Gathering of God’s People
Text: (Posted on screen)
Being real.
Not having to hide who you are.
Not being afraid to accept help.
Not being afraid to be winnowed into greater wholeness.
Finding friends in the strangest of places.
Discovering people, odd people, different people, are not just OK, but interesting and funny and helpful and kind.
Being yourself, even when everyone is looking.
Being human.
Letting others be human.
Being honest about receiving yourself through.
This is being authentic.
It is what Easter is about:
Releasing human beings to be human.
In the beginning
Before time, before people
Before the world began
GOD WAS.
Here and now
Among us, beside us,
calling the people of earth
into the works of heaven,
GOD IS.
In the future, when what we have
has been fulfilled:
God will be.
God of every where and every when,
you love this world
and call us into an authentic life.
We call now on your name:
God who was,
God who is and God who will be.
Song
Collect:
Almighty God, you hate nothing you have made.
You stand before us, winnowing us into fullness of being:
Walk with us, be our guide,
lead us into a full and authentic life. Amen.
Ministry of the Word
Story: Behold
Poem: Wild Geese (by Mary Oliver)
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
Leader
The world offers itself to your imagination, no matter who you are.
That is beautiful. Enticing.
Hear it again: The world offers itself to your imagination, no matter who you are.
Go on, receive what is offered. Go on, and do something real with your one, wild and precious life.
Leader
Today’s bible reading is short. It comes from Matthew chapter 11.
Jesus says: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Leader
You might think that removing the yoke beam is the simplest thing.
But the truth is, we receive ourselves through others. We are tied to others. We couldn’t give the beam away even it we wanted to. This cannot be winnowed. Burn it and we would be consumed – it is because we receive ourselves through others.
Leader
The world offers itself to your imagination, no matter who you are.
Go on, receive what is offered. Go on, and do something real with your one, wild and precious life.
Go on. But you can’t do so without the yoke-beam.
Leader
Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shoulders—it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
Reflection Part 1: The Double Yoke
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.
Leader:
What is the cost of being yourself?
Or maybe a better question is this: what is the cost if you don’t?
Here is a letter from a student. (peeling text from envelope)
I couldn’t be authentic. Who would like me?
What value would I have? I was better off trying to be like everyone else. I was afraid, and this fear made me sick.
Really – genuinely ill! I wasn’t sure who I was or why I felt how I did, I only knew that when I looked at others I only ever saw them as someone to compare myself against; someone against whom I would once again fall short. I stopped going to school for a while and was isolated from everyone. I only saw close family and a few dogged friends. Through the many months that I wrestled and struggled with my identity, I came to see that the people around me were willing to look past the illness and past my faults, and see the person I really was. They showed me that I don’t need to hide behind everybody else or the ‘norm’ and be someone I’m not. They showed me how much I have to offer when I am true to myself. They assured me that there are people out there who love ME. They helped me through my struggles and have allowed me to be me. Really me. People accept me for who I am, and because of that, I am freer to be who I am.
Song: Kyrie (Lord have mercy)
Leader
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Reflection part 2:
Jesus the partner who comes alongside.
Receive yourself through the one who is perfect love.
Being yoked: easy, perfect fit.
Prayers of the people
Silence
Lord’s Prayer
Leader:
What does being authentic look like?
God who was and is and will be.
In your presence we are most fully alive.
Let us be bound to you and receive our authentic selves.
Amen and amen.
Let us give ourselves, one to another.
That in our company others would find their true selves.
Blessing
Song: Christ be our light
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