Meditation ”Christians have tended to view the resurrection as Jesus’ triumph over physical death. But for Christians in the wisdom tradition (who include their ranks the very earliest witnesses to the resurrection) its meaning lies in something far deeper than merely the resuscitation of a corpse. Jesus’ real purpose in this sacrifice was to wager his own life against his core conviction that love is stronger than death, and that the laying down of self which is the essence of this love leads not to death, but to life. He was not about proving that a body lives forever, but rather that the spiritual identity forged through kenotic self-surrender survives the grave and can never be taken away. Thus the real domain of the Paschal Mystery is not dying but dying-to self. It serves as the archetype for all our personal experiences of dying and rising to new life along the pathway of kenotic transformation reminding us that it is not only possible but imperative to fall through fear into love because that is the only way we will ever truly know what it means to be alive.” Cynthia Bourgeault The Meaning of Mary Magdalene
(Note Kenosis is self-emptying, needed in order to be receptive to God's divine will.)
Welcome and Check in
Invocation Our Dear, Dear Mother by Raffi
Our dear, dear Mother, daily provider, earth be your name. The time has come, to honor you, to know you and to show our love.” 1.You give us each day our daily grain, kissed by the sun and kissed by the rain. Teach us now to find a way to care for you in our work and play. Chorus2.Within the beauty of your silent spin, we know you’re hurting and we feel your pain your pain. With your forgiveness we can start anew. We need a chance to make it up to you. Chorus
Passing of the Peace God Loves You and There is Nothing You Can Do About It
Sharing of Announcements
Musical Offering Christ the Lord is Risen Today (see insert)
Prayers of Confession in unison from New Zealand Prayer Book
One Dear God, Thank you for all that is good, for our creation and our humanity, for the stewardship you have given us of this planet earth, for the gifts of life and one another, for the love which is unbounded and eternal.
All O thou, most holy and beloved, my Companion, my Guide upon the way my bright evening star.
One We repent of the wrongs we have done: Silence
We have wounded your love, O God heal us.
All We stumble in the darkness. Light of the world, transfigure us. We forget that we are your home. Spirit of God, dwell in us. Eternal Spirit, living God, in whom we live and more and have our being, all that we are , have been, and shall be is known to you to the very secret of our hearts and all that rises to trouble us. Living flame, burn into us, cleansing wind, blow through us, fountain of water well up within us, that we may love and prayer n deed and n truth. Amen
Healing Prayers
Unison Prayer Mother/Father God who is within us, we celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come, your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us. Each day you give us all that we need. You remind us of our limits and we let go. You support us in our power and we act with courage. For you are the dwelling place within us, the empowerment around us, and the celebration among us, now and forever. Amen
Scripture NRSV Gospel of John 20;11-18 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you
weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Beloved Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.”
Gospel of Mary Magdalene Line 7 “She said, ‘I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, ’Lord, I saw you today in a vision. ‘He answered me, ‘How wonderful you are not wavering at seeing me! For where the mind is, there is the treasure.”
Musical Offering I Come to the Garden Alone (see insert)
Reflection and sharing “Death of Self to Fullness of Life; Falling through Fear to Love or Ego to God”
Dream Sharing Invite in symbols and characters, ask who are you?
Anointing
Closing Prayer St Francis of Assisi Prayer
Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy, And where there is sadness, joy, joy, joy. God grant that I may not so much see; To be consoled as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born, to Eternal Life. Amen, Amen, Amen
Check Out (How are you feeling and how did you feel about worship?)
Benediction Blessing Song by Miriam Therese Winters
May the blessings of God go before you. May her grace and peace abound. May her spirit live within you. May her love wrap you round. May her blessings remain with you always. May you walk on holy ground.
Announcements: We are witnessing the 6th extinction of life on earth and we gather for worship, prayer and community every Sunday at 5 pm and we need one another more than ever. Jesus taught a way to live that we need now more than ever and that “the truth will set you free.” Following worship we invite you to the Mary Magdalene Cafe for a pot luck dinner at 6 pm, with vegetarian soup or main dish and drinks provided. Weather permitting we share a bon fire, star gazing and dancing. We offer weekly study of the scriptures including the gnostic gospels and in Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, dream sharing, creative and artistic projects as spiritual practice, social justice activism, as well as monthly Taize chanting, prayer and healing services. Children and dogs especially welcome at worship.
Weekly Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer Contemplation of scriptures for following Sunday and an ancient Christian contemplative prayer practice every Wednesday, 10-11 am.
Monthly Taize first Sunday of every month but not on Easter April 1 for we will have a sunrise Easter service, NO DREAM GROUP
Monthly Prayer and Healing Service third Sunday 5 pm .
Dream Circle every first and third Sunday before church 3-5 pm, next group April 15th
Cobb/Ramanathan Earth Day Weekend Event Saturday, April 21, First UU Church of San Diego afternoon program followed by dinner and dancing.
Earth Day Worship preacher Dr. John B. Cobb Jr. Sunday 10 am
Minister Rev. Bonnie Tarwater, (858) 248-5123 revtarwater@yahoo.com. www.churchforourcommonhome.com Would like a pastoral call? contact Bonnie.
Church for Our Common Home, 13014 Calle de Las Rosas, SD CA 92129
Our Common Home, a church and counseling center, a non-profit that provides artistic, religious and psychological services to awaken to the moral and ecologic crisis as an invitation for spiritual growth and creating loving community with all of creation, caring for our common home, Mother Earth.