you brought forth all creation from your life-giving womb. O Love of the ages, we praise you and leap for joy in your presence.
Voice: Holy One of ancient Israel, you revealed yourself in Mary’s womb, in a shining star, in humble shepherds, in a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. You embrace us with infinite love in our every situation and relationship. You dwell in the depths of our hearts.
Voice: We ask you this day to deepen our awareness of your boundless love as we gather around this table of abundant life. With grateful hearts, we proclaim your praise:
ALL: Holy, Holy, Holy, Creator of heaven and earth. All beings are pregnant with your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed are you who dwell in all things. Hosanna in the Highest.
Voice: Praise to you, all-giving God, born of Mary. You are the body and blood of woman. We glorify you, nurturing God for the dawning
of the sacred promise of God’s Anointed, fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.
Voice: We celebrate the birth of Jesus, our newborn Emmanuel, who came to give us the fullness of life. During this holy season we share the bread of freedom and lift up the cup of salvation.
Consecration
All (with arm extended to invoke the Spirit): Come Holy Spirit, deepen our awareness of your Presence within us and in these gifts of bread and wine. May they may become the body and blood of Christ.
Presider: As Jesus gave birth to the new covenant, he took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and shared it with those present saying: ALL: Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body.
Presider: Then Jesus took a cup of wine, blessed it, and shared the cup with those present saying: ALL: Take this all of you and drink from the covenant, poured out for you and for everyone. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.
Presider: Let us proclaim the sacred presence of our nurturing God in all we say and do.
ALL: Christ, by your life, death and rising, you have blessed us with abundance that will never end.
Second Invocation of the Spirit: All (with hand on next person’s shoulder): God of all people, you call us “beloved.” Give us the courage to accept your faith in us and to live your compassion in the world. You infuse us with Sophia, Holy Wisdom, to serve you in the last and the least.
Voice: As we wait with joyful hearts for the fulfillment of your loving presence in our lives, we remember the prophet, martyrs and saints who have gone before us: Deborah, Isaiah, Mary of Magdala, Peter, Martha, Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford, Maura Clark, Jean Donovan and all those we honor as heroes and heroines in our church and society who inspire us today. (Community names those they would like to… living or dead.)
Voice: God of our dreams, may we give birth to the Word made flesh in us everyday. May we give birth to the church of our dreams and hopes. May we give birth to a deep reverence for our earth and live in harmony with all of your creation.
ALL: Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, all praise and glory are yours, Holy God, through the power of the Spirit. Amen.
Our God’s prayer ALL: Our Father and Mother….
Sign of Peace. Presider: Let us join hands and hearts and pray for peace in our world as we sing “Let there be peace on earth”
Litany for the breaking of the bread. ALL: Loving God, you call us to speak truth to power. We will do so. Loving God, you call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will do so. Loving God, you call us to be your presence in the world. We will do so.
Presider: This is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, loving us forever. All are invited to partake of this sacred banquet of love. ALL: May we be who we are, the Body of Christ.
Presider: Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ! ALL: Amen.
During Communion Song: instrumental
After Communion Meditation Song: ALL:
Christ Circle Round Us. #54. vs. 1, 4,& 6
Prayer after Communion. Presider: God of new beginnings, thank you for nourishing us in your sacrament. May your tender presence continue to open our hearts to the daily miracles of life that surround us each day, through Emmanuel, God-with-us.
ALL: Amen.
Thanksgiving/Introductions/Announcements
Closing Blessing. ALL (with arm extended in prayer): May our loving God fill us with radiant joy. May our liberating God fill us with deep peace, and may our loving God bless us always with strength to serve those who are marginalized in church and society, the poor and the broken. Amen.
Presider: Let us birth Christ anew in our world today. Go in the peace of Christ.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
Closing Song: ALL Let Your Light Shine In Us. Kathy Sherman. (words on last page)
Advent Prayer
by Jay Murnane (Jay, who is now deceased, was the spouse of Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP and a priest in the Diocese of Albany.)
by Jay Murnane (Jay, who is now deceased, was the spouse of Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP and a priest in the Diocese of Albany.)
Living One, you are continually creating the universe,
continually giving birth to all of us.
We sense the need to do the same,
to set ourselves free from a sense of emptiness and barren hopelessness.
continually giving birth to all of us.
We sense the need to do the same,
to set ourselves free from a sense of emptiness and barren hopelessness.
The signs of our times are frightening
and often we hear only the confusing sounds of Babel –
all the lies and the anguished cries
of a wounded earth and its wounded creatures.
and often we hear only the confusing sounds of Babel –
all the lies and the anguished cries
of a wounded earth and its wounded creatures.
Your wisdom invites us to draw on our tradition,
as old as the stars,
shining through Sarah and Abraham,
shining through your prophets in every age and every culture,,
shining through
Miriam of Nazareth.
If we can blend that enlightening, enlivening tradition
with what we are,
we can risk fidelity to a dream:
as old as the stars,
shining through Sarah and Abraham,
shining through your prophets in every age and every culture,,
shining through
Miriam of Nazareth.
If we can blend that enlightening, enlivening tradition
with what we are,
we can risk fidelity to a dream:
Filled with your spirit, we can give birth in our day
to your living word,
for the sake of hope
enfleshed in
creativity and confrontation,
healing and reconciliation,
justice,
universal and unconditional love.
to your living word,
for the sake of hope
enfleshed in
creativity and confrontation,
healing and reconciliation,
justice,
universal and unconditional love.
Let it be!
You Come, You Come, Emmanuel
You come, you come, Emmanuel,
You gather all who stumbled and fell.
You gather all who stumbled and fell.
You share your life, you share your love;
Your dawn breaks forth in wondrous light above.
Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, O people of the earth!
Rejoice, rejoice, O people of the earth!
In God’s great love we comprehend our worth!
You come, with grace, O Source of Light,
You teach us to find courage in the night.
Your way is justice, mercy and peace,
Your wisdom is the path to true release. Refrain.
Let your Light Shine in Us – Kathy Sherman
Let your light shine in us. (3x) and we will be light for the world.
Let your light shine in us. (3x) and we will be light for the world.
We will be one and the kin-dom will come.
Let your heart beat in us. (3x) And we will be love for the world.
We will be one and the kin-dom will come.
Let your joy sing in us. (3x) And we will be hope for the world.
We will be one and the kin-dom will come.
Let your peace live in us. (3x) And we will be one for the world
We will be one and the kin-dom will come.
Let your light shine in us (3x) and we will be light for the world.
Let your light shine in us. (3x) and we will be light for the world.
We will be one and the kin-dom will come.
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| Supper at Panera's |
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