Meditation “The COVID-19 emergency has exposed our societies’ failure to address the needs of billions of people (and billions of animals and plants and non-human creatures.) Simultaneously, we are witnessing a fundamental truth about human nature: There are those among us eager to exploit the suffering of others for personal gain. We can be reassured, however, by how few of them there are. Their actions contrast starkly with the far greater numbers at all levels of society demonstrating their willingness, even eagerness, to cooperate, share, and sacrifice for the well-being of all.” David Korten Yes! Magazine April 23 2020 (Bonnie’s addition in italics)
Welcome and Lighting of Candles
Dedication of worship to Mother Earth, Dr. Cobb and The John Cobb Farm
Sharing of Invitations (see back cover) Introduction of Adopted Grandson
Ira Tucker McBeth “Adopt a Grandchild/Grandparent Biodynamic Farm”
Reading 12 Step Program for an Ecologic Civilization (see insert)
Martha Garcia’s Public Health Report
Invocation Medley with Raffi, Miriam Therese Winters music and more
Mother Earth our Home, to you we sing, warm is your womb, wide is your wing, in you we live, move and are fed, sweet flowing milk, life giving bread. Mother Earth our home, to you we bring, all broken hearts, all broken wings.
Chorus 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. 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. Chorus Within the beauty of your silent spin we know you’re hurting and we feel your pain, with your forgiveness we can start anew. We need a chance to make it up to you. Chorus
The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her. (repeat)
Passing of the Peace (Unmute and share greetings)
God Loves You and There is Nothing You Can Do About It!
Opening Hymn Hallelujah for the Earth (see insert)
by Leonard Cohen with new lyrics and arrangement by Dana Clark
Introduction Dr. John B. Cobb Jr. Rev. Bonnie Tarwater
Scripture Gospel of Matthew 5:43-47
The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation Dr. Kevin Clark
You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor—but hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are children of God. For God makes the sun rise on bad and good alike; God’s rain falls on the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what merit is there in that? Don’t tax collectors do as much?
Sermon Competition and Co-operation Dr. John B. Cobb Jr.
A Prayer for our Earth by Pope Francis 2015 Laudato Si’ Dear God, You are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. Amen Dr. Denise Mc Neil
Prayers (Please unmute and share names all together as we ring bell.)
Silent Prayer for Mother Earth and the John Cobb Farm
Musical Response Garden Song by David Mallett
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make John Cobbs Farm grow,
All it takes is a rake and a hoe, and a piece of fertile ground.
Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds I sow,
Please God warm them from below, till the rain comes tumbling down.
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 by Miriam Therese Winters
(Please contact Rev. Bonnie with prayer requests during the week.)
Closing Hymn Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness (see insert) by James K. Manley
Offering for the church (Tax deductible donations: Pay Pal or check)
Jennifer Long and Shawn Updike
Closing Prayer attributed to St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi Prayer
God grant that I may not so much seek; 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 in (After worship please share your name and where your from and stay for extended check in to share how you are feeling.
Benediction Dr. John B. Cobb Jr
Musical 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.
12 Step program for an Ecologic Civilization”
Church For Our Common Home is God centered and guided and is dedicated to the Earth, Loving Community, Beauty and the Arts. Our vision is to create an artistic ecologic church to love and pray for Mother Earth and the John Cobb biodynamic farm. We work for an Ecologic Civilization with our 12 step program.
1. Share the truth that the current 6th extinction of life on Earth, the only one created by humans, is an invitation for transformation as a human species.
2. Share the history and human habits of dominant over relationships and commit to relationships of collaboration, partnership and co-creativity.
3. Make amends for our alienation and abuse of the natural world and our idolatry of scientism and rationalism using transdisciplinary reconnections of religion, art, psychology, ecology, etc.
4. Explore eco-feminist and process theology, celebrating God/dess language, symbols and relationships.
5. Study the teachings of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, including newly found gnostic scriptures and the world’s ancient wisdom traditions.
6. Offer diverse spiritual practices to develop loving relationships with the natural world, Mother Earth and all creation.
7. Honor the invisible realms of dreams, prayer, intuition, parapsychology and imagination.
8. Celebrate the visual and performing arts, ritual making, beauty and creativity as divine spiritual practice.
9. Celebrate intergenerational community by intentionally including and honoring the very young and old.
10. Encourage consciousness raising with integration of body, sexuality, mind, spirit, feelings, intuition and imagination.
11. Work for social justice locally and globally in partnership with other organizations.
12. Experiment with nontraditional church in order to create relevant, spirit filled and loving community.
Hallelujah for the Earth by Leonard Cohen with new lyrics and arrangement by Dana Clark
1 This precious web of life on earth, inheritance of all at birth. Has every blessing freely given to ya. It is a fragile, holy ground a treasure to be handed down, our overflowing hearts sing hallelujah.
Chorus Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
2 Will we be proud to pass along a healthy planet still so strong? Now we are here to bring that question to ya. Our faith is strong, we face the truth, That climate change needs no more proof will our descendants share our hallelujah? Hallelujah….
3 In innocence, or was it greed we've taken far more than we need Now consequences threaten to undo ya for careless ways we'll pay the cost If beauty of the earth is lost our broken hearts will sing no hallelujah. Hallelujah….
4 Because this planet cannot wait this city must not hesitate Our quality of life we're trusting to ya we'll work together to survive So we can keep the earth alive our hopeful hearts declare a hallelujah Hallelujah….
Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness by James K. Manley
Chorus Spirit, Spirit of gentleness, blow through the wilderness calling and free, Spirit, Spirit of restlessness, stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.
1 You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,
then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep;
and over the eons you called to each thing: "Awake from your slumbers
and rise on your wings." 2 You swept through the desert, you stung with the sand, and you goaded your people with a law and a land; and when they were blinded with idols and lies, then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes. 3 You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill, then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still; and down in the city you called once again, when you blew through your people on the rush of the wind. 4 You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes. From the bondage of sorrow all the captives dream dreams; our women see visions, our men clear their eyes. With bold new decisions
your people arise.
Invitations: Our current ecologic crisis is a call to awaken to the reverence of life and the truth that all nature is alive, sacred and our earth is one organic whole. 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 an 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 as well as newly found gnostic gospels.
Invitation “Adopt a Grandchild/Grandparent on Biodynamic Farm” young and old to visit and work on biodynamic farm!
Planet of the Humans Michael Moore documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE
Jane Goodall April 16, 2020 https://youtu.be/RFf7KVk8ObQ
Please volunteer! We need computer/techy skills, editing, websites etc.
Special thanks to Martha Garcia, Richard Livingston and Ron Hines for their support in today’s worship service.
Dream Group every Wednesday 7-8:30 pm on Zoom
Lectio Divina/ Centering Prayer Tuesday 9-10 am forming on Zoom
Biodynamic Farming audio resources, Rudolph Steiner lectures http://rudolfsteiner.podbean.com/category/agriculture/
Committee on Ministry 3rd Sunday 3:30-4:30 pm