"Promise" - June 29, 2014, Primera Iglesia

*Call to Worship & Opening Prayer from Romans 8:37-39

L:  If I turn to the east, where there are rumors of war, what can keep me from God’s promises?

P:  Not even death, not even life, not even rulers on this earth can keep us from the love of God

L:  If I turn to the south, where the children seek asylum, what can keep me from God’s promises?

P:  There is nothing today, nothing tomorrow, no powers that be that can keep us from the love of God

L:  If I turn to the west, where the garbage swirls and eddies, becoming part of our food chain, what can keep me from God’s promises?

P:  Nothing above us, nothing below us, nothing in all of creation can keep us from the love of God.

L:  If I turn to the North, where the ice melts and the sea levels rise, what can keep me from God’s promises?

P:  There is nothing, not even our own resistance that can keep us from the love of God.

L:  Let us pray together:  We call You, God our Creator, God our Savior, God our Inspiration, Who are One!  Let us hear the promise in this day!  Be with us as we seek our path to justice and mercy!.  Amen.

Scripture:  Mark 1:1-9
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,  ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;  the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  “Prepare the way of the Lord,  make his paths straight”  John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

Message:  Promise

Last week, on June 24, many Christians celebrated the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist.  John is said to be Jesus’ cousin, just about 6 months older than Jesus himself.  He was the child of Zachariah and Elizabeth, who were really too old to have a child.  As an adult, John was a wandering prophet, who baptized people as a way to cleanse them of their sins so they could prepare to be closer to God.  More than that, John called for repentance, preaching against worldliness and self-serving behavior, to put it simply.  Like the Hebrew Prophets of the Old Testament, John accused the people of acting contrary to God’s will.  In fact, John called out the leaders of the synagogues and the Jewish governors appointed by Rome to preside over the Jews.  John’s practice of baptism was a ritual of self-purification and rededication to living right.  When he called the people to the water, he was bringing them to wash away the influence of the oppressors on their own lives and preparing them to go forth into new lives of righteousness and repentance.  At the time, the Jewish people were living in a land occupied by the Romans, oppressed by a foreign power, and not for the first time.  According to the Gospels, John preached that God was going to send a Messiah, or Savior, to intervene in the world soon.  He promised that this would be the Messiah, who had been waited for throughout the cycles of Jewish captivity and diaspora.

According to scripture, when Jesus came along and was baptized, John declared him to be that Promised One.  It was after being baptized by John that Jesus went out to the desert, returning after 40 days of fasting to begin his three year ministry.

John, whose birth fulfilled the dreams of a childless couple, brought a message of hope and promise to a people in bondage.  His promise was fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus, who lived his life as the Light shining on the Way of Life that fulfills God’s expectations of us.  It was a life lived in love, seeking truth and peace even though it meant his death.  The life of Jesus was in itself a promise that if we live as he did, giving of ourselves without fear, we will take part in making the world a new creation, what he called “the Kingdom of God.”

A few days before John’s feast day, on June 21st, people of many faiths all over the northern hemisphere celebrated the turning of the earth to summer.  It was the Summer Solstice, the first day of summer.  In the summer, it may seem that all of life slumbers under the weight of the heat.  Yet it is during this time between spring and fall that plants do much of their growing.  During the summer, the crops that were planted in spring continue to grow in preparation for the harvest.  The earth holds within her the promise of life-giving food, a promise to be fulfilled in the harvest season.  During the summer, we, too, continue to grow spiritually.  This is one of the times when can be at our quietest, hiding from the blazing heat.  It is a time when we can be at our most contemplative.  In the glory of the sunshine, we hold within ourselves the promise of the lives we have been given. 

Think about your own lives:  what have you planted in your life that you want to harvest this year?  What have you promised yourself and others this year?  How are you tending to it?  In this season, though the sun blazes down upon us, it is beginning to turn away, and the days are getting shorter.  Soon the dark of winter will be upon us.  While the sun still shines, let us turn to place our feet toward the fulfillment of hope in our own lives.  Let us reaffirm our dedication to the Way of the Christ, the life that Jesus lived.  They say that our thoughts manifest in our lives and in our very being; we know that it is true – that only by keeping our eyes on Christ will we find hope; only by living in Love will we find Peace.  Christ is the light of the world.   We eat, drink, sleep, breathe, and love that light.

