Debra Trees and Joan Chesterfield, ARCWP led the Upper
Room liturgy with the theme: "Recognizing God’s Love in Us.” Deb’s homily
starter and Joan’s homily conclusion are printed below the readings.
Margaret Dilgen placed stoles on Deb and Joan and blessed
and thanked them for leading the community liturgy.
Opening Prayer and Song: Prayer for Peace by David Haas
A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians
COL 3: 12-17
Brothers and sisters:
As God's holy and beloved,
clothe yourself with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Bear with one another, forgive whatever grievances you have against another;
Forgive in the same way as the Holy One has forgiven you.
Above all else, put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
clothe yourself with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Bear with one another, forgive whatever grievances you have against another;
Forgive in the same way as the Holy One has forgiven you.
Above all else, put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of the Holy One, reign in your hearts.
As members of one body, you have been called to that peace.
And be thankful.
Let the word of the Holy One dwell in you richly.
Instruct and guide one another wisely,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts.
And whatever you do, in speech or in action,
do everything in the name of our brother, Jesus,
giving thanks to the Holy One through him.
As members of one body, you have been called to that peace.
And be thankful.
Let the word of the Holy One dwell in you richly.
Instruct and guide one another wisely,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts.
And whatever you do, in speech or in action,
do everything in the name of our brother, Jesus,
giving thanks to the Holy One through him.
These are the inspired words of Paul, disciple of Jesus,
and we affirm these words by saying, Amen.
Alleluia
This is the Gospel according to Luke
LK 2:22, 39-40
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem
to present him to the Holy One.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the Hebrew law,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the grace of the Holy One was upon him.
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem
to present him to the Holy One.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the Hebrew law,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the grace of the Holy One was upon him.
These are the inspired words of Luke, disciple of Jesus
and we affirm these words by saying, Amen.
Homily Starter by Debra Trees
This week in the liturgical calendar, the Holy Family and
Mary are emphasized. Family
traditionally has been viewed as patriarchal, and that is a major theme of the
readings from this weekend. Yet Barbara Reid points out in Abiding Word: Sunday
Reflections for Year B that although the patriarchal theme runs through the
complete readings, the concepts of family, with mother and father being equal
in authority and responsibility in loving and respectful ways, is more of the
contemporary worldview. Paul’s themes of
Christian virtues and actions then become the focus, and allow us in our
present communities to “put on” the Jesus that we follow and love.
Here is the key: “They will know we are Christians, by
our Love…” These actionable virtues, of
heartfelt compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, forbearance,
and love, the bond of perfection, help
us to truly be followers of Jesus. Diane Bergant, in her Preaching Lectionary
for Year B, notes that all of these virtues are relational. They exist in community, whether that is relationship
with ourselves or between two people, or in action with others in larger
groups. They require “unselfish sensitivity and demand great sacrifice.” Personal and relational, this is what Jesus
asks us to do.
With all of this in mind, how are we responding to the
“New Years’ Resolutions” that we all feel compelled to contemplate on the cusp
of one year to another? Can we think of
ourselves as wonderful expressions of a
God who loves us unconditionally, bearing with us, and loving us above all
else, with compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience? Can we look at our Resolutions for the New
Year from the point of love, of goodness, of choices that reflect our love of
ourselves and others? This might mean not from our sense of “I am not enough”,
but from our sense of “How can I love myself and others even more?”
Let the Peace of the Holy One reign in our hearts. Let us join together always, in a community
of love: singing, praising, supporting and thanking our God and each other.
Blessings of Christmas! Happiest of New Years! What have you heard; What will you do; What
will it cost you?
Homily Conclusion by Joan Chesterfield
One way of making a healthy change in our lives is t
begin by paying attention to the way we think. Here are some words from Frank
Outlaw for us to contemplate as we begin the new year:
Pay attention to the quality of our thinking.
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it will become your destiny.”
Statement of
Faith
Presider 1:
As we prepare
for this sacred meal, we lay our stoles upon the table as a sign that just as
Jesus is anointed, so each of us is anointed.
Presider 1: 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:
Alleluia Sing!
by David Haas
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.
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.
Presider 2: 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.
Presiders stand at table, Presider 1 lifts bread.
All: Gathering the disciples around the table
of shared wisdom, Jesus took the Passover Bread, spoke the grace, broke the
bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.
Presider 2
lifts the wine as community prays the following:
After the meal, Jesus took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them 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.
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;
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.
Presider 1: Let
us pray the prayer Jesus:
Beloved One who dwells within the soul of my Being
Whose name is I Am, veneration to your holy name.
Your kin-dom is here, Your will prevails throughout the earth
as it does in the heavenly realms of my soul.
You open your hands and satisfy the hunger of all living beings.
You heal all hearts of sorrow so that they in turn may show forgiveness
to those whose minds are shrouded in ignorance of the Self.
Whose name is I Am, veneration to your holy name.
Your kin-dom is here, Your will prevails throughout the earth
as it does in the heavenly realms of my soul.
You open your hands and satisfy the hunger of all living beings.
You heal all hearts of sorrow so that they in turn may show forgiveness
to those whose minds are shrouded in ignorance of the Self.
Beloved One who imparts to all the sense of choice
so we may finally come to choose You, who are Truth,
and thus find everlasting freedom.
Glory to your name, oh Truth, for yours is the kin-dom of existence
of peace and love. All power and glory emanates from You alone
Who imparts to all the wisdom, the light, the love and courage
to refer to themselves as I Am. Amen
By Mooji
Presider 2:
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 lift the bread and wine
Presider 1:
"This is the bread of life. 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.
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 pass the
bread with the words: You are the Body of Christ. Please pass the cup with the
words: You are the Face of God.
Presider
1: Please join in singing our communion song, Within Our Hearts be Born by Michael
Joncas
BLESSING
Presider 2 : Let us pray our
blessing together:
We believe in an eternal dimension to this intimate connectedness, giving meaning to who we are.
We give thanks for God being with us in the love from family and friends, in whatever has been, in the circumstances of life now, and in whatever the future holds for us.
Our Christmas prayer is that we may recognize and actively acknowledge the presence of the sacred in places we are reluctant to look: in the stables of our own lives, among the downtrodden in our society, in refugees, in people who are different from us.
May we recognize God-in-us and give generous expression to this wonderful gift we all share.
Amen.
From Michael Morwood, Christmas Prayer, Emmanuel, God is with Us.
Presider
1: Please join in singing our closing song: Sing Out Earth and Sky by Marty
Haugen.
Christmas Blessings and Happy New
Year 2018,
From the Upper Room, Albany, NY.
