Solemnity of the Ascension and Celebration Day for All Who Mother May 7, 2016 Miriam Davidson/Camerons Call to Worship: Iona Community We gather here this evening, some empty, some filled, some whole, some broken: yearning for the Holy Spirit to fill us. We come, as ordinary people, who long to be shown the way: trusting that God will continue to illumine our hearts. We surround our Table of Grace, so we might be fed by the Bread of Life: that graced, we may serve others; that healed, we may bring hope to the world. Opening Prayer: Mother/Father God, you are the constant lover who never forsakes us; You are the mother who cradles her children, You are the father patiently repeating your words for us. We worship you. Jesus Christ, in you we are convinced God loves us; Through you, we are formed into your people; With you, we serve those the world has forgotten. We follow you. Holy Spirit, you are the power that gives us peace; You are the wisdom that heals the broken in our midst; You are the spokesperson of the voiceless to whom we are deaf. We welcome you. Opening Hymn: Morning Has Broken (642)
Call to Reconciliation Sometimes we wait for God to astound us with whirlwinds of wonders, while God silently offers us grace. God waits to forgive us, so let us hold nothing back, but place our trust in the One who listens to our prayers and answers us with mercy. (Silence as we speak to God) On mountaintops and in valleys, in our hopes and in our hearts, God knows us better than we know ourselves, and God forgives us when we cannot forgive ourselves! By God's mercy, we are forgiven; by God's mercy, we are made whole; by God's mercy, we are equipped to serve others. Thanks be to God! Reading 1: (Thought to be written by Luke) In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. When they had gathered together they asked him, Jesus are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He answered them, It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. When Jesus had said this, as they were looking on, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him
from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as Jesus was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, People of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven. The Word of God. Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm:. R. Alleluia. All you people, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, For Our God, the Most High, the awesome, rules over all the earth. R. God mounts the throne amid shouts of joy; amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our God sing praise. R. For ruler of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations, God sits upon a holy throne. R. Alleluia. Reading 2: Reflection on the Ascension: (Adapted from Donal Neary, SJ) Twelve sets of footsteps could be seen on the way up to the mountain; maybe more. One less was seen on the way down. Jesus had gone from their sight, left earth, ascended into heaven. His work on earth was completed; his work now was handed over to the women and men who had been with him, heard his message, and would spread the message. The details of the ascension of Jesus are lost to us; it is commemorated both in Jerusalem and in Galilee. The truth of this mystery is that he would no longer be bodily present among us, but in other ways. There are many ways Jesus is present in our community, the scripture, and the sharing of the bread and wine. Jesus is really present where two or more gather in his name; where the word is spoken and when the bread and wine are shared. This presence, the closeness of the risen Jesus to us, continues into our daily lives.
God s presence is mostly in the ordinary in the daily and common life and relationships of our community. When we live in love in the different situations and relationships of life, there God is present. We find God s presence when we read the scripture and in moments of pondering the word of God. The feast today commemorates Jesus s absence and then sends us to find him present everywhere among us. The word was made flesh and lived among us; the word has now left us in the flesh and still lives among us. Risen Jesus, lead us into the real presence of your love among us. Word made flesh, be close to us in all our needs. Mother s Day: Reading 3: In Search of the Divine Feminine by Joan Chittister Where does this notion of the Divine Feminine come from? Is the question of the Divine Feminine simply a current fad? A silly notion of even sillier feminists? Or could it possibly have deep and ineradicable roots in the tradition itself? However much we mock the idea, the truth is, ironically, that every major spiritual tradition on earth carries within it, at its very center, in its ancient core, an awareness of the Divine Feminine. In Hinduism, Shakti -- the great mother, the feminine principle -- is seen as the sum total of all the life-giving energy of the universe. She is the source of all. In Buddhism, Tara is seen as the perfection of wisdom, and in Buddhism, wisdom is life's highest metaphysical principle! Tara is considered the light and the prime source of Buddhahood and so of all Buddhas to follow. And in the Hebrew scriptures -- the ground of the entire Abrahamic family, Jewish, Christian and Muslim -- the spiritual foundation on which you and I stand -- the God to whom Moses says, "Who shall I say sent me?" answers not, "I am he who am;" not "I am she who am;" but, "I am who am." I
am Being! I am the essence of all life, I am the spirit that breathes in everyone: the source that magnetizes every soul. I am the one in whose image all human beings, male and female, Genesis says clearly, are made. "I am" is, in other words, ungendered, unsexed, pure spirit, pure energy, pure life. And that assurance we have, note well, on God's own word: "I am who am." Let there be no mistake about it: woman or man, man or woman -- the full image of God is in you: masculine and feminine, feminine and masculine godness. Hebrew scripture is clear, and the Christian and Islamic scriptures, as well. God is neither male nor female -- God is of the essence of both and both are of the essence of God. Actually, lest we be fooled by our own patriarchal inclinations to make God in our own small, puny, partial male images, the Hebrew Scriptures are full of the female attributes of God. In Isaiah (42:14) the Godhead, "cries out as a woman in labor." To the psalmist (131:1-2) God is a nursing woman on whose breast the psalmist leans "content as a child that has been weaned." In Hosea (11:3-4) God claims to be a cuddling mother who takes Israel in her arms. In Genesis (3:21) God is a seamstress who makes clothes out of skins for both Adam and Eve. And in Proverbs, God -- she, wisdom, Sophia, "raises her voice in the streets," is there with God ' in the beginning,'" (8:22-31) "is the homemaker who welcomes the world to her table" (9: 5) shouting as she does, "Enter here! Eat my food, drink my wine." Clearly, after centuries of suppressing the female imagery and the feminine attributes given in scripture in order to establish the patriarchy of lords and kings and priests and popes and power brokers as the last word and only word of every failing institution in humankind-no wonder we are confused about who God is. But God is not! Scripture is clear: God does not have -- and clearly never has had -- an identity problem. Our images of God, then, must be inclusive because God is not mother, no, but God is not father either. God is neither male nor female. God
