Upper Room Liturgical Celebration - February 19, 2017

Lindy Sanford, ARCWP and Deb Trees led the community’s liturgical celebration today.

Opening Prayer

Presider 2: Holy One, You are with us in our space today, as we move through our lives seeking your nourishment to love with all our hearts. You fortify us to walk in courage as we take up the challenges before us. We live in gratitude and listen with open minds and hearts to your sacred inspired words shared here now.  AMEN.

First Reading:

First, You Shall love the Lord your God with all your  heart, and with all your soul,  and with all your strength.'  "The second is this, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."  Mark 12 /verses 30 & 31

These are the inspired word of Mark

Alleluia

Second Reading:

The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.

These are the inspired word of Teilhard de Chardin

Lindy’s Homily Starter…

Jesus was a man who stood out in his community because he was dedicated to sharing the joy he found in the only commandments he found important. No matter the cost he shared with anyone who would listen how loving the Divine with our whole being, and to treat others the way we want to be treated changes us and the world around us.

He reminds us over and over that all we need is already here.  Being aware that She always provides what we need gives us the strength we need to overcome anxiety in our lives, and fills that empty space within our hearts with peace and joy.  It opens us up, too.  That love the Holy One pours out on us soaks in.

         As we absorb that love and return it with our whole being we, too, radiate it out onto all Creation.  We see that Paul was right when he was inspired to write in Galatians “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We begin to yearn for equality and justice for everyone. Striving for inclusivity and justice is one of the greatest acts of love.  Treating all our global neighbors as we would like to be treated is the great challenge in the 21st century...

 What do you hear in these readings?

Closing prayer

Presider 1:  As we go now, help us live our lives as Your Daughters and Sons, centered in knowing Your love for us, giving that love to others in every thought word and deed, honest, just, and kind.

Presider 2:  Hold us in the palms of Your hands as You show us where we can best go, how we can best serve, who we can best help, what we can best say, when we can best listen, to pour out Your Love. Amen