Unfolding Light – Page 60 – Daily Reflections and Worship Resources

Epiphany

           Magi from the East came to Jerusalem,
           asking, “Where is the child
           who has been born king of the Jews?
                           —Matthew 2.1-2

The magi did not find the holy child in Jerusalem,
but among peasants, in a little town like all the towns
they had just passed through.

On my morning walk the icy rain whispered,
the dead leaves under the ice proclaimed,
my breath shone.

What if the divine unveiling awaits you,
the revelation ready to astound you
in every little ordinary thing?

A plant on a windowsill,
a child in the hallway may reveal to you
what words can’t convey.

Not spoken but given,
not a theorem but a presence,
not wisdom but being.

For Jesus it was lilies, and birds,
a stranger’s daughter, muddy Jordan water
and the air above the water.

What if glory hides, poorly disguised,
in a stone, a door, a question,
a word, a look, a silence?

Your heart is already searching,
the world is already holy,
the child is already here.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Baptism of Jesus

           Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan,
           to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying,
           “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
           But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now;
           for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
                           —Matthew 3.13-15

Did Jesus need to repent?
Yes. We all do, every moment.
Even Yo-Yo Ma needs to tune up.
To repent is to turn to God.
It’s not a one time thing.
We need to turn with every breath,
keep tuning in, tuning up with every note.

Jesus let his self-centered self drown
and be raised as a new person
with a new name, Beloved,
and he devoted his life to living that way:
that dying and rising each moment,
vulnerable to the Spirit’s leading,
in tune with God,
attentive.

           We have been buried with Christ
           by baptism into death,
           so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
           by the glory of God, so we too
           might walk in newness of life.
                      —Romans 6.4

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Baptism

Love,
beneath my breathing,
beneath my heartbeat,
fundus of my being,
Word of the merest nerve impulse,
you are.

I am immersed in you.
I float deep in your blue-green silence,
your amniotic presence.

My singular “I” drowns;
I am birthed into you,
this singing light,
from womb to womb.

Fed on your umbilical love I rise.
I hear your voice, hymn of my life:
“You are my child,
my Beloved,
in whom I am well pleased.“

Now I am alive.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Homage

           On entering the house,
           they saw the child with Mary his mother;
           and they knelt down and paid him homage.
                           —Matthew 2.11

Grown men, powerful figures,
people with authority. Kings, even.
Bowed down. On their knees.
(King James says they fell down.
Says they worshiped him.)
Prostrate. Face to the dust.
Men of power, on the floor
for a peasant child, a toddler.

Stay there a moment.
Before the hymns,
the impressive gifts,
the pious symbolism,
stay in this silent moment of worship.

Let the authority in you
kneel down before the ordinary,
the poor and plain.
Let the wisdom in you
attend to the small,
bow before the simple.
Let the power in you
fall down—fall down—
in humble honor
of the fragile and tender,
the vulnerable, the meek.
In the little ones, not in the mighty,
is the glory of God.
Kneel, wise one,
and worship.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Another road

           Having been warned in a dream
           not to return to Herod,
           they left for their own country by another road.
                           —Matthew 2.12

For the oak trees New Year’s Day is just another day.
For the chickadee we have not turned a new year.

But we humans are creatures of hope;
we dare to believe that today is new,

that from this day forward
we can begin anew,

forgive and be forgiven,
learn, and unlearn some things,

step out of old ruts into new adventures,
new ways of being.

God, give me courage to start over,
to start, to be open to new ways,

to risk, to begin anew,
to go by another road.

May the new year bring healing of wounds past,
gratitude and trust in the present moment,

and abundant grace and blessings
in what lies ahead.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Baptism

           When Jesus had been baptized,
           just as he came up from the water,
           suddenly the heavens were opened to him
           and he saw the Spirit of God
           descending like a dove and alighting on him.
           And a voice from heaven said,
           “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
                           —Matthew 3.16-17

Awaking this morning, you rise
out of the waters of Creation.

Today you walk across the Red Sea. You will drown,
and come to in a new place.

The heavens are torn open forever.
You can get there from here:

Heaven has spilled out into this world.
Live this day as if you are in heaven.

You are God’s Beloved, radiant with the image of God.
You belong, and have no power to remove yourself.

You are immersed in Christ, who heals you,
who accompanies you, who dies and rises in you.

You brim with Spirit, humming within.
Let her live in you. Let her sing. Let her fly.

Let her love in her infinite way. You can give,
for you have abundantly received.

Christ will go about the world now, healing and teaching,
blessing and serving, in your hands and ears and eyes.

The fire with which God will change the world
glows within you. Tend it.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

The Baptism of the Beloved

Jesus came down to the water, down
to where we were, his feet pierced
by the sharp stones of our hearts,
his heart pierced by our cries.

Jesus went down into the water,
immersed in this mystery we are immersed in,
down, into bottoms, into dreams,
John’s hand on his shoulder the whole time.

There he swam like a fish deep
through the springs of your life,
through the vaulted sky of water,
through the Flood, the blood-thick water.

Spring at the bottom of a well.
Underside of a boat in a storm.
A jug of wine-red water, turning. Water
so dense with God you could walk on it.

You could see him moving like a sound
down there, like a current,
like an angel or a shark, like the spirit
brooding over the waters.

He troubled the waters.
Walked through the waters.
Drowned in the waters,
until it flowed with his blood.

Buried at sea, he wrestled
with frenzied swine, with Leviathan,
and Jonah’s whale, and all manner
of monsters that haunt your murk.

Was swallowed by them all,
and in their darkest innards
they were powerless to avoid
digesting him body and soul.

Three days under.
Silence.
The cry of a bird.
John breathed deep.