is pure spirit, pure being, pure life -- both of them. Male and female, in us all. The Word of Sr. Joan. Thanks be to God. Gospel Acclamation: Gospel: God be with you. And with your Spirit A reading from the gospel of Luke. Glory be to you, O God. Jesus said to his disciples: Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God. Listen to what the Spirit is telling the church. Glory and Praise. Silent Reflection/Followed by Discussion. Intercessions: In honor of people who mother. Loving God, on this day set aside to honor and remember all people who mother, we give you thanks for all mothers. We are grateful for the gift of life from their hands, and for the people who mothered us in childhood. Whether birth mom, birth dad, adopted mom, adopted dad, older sister or brother, aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather, stepmother or stepfather, caregiver or anyone
else, we thank you for those women and men of all persuasions who held us and fed us, who cared for us and kissed away our pain. We pray that our lives may reflect the love they showed us, and that they would be pleased to be called our moms. We pray for those mothers who are older and whose children are grown. Loving God, Grant them the joy and satisfaction for a job well done. For new moms experiencing changes they could not predict. Grant them rest and peace as they trust you for the future. We pray for those who are pregnant and soon to give birth, especially those who are surrogate mothers for others. Grant them patience and good counsel in the coming months. We pray for those people who mother, and face the demands of single parenthood. Grant them strength wisdom. We pray for those people who mother, who are raising their children in poverty. Grant them relief and justice. We pray for those people who mother and are separated from their children for any reason. Grant them faith and hope. We pray for those people who mother and whose relationships are in crisis. Grant them support and insight. We pray for those people who mother who have lost children to death. Grant them comfort by knowing their children rest in the arms of a loving God. We pray for women who have aborted their pregnancy.
Grant them healing and peace. We pray for women and men who have given up their children for adoption. Grant them peace and confidence as they trust your providence. We pray for those people who mother through adoption. Grant them joy and gratitude for the gift you have provided. We pray for all those people who desperately want, or wanted, to be moms. Grant them the grace to accept your timing and will. We pray for all women and men who have assumed the mother s role in a child s life. Grant them joy and the appreciation of others. We pray for those present who are grieving the loss of the person who mothered them. Grant them comfort and peace. We pray for all religious sisters, brothers, teachers and caregivers of all sorts who have devoted their lives to the care and protection of children in schools, homes, orphanages and day care centers, throughout the world. Loving God, protect them in their work. Sharing of the Bread: The Ascended Jesus be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts to the One who gives us a spirit of wisdom. We open our hearts to Jesus who opens God's words to us. We do indeed lift loud songs of joy to you, Awesome Mother/Father God! Everything in heaven, and on earth, provides all the proof we need of your goodness and mercy. You came
to us in your Word made flesh. Therefore, with all your people of every time and every place, we sing our glad song to you: Santo, Santo, Santo es el Senor. Hosana en las Alturas. Bendito es el que viene en nombre del Senor. All glory is due to you, God on High, and blessings on your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Stripping himself of glory Jesus came that we might be clothed in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we remember his life, his service, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, we will not stop giving thanks to you, Generous and Wonderful God, as we pray that you would pour out your Holy Spirit upon us gathered at this Table, and upon the gifts of the bread and the cup. We are filled with Christ's presence, so we may go to empty ourselves: telling your story of grace and hope, carrying your mercy to those who cannot forgive themselves, pouring cups of cold water, embracing the untouchables of our time. Then, when we gather at your feast in glory, seated with our sisters and brothers from all time, we will clap our hands, shouting our joy to you, now and forevermore. Amen. Please sing The Our Father Cordero de Dios, que quitas el pecado del mundo, ten piedad de nosotros, ten piedad. Cordero de Dios, que quitas el pecado del mundo, ten piedad de nosotros, ten piedad. Cordero de Dios, que quitas el pecado del mundo, danos la paz, danosla Breaking Bread Hymn: Song of the Body of Christ (324) Closing Prayer: By Alan Paton, found in God Speaks in Many Tongues by J. Chittister Enlightening God,
Open our eyes so that we can see the needs of others; open our ears that we may hear their cries; open our hearts so that they need not be without comfort. Let us not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the rich. Show us where love and hope and faith are needed, and use us to bring them to these places. Open our eyes and ears that we may be able to do your work of peace in the coming days. AMEN Blessing: by Kate Mcllhaggs (Scotland) I set the keeping of Christ about you; I send the guarding of God with you to possess you, to protect you, to accompany you on all your paths, through trouble, through danger, through loss. And I set the dancing of the Spirit around you to comfort and gladden and inspire you. Each day, each night. Each night, each day. And May God bless us and keep us. May God s face shine upon us. May God be gracious to us, and grant to us, and to our entire broken world, peace. May the blessing of Almighty God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Spirit, come upon us and remain with us forever. Amen Closing Hymn: Christ Be Our Light (542)