Second
Sunday Ordinary Time (Year A) – January 19, 2020
Jim Marsh, ARCWP and Lindy Sanford,
ARCWP
My
friends, in the last four weeks, we have celebrated some awesome feasts
beginning with the birth of Jesus (incarnation), the Holy Family, the visit of
the Maji—the wise ones who could discern and see the sacred in their midst, and
finally the Baptism of Jesus that initiated his public ministry, if you will.
They are really feasts that celebrated each one of us: our unique incarnation
of the sacred masculine and divine feminine, the holiness of our lives and
families, our ability to be wise seekers and to discern the sacred even in the
midst of life’s messiness and foibles, and finally, our own baptism which
confirmed us as the “beloved(s) of God.”
And
so, let us be attentive to the readings today which speak of our call to live
out our baptism, and thus give testimony to Jesus as “followers of the Way.”
Opening Song:
Glory to God by Marty Haugen
Refrain: Glory to God in the highest,
Glory to God in
the highest,
Glory to God in
the highest,
And peace to God’s
people on earth!
We sing praises to you,
God of life, God of wonder,
Hearts filled with joy,
let our voices be thunder. Ref
Sing to Jesus, the Christ,
Word of life to the nations,
Raised up in glory
As our hope and salvation. Ref
In the Spirit we come
For the feast and the stories,
Speaking of God
In the pain and the glory. Ref (2x)
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
The Holy One said to me:
“You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
Thus, says YHWH, who
formed me in the womb to be God’s Servant,
who destined me to bring
back the children of Jacob and gather again the people of Israel:
“It is not enough for you to do my bidding,
to restore the tribes of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob
and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light to the nations,
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the
earth.”
These are
the inspired words of the prophet Isaiah, and the community responds: AMEN!
Alleluia Dennis
Gospel Reading: John
1:29-34
The next day, catching
sight of Jesus approaching, John exclaimed:
“Look, there’s God’s
sacrificial lamb, who takes away the world’s sin!
This is the one I was
talking about when I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me, for
this One existed before I did.’ I didn’t recognize him, but it was so that he
would be revealed to Israel that I came baptizing with water.”
John also gave this
testimony: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and she came to
rest on him. I didn’t recognize him, but the One who sent me to baptize with
water told me, ‘When you see the Spirit descend and rest on someone, that is
the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen for
myself and have testified that this is the Only begotten of God.”
These are the inspired words of John, the evangelist, and the community responds: AMEN!
These are the inspired words of John, the evangelist, and the community responds: AMEN!
Shared Homily: Jim
Our
first reading from Isaiah is the second of four beautiful “Suffering Servant”
songs which is really poetry as Lynn pointed out last week.
Isaiah
is speaking a word of hope to the Jewish people in exile; people who were
hoping and praying for a Messiah, a liberator who would restore them to their
homeland and a promise of being God’s people once again as a nation with a
rebuilt Temple. Exile is not the end of God’s vision or story!
It’s
really not clear whether this servant is an individual or the corporate body of
Israel. The Holy One (God) says ‘I formed this servant from the womb, to be an
instrument of God’s glory, a light to the nations, so that salvation may reach
to the ends of the earth.’ It’s a very large order or mission—it’s not just
about themselves being restored. Why not? Because this gives them and us a
glimpse about God, the Holy One. God’s story and vision is always bigger than
ours and God cannot be boxed in. The Jewish people are beginning to discern
that their God, the Holy One, is not a tribal deity. I AM is the God of the
entire cosmos!
John’s
Gospel, unlike the synoptics, does not actually have the scene of John
baptizing Jesus in the Jordan. John’s Gospel is clearly about establishing who
Jesus really was beginning with his Prologue.
And
then along comes Jesus, who really was an “unknown,” so much so that his own
cousin John the Baptizer doesn’t recognize him if it were not for the sign of
the dove and God’s voice speaking after he reluctantly agrees to baptize him
which we heard in last week’s account from Matthew. Upon seeing Jesus, John
testifies “Behold, the Lamb of God.” This is certainly a phrase that countless
Christians have heard and probably led to what we call “atonement theology.”
We’re not going there, but it’s interesting to note that this is the only place
in the entire Bible where this phrase is used.
What
did John the Baptist or the evangelist John mean by it? Did it sound odd to
those first hearers? Lambs are often a symbol of gentleness, meekness and
docility. How could this be a description for a Messiah who would conquer,
vindicate, restore and liberate? Yet the very next day, two of John’s disciples
decide to check out Jesus and end up following him; hence, the call.
If
we think about it, the story of the Jewish people (God’s chosen ones) is a
story of unlikely servants being called and raised up …. Abram and Sarah, Moses
and Miriam, David, Saul, Deborah, Judith, Rahab, and the list goes on and on.
And
the Holy One continues to call women and men who often balk and hesitate before
responding. We have seen prophets in our own lifetime. Tomorrow, we celebrate
the life of Dr. Martin Luther King who challenged the power structure that
‘baptized the status quo’ of discrimination, oppression and injustice in this
country. Just yesterday, we saw hundreds of thousands across this country take
to the streets as part of the fourth Women’s March which focused on
reproductive rights, climate change and immigration. Some of our ARCWP
prophetic priests in Sarasota remind us to “wake up, pay attention, be people
of integrity, vote your conscience and do what’s right for all, not just
yourself.” “The time is Now” to act prophetically and courageously, says Joan
Chittister in her recent book by the same title.