In a moment the water gave him up
and when he rose, fresh like a baby,
tears flowed down our cheeks
like the Jordan river.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Trinity Sunday- 1st Sunday after Pentecost

May 26, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 6.1-8 — The prophet sees God in the Temple. “I am a man of unclean lips!” An angel sears his lips with a burning coal. “Whom shall I send?” “Send me.”

Psalm 29 — God’s voice flashes forth. God sits enthroned over the flood.

Romans 8. 12-17 — Live according to the spirit, not the flesh. We are heirs with Christ.

John 3. 1-17 — Jesus tells Nicodemu we must be born “again from above.” The Son of man will be “lifted up” like Moses’ bronze serpent.

Preaching Thoughts

Creation
The Sunday after Pentecost is often focused on the gift and care of Creation. See Creation-Centered Resources.

Trinity Sunday
       The Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday. Now that the Holy Spirit has made her liturgical debut on Pentecost, the gang’s all here, and we can celebrate the Trinity. Of course the Spirit has been here since before Creation, but now she’s center stage.
       The image of the Trinity does not just describe three different jobs God has, but that God’s essence is in relationship; that God’s nature is beyond any one quality; that God exceeds all our understandings and categories. The Trinity is not a “doctrine” so much as an image. An icon. We diminish it when we turn it into a scientific formula. In fact what the “doctrine” of the Trinity means is that God is mystery and can’t be turned into a doctrine. The image of the Trinity is an icon of God as relationship, as community, as mystery and paradox, as loving energy, as what we think and also what we can’t imagine. See further reflection and worship materials related to the Trinity.

Isaiah
       Typical of Hebrew thought, Isaiah is aware he bears not only his own sin but his people’s. In The Brothers Karamazof Father Zosima says, “You should know, my dear ones, that every individual is undoubtedly responsible for everyone and everything on earth, not only with respect to general guilt, but each individual person is responsible for every single person and all mankind on earth.” Sounds a little like Jesus suffering for all of humanity… And it gives dimension to our being sent out (“Here am I; send me”), not just to be kind to our immediate neighbors but to care for the well-being of all living beings.

Romans
       Living according to the flesh is living according to the delusion that I am contained, defined, and limited to my physical body. But in fact, Paul says, we’re more than our individual bodies: we’re all cells of one living organism, each of us a part of the Body of Christ. “I” am not just this little individual, but “we,” made alive and made one by the one breath, the Spirit of God. To liv according to the flesh is to be compelled by our fears, wounds and desires. To live according to the Spirit is to be led by the Spirit, to live as part of the Body of Christ, accountable to, responsible for and compassionate toward the whole, not just ourselves.

John
       Metaphoric, not literal. Nicodemus is a literalist: “climb back in my mother’s womb?” Of course Jesus will have none of it. All religious language, including all scripture, is metaphorical. “Take up your cross” is a metaphor. “Jesus died” is, too. Yes, it’s a historical fact—but its meaning for us lies in its metaphorical meaning, not just that it happened.
       Born from the top. Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be born “from the top,” that is, both from God and also anew, over and over. We receive our life from God. It’s not a one-time thing, like “I was born again on November13…”) It’s every breath, a gift from God,. Every breath we die and are born again. To be born “from above” is to receive life from God, to let God be our life, because we’re receiving it from God, moment by moment, not just because our heart hasn’t stopped yet.
       Flesh and Spirit. As in Paul’s writings, Jesus isn’t saying the spiritual is separate from the physical, or that there’s something less holy about our bodies. It’s distinguishing between the little parts and the whole, between the illusion of our separateness and the reality of our connectedness. To be “born of the Spirit” is to live in relatedness to all living things, indeed, to all Creation, because we’re all breathed into life by the same one breath of God.
      So loved. Despite evangelists’ use of John 3.16 as a club to convert people, it’s about love, and salvation, not about condemnation. It’s about how much God loves the world, not about how much you need to convert. God sent the son so that the world wold be saved, not just Christian believers.
       Eternal life. This doesn’t mean a long afterlife. It doesn’t mean living for 15 billion years after you die. It means living life that is infinitely deep, flourishing and flowing with life from God that is timeless, that can’t be taken from you, life radiant with with joy and beauty.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
You are holy, and we worship you.
We are your children, born of your Spirit.
What is within us is holy, for it is from you.
Help us to give our lives so that we may receive life.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: By water and the Spirit you create us.
In the womb of your love we are born anew, breath by breath.
In our worship give birth to us again
as your Beloved,
as your community,
as the Body of Christ. Amen.

3.
Leader: God, like Nicodemus we come to you in the dark.
All: We do not understand; we only love you.
By your grace we are born from you, new, over and over.
Give us new life in your Spirit.
The world thinks we are separate,
but we are one in your love, one in your Spirit.
Awaken in us our prayers for one another
and for all the world.
In love for the world you have given us Jesus.
In love for the world you send us.
Fill us with your love, that in our lives
Christ may be lifted up,
for the sake of the wholeness of all Creation. Amen.

4.
Leader: Holy One, your Spirit blows where it will.
All: Spirit of love, breathe in us.
By water and the Spirit we are born of you, new every moment.
Spirit of life, give us new birth.
Breathe your strength and beauty into us.
Wind of grace, blow us out into the world to serve you in love. Amen

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Holy One, you so love the world that you give us your Beloved, your Only Begotten, that we may be made whole. By your Spirit in us, may we be born again and again from you grace; may we be readily blown where the wind of your Spirit blows us, in the name and the company of Jesus. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you make us your children and you call us to help you to love the world. Stir up your Spirit in us so that as we read your scriptures and proclaim your Word we might hear what you are saying to us, and be transformed and enabled to sing more freely and beautifully the song of your grace. Amen.

