Meditation “America is in the powerful and perilous position of being the empire of our day….the stories of the first Christmas are pervasively anti-imperial. In our setting, what does it mean to affirm with the Christmas stories that Jesus is the son of God (and the emperor is not)… that Jesus is the way to peace on earth (and the emperor is not). There is a political meaning and challenge in these stories, both in their ancient setting and today. Of course these stories are not “only “ political—they are also deeply personal and they speak powerfully about our deepest yearnings and about God’s promises and passion….They are about light in our darkness, the fulfillment of our deepest yearnings, and the birth of Christ within us.” The First Christmas, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan
Lighting of Candles Welcome/ Check in (How are you feeling?)
Read “12 Steps” Sharing of Invitations (see back of order of worship) 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. Passing of the Peace God Loves You and There is Nothing You Can Do About It
Prayer (in union) Dear God, We give thanks for the Good News of Christmas that Jesus is the way NOT the way of Empire. Thank you for the teachings of Jesus that show us how to live in humility and love. Thank you for the vision of Church of Our Common Home and our dreams of a biodynamic farm and artistic ecologic church to pray for you and the earth. Guide us to live in humility and love with nature. May we commune with you Holy One as we love the cows, sheep, donkeys and doves and all the earth throughout the year. Bless our internet ministry that connects us in nonlocal prayers and programs of love. We are awestruck by the beauty of every human, animal and plant baby that you bring miraculously to life. May we Walk Forth following in the footsteps of the holy family in faith and love regardless of any individual and collective terrors and suffering. May we love our enemies and love you God with all our hearts, soul and minds and love our neighbors who are an extension of ourselves. Amen
Prayer Requests and Prayer (in unison) Our 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
Music O Little Town of Bethlehem (see insert)
Scripture Luke 2:1-7 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
Music Jesus Our Brother (see insert)
Scripture Luke 2:6-8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Music Away in the Manger (see insert)
Scripture Luke 2:8-19 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
Music Medley It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (see insert)
Joy to the World Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare Him room And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. What Child Is This? andGo Tell It on the Mountain (see insert)
Offering for the ministry of the church (basket in dining room)
Music Silent Night gift and candle lighting
Check out How are you feeling?
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. Christmas Pot luck dinner is our holy communion.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see Thee lie
Above Thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in Thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the Holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
Good will to all on earth
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old. From angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold.” Peace on the Earth good will to all from heaven the news we bring.” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world. Above the sad and lovely plains they bend on hovering wings and even o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
But with the woes of war and strife the world has suffered long, beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong. And we who fight the wars hear not the love song which they bring. O hush the noise of battled strife and hear the angels sing.
For lo the days are hastening on by prophets bards foretold when with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold. When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendor fling. and the whole world give back the dong which now the angels sing.
Go, Tell it on the Mountain
Go, tell it on the mountain Over the hill and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born
While shepherds kept there watching Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens There shown a holy light
The shepherds feared and trembled When low above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus That hailed the Savior's birth
Down in a lowly manger The humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation That blessed Christmas morn
When I am a seeker, I seek both night and day
I seek Our Lady to help me and she shows me the way.
He made me a watchman upon the city wall
And is I am a Christian, I am the least of all.
Invitations: Our current ecologic crisis is a call to awaken to the reverence of life and the truth that all nature is alive and sacred. As we witness the sixth extinction of life on earth, the only one created by us humans, we are invited to reclaim the ancient wisdom traditions. We are one organic, interspecies, interconnected whole. What we do affects everyone else. Every Sunday at 5 pm we acknowledge that we need one another more than ever before and commune with God called by many names. We celebrate the wisdom traditions from the East, West, indigenous peoples, new science as we study the teachings of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the Bible and the newly found gnostic gospels.
Please come help us move and come for lunch as we pack boxes, anytime NOT on Monday Dec. 23 but please come Thursday Dec. 26 and Friday Dec 27 and we will have a party!
Christmas Day go sing carols with the homeless at Haven House Interfaith Homeless Shelter meet here at house at 5 pm on Wednesday Dec. 25th to car pool to Escondido.
Canceled Annual Alcohol-free New Year’s Eve Celebration.
ALL PROGRAMS in 2020 WILL CONTINUE ON ZOOM in OREGON! Please come visit anytime soon!
NO WORSHIP Dec. 29th resume and Jan. 5th
Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer Contemplation of scriptures and Centering Prayer, ancient Christian contemplative silent prayer practice, every Wednesday at 10 am
Monthly Taize Chanting service first Sunday of every month.
Prayer and Healing Service third Sunday of the month.
Dream Circle every first and third Sunday before worship 3-5 pm.
Committee on Ministry next Sunday 3:30 pm
Please call Rev. Bonnie if you would like a pastoral visit and/or if you would like to pray or if you have prayer requests. (858) 248-5123.
Church for 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.
Minister- Rev. Bonnie Tarwater, (858) 248-5123 Affiliate Community Minister of First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego revtarwater@yahoo.com.www.churchforourcommonhome.com
Director- Our Common Home Counseling Center Dr. Walt Rutherford
(858) 442-6272, walterrutherford44@gmail.com, services: Individual and Group therapy, Addiction Issues, PTSD, Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, Dream Honoring, etc.
Church and Bonnie’s home office 13014 Calle de Las Rosas, SD CA 92129
Walt’s office 5405 Morehouse Drive #330 SD CA 92121 www.ourcommonhomecounselingcenter.com