Yet there is more.  Have you ever stood outside in the still of summer, under the full moon?  The light of the moon is not its own, you know.  It is the reflected light of the glorious sun.  Just as the moon reflects the sun to provide light in the dark, we who call ourselves followers of Jesus should reflect the Light of Christ.  John the Baptist shined the light of God’s Promise for the hopeless and the oppressed of a captive people.  Yet, he was only one voice calling in the wilderness, only one reflection of Light, leading his people out of the darkness and into the River.  Imagine if we, who are many, were to reflect the Light of God’s Love all the time, that those who are lost might see a path to the River of God and be cleansed of the things that keep them in the dark, that they might know the Light and Love of Christ that embraces them even now.

Today, let us embrace the promise of our own lives, illuminated by the Divine Light of Christ.  It shines greater than the sun above us.  Let us reflect Christ’s Light and Love when the darkness of this world is at its greatest.

Benediction:
Thank you, Beloved God, Mother and Father of our Souls, for being with us.  It is in Your Time and Your Place that You will show us our Ways.  We ask that as Jesus left the Gift of Spirit with his disciples, You leave us filled with Spirit as we enter into the World.  Spirit!  We Speak in Love to You!  Be with us, fill us, make us new and give us energy, wisdom and power to reflect the Light of Christ and fulfill the promise of our lives.

Summer Solstice/St. John the Baptist Inter-Spiritual Circle - June 22, 2014, St. Brigid in the Desert

Leader prepares the circle - makes it Holy
Recruit one person for each direction – give each a slip of paper and the ritual item, explain what to do – facing direction, placing item on the table after, returning to circle

Call to the Four Directions

East: Hold up scented oil and say:
We call to you of the East, Creatures of Air, Angelic Beings, be with us.

South: Hold up candle and say:
We call to you of the South, Creatures of Fire, Beings of Passion, be with us.

West: Hold up bowl of water and say:
We call to you of the West, Creatures of Water, Flowing Spirit, be with us.

North: Hold up dish of earth and say:
We call to you of the North, Creatures of Earth, our Home, be with us. 

Invocation:
Shout for joy, Beloved of God, for we are promised life in the Light of Holiness!  May we hear the words of those who have walked before us, bringing wisdom and hope.  We call You, God our Father, God our Mother, Lord and Lady, Who are One!  Be with us this day as we stand between the worlds of the great light and the threshold of darkness.  Let us hear the promise in this day!  Bring us to our paths to justice and mercy!  Be with us now!
          
Invitation to Spirit (sing 3 times): Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me

Community Prayer Needs
Here we take time to speak our personal prayers and those things we wish to work on so we may fulfil the promise in our lives.  Let us take a moment of silence to consider our needs.

Pray together: 

O Wond’rous Creator, You who are all around us, Holy is Your Name.  May the Love in which You live to become our home.  Give us what we need each day, and show us mercy for the pain we have cause others, as we are merciful to those who have hurt us.  Leave us not in temptation, but save us from evil.  For You, O Great Mystery, are the Depth and Breadth and Height of All That Is.  Amen.

Message

John who is called the Baptist, is said to be Jesus’ cousin, just about 6 months older than Jesus himself.  He was the child of Zachariah and Elizabeth, who were really too old to have a child.  As an adult, John was a wandering prophet, who baptized people as a way to cleanse them of their sins so they could prepare to be closer to God.  John called for repentance, preaching against worldliness and self-serving behavior, to put it simply.  Like the Hebrew Prophets of the Old Testament, John accused the people of acting contrary to God’s will.  John’s practice of baptism was a ritual of self-purification and rededication to living right.  At the time, the Jewish people were living in a land occupied by the Romans, oppressed by a foreign power, not for the first time.  According to the Gospels, John preached that God was going to send a Messiah, or Savior, to intervene in the world soon.  When Jesus came along and was baptized, John declared him to be the Promised One.  It was after being baptized by John that Jesus went out to the desert, returning after 40 days of fasting to begin his 3 year ministry.  John, whose birth fulfilled the dreams of a childless couple, brought a message of hope and promise to a people in bondage.  The promise was fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus, who lived his life as the Light shining on the Way of Life that fulfills God’s expectations of us.  It was a life lived in love, seeking truth and peace even though it meant his death.  The life of Jesus was in itself a promise that if we live as he did, giving of ourselves, we will take part in making the world a new creation, what he called “the Kingdom of God.”

