God of Surprises Liturgy, Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community, Albany, New York, Co-Presiders Kim Panaro ARCWP and Kathie Ryan ARCWP, 11-08-2015

On Sunday, November 8, 2015, five couples from the Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community chose to renew their wedding commitments to one another.  Planning for the celebration began with the ARCWP facilitators, Kim Panaro and Kathie Ryan, meeting with the couples over meals together. They discussed what the God of Surprises has shown them over the years that they could not have anticipated on the day they were married.  The couples were married for thirty or more years each.  Further preparations involved the entire community. Each member of the community was invited to contribute readings and ideas. The prayers, vows and music were all written and chosen as an expression of the listening sessions with the couples. 

During the Eucharistic Celebration, all of gathered around the table were invited to listen with the ears of our hearts to where God invites a renewed or new commitment in our own lives. This commitment could be to a partner, spouse , child, friend, idea, self, or God. It was a joyful and Spirit-filled celebration of Gratitude to the God of Surprises.

Liturgical Celebration  - Gratitude

Receiving the stole

Welcome and Theme

Presider 2:
Opening Prayer:  Incarnate Loving one, We are in You as You are in each of us.  You created us to be in relationship with You and each other.  We are grateful for your presence today and always. We bring all of our loved ones, our concerns, cares and blessings to the table…….I bring to the table.

Opening Song : Wedding Song by Paul Stookey

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: A reading from the book “Proverbs

Three things are too wonderful for me, Yes, four I cannot understand;

The way of an eagle in the air,

The way of a serpent upon a rock,

The way of a ship on the high seas,

And the way of a two people sharing their lives.  (Proverbs 30: 18-19)

Taking the road never traveled by Roger Karban

We find one of the most beautiful and important Scriptural passages on marriage in two verses of the Book of Proverbs. Almost no one knows about it; and it’s rarely proclaimed at wedding celebrations. Yet it contains an extremely profound message.

Perhaps the passage is so often overlooked because few of us understand what the Sacred Author intends to convey by using the term “the way.”  The Hebrew word “derek” basically means a road or a path.

Once we know its meaning, we also know why the first three things are too wonderful for the author to understand, and what the “zinger” is in the fourth.  There’s no road in the air, on the rock or through the sea. The eagle, serpent and ship must make their own path.

Where they actually go becomes their “derek.”

In the same way, the Sacred Author realizes, there’s no road in  marriage (committed) relationships.  The way of a couple is just as unique and adventurous as the first three ways.  Like the eagle, serpent and ship, a couple must make their own “derek.

 A couple should listen carefully as their friends and family generously share the “secret ways” by which they’ve reached success and fulfillment in their relationships.  Yet at the same time, every couple must realize that God wants them to find their own way.  The Holy One has given them special gifts and endowed them with unique personalities. No two pairs are identical. 

The commitment we make to one another is primarily a commitment to discover the special road the Holy One wants us to explore.  Giving of ourselves to one another is the first step down a path which no one has ever traveled before.

Alleluia: Celtic Alleluia and wedding verse

Second Reading: Life Prayers by Arthur L. Gillom

Shared Homily

Vows Ceremony

Renewal of Commitment

I renew my commitment to you because I love you.

I promise to share with you

all that life brings us,

the joys and the sorrows.

I want to continue being surprised by you,

laughing with you, dreaming with you and dancing with you.

I pray that we might always remain in the Holy One

who blesses us and all those whose lives we touch.

Amen

Presider 2:  Please join us in the Liturgy of the Eucharist 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

 Presider 1: Great Mystery enfolding us, we lift up our hearts to understand that our spirits are one. You are, and we are in your presence. You are with us, and we live. Everything lives because of you, and everything is one.

Presider 2: Your wisdom moves among us like the wind, and we are blessed.

So now we enter into the oneness, attune ourselves to join in the harmony, let ourselves embrace oneness, thankfulness, joy, as we pray our Eucharistic prayer together.

Presider 1:  Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together.

Eucharistic Prayer – Gratitude (written by Jay Murnane)

O Holy One, we are amazed by the world around us, and we respond with deep thanks.

We are blessed by the lights of the heavens: the sun and moon, planets and comets and stars; we are blessed by the darkness which keeps us from being blinded by the light, and eases us into contemplation and rootedness.

We are blessed by the generous oceans, and the cliffs and shores which embrace them and allow us to be touched, and to touch. We are blessed by streams and lakes and rivers, by snow and rain.

