Let go the familiar present, Trust the momentum of life moving forward, Risk the unsupported moment.
Day 285: Emmaus Celebration for Sunday, December 27, 2020 by Victoria MacDonald
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Welcome and theme the great unveiling: David
May we be midwives to one another
Helping each other bring new life
Into our midst...
OPENING SONG:
Dana & Doug from the Album: Show Forth The Glory
The Servant Song
Opening Prayer: VICTORIA
This night let us pray:
For deep listening...
Listening alone...
Listening together...
Listening to others...
Listening to oneself...
Listening to the earth...
Listening to the universe...
Listening to the abundance that is...
Awakening to and feeling sound and silence, as all there is...just silence;
Helping to create an atmosphere of opening, for all to be heard,
with an understanding that listening is healing.
Deep listening in all its variations is infinite...
Something new is being born
If we but let it.
We stand this day
At a new doorway
Awaiting that which comes...
May we be midwives to one another
Helping each other bring new life
Into our midst...
So, let us begin
Honoring wisdom and wonder
Creativity and Contemplation
Generativity and Generosity.
Love... come be birthed, here, with us now,
This day,
And always.
Amen. (Composite of Poem / prayers by: Pauline Oliveros and Anne Hillman
adapted by Victoria MacDonald)
Switch to Reader: Beth Jordan
First Reading: Isaiah 60: 1-7
Arise, shine out, for your light has come,
and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you.
Look! though night still covers the earth
and darkness the peoples,
on you Yahweh is rising
and over you his glory can be seen.
The nations will come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.
Lift up your eyes and look around:
all are assembling and coming towards you,
your sons coming from far away
and your daughters being carried on the hip.
At this sight you will grow radiant,
and your heart will throb and dilate,
since the riches of the sea will flow to you,
the wealth of the nations come to you;
camels in throngs will fill your streets,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
everyone in Saba will come,
bringing gold and incense
and proclaiming Yahweh’s praises.
From the Album: Dana and Doug Show Forth the Glory
Christ as A Light
A number of years ago, I saw this “Air” Mandala, painted by a local artist, Susan St. Thomas, and I just had to buy it! (It now hangs in my bedroom!) She had painted a mandala for each of the elements, but it was this one that I was immediately drawn to!
The great revealing for me, with this move from“earth” element to “air” element, is that we will begin to see ourselves as “one!” We will begin the great task of working together to birth and bring the nations of the world, our earth, and ourselves... together...as one, for our very survival, strength and wholeness. Good News! Great Joy! (Victoria)
Responsorial Psalm
Switch to Reader: Steve Lyman: offers words from Meister Eckhart
(from Meditations with Meister Eckhart by Matthew Fox)
What good is it to me
If this eternal birth of the divine Son
takes place unceasingly
but does not take place
within myself?
And, what good is it to me
If Mary is full of grace
and if I am not also full of grace?
What good is it to me
for the Creator to give birth to his/her Son
if I do not also give birth to him
in my time and in my culture?
This, then,
is the fullness of time:
When the Son of God
is begotten
In us.
Switch to reader: Sandy McKeith:
A Gospel Reading from Luke 2: 1- 14
Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census—the first—took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living space. In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping watch over their sheep during the watches of the night.
An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words:
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace for those God favors.
SONG: O Holy Night by Dana and Doug
Switch to: Victoria (who facilitates the Shared Homily)
Homily Starter for Emmaus 12-27-20
Emmaus Community: Harbingers of Hope!
I don’t want to repeat the entire announcement for this liturgy again, but to just point out a few things before we begin our shared homily:
Probably the most important thing is that the insights I felt after hearing all the information I shared in our announcement, gave me...HOPE!
So, first, the conjunction of planets (Jupiter and Saturn) that caused a great LIGHT in the skies. Like the Wise Men of old, stargazers throughout millennia have looked to the stars in the heavens for some guidance or forecast of what might be on the horizon, or... as a way of getting to that horizon...and here we are NOW seeing this conjunction! NOW... after 200 years! This is a great sign, for all Wise People now... to look to!
Secondly, we are moving from an EARTH-element focus, to one of AIR! This is another good sign...moving away from earth-related materialism...to one of air’s elements of connection, freedom and harmony. More Good News!