During the summer, the crops continue to grow in preparation for the harvest.  We, too, continue to grow spiritually.  In the middle of summer, it may seem that all of life slumbers under the weight of the heat.  Yet it is during this time between spring and fall that plants do much of their growing.  It is when we are our quietest, hiding from the blazing sun that we are at our most contemplative.  Think about your own lives:  what have you planted in your life that you want to harvest this year?  What have you promised yourself and others this year?  How are you tending to it?  Today, as the sun begins to turn away, and the days get shorter, let us turn to place our feet toward the fulfillment of hope in our own lives.  Let us reaffirm our dedication to the Way that Jesus spoke of; to Mindful action, which the Buddha taught.   Our thoughts manifest in our lives and our being; we know that it is only by living in Love that we will be at Peace.  Today, let us we embrace our own Spark of Divine Light, shining like the light of the sun above us, that we might shine it when darkness returns.

Communion

Now we will share bread and wine, for it is in the sharing of life sustaining food that we find ourselves in full Communion with our beloved ancestors and with one another.  It is about God loving us unconditionally still one more time and giving life for life.   Interconnectivity is the heart of communion.  God and humanity come together, God and flesh, the flesh of wheat, wine, sunshine, soil, and water given to sustain us, body and soul.  The "mystical body of Christ" and the Cosmic Christ or Buddha nature are in all beings in the universe.  Christ is the light of the world.   We eat, drink, sleep, breathe, and love that light.  This shared Communion – the Eucharist -- is also our hearts expanding and responding generously: "Yes, we will." We will carry on the work of Christ:  compassion, justice, and mercy.

Suzy raises the Chalice and pours libation to those who have gone before, symbolizing the truth that we are all connected by love even after death.  She raises the Bread in honor of the living, growing friendships leavened by the Spirit, then crumbles some on the ground for those creatures with whom we share Our Mother Earth.

Share “Love Feast,” saying to one another as we pass the Chalice and Loaf around:  “May you never hunger,” “May you never thirst.”

Closing:

Thank you, Beloved God, Mother and Father of our Souls, for being with us.  It is in Your Time and Your Place that You will show us our Ways.  We ask that as Jesus left the Gift of Spirit with his disciples, You leave us filled with Spirit as we enter into the World.  Spirit!  We Speak in Love to You!  Be with us, fill us, make us new and give us energy, wisdom and power to fulfill the promise of our lives.

Dismissal of the Four Directions

East: We thank you Air, Angelic Creatures – for being with us – still you sing your Heavenly Praises

South: We thank you Fire, for Awakening the Spirit! You have Rekindled us with Passion born anew

West: We thank you Water, Flowing Spirit – You move within and we feel God’s Love

North: We thank you Earth, Our Home, Our Shelter, you support us we learn to keep you whole

Together we sing the “Benediction:”
The Circle is open, but it’s never broken; Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet Again

All:  Peace, Shalom, Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste.

Potluck/Birthday Celebration afterward

"Mothers" - May 11, 2014, Primera Iglesia

SCRIPTURE:  MATTHEW 1:1-16

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham* was the father of Isaac**, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob*** the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, (her name, by the way, was Bathsheba) and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziahand Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.


MESSAGE:  “MOTHERS”

I’d like to read you that scripture in a slightly different way.  Let me tell you a story.  So, here we go:  Abraham’s wife Sarah had a son named Isaac, even though both Abraham and Sarah were really old.  Isaac married Rebekah.  Rebekah’s youngest son Jacob married Leah.  Even though Jacob didn’t really love her (he really loved her sister Rachel), he and Leah had many sons.  One of them was Judah.  Judah spent some time with his daughter-in-law Tamar, who had twin sons named Zerah and Perez.  Perez was the great-great-great-great-great grandfather of Boaz, whose mother was the hero Rahab, who people say was a prostitute.  Boaz married Ruth, who gave birth to Obed.  Obed’s grandson was King David.  King David murdered his soldier Uriah and stole his wife, Bathsheba.  David and Bathsheba had a son named Solomon.  Many years went by, and descendents of Solomon married and had children and more children until there was Joseph.  Joseph married Mary.  And Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

It’s interesting how many father’s names are remembered, and how few mothers.  I guess it’s not really surprising, though.  The Hebrew people were a patriarchal society.  Fathers mattered and mothers didn’t; at least not in the big picture.  If there wasn’t an exciting story to tell about them, their names were forgotten.  These mothers whose names are remembered had stories that were worth telling over and over again as their people’s history was passed on from generation to generation.

