SP I R I T U A L      L I N K S

A Program of

 The                                                    
   Alethia Foundation 

"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life ?

The world would split open."

                                                                                                                           – Muriel Rubeyesen

 07  December  2000
 at

Calvary United Methodist Church, Philadelphia

praying for

Wise Women’s Center

of West Philadelphia

PRELUDE                                        Nancy Huebner, piano

CALL TO WORSHIP

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones, and those who have knowledge than those who have strength, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

                                                                                                  Proverbs 24:  3 - 6

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
                                                                                                                                      Deuteronomy 33: 27

SACRED MUSIC            Amanda Jones, vocalist; Nancy Huebner, piano

      "His Eye is on the Sparrow"  

SCRIPTURE  

I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

                                                                                                               Isaiah 63: 7 - 9

COLLECT

God, you shape our dreams.
As we put our trust in you 
may your hopes and desires be ours,
and we your expectant people. 
                                                                                        --New Zealand Prayer Book

WELCOME

SCRIPTURE

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the church.

                                                                                                                    3rd John verses 1 - 4

SACRED MUSIC                   Rebecca Carr, soprano;  Alan Morrison, piano

    "Salve Regina" Puccini

Hail, hail Queen of heaven, Mother of the unfortunate,
Divine star of the sea, Immortal bright star of the sea, Hail.
you accept and bless The cry of every unfortunate creature. 
With a glance, you sanctify Every earthly love. 

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Holy Mother God,
whose power is as limitless as your love,
whose might is in the volcano’s blast
and whose patience is in the glacier’s crawl;
who measures the universe by suns so distant 
            that they have died the whole earth’s age before their light is in our sight,
Yet who measures the distance between heaven and earth
            in the tender touch of a shepherd’s rough hand on the fair, tiny brow of of a Baby in a stable;

You, whose love brought us into being,
whose wisdom we can touch but cannot fathom,
You, who cradle us in your arms:

Hold us very close now, and rock us awhile, as we pray:

We have profaned the name of Wisdom, Sophia, one of your own holy names,
O Gracious God. We have made you in our image, tainted you with our sin.

Forgive us for stoning the prophets you have sent,
who have pointed to truths we could not bear,
who have shown us our weakness masquerading as strength,
and who have dared to condemn our contempt for women.

Forgive us failing to listen to women.
Forgive us for ensuring that our systems remain deaf to them.
We have had to do this, Lord, lest the realism, the wit, the logic of women expose our addictions to violence, to exploitation, to materialism and to egocentrism.

We have a long history of successful resistance to the revelation you brought in Christ Jesus.
We persist in glorifying machismo everywhere, in persons, in governments, in commerce, in medicine, as though it can save us, when in fact it crucified you and is killing us.

Give us ears to hear the wisdom of women, and speak through them to all our sickness.

Have mercy upon us, for you are the one true God,
Creator, you, of our Blessed Trinity, Mother of us all.
What wisdom we have, has its source in you.
We beseech you, Holy Spirit, Sophia, of our Blessed Trinity, anoint us with your wisdom.
Jesus, Savior, Redeemer, of our Blessed Trinity, deliver us from bondage to lies.

Accept now our thanks and praise for wise women and for the Wise Women’s Center.

For the way you, Holy Spirit, Sophia, have been at work in many waiting, wanting hearts, to bring the Wise Women’s Center into existence,
For their delight in diversity,
For all at this Center that nourishes and restores, that calms and that kindles,
Thank you God.

For the mantle of protection it folds around women,
For a place where women’s needs are taken seriously, on women’s own terms,
Thank you God.

For their courage to follow a different set of rules, 
to respect the perception and insight of each woman,
For their rejection of helplessness,
For their laughter and good will,
that ransom hope and strength from doubt and despair,
Thank you God.

For the lilt of their voices, in sisterly affirmation and comfort,
For the blade of their wit and sarcasm, that cuts through nets of delusion and deception, 
For their anger, gauging injury and injustice,
Thank you God.

For their wise confidence in women’s judgment,
For their subversive departure from business as usual,
For their release of long-stifled voices through women’s self-expression,
Thank you God.

For the many doors they hold open to women for health of mind, body, and spirit,
Thank you God.