3.
Holy Mystery of Love, you have loved the world so much as to give us yourself in Christ. BY water and the Spirit you have made us, your church. To your love, beyond our comprehension, we turn in awe. To your love, made real among us, we open our hearts. To your love, birthed within us, we give ourselves. By your grace may we be born anew, breath by breath, in your love. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to intercessions)

God of Love,
we are born anew from you, breath by breath.
We breathe deeply of your Spirit.
We open our hearts to your love.
We wait for your Living Word.
Come to us.

Prayer of Confession

The grace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Gentle God, you have created us by your Spirit and filled us with your gifts.
You have placed within us the fruits of your good news to share with the world.
But we have kept them to ourselves. We have held on to our goods;
we have withheld our love; we have stilled your Word within us.
Forgive our sin. Heal our fear. Break open our self-centeredness.
Let our self-limited selves die, and give us new life instead,
abundant with your grace and generous in love and service.
Silent prayer… The word of grace

Reading

Romans 8.12-17, a paraphrase.

Dearly Beloved, siblings in Christ, we are not isolated bodies,
constrained by their needs and limitations.
When we live that way, as separate units, we die.
But when by the breath flowing from God
we leave behind mere survival, we live deeply.
All who are led by the Spirit are children of God.
The Spirit doesn’t leave you in slavery, leashed to fear:
the Spirit is your adoption as God’s own.
When we cry out to God it is God in us making it clear
that we are God’s children—who inherit from God what Christ does,
invited as Christ’s siblings to share in Christ’s sufferings,
and also in Christ’s glory.

2.
Because you are God’s child, you are like God.
You have God’s Spirit.
You are filled with God’s gifts.
Though you may feel inadequate,
the gifts God has given you are holy, beautiful, and powerful.
But they are not for you. They are for the world.
If you hold onto them, they have no beauty, purpose or power.
Only when you let them go, give them away, do they become true gifts.
Like a seed, your gifts will only become apparent if you “die,”
if you give of yourself. Then beautiful things will happen.
The only reason we withhold our gifts,
our time and talent, our money or our passion,
is that we are afraid.
But since we are God’s and God’s Spirit is in us,
we are not afraid. We are free.
So we give generously. We give our best.
We give joyfully.
In this way we fulfill the purpose of our lives,
glorify God, and participate in the healing of the world.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

       We love you and trust you, God, Mother of all things, by whom we are born anew, breath by breath. You so loved the whole world that you gave us yourself to us in Christ, so that we might know the depth of life.
       We love you and trust you, Jesus, the Begotten One of God, who came among us to free us from condemnation and open to us the way of life that is infinitely deep, that is loving, that is eternal. You were lifted up on a cross—and lifted up again, raised from death to life. And so you welcome us into the realm of God.
       We love you and trust you, Holy Spirit, by whom we are born again and again from God. By water and the Spirit you have created us, and created your church, born of both flesh and spirit, to serve you, to embody you, to bear your love, do justice, and live in your joy and beauty, for the sake of your love for the world. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy Love, Holy One, blessed are you, for in the beginning
over the swirling darkness your Spirit brooded,
and by your Word you created the world.
The wind of your Holy Spirit blows where it will,
and we cannot see where it comes from, or where it goes.
Yet we know it moves in love, and with thanksgiving
we can trace your works of justice and mercy.
By your grace you transform all things:
you free us from slavery to sin and death,
and overthrow the powers of oppression.
You call us to new lives in Christ,
that being born of water and the Spirit,
we may know eternal life in the Realm of your presence.
In your Spirit we gather at your table to be made new.
Feasting on your grace, we join all Creation as we sing your praise:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
For you so loved the world that you gave us yourself,
embodying your love in your Only Begotten.
He fed and taught and forgave and blessed.
He healed the broken and raised up the downtrodden,
and created a new community of justice and love.
He called us to live by your Spirit
and offered us the mystery of salvation, the gift of new life.
He was lifted up on the cross and died;
but you lifted him up in glory, raising him from death.

The Blessing & Covenant *

As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup.
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
Renew your living Holy Spirit within us,
that, receiving the body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ.
In the death and resurrection of Christ,
may we die to our old ways, and be born anew.
Here we are; send us as your people
to serve you for the sake of your love for the world,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup.
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
Renew your living Holy Spirit within us,
that, receiving the body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ.
In the death and resurrection of Christ,
may we die to our old ways, and be born anew.
Here we are; send us as your people
to serve you for the sake of your love for the world,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ.

[Spoken or sung]
Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / After communion

Suitable for dedicating the offering of gifts, after communion, or sending forth at the end of the service. Adapt as needed.

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us.
/ this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Holy God, Three In One, send us in the love of Christ and the power of your Spirit for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us.
/ this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
As you have fed us in this meal, give new birth to us in every breath: continually make us new in love for you, for each other, and for the world, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us.
/ this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Gracious God, receive our lives and all our gifts, which we give to you in thanks and joy. Grateful for your Son, Jesus, and for the gift of salvation, we offer ourselves to you. Here are we, your people. Send us, to show your love to all Creation, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
You have fed your children at your table. You have filed us with your gifts. Send us into the world now to share those gifts, to give freely of our selves, our hearts and resources, our time and attention, for the sake of your desire for the healing of all Creation. We pray in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit within and among us. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Always New
(Tune: Gift of Love -“Water Is Wide”- or Tallis’ Canon)

O God, you make me always new.
Each breath I breathe is life from you,
a gift of love that sets me free.
Beloved, breathe new life in me.

O Christ, you call me to new birth
like God’s creation of the earth,
to leave the things I’m fastened on
and walk into the rising dawn.

O loving Spirit, live in me.
Forgive my sin and set me free.
Give me new birth, life from above,
that I may live in your deep love.

