Free Spirit Inclusive Catholic Community in North Carolina Celebrates Pentecost Liturgy 2018 with Presider Ann Harrington ARCWP

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from left to right,  Liza Hardy-Braz, one of original founders, and Ann Harrington ARCWP

Welcome

Welcome to Free Spirit Inclusive Catholic Community!

Today's theme is Pentecost.  We celebrate the Holy One of burning bushes, who enflames us with passion for life, for justice, for creativity, for renewal, for play.  In the Hebrew Scripture, Shekinah the dwelling place of God, appeared in the symbols of cloud, light and fire, accompanying the people of God through the wilderness. She travels with us through our life journey and reveals a glimpse of the powerful feminine presence among us. This Divine Compassionate Love dwells within, around and among us, as an eternal glowing flame.

Gathering Song: Send Down the Fire by Marty Haugen

Refrain:

Send down the fire of your justice,
Send down the rains of your love;
Come, send down the Spirit,

breathe life in your people,
and make us the people of God. (final refrain  And we shall be people of God)

Call us to be your compassion,
Teach us the song of your love;
Give us hearts that sing,
Give us deeds that ring,
Make us ring with the song

of your love. (Refrain)

Call us to learn of your mercy,
Teach us the way of your peace;
Give us hearts that feel,
Give us hands that heal,
Make us walk in the way

of your peace. (Refrain)

Call us to witness your Kingdom,
Give us the presence of Christ;
May your holy light
Keep us shining bright,
Ever shine with the presence

of Christ. (Refrain)

Opening Prayer

Presider : Holy One, Holy Fire, Creative Energy within us and within all, we open ourselves to a new outpouring of Your Spirit. We celebrate with burning hearts your presence and the warmth of your passionate love.  We rejoice in the outpouring of your gifts everywhere as we work for justice, equality and peace in our world.

                                    LITURGY OF THE WORD

                                                HOMILY

                                              Offertory

Statement of Faith

All: We believe in one God, 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.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of God's Word,

bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion,

bright star in the firmament of God's

prophets, mystics, and saints.

We believe that we are called to follow Jesus

as a vehicle of God's love,

a source of God's wisdom and truth,

and an instrument of God's peace in the world.

We believe that God's 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.

ANOINTING CEREMONY

As each person’s hands are anointed the following is prayed: Like Jesus, you are anointed to live the Gospel.  

(music played softly during this time:

You Have Anointed Me by the Dameans

Presentation of the bread and wine

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 we become your new creation.

Presider: My sisters and brothers, these gifts give glory to the Holy One.

All: O Holy One, You dwell in all of us, and you accept our gifts and our worship that we offer in service to our faith community. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

Presider: The Holy One, Shekinah, Source of all life, is with you.

All: And also with you.

Presider: We lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Holy One, the Love of our Hearts.

Presider: We give thanks and praise to our compassionate God.

All: It is right to give the Holy One thanks and praise.

Presider: Please join in praying our Eucharistic prayer:

All: O Divine Flame of Love, your glowing embers dance in our hearts. Your passionate presence kindles our souls. You purify us with the searing truth that ignites our spirits. As the glowing embers of a fire penetrate the cold around us, so your tenderness sets our hearts aglow. We celebrate your nearness this day as we remember your Pentecost miracles.

The wind of your life has blown across our world in the gentle breezes and thunder storms of your vision in your prophets and visionaries among us. We praise and exalt you forever with grateful hearts as we sing:

Holy Holy Holy  - Karen Drucker

We are Holy, Holy, Holy…

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.

Voice 1: Passionate God, you kindle your fire of enthusiasm within us. You speak to us with assurance and excitement and reveal to us the infinite, boundless, depths of your love for us.

Voice 2: You awaken us to your promises to be always present in our lives, no matter what the obstacles or setbacks we experience. You consume us with such a hunger and thirst for justice that our words and actions inflame others to become signs of your justice. You give us eyes to see human need, hearts to care for our sisters and brothers and hands and feet to lighten others burdens.

Invocation of the Holy Spirit (extend you hand in blessing)

Voice 3: You bless us O Holy One and you enliven all that exists. You transform these gifts of bread and wine, and our lives, by boundless grace that nourish and sustains us on our journey.

Presider: On the night before he faced his own death for the sake of the life of everyone of us, Jesus sat at the Passover supper with his companions. He reminded them of what he taught them and bent down and washed their feet. Jesus returned to his place at the table, lifted the Passover bread and spoke the blessing, and then broke the bread with these words,

All: Take and Eat, this is my very self.

Presider: Jesus then raised high the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine with these words:

All:  Take and drink of the covenant made new again through my life for you and for everyone. Whenever you do this, you remember me.

Presider: Let us proclaim the mystery of wonder in our midst:

All: Christ of the Cosmos you are the spark of love in whom we believe; the Wisdom of Sophia in whom we trust; and the desire for justice that consumes us.

Voice 4:  As we celebrate the memory of Jesus, we remember our political and religious leaders, especially Pope Francis, and our Bishop, Bridget Mary. We remember the communion of saints and all who have inspired and loved us.

(pause to mention names). 

Voice 5: May our hearts be merry as we dream new dreams and see new visions. May we recognize Christ present in every person everywhere. May we, like Jesus, become Spirit Fire, as we fan the flames of love over the entire cosmos.

Presider holds Bread and wine.

All:…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.

All: Great Amen

Prayer of Jesus and Sign of Peace

Prayer for the Breaking of the Bread

Presider: Please join in praying the prayer for the breaking of the bread:

All: Loving God, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.

We will live justly.  Loving God, You call us to be Your presence in the world. 

We will love tenderly.  Loving God, You call us to speak truth to power. 

We will walk with integrity.

                                                (Presider holds up bread and wine)

Presider: Let us pray our communion prayer together.

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: 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. 

Communion Song:  Holy Spirit by Ken Canedo

Final Blessing

Presider: God’s Spirit strengthens you to carry out your ministry faithfully.

God’s Spirit calls you to heal and reconcile 

God’s Spirit guides you in your work for justice and peace.

God’s Spirit enlivens you in prophetic and liberating obedience.

All: Together, we are one in Christ, loving and serving as God’s holy people.

Closing Song with Liturgical Dance:  Send Down the Fire by Marty Haugen