Thirdly, the revealing and unveiling evidence of the last throws of contractions, contradictions, contractures and controversies all around us, in every facet of our society: political, societal, cultural, historical and racial. Something big is coming to a head! Something big is wanting to be born and birthed from us, around us AND most importantly...INTO us!
And finally, what is needed from all of us to have this birth happen...is to honor the “fertile void,” composed of these 3 things:
• to let go of the familiar present
• to trust the momentum of life moving forward
• to risk the unsupported moment
Like the Wise Men of Old, and all Wise People today, we are invited to be observant and alert to the signs of our times right now; to let go, to trust and to risk reaching for the new births on their way...this is good news...great joy!
So, I invite you all to contemplate the signs you have seen, and share your thoughts on these questions:
• What has been unveiled or revealed to you over these past 9 months?
• Have you felt a transition phase, and a movement toward a whole “new birth” coming?
Shared Homily: Camera switches to: those with hands raised to speak; Victoria will stay unmuted to welcome persons who will speak and thank them when they finish speaking.
Switch to Victoria who concludes the Shared Homily
Switch to: David Offering at our Eucharistic table
Spirit of the universe
You have filled us, and all creation, with your blessing
and fed us with your constant love;
you have redeemed us in Christ Jesus
and knit us into one body.
Through your Spirit you replenish us
and call us to the fullness of life.
On the night before he died,
Jesus was at table with his friends.
He took bread,
gave thanks to you,
broke it, and gave it to his friends saying,
All “This is my body, broken for you.”
Switch to Victoria
As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine.
Again he gave thanks to you,
gave it to his friends and said,
ALL: “This cup is the new covenant of my lifeblood shed for you and for all. And as often as you do this, You do this in memory of me.”
Now gathered at your table, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine,
and ourselves, as living offerings of your love.
Pour out your Spirit upon all these gifts and all of us that
we may be the Your Living Body, Your Lifeblood.
Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us all your new creation.
In the fullness of time bring us with all your saints from every tribe and language,
from every people and nation to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world.
Switch to: David :
Let us offer our communal prayer, Heavenly Father:
Heavenly Father, heavenly Mother,
Holy and blessed is your true name.
We pray for your reign of peace to come,
We pray that your good will be done,
Let heaven and earth become one.
Give us this day the bread we need,
Give it to those who have none.
Let forgiveness flow like a river between us
From each one to each one.
Lead us to holy innocence
Beyond the evil of our days
Come swiftly Mother, Father, come.
For yours is the power and the glory and the mercy:
Forever your name is All in One
-PJP
Switch to David: Leads All to Offer Kiss of Peace:
May the peace of Christ be in our hearts as we shelter in place.
Switch to: Victoria: Offers Welcoming Communion Prayer
Everyone is welcome to this table.
Our God, whom the universe cannot contain
is present to us in this bread.
The God who redeems us and calls us by name
now meets us in this cup.
So, come, take this bread,
Drink this wine,
In them, God comes to us,
so that we may come to God.
Everyone Partakes of Communion at this time
Communion Song: Crystal Blue Persuasion
Tommy James & The Shondells (With Lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn5Pbug5nRw
Switch to Kay Lambert: Offers Post Communion Meditation
Switch to Victoria: Offers Closing Prayer and Final Blessing:
Holy One of all Blessings
Giver of life and the fullness of all creation
Birth within us with your healing love this night
A love that calls us into the fullness of being
May your healing presence be at work in and through us
That we may see our inter-connectedness with all life
That we may provide for and care for one another
And journey with gentleness for ourselves
And our precious earth home.
Bless us O Holy One with the gift of courage
To stand in loving solidarity with all those who suffer and die
To trust in the darkness and pain of life
Knowing that your faithful and steadfast love
Is stronger than all that may seem to surround us
Bless us that we may stand together
Birthing and braving new ground
Creating new horizons of peace and loving justice.
Bless us O Holy One with the gift of 2020 vision
That we may recognize your living presence around us and within us
That we may see beyond the veil of disguises
And listen past differences
To the magnitude of your spirit here in our midst
May our hearts hear your call
To proclaim your truth
Practice your peace
And live out our lives with your deep compassion
This night and always.
And the good people of our beloved Emmaus Community say:
Amen!
Amen!
Final Song: Aquarius by the 5th Dimension
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPK7ZF6jfJE
Announcements: David
END