We are blessed by mountains, which teach us of solitude; where we can feel the power of the softest wind.

We are blessed by all the harmonies of creation, which charge our souls with hope.

We are blessed by the children whose open arms and imaginations teach us enthusiasm and delight at living in the now.

We are blessed by friends who share with us the dark and the light, the tears and the laughter – our companions on the journey.

We are filled with appreciation for all these blessings, as we become aware that all is oneness and oneness is all. And so we sing:

We are Holy, Holy, Holy… (Karen Drucker)
You are Holy, Holy, Holy,…
Spirit divine, Come to me 

Feeling love, Healing me .


Open my heart, Allow me to see,
Beauty & love, Lives in me.

Because of the pain in our hearts and the immensity of the world’s pain, we often walk this good earth without appreciation and awareness.

We are blessed by all those who have asked us to look around, open up, breathe deeply and really see.  We appreciate our elders in the family of life – whale and wolf and sunflower and wheat – who simply live with joy and abandon.

We celebrate the troubadours and the truth-tellers who have gone before us, and who are with us now. We celebrate Jesus, who lived fully in love to show us how to live, and who died only for the sake of integrity and life.

On the night before he died, he sat at a table with friends and relived with them his work, his teaching and wisdom of the universe. Then he went among them as servant, washing their feet, touching their hearts.  When he returned to his place, he took bread, gave thanks and offered it to them saying:

Take this bread and eat it;

It is my life.

(pause)

He lifted a cup of wine, gave thanks and offered it:

Take and drink of the covenant

Made new again through my life

Poured out for you and for everyone

That you might really be free.

Whenever you remember me like this,

I am among you.

(pause)

As we are joined with all of creation, so are we joined with Jesus in life and ministry, death and resurrection.

We are joined with him in standing with the broken and wounded of the earth, with hands open and ready to serve, creativity turned to healing, resolution and reconciliation

We journey towards greater and fuller openness and awareness, a living sense of gratitude. Always opening up to the amazing energies of your creative spirit, we enter into life as Jesus did,

As his companions,

Students,

Troubadours and truth-tellers,

Breathing with your own spirit,

We are able to mirror your own glory,

O Holy One,

As we live every day.

Great Amen. (sung)

Presider 2: Let us pray the prayer Jesus as interpreted by Daniel Berrigan:

Our Mother, Father, who are in the world and surpass the world,

Blessed by your presence, in us, in animals and flowers, in still air and wind.

May justice and peace dwell among us, as you come to us.

Your will be our will;

You will that we be sisters and brothers, as bread is bread, water is itself,

For our hunger, for quenching of thirst.

Forgive us.

We walk crookedly in the world, and fail of our promise.

But we would be human, if only you consent to stir up our hearts.

Amen.

Presider 1: Let us pray our communion prayer together. (Presiders hold up bread and wine)

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.

Presider 2: Our Eucharistic celebration is all inclusive. You are a spark of the Divine and nothing can separate you from God’s love. All are welcome to receive at this friendship table. 

Please join in singing our communion song.

Communion Song: Deep Within

BLESSING

Presider 1: Let us pray:

May the Holy One bless and keep us.

May we grow in trust in the love and support of family, friends and this community.

May we know peace, health, happiness and joy in abundance.

May we wake up in the morning welcoming our God of surprises.

May we find our rest at night with gratitude for our God who gives us each day our daily bread.

May it be like this all the days of our lives.

Blessed be God, Creator of all.

Amen

The whole of the holy life is relationship.                  -Buddha            

All: AMEN

Announcements

Presider 2: We have two closings songs. Companions of the Journey. During the second song You are the Sunshine of My Life please extend the Sign of Peace to each other.                   

Morning Prayer, Coffee with Christ- Sophia, Holy Wisdom, Embraced in Love and Embracing in love

I begin my day with coffee in the presence of Christ, Sophia, Holy Wisdom
I am mindful of Divine Mystery embracing me and all in infinite, boundless love.
I am conscious that my family, friends, communities, all those who are suffering and working for justice in our church and world are held  in the embrace of the Holy One.
All are being loved , forgiven,  healed and transformed.
I believe that divine love is within us and all around us everywhere.
Love is dynamic, overflowing and illuminating our lives- even in the messes and darkness that we encounter. 
A beautiful image that I treasure is the 
 Cosmic Dance of Divine love---  always holding us, filling us,
walking on water with us each day -  no matter where the journey takes us!