God of Creation, Birthing us Daily (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

God of Creation, birthing us daily,
granting salvation, making things new,
thanks for your blessing gladly we give you,
freely confessing our love for you.

Healing, forgiving, Jesus you touch us.
Bless all our living; grant us delight.
Jesus our brother, help us live gently,
love one another, trust in God’s light.

Grant us our living, great Holy Spirit,
faithfully giving hearts made of praise:
baptized in glory, servants of Jesus,
living your story all of our days.

I Am Open (Original song)

Dear gentle Jesus, I open to you
the deepest chambers of my soul.
My heart is open, wounded and broken.
Heal and forgive and make me whole.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Beloved Jesus, my eyes are open;
your healing touch restores my sight.
Like open windows, they shine, and in flows
your glory filling me with light.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

My wounded Jesus. Your arms are open,
our hurt and dying to embrace.
When I would close them, hold my arms open,
to be so loving by your grace.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Now risen Jesus, my life is open,
a flower unfolding in the sun:
by your light growing, and boldly showing
the love of God, as you have done.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Live by the Spirit (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
[Romans 8.1-6]

God has now done what the law could not do:
God set you free and God reconciled you.
Live by the Spirit that God freely gives,
Spirit of Christ, by which each of us lives.

Setting your mind on the Spirit is peace:
rooted in grace, from our sin we’re released.
Live, then, by the Spirit that raised Christ from death,
Spirit that raises us in every new breath.

Go in God’s peace. Go in Christ’s gentle light.
Go in the Spirit that leads us aright.
Children of God, go in love as you do,
dying with Christ and arising anew.

Spirit of God (Original song)

Spirit of God, bright Wind, breath that bids life begin,
blow as you always do; create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing, lifted on soaring wing,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.

Spirit of God, bright Dove, grant us your peace and love,
healing upon your wings for all living things.
For when we live your peace captives will find release,
held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia!…

Spirit of God, bright Hands, even in far-off lands
you hold all the human race in one warm embrace.
No matter where we go you hold us together so,
held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia!…

Spirit of God, bright Flame, send us in your holy name,
with power to heal, to share your love everywhere.
We cannot fail or fall or know defeat at all,
held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia!…

Spirit of God in all, we gladly hear your call,
the life in our hands that sings, the power of your wings.
Born of your grace we rise, love shining in our eyes,
held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia!…

Pentecost Sunday

May 28, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Acts 2.1-21. The disciples experience the Spirit so powerfully that Luke describes them as if they were on fire. They go into the streets of Jerusalem and begin talking about God’s love to people from all over the known world, each in those people’s native languages. Peter explains the event by quoting the prophet Joel’s vision of God pouring out the Spirit on all people of every age, gender and social station.

Psalm 104 praises God’s Creation and care for all creatures. “When you send forth your spirit they are created.”

1 Corinthians 12.4-13 speaks of the many ways that the Spirit lives in the members of the Church through varying gifts.

John 7.37-39. Jesus’s Spirit is a life-giving stream that flows to us (“Come to me and drink”); this stream, by the grace of the Spirit, also flows from us to others.

Preaching Thoughts

Speaking in tongues
I’m intrigued that the Pentecost story of “speaking in tongues” is about communication—the disciples speaking in other people’s languages (“tongues”) to communicate the gospel they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to communicate—and yet within twenty years “speaking in tongues” was understood not as speaking in known languages for the purpose of communication but in ecstatic utterances that were meaningless, even to the speaker, with out interpretation. I wonder how that reversal came about? I think the pentecostal challenge is not to experience ecstasy but to communicate the good news in ways people understand—which is not in our religious language, or even in words, but in love and justice.

That involves more listening than talking: paying attention to people and their lives, their context, their needs, and listening to them, to what they experience and need and ask for—a kind of “listening in tongues.” Pentecost invites us to check our tendency to center ourselves, our desire that others “speak our language,” our temptation to impose our own values on them. Sometimes the most pentecostal thing we can do is affirm people as they are, rather than ask them to conform to our standards and expectations. Pentecost invites us to assume God has been with them in their journey, even if it’s very different from ours.

The Holy Spirit
It’s helpful for us to personify the Spirit, to imagine the Holy Spirit as, well, a spirit—a sort of invisible “someone” who comes to us and acts upon us. That’s cool, as long as we remember we’re anthropomorphizing a member of the Holy Trinity, that is, God, who is not a god, but beyond all gods—the Mystery of Love that gives rise to all being, that is Being itself. The Holy Spirit is not some ghost, but God in us. In both Greek and Hebrew the word for wind, spirit and breath (and hence life) is the same: ruach in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek. The Holy Spirit is the living energy of God (which is love) in us. When we love, that’s God doing God’s thing.

Jesus says “I am in God, and you in me, and I in you (Jn. 14.20). Sounds a little spacey, but it’s literally true. God is infinite; we are within God. The Holy Spirit is our inter-penetration, our inter-being. Jesus was both human and divine; so are we.

We speak of the disciples “receiving “ the Spirit at Pentecost, but they already had it. They were born with it. (Joel says the Spirit is poured out on all flesh.) And just to make sure, Jesus has breathed on them in John 20. But Pentecost is the moment when the spark catches fire and they burn with it, overcoming their fear and grief. Acting in the power of the Holy Spirit isn’t some ecstatic experience, but simply being a vessel for love. It’s not our love, our effort, but God’s. We let the Spirit, God’s love in us, do its thing. That’s what enables us to do things that seem beyond our capacity or expectations—like communicating love in languages we haven’t studied.