Today’s
Gospel reminds us that we are empowered by the Spirit of the Holy One, by our
baptism to “live justly and love tenderly.” Being a “follower of the Way” is an
active lifetime enterprise of being a witness to Jesus. However, let us do this
humbly and ever so respectful of those other pathways of revelation and encounter
as expressed by our Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist neighbors. Remember God and
God’s vision cannot be neatly boxed in or up.
So,
I ask you: Who first pointed out Jesus to you and what did you hear today?
Statement of Faith Lindy (found on page 37)
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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 (Written by Jay Murnane)
Lindy: As we prepare for the sacred meal,
we lay our stoles upon the table as a sign that just as Jesus is anointed so is
each of us. We bring to this table our
blessings, cares, and concerns. (Please
feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the
words, “I bring to the table…”)
end with We
pray for these and all unspoken concerns. Amen
Jim: Please join in praying
the Eucharistic prayer together.
All: God
beyond our words,
we gather to give thanks
and open our awareness to the goodness of all of creation. You invite us to
co-create with you and we remember our responsibility to serve.
We open this
circle to the memory of all of the joyful troubadours and faithful servants who
have gone before us. Joined with all that is alive, we lift up our lives and
sing:
Blessed be our God!
Blessed be our God!
Joy of our hearts, source of all life and love!
God of Heaven and Earth!
God of Heaven and Earth!
Dwelling within, calling us all by name!
Alleluia, sing!
Alleluia, sing!
Gift of love and peace!
Gift of love and peace!
Jesus Christ, Jesus our hope and light!
A flame of faith in our hearts!
A flame of faith in our hearts!
Proclaiming the day, shining throughout the night!
Alleluia, sing!
Alleluia, sing!
(Alleluia Sing by David Haas)
All: We
thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as
God-With-Us, and revealing us as one with you and all of creation.
Presiders go to table
On the night before he died, Jesus
gathered for the Seder supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of
household servants, he washed their feet, so that they would re-member him.
Lindy: lifts bread as community prays 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 of the Bread of Life
Given to strengthen you
Whenever you remember me like this
I am among you. (pause)
Jim: lifts
the cup as community prays the following
Jesus then raised a cup of
blessing, spoke the grace 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. (pause)
Let us share this
bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
All: We are willing to do everything Jesus did,
to re-create the living presence of a love that does justice, of a compassion
that heals and liberates, of a joy that generates hope, of a light that illumines
people and confronts the darkness of every injustice and inequity.
So, we trust you to continue to
share with us your own spirit, the spirit that animated Jesus, for it is
through his life and teaching, all honor and glory is yours, O Holy One,
forever and ever. Amen.
Lindy: Let us pray as Jesus taught us
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)
Prayer for the Breaking
of Bread
Jim: Please join in the prayer
for the breaking of the bread:
Presiders break the bread
All: O
Holy One, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will live
justly.
You call us to be
Your presence in the world. We will love tenderly.
You call us to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
You call us to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
Presiders
hold up bread and wine and say together:
This is the bread
of life and the cup of blessing.
Through it we are
nourished and we nourish each other.
All: 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.
Lindy: Our Eucharistic celebration is
all-inclusive and all are welcome to share at this friendship table. You are a
spark of the Divine and nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Please
pass the gluten-free bread and the non-alcohol cup of blessing with the words: You
are the Face of God.
Jim:
Our Communion Meditation Song is Litany
of Peace by Barbara Bridge
God of love, your gift of peace is planted
deep within our hearts
Refrain: Make me and
instrument of your peace. (2x)
God of peace, wherever there is hatred, may
be bring your love.
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
May we bring your hope and gladness where
despair and sadness are:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
May we seek to understand another with a
patient heart:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
Faithful God, wherever there is darkness, may
we bring your light:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
God of mercy, help us to forgive when there is
injury done:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
Gracious God, whenever people hunger, may
we fill their need:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
Set us free from all our fear and anger; set
us free to love:
Refrain:
Make me and instrument of your peace. (2x)
Blessing
Lindy: Let us extend our
hands and bless each other:
All: May we continue to be the face
of God to each other.
May we call each other to extravagant generosity!
May we walk with an awareness of our Call as companions on
the journey,
knowing we are not alone.
May we, like Jesus, be a shining light and a blessing in our
time! Amen.
Jim:
Our Closing Song: We
Are Marching in the Light of God
We are marching in the light of God (4x)
We are marching, oh ohhhh!
We are marching in the light
of God. (2x)
We are living in the love of God (4x)
We are living, living,
We are living, oh ohhhh!
We are living in the love of God. (2x)
We are moving in the power of God (4x)
We are moving, moving,
We are moving, oh ohhhh!
We are moving in the power of God. (2x)
Repeat Verse 1
No comments:
Post a Comment