MOST OF ALL, for the perpetual wisdom of women, embodied in this Center:
that things spiritual are not optional accessories, 
but are the root and source of all life, of all knowledge, and of all healing.

Thank you God.

Holy One, giver of every good gift, 
we are here to plead on behalf of the Wise Women’s Center.
You have helped them come to be, now, we ask you,
bless them, provide for them, shelter them, guide them, and inspire them.
Confirm and continue in the Wise Women’s Center the work you have begun.
These things we ask at your own prompting, and in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Albani Psalter
Mary Magdalene telling the disciples 
of Jesus’ resurrection c. 1120
http://www.womenpriests.org/magdala/day2.htm

SACRED MUSIC                                         Nancy Huebner

SCRIPTURE     

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

                                                                                                                           Luke 13: 10-17

 WISE  WOMEN'S  CENTER  PRAYER  LIST

The Wise Women’s Center asks us to pray for :

"1. Health of mind, body & spirit to all who work or volunteer in any capacity at the Wise Women’s Center.

2. A quarter of a million dollars ($250,000) for Wise to grow and continue good work.

3. Generous fundraising and sponsors.

4. That love, wisdom and understanding continue to grow not just as an organization but as individuals.

5. New Executive Director who will be holisitically minded."

"Please pray with us that Eternal Spirit will grant us the wisdom and courage to be a Light in the community we serve. We pray for spiritual and financial abundance. We petition Spirit to provide all that is needed to manifest a support group for women surviving grief and trauma experiences."

SILENT MEDITATION  

SACRED MUSIC                              Rebecca Carr, soprano; Alan Morrison, piano 

    "She’s Got the Whole World in Her Hands" 

BENEDICTION 

About

 Calvary   United   Methodist  Church

The Calvary United Methodist Church is located at in the heart of West Philadelphia at 48th St. and Baltimore Ave. Most of the members of our small and diverse congregation live within walking distance of the church.We are committed witnesses to the presence of the Living Christ and to a vision of a just and inclusive world.

As a Reconciling Congregation we welcome all persons regardless of sexual orientation.

Each Sunday we gather around our table to celebrate the Eucharist as a sign of our oneness with the Living God, each other, and with the world.

All are truly welcomed to join us each Sunday at 11:00 A.M. Calvary is also a center for community life. Several community groups call Calvary their home. And the newly created Calvary Center for Culture and Community is committed to sharing our vision of a just and inclusive world through the arts and other community activities.

Calvary United Methodist Church

815 S. 48th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143
215-724-1702

 About 

WISE   WOMEN’S    CENTER

...supporting women in our community in mind, body and spirit.

The Wise Women's Center is a community health and wellness center based in West Philadelphia. We are committed to making holistic and alternative health care accessible across all income levels and to creating a space which recognizes, honors, and shares the diversity of health belief systems, knowledge and practice present in our resources and referrals that support women's health. We believe that women's health includes the emotional, spiritual, mental, physical & economic well being of each woman in the context of her family, culture and community.

Wise Women's Center

735 South 50th Street
Philadelphia PA 19143
215-727-WISE
wisewestphilly@hotmail.com

The Center is one & a half blocks south of Baltimore Avenue & accessible by the #34 trolley.

About  

                                               The                               
 Alethia Foundation

The Alethia Foundation is an ecumenical, scholarly organization, dedicated to a Christian synthesis for a new age. The Alethia Foundation draws from classical Christian theology in order to provide a Christian interpretation of the paradigm shift now taking place in human understanding. The Alethia Foundation seeks to make heard a voice of Christian enlightenment.

The Alethia Foundation is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is designated a tax exempt public charity under the United States Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)3. It is not a private foundation.  Contributions are tax deductible.

   The 
Alethia Foundation

93 Old York Road, Suite 1-481
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 19047
info@alethia.org 

Spiritual Links Staff

K. Brian Anderson
Rebecca Carr 
the Rev. Eugene Devers
the Rev. Dr. Sandra Ellis-Killian
Lynn C. Jaeger
the Rev. Dr. Peter C. Wool

 Spiritual Links service composed by Sandra Ellis-Killian 
© Copyright 2000 The Alethia Foundation.