Baptism
Pentecost is a great day for baptisms, baptismal renewal, Confirmation, and receiving new members. People often conflate baptism and confirmation. Those who believe in “adult baptism” see it as a way to affirm one’s faith. But baptism, like birth, isn’t something you do; it’s something you receive. Baptism is a symbol of God’s unconditional love of the person being baptized—whether or not they like it, or understand it, or even know it. (That’s why we baptize babies.) Confirmation is the act in which we respond—we confirm our baptism; we accept our divine belovedness and vow to live in harmony with it. We can only be baptized once, since our belovedness is permanent, eternal and unchanging, and isn’t dependent on the pastor or church or denomination that pours the water, nor on the person receiving it. But we do need to continually re-affirm our baptism, to re-commit ourselves to the vows that were made at our baptism. Pentecost is a great time for baptismal renewal services. See a service of Baptism/ Baptismal Renewal/ Confirmation here.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Breath of Life, raise us up.
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Wind of Grace, carry us always.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Light of God, show us the way.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Spirit of God, make us one.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Flame of Love, send us forth.
Come, Holy Spirit, come. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Spirit of Creation, you call us into being.
All: Spirit of life, you breathe your presence into us.
Spirit of love, you fill us with blessings for others.
Spirit of Christ, you breathe us into the world.
Spirit of God, be our life and our power.
Spirit of God, make us your Body, the Body of Christ.

3.
Leader: In the beginning the Spirit brooded over the waters.
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.
God formed a human from the dust from the earth and breathed into it,
and it became a living person.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
John said, “I baptize you with water but one is coming
who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Jesus said, “The water that I will give will become in you a spring of water
gushing up to eternal life.”
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Jesus said of the Spirit, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”
Come, Holy Spirit, come. Alleluia.

4.
Leader: Eternal God, by your Spirit you create us.
All: Risen Christ, you breathe your Spirit into us.
Holy Spirit, with each breath you give us life and love.
What beauty! What power!
You pour out your grace on us, like rain on thirsty land.
Your spirit is a well within us, gushing up to eternal life,
and flowing our of our hearts.
You are our breathing, our loving, our life.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5. (Jn. 7.37-38)
Leader: Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me.”
All: God, we are thirsty for you.
“Let the one who believes in me drink.”
We come to drink deeply of your Word,
your presence, your grace.
“As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart
shall flow rivers of living water.’”
Flow in us, God, with your love,
and by your grace flow through us
into the world. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Heavenly Lover, you who are the Spirit of love, breathe in us. Create us. Fill us with your life. Fill us with your love. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Breath of God, wind that blew over the sea at Creation; breath that brought to life the human form, made of the dust of the earth; Spirit that led Jesus through all his days: breathe life into us now; re-create us, and fill our bodies and souls with your Word of life, your song of blessing. We breathe deeply of your presence. In the secret language of the heart, speak to us. Amen.

3.
Holy One, Light of Love, Sun of Life, Blaze of Heaven, we turn to you like flowers to the sun to receive your light. Draw near to us and set us afire with your love. We are the lamp and you are the flame; we are the lighthouse and you are the light. Shine in us, until we are pure light, pure love, pure life! You are the river and we are your riverbank. Flow in us so that we may bear your grace to all the world in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, you are our breath. Give us life, and ewe will praise you. Light of God, we come to shape ourselves to be vessels of your love. Give us grace, and we will serve you. Holy Spirit, you are our Wisdom and our life. Speak to us, and we will listen. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
Spirit of God,
you breathe in us.
You make us alive.
In the stillness we breathe
and you enter us.
You come in and out of us
with life-giving love.
We breathe you in and out,
and we give thanks.

2.
You have said to us who thirst
to come to you and drink.
O Love, we drink deeply of your presence.
You said out of our hearts shall flow
rivers of living water.
O Love, flow in us
with life for all Creation.

Prayers

1.
Graceful power, move in me.
May my living give language to your miraculous ways.
May my words express your goodness,
my actions reveal the abundance of your blessing.
Spirit, be the nerve that moves me as your body
to do your will, that all that I do
might clearly embody your grace
and be your living example.
May all whom I meet be given to understand
in the language of their hearts
your loving presence.
Amen.

2. [May be led by two readers.]
Rejoicing in the presence of the Spirit, let us pray for the church, the world, and all of God’s creation.

Come, Holy Spirit, and kindle the flames of our witness to God’s presence.
We pray for the leaders of the church and all the people of God, that together we might live the gospel, and reach out to those with needy hearts. God in your mercy… you hear our prayers.

Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
We pray for oceans and sky, for rivers and deserts, for lakes and forests, for mountains and grasslands. God in your mercy…

Come, Holy Spirit, and pour out your justice on all nations.
We pray for countries wracked with violence, for soldiers and civilians, for peacemakers and relief agencies. God in your mercy…

Come, Holy Spirit, and give hopeful visions to the young and life-giving dreams to the old.
We pray for those whose lives are wracked by fear, for those who feel distanced from your light, and for all those in need in any way, especially…. God in your mercy…

Come, Holy Spirit, and guide us in our work.
We pray for firefighters and scientists, for midwives and custodians, for writers and housekeepers, for parents and students, for all who live out the gifts of the Spirit in their lives. God in your mercy…

Come, Holy Spirit, and bind us to the communion of saints who have gone before us.
We remember with thanksgiving all those who served and witnessed by your power, especially… God in your mercy…

Into your hands, O God, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in your abundant mercy. And now with the confidence that is ours in being sons and daughters of God, we pray to the One we call Abba, Father, the prayer of Jesus: …

Poetry

           A sun within

I’m wondering how to love
such a big tough world,
where to find the strength to bless
the unending mass of the poor,
the problematic, the people who
annoy me. But You say to me,
“You don’t need to find anything.
You only need to breathe deeply
of this fire within; receive
what you have been given. You have
perfected your simple costume,
your blank demeanor.
But something deep within you roars:
not a flame, but a sun,
a wind that sweeps vast cities clear,
a heaving sea. Don’t you feel it?
The light seeps out through your joints.
The great tide swells
with every pulse of your heart.
You weary yourself trying to contain it.
Lie still for a moment in the sun
of God’s passion for you, the single flame,
the only light, that fills all things,
that loves each soul, until you catch fire.
Open your eyes, and let it stream from you.
Your heart is not a cistern. It is a river.
It is the sun. Wake up, for it is rising.