When people ask me to pray for them, and sometimes, I have a long list,
I hold them in God's loving, healing embrace and trust that 
all shall be well. 

I try not to  tell God how to fix things these days, although some days I am really tempted to give some suggestions! 

 I  affirm my  loved ones who have crossed over into Infinite Love.
In faith, I see them as peaceful and  joyful beyond imagination.
i am aware of my oneness with them in deep peace and joy, spiritually connected forever.

I  believe in the communion of the saints This is my greatest comfort in dealing with their losses in my life.. In the Celtic understanding, there are 'thin times and places, where this world and heaven embrace. In the sacred space we are spiritually connected forever. 
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org

What if everyone started behaving like Jesus? by John Chuchman

So refreshing,
so human,
so real,
a feisty, earthy, gutsy,
passionate man,
this guy, Jesus.

He used spit and dirt to heal,
weeps openly,
raises havoc,
and makes merry.

He tells the Truth
when it is risky,
complains when friends disappoint,
leaves when people harass him,
and
loves it when a woman fusses over him.

He expresses anger,
calls people names,
silences them with witty retorts,
even uses physical force
to clean the temple.

Nice, accommodating,
always smoothing things over?
Not this guy.

He defied authorities,
broke rules,
addressed women in public,
teaching them, mingling with them,
even depending on them.

Is it any wonder
they killed him;
What if everyone started behaving
like Jesus!

And he never asked to be worshipped,
only emulated.

Is it any wonder
today's Hierarchs
cannot handle us
behaving like Jesus.

Thomas Merton from Wayward Youth to Man of God, Pt. 2, Thomas Merton, Hermit, Young Lover and Mysterious Death by John Cooney, Irish Times

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/thomas-merton-the-hermit-who-never-was-his-young-lover-and-mysterious-death-1.2422818

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/thomas-merton-from-wayward-youth-to-man-of-god-1.2419739

"Lessons in Giving, Two Roman Catholic Women Priests Reflect on Widow's Mites"

https://judyabl.wordpress.com/2015/11/07/lessons-in-giving-two-roman-catholic-women-priests-reflect-on-widows-mites/

Mary Mother of Jesus Homily Starter and Liturgy for Nov. 7, 2015 with Co-Presiders Alicia Bartol Thomas and Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

left to right, Alicia Bartol Thomas and Bridget Mary Meehan, co-oresuders after MMOJ liturgy at Pot Luck supper

MMOJ Homily Starter, Nov. 7^th, 2015 by Bridget Mary Meehan

Is God tapping you on the shoulder and inviting you to generous giving?

God is really good at tapping on our shoulders and asking for more–even when we feel we are tapped out- out of money, out of food, out of compassion, out of energy and out of patience to respond.

And it is not always, the big stuff, like the generous widows faced in our scripture readings,  giving her last penny or loaf of bread! Sometimes it may even mean making a donation or signing a petition to help someone in need. Recently, I made a donation, and less than a week later I received a check with almost the same amount, a total suprise and reminder that God cannot be outdone in generosity!

In my life, God usually taps me on the shoulder in nitty, gritty stuff or in the events of our movement for justice and equality in the church. 

I sometimes joke that the Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving when they engage our movement with excommunications and punishments, but, sometimes, the truth is I could use a little break too!

After several days of exhilarating work for gender equality at the Parliament of World Religions and a beautiful ordination of a woman priest in Salt Lake City, I was looking forward to a quiet plane ride across the country. I usually pray the rosary and then dive into a good book! I enjoy reading mystery stories on long plane rides that feature  yummy deserts. On this trip I brought along Red Velvet Cupcake Murder. Even though I don’t bake, as those of you who know me are aware, I could burn water and that is hard to do! Last week, I made green mushy jello because I forgot that when I put in the fruit, you don't need to add cold water! I was on a health kick adding the fruit!

But, back to my story about the no fun, frivolous read on the flight home from Salt Lake City to Atlanta.

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests faced a major crisis with the excommunication and dismissal of our beloved Sister, Tish Rawles from her Religious Order.

Before the plane took off, Janice Sevre Duszynska, our ARCWP media representative, and I wrote down what we knew about Sister Tish’s story. However, we had a challenge. We were seated in middle seats across the aisle from each other and so communication was an issue.

