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| Unsplash- Birmingham Museum Trust |
All: Infinite God in whom I live and move and have my being (arms outstretched), Holy Spirit Sophia in every person and all Communities (hands in Namaste position, bowing to person across from you), Inner God, my brother Jesus: I am your light for the world (hands crossed over heart) Amen.
Opening Prayer.
All: You came among us, Jesus, to heal the broken hearted and to show us the way to God, our Mother and Father. Help us to extend your compassion to our world especially now in the time of political turmoil and Covid, destroyer of lives and communities. May you bless us with your generative love, for you are God-with-us, now and forever. Amen.
See Sheet for Readings
Reading Taken from “Becoming Mystical Mothers this Advent” Gospel from Luke 2: 1-7
Shared Homily: What struck you from the reading of Mystical Mothers? Or one of the questions included in the reading Becoming Mystical Mothers…? Where have I found/experienced Jesus during 2020? Has Covid changed how you experience Christmas this year? Who am I as I visit the stable this year? “What gift do I bring to Jesus from living this year in the time of Covid?
Profession of Faith. All: We believe in God who is creator and nurturer of all. We believe in Jesus Christ our brother and Beloved Son of God who is our faith, hope, love, and our light. Born in a stable, Jesus now resides in our souls. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia who energizes and guides us to rebuild caring communities and to challenge injustices. We believe in the partnership and equality of women and men in our church and world. We believe that all are ONE in the Community of creation. We believe that God calls us to live fully, love tenderly, and serve generously. Amen.
Presider: Always mindful of God’s love and care for us, we bring the needs of God’s people to our loving Creator and Sustainer.
Response: Jesus, God with us, hear our prayer.
Reader: For all persons, medical professionals and communities suffering from Covid: financially, physically, mentally; we pray for healing for patients and for the families who lost a loved one. Response.
Reader: That we will dedicate ourselves to working for a sustainable planet and economy for all, we pray. Response
Reader: That we will re-dedicate ourselves to build a country and world where equality, justice and peace is established for all. Response:
Presider: For what else should we pray…
All: We know you hear our prayers; those we speak and those we keep in our hearts. Fill our community with your Love as we come to the stable during this Christmas season in the time of Covid. Amen
PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS
Reader: (lifting up the bread) are you, O God, Lover of all. In this time of Covid, our bread is your MMOJ community coming to your birth place in our hearts bringing our faith, hope and love as gifts for you. Through your divine providence, we have this bread to offer, it will become for us the Bread of life. ALL: Praise to God, Emmanuel forever.
Reader: (lifting up the wine) Blessed are you, Holy Mystery, Creator of all. This wine is our desire to live following your Way of reconciliation, healing and peace during Covid and beyond. Through your divine providence, we have this wine to offer, it will become our spiritual drink. ALL: Praise to God, Emmanuel forever.
All: Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have this bread and wine and our own lives to offer as our gifts to you at the stable. Through this sacred meal and the gifts of faith, hope and love may we become your Presence for all. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer.
All Sing: We are holy holy holy (x3) We are whole; You are holy holy holy (x3) You are whole; I am holy (x3) I am whole; We are holy holy holy (x3) We are whole.
All: Come Holy Spirit and settle on this bread and wine. Fill them with the holiness and wholeness of our living Brother our Cosmic Christ born in a stable and living in the center of our souls today.
Remembering Jesus. (hand extended in blessing):
All: On the night before he died, while at supper with his friends, Jesus took bread, broke it, and shared it with those present, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat. This is my body which will be broken for you.” (Pause)
Then Jesus took a cup of wine and shared it with those present, saying, “Take this all of you and drink. This is the cup of my life-blood. Do this in memory of me.”
All (2nd Invocation of Spirit, with hand on each other’s shoulder): Come Holy Spirit to rest on us. Refreshed from our worship together and joined with Jesus’ parents Joseph and Mary, angels, shepherds, and the wise ones; may we extend your Love and peace to all we meet in this time of Covid. Amen
Prayer of Jesus “Our Father and Mother”
Song of Peace Love is flowing like a river, flowing out of you and me, flowing out into the desert, setting all the people free. Hope is flowing…Alleluia
Litany for Breaking of Bread.
Reader: Loving God, you call us to know Jesus dwelling within us.
All: We will do so!
Reader: Loving God, you call us to live the Gospel of equality, peace and justice for others and earth. All: We will do so!
Reader: Loving God, you call us to be your Presence in the world. All: We will do so!
Reader: This is Jesus born in a humble stable who liberates, heals and transforms us and our world in the time of Covid. All are invited to partake of this banquet of love and to live as the Heart and Hands of Christ’s Compassion in our time. All: We are the Body of Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving (Didache, 100CE)
Men 1: For the thanksgiving, give thanks this way: First, for the cup: We thank you, Abba God, for the sacred vine of David your son, whose meaning you made clear to us through our brother Jesus, yours ever be the splendor.
Women 2: And for the bread fragment: We thank you, Amma God, for the life and wisdom whose meaning you made clear to us through Jesus Christ, yours ever be the splendor.
All 3: As this fragment was scattered high on hills, but by gathering was united into one, so let your people from earth’s ends be united into your single reign, for yours are splendor and might through Jesus Christ down the ages.
Prayers of Gratitude from community.
Final Blessing.
All (hand extended over community):
May God’s Light encircle you
May God’s Love enfold you
May God’s Peace encourage you
May God’s Hope fill your heart and soul.
May God’s Presence enrich you
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus in the stable and in our hearts each day. Amen
Reader: In this time of Covid, let us go in the peace, joy, and hope of our newly born Prince of Peace,
let our service for others continue through all of 2021! All: Thanks be to God.
MMOJ January liturgy will be on the Thursday January 7.
Thanks to and adapted from a liturgy by Michael and Imogene Rigdon of MMOJ-Sarasota
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