             Pentecost Prayer

Fire of God,
be my light.

Heat of God,
be my fuel.

Furnace of God,
purify me.

Blaze of God,
be my upward leaping.

Flame of God,
be my breath.

Wind of God,
be my steady leading.

Spirit of God,
may I burn with your love,

your passion to spread mercy
in this flammable world.

             Pentecost prayer

Holy Spirit,
River of love, divine delight,
flow through me.
Flame of sun, burn in me.
Wind of heaven, breathe in me.
Tongues of strangers, speak in me.
Love of God, sing in me.

Lead me beyond myself,
to return to you in the other,
to love you in my stranger,
my foreigner, my enemy.

Burn with your fire in me,
that it may be mine.
Breathe yourself into my life,
that it may be yours.
I am your song, and your singing.
I am your candle; you are my flame.

Holy Spirit,
love the world
in me.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
[From 1 Corinthians 12, Jn. 3. 5-6]
[Try experimenting with various ways of responsive readings in addition to Leader and Congregation. This merely an example.]
         Left side: No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
         Right side: Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
         Men: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit in all people. To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
         Women: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
         All: We are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it.
         Under 50 years old : God says: “Here is my servant community whom I have chosen, the ones I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on them, and they will proclaim justice to the nations.”
         Over 50 years old: The Spirit of the Holy One is upon us, for God has anointed us to preach good news to the poor. God has sent us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the grace of God.
All: Alleluia! Holy Spirit, be in us the light of God for the world. Alleluia!

2.
[Based on Romans 8. 2, 11-17]
We rejoice, for the power of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the power of sin and death. Since the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, then that same Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies also. So we belong not to our separate lives and desires, which are doomed, but to the one life of the Spirit. For all who are led by the Spirit are children of God. The Spirit does not restrict us, or shove us back into fear. The Spirit is our connection with God, as God’s children. When we cry, “Mommy! Daddy!” it is that very spirit in us crying out. So in the Spirit we are siblings with Christ: we suffer with Christ, and we are glorified with Christ.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you God, for in the beginning
you gathered up dust from the earth and breathed your breath into it,
and it became a living being: us, your people.
When we were lost and enslaved
your pillar of fire led us to freedom through the wilderness.
When we were defeated and lifeless
your wind brought life to our dry bones.
In our need you sent Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
So we sing praise and thanks to you,
with all Creation breathing together:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who fed the hungry and included the outcast.
He breathed upon us his Spirit,
renewing your Covenant to be with us always in love,
and empowering us to love as he loved.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
one in your grace and aflame with your love,
for the sake of the world, in the name of Christ.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us. / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In gratitude we give you our lives, symbolized in our gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. May your Spirit always flow through us, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us. / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In this meal you have poured yourself into us, and filled us with your Spirit of love. Send us into the world to convey your love to others, that they also might know your powerful works. We pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Spirit of Life, flow through us. Flame of Love, burn in us. Holy Presence, shine in us. May our whole lives be a song of praise for you, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Bearers of Light (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

God, how you love us, hold us and bless us,
reign from above us, lead us by hand
Call us to healing, bound by your Promise,
your Word revealing, by your command.

Great holy giver of life and wonder,
deep like a river your blessings flow.
Gladly we give you praise and thanksgiving:
gifts we will give wherever we go.

Baptized, anointed, filled with your Spirit,
we are appointed bearers of light:
for liberation, servants of justice,
bringing the nations joy and delight.

Breath of God (Tune: Londonderry Air – “Oh Danny Boy”)

O Holy One, Creator of the stars of night,
whose dust we are, created with your light,
now breathe your spirit into us and give us life;
give us new hearts that beat with your delight.
Our dust and ashes, Love, we give in faith to you.
Receive our lives, our sin, our wounds, our death;
and raise us up with Christ from death to life by grace.
God, may we be your love and you our living breath.

Breathe into us the breath of your compassion, God,
the breath to sing your praise in all we do,
the breath to run the race of justice, long and far.
Breathe, holy breath: empower and renew.
O be the grace that fills our lungs, reviving us;
O be the wind on which our hearts can soar;
O be our life, our beauty and our living breath.
O Spirit, come breathe in us now and evermore.

Fire of Love (Tune: HOLY MANNA)

Holy Spirit, you have gathered us as on that Pentecost
when you gathered Christ’s disciples and their fears and doubts were lost:
breathing life into their souls, and shining out of every face,
you sent them into the streets to tell of God’s amazing grace.

Each aflame with your compassion, eager that your praise be sung,
fearlessly they filled the streets to tell your news in every tongue.
So we ask you, by your life within us, giving us new birth,
send us out to spread God’s love in Jesus’ name to all the earth.

Holy Spirit, you have granted gifts to each, in our own way,
so that we might serve you as we live and work and share and pray.
By your pow’r we love our neighbors, work for justice, act with peace,
reach the lost and serve the lowly: so your work will never cease.

Holy Spirit, energy of God that links us soul to soul,
by your grace we are the Body of the risen Christ, made whole.
Be the breath that lifts our singing; be the wind that fills our sails;
be the fire of love among us ‘till the Reign of God prevails.

Holy Spirit, Burn Within Us (Tune: BEECHER, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling)

Holy Spirit, Sun of Heaven, source of light and warmth and power,
fill us and transform us like a seed that turns into a flower.
Kindle in your willing people joy’s bright spark, compassion’s flame.
Set us all afire to bear your loving light in Jesus’ name.