 Perhaps, God tapped the woman sitting next to Janice on the shoulder, or maybe she could not stand any more cross talk or the shuffling of papers across the aisle, but she gave up her window seat to Janice so that we could sit next to each other! Blessed may she be for her kindness!

Although there were a few surprises for us as the Sister Tish story evolved, we are now in the midst of a major campaign  to gain public support for not only restoring Tish to her order, and rescinding the excommunication, but also,  stepping into the Holy Year of Mercy with a petition to Pope Francis to drop all excommunications against women priests and our supporters. In less than two weeks, we are approaching 5000 signatures.  http://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/pope-francis-reinstate-fired-nun

In the mundane and important events of our lives, God speaks through another person’s needs or our own needs. When we respond generously like the widows, God blesses us beyond our wildest dreams!

So let us take a quiet moment of meditation: (soft music)

Breathe in love and open yourself to Grace tapping you on the shoulder...

In the depths of your soul, you may hear the soft, still voice of God speaking to you asking something of you....

“Will you do this? Will you give of yourself generously?

Will you love ? Will you forgive ?

Will you keep on keeping on, knowing that I am with you no matter what happens?

Will you trust that God's grace is moving in this situation, and that will always be more than enough?

Like the widows, in the sacred texts today, God taps us on the shoulder -each of us in big ways and little ways –many-times- inviting us to be face of God in the world and pouring forth abundant, boundless love into our hearts! 

As Nadia Bolz-Weber says in her inspiring book, Pastrix, “God comes and gets us, taps us on the shoulder, and says, ‘Pay attention, this is for you. Dumb as we are, smart and faithful as we are, just as we are.’” (Pastrix, p.57.)

Like the poor widows, may our hearts take comfort , and hope in God whose love and grace is always more than enough for us to be the presence  of God in every relationship and situation.

So the question is, Is God tapping you on the shoulder today and asking you to generous giving?

( Sing: “Let your heart take comfort, all you who hope in God.” Monica Brown, Chant)

Dialogue Homily: Alicia Bartol Thomas, co-presider and community

Dialogue Homily: Alicia Bartol Thomas

Hymns for Nov. 7^th, 2015

Opening: “We Gather Here to Celebrate” by Mindy Simmons

We gather here to celebrate    one God universal

We gather here to celebrate     the joy within

In unity we celebrate…. The beauty of diversity

Come and Join us in our fellowship……Welcome friends.

                                                   

Verse: You are my sisters, you are my brothers

In the one divine mind we are one with each other

So join with me, in unity….let us celebrate our diversity.

(Repeat Chorus)

Responsorial Psalm: Let your heart take comfort, all you who hope in God.”

By Monica Brown, Chant)

Communion: “Heart of the Mother”

I am one with the Heart of the Mother.

I am one with the Heart of love.

I am one with the Heart of the Father.

I am one with God.

Recessional Hymn:  #646 Navy Hymn, Veterans Day

LITURGY:

Liturgy: Celebrating New Life as Midwives of Grace

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GATHERING SONG AND GREETING

Presider:  In the name of God, Midwife of Grace, and of Jesus our brother, and of the Holy Spirit, our Liberator.  ALL:  Amen

Presider:  My sisters and brothers, God loves us infinitely and is with us always.  ALL:  and also with you.

PENITENTIAL RITE

Presider:  Let us pause now for reflection.  Place your hand over your heart and breathe in God’s passionate love for you…breathe out God’s, extravagant love for everyone….

Open yourself to Spirit energy empowering you…

Now let us praise God by singing Glory to God…

Song of Praise: Glory to God, glory. O praise Glory alleluia. 
Glory to God, glory. O praise the name of our God. (x2)

OPENING PRAYER

Presider: God of Love, Midwife of grace, we experience your grace drawing us to new life in the depths of our mystical souls and in our prophetic call .We rejoice with  our brother Jesus, through the power of your Spirit.  ALL: Amen. 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Responsorial Psalm

Second Reading

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia

Gospel:

Reader:  The good news of Jesus, the Christ!

ALL:  Glory and praise to you, Jesus the Christ!

                           HOMILY

Profession of Faith:  ALL:  We believe in God who is compassion in our world. We believe in Jesus, whose death and resurrection reveals God’s infinite love. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia, who energizes and guides us to live Christ’s presence. We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends, who inspire us to live holy lives. We believe in the church as the people of God, living in faith, hope and love.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Presider:  That we may bring new life into our world, we pray

Response: God of all, love through us

Presider:  That we may foster healing of our Earth, we pray.  R.  