The reality is, of course, that most of our lives aren’t so exciting that our names will be remembered generations from now.  Most of us go about our lives, hoping we’re doing the right thing.  I think this is particularly true of parents, perhaps especially mothers.  Now, I know that not all parents are good parents.  In fact, there are quite a few terrible parents out there, even terrible mothers.  But most try their best.  They teach their children how to be grownups by example and by telling stories.

It’s usually the mothers who tell the stories.  Not necessarily the big, sweeping stories of history, but the stories about family.  The stories about how to get along with others.  The stories about taking care of others.  Mothers are the ones who take the children in their arms, hold them close, and sing to them.  They sing the lullabies, the "Too-Ra-Loora’s", the "Hush Little Baby’s", the "Duérmete, mi niño’s".  They sing the silly songs, the "Froggie Went a Courtin’s" and the "Down by the Bay’s".  They tell the nursery rhymes and the fairy tales.  And they tell the stories about the grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles and aunts you never knew.

When my sisters and brothers and I were young, our mother used to read to us.  When we were very small, I am sure she read us the nursery rhymes and recited the silly games like “This Little Piggy Went to Market.”  The stories I remember most, though, are a little more complicated.  We might have been the only children in our circles whose bedtime stories were Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.  Mom would sing to us, too.  Unlike me, who, as you will note, steps as far away from the microphone as possible when it’s time to sing, Mom had a good singing voice.  A lot of the time, Mom and Dad would be singing together, as Dad played guitar.  But then, she would sing to us whenever we were in the car.  “The angels are lighting God’s little candles, we call them stars, they’re our friends in the sky,” and “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”  She sang some of the songs we are singing today, like Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.*  In fact, she sang all of the songs we're singing today! So many songs.  I learned how to be a caring person in an uncaring world from my mom.  I learned how to be a mom from my mom. Maybe some of the bad ways, but mostly the good ways.  So many memories.

I bet you have some of them, too.  Good memories of times with your mother or a mother figure.  An aunt, or grandmother perhaps…or a step-mother.  Take a moment to recall some of your favorite things that you think of when you remember the woman or women who gave you the most in your life.  How did they teach you?  What kinds of stories did they tell?  What songs did they sing?  Did they tell you about the rest of your family?  I can remember my mom telling me about growing up in the 1940’s and 50’s, about uncles and aunts I never got to meet.  There were funny stories like the ones about things her grandma did or said and there were sad stories about things that happened to people.

I sometimes imagine Jesus as a small child growing up with Mary and Joseph.  Joseph would have shown him how to work and to make a living.  Eventually, the Rabbis would teach him the Torah.  But his first teacher in his life on earth would have been his mother Mary.  She would have told him stories about her mother and the rest of her family.  He might have listened, fascinated while she talked about her cousin Elizabeth the year when her son John was born.  Mary might even have told Jesus some of the tales about his ancestors.  She might have taken him on her knee and told him the story of Ruth and Naomi.  I’m certain she told him about Sarah, who laughed at an angel and had a baby when she was an old lady.  And maybe she sang him to sleep sometimes with the story of a star that shined bright on the night when he was born.

No other mother will whisper lullabies to the Messiah.  Most mothers won’t be remembered for generations to come like Tamar, Rahab, or Bathsheba.  But they don’t need to be.  All most mothers and substitute mothers really want is to be remembered fondly by those they have loved the most, to know they have made a difference in our lives.  Let us remember our mothers and all the women who helped us become who we are.  Let us recall the best that they have given us, and live the best that they have taught us.  Let us share their stories with those who come after us.

Happy Mother’s Day!

*Note:  The other songs we sang were In the Garden and I Love to Tell the Story