Holy Spirit, burn within us, radiant with your healing grace.
Give us brand new ways to meet and love the stranger face to face.
Help us find new ways of caring. Help us set new, daring goals.
Give us brand new languages to speak your love to seeking souls.

Holy Spirit, let your fire consume us, changing us at last.
Let us rise like light emerging from the embers of the past.
May the star of pure compassion shine within and set us free.
Holy Spirit, make us all your flame that burns eternally.

Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)

Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven, Breath of Life, our warmth and light,
Power of Creation, bringing hopeful dawn from darkest night:
you have birthed us, you have borne us; you have blessed us all our days,
now you fill our lungs with singing; how you fill our hearts with praise!

Holy Spirit, flame of passion, you who brought your Church to be,
re-create us as your Body, holy in our unity.
Fill us with your fierce compassion, gentle courage, trust and peace.
Lead us all to love each other; make our sad divisions cease.

Holy Spirit, Dove descending, mind of Christ within us all,
speak your wisdom, move among us, help us hear your inner call.
Be the only pow’r that moves us; be our life, O singing Dove!
Holy Spirit, come, revive us! Fill us with your heart of love!

Spirit of God (Original song)

Spirit of God, bright Wind, breath that bids life begin,
blow as you always do; create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing, lifted on soaring wing,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.

Spirit of God, bright Dove, grant us your peace and love,
healing upon your wings for all living things.
For when we live your peace captives will find release,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.

Spirit of God, bright Hands, even in far-off lands
you hold all the human race in one warm embrace.
No matter where we go you hold us together so,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

Spirit of God, bright Flame, send us in your holy name,
with power to heal, to share your love everywhere.
We cannot fail or fall or know defeat at all,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

Spirit of God in all, we gladly hear your call,
the life in our hands that sings, the power of your wings.
Born of your grace we rise, love shining in our eyes,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

Ascension Sunday

May 21, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Ascension Day

Acts 1.1-11. Jesus’ final instruction s to the disciples 40 days after the resurrection, and his ascension

Psalm 47 rejoices that God has “gone up with a shout” and sits on the holy throne.

Ephesians 1.15-23. A prayer that you may receive “a spirit of wisdom and revelation… with the eyes of your hearts enlightened,” so that you might know the greatness of God’s power, the power with which God raised Jesus from the dead.

Luke 24.44-53. A shorter account of Jesus’ ascension.

7^th Sunday of Easter

[Ascension Day, 40 days after the Resurrection, is May 18, but may be observed Sunday the 21^st. Regardless of other textual choices, include at least one version of the ascension story.]

Acts 1.6-14. The ascension story.

Psalm 68.1-10, 32-35. “God, parent of orphans and protector of widows, has given the desolate a home to live in.”

1 Peter 4.12-14; 5.6-11. Blessed are you who are persecuted for your faith. Discipline yourselves. Cast your anxiety on God. Resist evil. God will restore you.

John 17.1-11. Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, that they (we) may know God, and that they be one.

Preaching Thoughts

    The story of the Ascension, like that of the Transfiguration, is highly symbolic. Treating it as a historical fact that proves a certain point (like that Jesus is divine) is not as fruitful as letting it be a story that invites our wonder. The story offers layers of “meaning” and significance.
   We still cling to the ancient worldview that God is “up” (NFL players point to the sky when they score. Why not point to the ground, or their hearts?) Given that geography, for Jesus to ascend implies he’s gone”up” to be with God on the throne—that is, to rule over all Creation. Jesus has ascended to the “heavenly places:” not the sky, or the afterlife, but the place of power at the heart of all things. Love is actually sovereign, even if it’s unseen.
    For those concerned with the physical body of Jesus after the resurrection, this seems to present a puzzle: now where is Jesus? But he has told them: In you. In Luke 24.48-49 and Acts 1.8 Jesus has charged them to continue his ministry and promised the Spirit (in John 20.22 he has already breathed his spirit into them). So it’s not just a story about Jesus: it’s a story about us. Jesus is the spirit; they (we) are the body. On Pentecost the disciples will discover that gift with amazing power. The Ascension makes way for the community to become the physical body of the risen Christ.
    This is also a story about grief and transition: the disciples now have to live without Jesus in separate physical form. It reflects a lot of the change, grief and uncertainty in the early church, and in the church these days.
    It’s raises the question of how we live out our faith without the reassurance of Jesus’ physical presence with us. Much as we might wish he were ”here” in that way, we have to learn to accept his presence in a different form.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God of glory, something has happened.
All: God of love, something has changed.
Christ now reigns overall the world.
Christ now reigns over all our hearts.
All our minds.
All our lives, and all our choices.
Christ, ruler of all that is, come rule over us.
Draw us up in your love, and make us your Body,
for the sake of the world. Amen.

2.
Leader: Despite the world’s chaos,
All: love is the root of all.
Over and beneath men who fight for power and influence,
love is the greatest power.
Though death looms and evil prowls,
Christ, risen from the dead, is in every time and place.
God, the God of love, is with us.
We worship in gratitude and joy.