Presider:  That the sick may be healed, we pray.  R.   

Presider:  That we may be forever one with our beloved dead in the communion of saints we pray. R.   (Other Intentions)

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

Presider:  Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer.  Through this sacred meal may we become your new creation.  (hold up bread and wine)

ALL:  Blessed be God forever.

(All come around the table to pray the Eucharistic Prayer, background music may be played) 

Presider:  God is with you, abounding in love

ALL:  and also with you. 

Presider:  Lift up your hearts in Christ who lives and loves , heals and empowers through you.

ALL:  We lift them up to God. 

Presider:  Let us give thanks to our God.

ALL:  It is right to give God thanks and praise.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Voice One:  Life-giving Love, You call all persons to be friends of God. United with You, we are one with all beings in the community of creation as we celebrate the new life occurring in our expanding cosmos. We join the angels and saints as we sing:

ALL: Sung “We are holy, holy, holy, you are holy, holy, holy, I am holy, holy, holy” chant by Karen Drucker

Voice Two:  Gracious God, you set the banquet table and invite all to the feast that celebrates your dazzling love in the universe.  As midwives of grace we are Your hands, lifting up those who suffer, the vulnerable and neglected in our world today

Voice Three: We especially thank you, Holy One, for Jesus, the Compassion of God, who came to show us a new vision of community where every person is loved and all relate with mutual respect.

Voice Four:

Jesus threatened the religious and political leaders of his time and so they put him to death.  As God raised Jesus to new life, we trust that your promise of faithful love will be with us in our suffering and raise us up to fullness of life. 

All: (please all extend hands as we recite the consecration together)

Let your Spirit come upon these gifts as we pray:

On the night before he died, Jesus took bread into his hands and said:

This is my body, he said. Take and eat .

 Do this in in memory of me.

Pause

At the end of the meal Jesus took a cup of wine, raised it in thanksgiving to you, and said:

”Take and drink of the covenant made new again through my life in you. Do this in memory of me.

Presider:  Now then, let us proclaim the mystery of the Christ Presence made new again through you:  

ALL:  In every creature that has ever breathed, Christ has lived; in every living being that has passed on before us, Christ has died;  in everything yet to be, Christ will come again! 

Voice Five:  .  We thank you for ordinary people in our lives who show us how to love tenderly and have revealed the heart of our God, especially  (pause to remember and name some of these holy women and men). 

Voice Six: And so, liberating God, Midwife of Grace, we hold our religious ministers and political leaders in the light of Christ Sophia, Holy Wisdom.  We pray for our pope and bishops, the young and the elders, and all God’s holy people.

Voice Seven:  We remember those who are sick and suffering.  May they be healed and comforted.  We remember Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary Magdala, Peter, Paul,  Junia, our patron saints.  We remember our loved ones and all those who have died, that they may experience the fullness of life in the embrace of our gracious God.

ALL:  Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, all praise and glory are yours, Holy God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS

ALL:  Our Father and Mother . . .

and forever.  Amen.

THE SIGN OF PEACE

Presider:  Let us pray for the peace of Christ in our world as we sing and hold hands in a community prayer for peace (Peace is flowing or other appropriate hymn)

 LITANY FOR THE BREAKING OF 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 live as Your presence in the world.  We will do so.

Presider:  Behold the Body of Christ.  All are invited to partake of this sacred banquet of love. 

ALL:  Jesus we are worthy to receive you and become you for others.  We are the Body of Christ. 

Presider:  Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ!  ALL:  Amen.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Presider:  Life-giving God, You come to birth each day in our universe through suffering death and new life. Your Spirit is moving in us as we love passionately, and extravagantly to bring  your shalom to everyone equally especially the marginalized.

ALL:  Amen

CONCLUDING RITE

Presider:  Our God is with you.

ALL:  and also with you. 

BLESSING

(everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing)

ALL:  Holy One, Midwife of Grace, we bless one another as we serve others with loving kindness .

DISMISSAL

Presider:   Go, bring forth life as midwives of grace in our world.  Let the service begin!  ALL:   Thanks be to God.

CONCLUDING HYMN

God, A Midwife: Psalm 22:9-10 “Yet You drew me out of the womb, you nestled me to my mother’s bosom; you cradled me in your lap from my birth; from my mother’s womb, you have been my God.”

                              Bridget Mary Meehan

Association of Roman Catholic Woman Priests

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/

www.arcwp.org