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| Chaplain Chuck Moffett, Bay Village Chaplain |
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THE ORDER OF SERVICE
Organ Prelude.
Words of Welcome and Announcements – offered by
our Lay Leader
Call To Worship – composed and offered by our Lay Leader.
Opening Hymn – All Are Welcome- Marty Haugen
Unison Opening Prayer – O
Holy One, we long to open ourselves to a new experience of inclusivity where
all are welcome, all are loved, all belong to a community of equals, a
community of spiritual growth, a community of justice. We affirm our oneness as
people of faith committed to seeking wisdom, living compassion, and working for
social justice for the marginalized and all in need. We affirm our diversity
and celebrate the many paths to living a fuller life on our holy earth. Amen.
Men’s Chorus Anthem Selection for January 25: “I
Know Whom I Have Believed”
Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer: I am happy to lead the
Lord’s Prayer with the community.
Scripture Reading Isaiah 43:2a,3-4
Do not be afraid. I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the seas, I will be with you;
When you pass over the rivers, you will not drown.
Walk through fire, and you will not be singed;
Walk through flames and you will not be burned.
I am YHWH, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer.
(Inclusive Bible)
The Message for the day. Bridget Mary- Power Point
Closing Hymn – Be Not Afraid by
Bob Dufford SJ
The Benediction - Please extend your hand in
blessing as we pray;
We bless one another as God’s holy people united in love with many
gifts to make our world a better place.
We rejoice in our call to live as a reflection of the Holy One’s
Presence in communities that are inclusive, compassionate, just and wise. We go
forth beloved and blessed in the God of love, in the God of truth and in the
God of justice. Amen.
Musical Response – Men’s Chorus. The selection for January
25: “All Hail King Jesus”
Organ Postlude
Presentation by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests - We Are
Here
1. Each of us
is a unique and precious image of God created for a special purpose to make our
world a better place. In Genesis, we
read that God created women and men as spiritual equals in the divine image.
2. In Luke 8: we read that there were many women
disciples who followed Jesus and supported his ministry out of their resources.
In Mark 14:9 Jesus praises an unnamed woman as the perfect disciple in contrast
to the male disciples who deserted him- “what she has done will be told in
remembrance of her. Women were leaders
of house Churches in the early Church. Phoebe was a deacon and Lydia welcomed people
around the Eucharistic table in her home. Acts 16:40
3. By our
baptism, St. Paul affirms that women and men are spiritual equals, In his
letter to the Galatians 3:28, he writes: ““All of you who have been baptized
into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ. In Christ there is no Jew
or Greek, slave or citizen, male or female, all are one in Christ Jesus.
4. In the Roman
Catholic Church, there are many ways we can live our baptismal call to service
in the community, but our church is not open to priestly ordination. At this
time, Pope Francis is considering returning to the ancient 1200 year tradition of women deacons.
5. Today, I am going to share with you a new
movement in the Roman Catholic Church that is here in Florida at Mary Mother of
Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community. Imogene Rigdon, who recently passed away
was one of our first, founding members. She and Michael were a priest ministry
couple who served our house church that later grew and moved to rent space in
St. Andrew UCC. We celebrate liturgies at 4 PM every Saturday. Now we have 6
women and 2 men who are priests in our inclusive community where all are
welcome to receive sacraments.
6. Why? Roman
Catholic Church Canon Law 1024 states that only a baptized male can be
ordained. This is an unjust, man –made law!
7. In response
to this unjust law and as a matter of justice, the international Roman Catholic
Women Priests Movement began in 2002 with seven women being ordained on the
Danube River.
8. Shortly
after this time, the Vatican excommunicated the women.
9. But, an
unnamed bishop ordained 2 of the women priests bishops- Christine Mayr
Lumetzberger and Gisela Forster- in order to grow the movement as an issue of
justice. Later, he ordained another
woman, Patricia Fresen, a bishop.
10.
These women did the first ordinations in North America
in 2005 on the St. Lawrence Seaway and in 2006 on the 3 rivers in Pittsburgh. I
was ordained at this historic ordination.
11.
When I returned to Florida with my Dad, jack, we had
our first liturgy/Mass around our dining room table at Christmas time in 2006.
12.
We put a little ad in the paper and people started to
come. After some articles in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Bishop Frank Dewane
issued a condemnation of me. Tom Lyons wrote an article that can be found on
google, ABC local news interviewed me and Jack Duffy, one of our members, and
then the house church so much that Michael Rigdon and I started knocking on
other Church doors. Pastor Phil Garrison and the UCC community at St. Andrew
warmly welcome us in 2008 and we have been there ever since.
13.
We are Catholic. We are not leaving the Church but
leading the Church in a new Christ-centered model of community that is
inclusive, egalitarian and empowering.
14.
For example, all are welcome to participate at our
liturgies and to receive Eucharist. We invite the community to share in
dialogue homilies, and invite everyone to pray the Eucharistic Prayer in a
circle around the Table. Our model is a renewed non-hierarchical model where
the community is circular and transparent and makes decisions together. The bishop’s role is to ordain , she has no control over anyone including our
priests and communities. All are independent and co-responsible to live the
Gospel and to serve the people.
15.
I have brought flyers about our movement and our
People’s Catholic Seminary, an online and interactive resource that our women
candidates use at no-charge and that is available to members of our communities
and other seekers interested in contemporary theology, transformative spiritual
and social justice approaches to healing and structural change.
16.
I will available after our service to greet you and
answer questions. I write a daily blog- you can google bridgetmary’s blog and
you will find me! Many thanks for your wonderful invitation to share my passion
for justice and work for equality for women in the Roman Catholic Church.
17.
We have handouts about how you can support our
movement as Friends of the Association.
ARCWP - Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Invites You to
Become Our Friends, Find Out How on our Website