3.
Leader: Eternal God, you reign over all the universe.
All: Praise to you for your wondrous love!
Christ, you have ascended and are enthroned over all things.
Glory be to you, who are above all powers and authorities.
We praise you. Reign over us, and make us your holy people.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Loving God, you sent Christ to us, to love us and lead us.
All: Alleluia! We are blessed, and we thank you for your love!
But he was crucified at the hand of our own fear and selfishness.
Alas! We are sorrowful, and we confess our sin to you, and ask your forgiveness.
In grace you raised him from the dead.
Alleluia! We are saved! We praise you for your grace!
You have lifted him up into the heavenly places.
Alas! We are afraid, for now we are without him: he has gone away from us again!
You have seated him at your right hand in the realm of power.
Alleluia! Christ rules over everything, over every force that frightens us.
We can relax!
Christ is the head of all things for the church, which is his body.
Alas! Then we must get to work, and risk dying and rising as well!
In Christ you grant us a glorious inheritance, and call us to hope.
Alleluia! With all our mixed feelings we come to worship, to give you our lives,
to follow the crucified, risen and ascended Christ. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Everliving God, your eternal Christ once dwelt on earth, confined by time and space. Give us faith to discern in every time and place the presence among us of the One who is head over all things and fills all, even Jesus Christ our ascended Sovereign. Amen.

2.
Loving God, Creator of all things, you have raised Christ to rule at the heart of the human story, present in all beings, through the Spirit of love to bless us, keep us and lead us in your ways. May your Word may be made flesh again in Scripture, in our worship, and in all our lives and in our living. Open our hearts, God, and speak to us. Amen.

3.
Eternal God, Christ, who rose from the dead, rises in our hearts with love. May Christ, who has ascended to the heart of all things, ascend in our minds and hearts, and rule with grace. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

We do not look up into the sky for Jesus.
We look to love.
May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened,
that we may see and give thanks,
that though we don’t see
we may give our hearts.

Poetry

Enlighten the eyes of my heart

God, enlighten the eyes of my heart,
that I may see clearly what is your true and beautiful will;
and even if I may not see your will,
that I may see what is true and beautiful;
and even if I may not see that,
that I may see what is.

Enlighten the eyes of my heart,
that I may be open to your light.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
Ephesians 1. 15-23
      We do not cease to give thanks to you, O God of our Beloved Jesus Christ, our glorious Father and Mother! We pray that you may give us a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know you better. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts. Help us embody the hope to which you have called us. We thank you for the richness of the gifts we inherit from you with all the saints, our sisters and brothers. We celebrate the incomparably great power you give us when we entrust ourselves to you.
      By that same power, you raised Christ from the dead; by that mighty strength you seated Christ at your right hand at the heart of all things, to reign over every force and every system, every rule and every power structure, every law, both human and natural, in this world and in the next. You placed all things under Christ, whom you made to be head over everything—especially the church, which is Christ’s body.
      Therefore by your Spirit and your abundance that fills everything in every way, we devote ourselves to be the presence of Christ, to embody your love in this world. Alleluia!

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you, God, for you create us in your image,
and covenant to be with us in love.
You judge the forces of injustice,
and call us to join you in freeing your children from all oppression.
You gave us the gift of Jesus, who was crucified by the powers of evil.
But by the power of love you raised Christ from the dead,
and set Christ, the Body of your Love, to rule at the heart of all things.
Therefore with all Creation we praise you with joy and gratitude:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and healed and taught and fed the hungry.
He was taken by the forces of injustice,
subject to the powers of this world.
But by the great power of your grace
you raised him from then dead,
victorious over death, over evil, over the powers of this world.
Christ is no longer in one time or place, but present in all things.
The living Christ embodies your covenant to be with us in love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
clothed with power from on high, the power of love,
witnesses to your grace from here to the ends of the earth,
for the sake of the healing of the world, to your glory.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Even as Christ left the disciples, still he filled their hearts. You have opened the eyes of our hearts, so that we seek you in one another and in our love. Send us into the world to be your witnesses, to give flesh to your Word, and to trust your reign of power and grace. We pray, as we serve you, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, we treasure this mystery, that Christ is no longer in one time or place, but in every time and place. May your Spirit give us grace and courage to be your witnesses, to the ends of the earth, in the steadfast company of Jesus. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Christ Has Ascended (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ, you have gone now into all Being,
into all people, all time and space.
Open our eyes, then, that we may see you
risen and living, shining with grace.

Christ you have changed now, hidden in daylight,
always before us, here in plain sight.
We look not skyward, but to our neighbor,
every face shining with God’s pure light.

Christ, you expanded, so that your Spirit
is not yours only, but with us all.
Still our companion, you will be with us,
no matter where we follow your call.

Christ, in your love you rule all creation;
justice and mercy shine as you rise.
We are your Body, breathing your Spirit,
light of your rising clear in our eyes.

Love Is Enthroned (Tune: Finlandia)

O, risen Christ, who once appeared among us,
you have ascended! Loud we sing your praise.
Though we may see no shadow of your nearness,
you have not gone; your loving presence stays.
You are no longer in one time or place,
but in all things, to radiate your grace.

Christ has ascended, reigning now above.
Love is enthroned at the Creator’s side.
All powers on earth are subject to Christ’s love,
who is our history’s unseen, gentle guide.
Though evil try to make this world its home,
Love is its Lord, and love shall overcome.

Go in the peace of Christ who is our Lord,
and gently heal, amid the fear and strife.
For we who eat and drink the living Word
are now Christ’s Body, and Christ’s earthly life.
We may not see the journey or the end,
but Christ still reigns, our ruler and our friend.

You are the Nerve Tune: Finlandia)

O God, your Christ is risen in your people.
On earth Christ has no body now but ours.
We are the flesh and blood of your compassion:
moved by your Spirit, with its loving powers.
God be our heart, and we will be your Body,
serving in love in all our days and hours.

We are your feet, that go with joy to others
to share your love, the gospel we confess.
We are your eyes that see what is and may be,
that see each person’s need and loveliness.
We are your hands, that work with strength for justice,
your hands that shelter, heal and feed and bless.

Love, move in me, and guide me by your Spirit,
even when I don’t see or understand.
My life is yours, to be your living Body,
that I may love and serve at your command.
This is my life, my purpose and my power:
you are the nerve, and I your willing hand.