Download Reflection Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) “To know the mighty

March 5th
Urban Abbey Eucharist Celebration
Celebrant
People
May the most high God who spoke the cosmos into being, be with you.
And also with you.
Celebrant
People
O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek you;
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
and in Your name I will lift up my hands
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
and with singing lips my mouth will praise You.
(Psalm 63)
So let us lift our hearts to heaven
We lift our hearts up to the Lord
Celebrant
People
Songs of worship
Celebrant
People
Reader 1
Reader 2
Reflection
10 – Come Thou Fount
27 – Rising Sun
Give ear to the reading of God’s word,
We open our ears, Lord help us to listen.
[A reading of Ezekiel 36:22-36]
[A reading of Hebrews 12:14-24]
Nicolaus Copernicus
This is the word of the Lord;
Thanks be to God
(1473 – 1543)
Antique maps, with curlicues of ink
As borders, framing what we know, like pages
From a book of travelers’ tales: look,
Here in the margin, tiny ships at sail.
No-nonsense maps from family trips: each state
Traced out in color-coded numbered highways,
A web of roads with labeled city-dots
Punctuating the route and its slow stories.
Now GPS puts me right at the center,
A Ptolemaic shift in my perspective.
Pinned where I am, right now, somewhere, I turn
And turn to orient myself. I have
Directions calculated, maps at hand:
Hopelessly lost till I look up at last.
(Maps by Holly Ordway)
Nicolaus Copernicus was a German/Polish astronomer, scholar, and canon of the church in Frombork. He is most known
for developing the Heliocentric theory – that named the sun, rather than the earth, as the center of the planetary
system. This theory proved controversial in his time because of the widely accepted Ptolemaic model, which set earth
as the center of the universe. He was despised by many who wished to keep the belief that the earth was the center
around which everything else revolved.
The above poem, written by Holly Ordway, describes this generation’s ‘Ptolemaic shift’ – where we have, in some
senses, returned to putting ourselves at the center of the universe – and though we have our maps and navigational
devices – all configured to suit the perspective of the individual user – they are not reality, and we are “hopelessly lost
till I look up at last.” We, as Christians, are on a pilgrimage toward God. Take a moment to search your heart – who is
at the center of your journey? In what ways do you think or act or live as though you are the center of your life?
[as music plays, reflect and pray silently – after which we will have a time of open prayer]
“To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power, to appreciate, in
degree, the wonderful working of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship
to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more gratifying than knowledge.” (Nicolaus Copernicus)
Song -
33b Abbeville (Sacred Harp)
Come, Holy Spirit come,
With energy divine,
And on this poor, benighted soul,
With beams of mercy shine.
Melt, melt this heart of stone,
This stubborn will subdue;
Each evil passion overcome,
And form me all anew.
Mine will the profit be,
But Thine shall be the praise;
And unto Thee will I devote
The remnant of my days.
To the Table
Celebrant
O Lord, whose ways are perfect, help us to turn to you alone for direction Kyrie eleison:
Lord, have mercy
Jesus Christ, you bought our redemption with your shed blood. Help us to live well for Your name
alone; Christe eleison:
Christ, have mercy
Heavenly Father, who has done wonderful works for mankind, help us to place you alone at the center
of our lives; Kyrie eleison:
Lord, have mercy.
Eucharist Lead Most gracious God, in the fullness of time you sent Jesus the Christ to share our fragile humanity.
Through His life, death, and resurrection you open the path from darkness to light, from fear to trust,
from pride and conceit to reverence for you.
Rejected by a world that could not bear the Gospel of life, Jesus knew death was near. He gathered
together those who loved Him. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends, saying
“take and eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said “Drink this all of you, this is my blood of
the new covenant which is shed for you and for many. Whenever you drink it, do this for the
remembrance of me.”
And so we gather at this table in response to his commandment, to share the bread and cup of Christ’s
undying love, and to proclaim our faith:
People
Dying, you destroyed our death,
Rising, you restored our life,
Lord Jesus, come in glory.
Eucharist Lead Come to this sacred table, not because you must, but because you may;
not to declare that you are righteous, but that you desire to be true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ:
not because you are strong, but because you are weak;
not because you have any claim on heaven’s rewards, but because in your frailty and sin, we stand in
constant need of heaven’s mercy and help.
[All followers of Jesus, please come forward to receive the elements]
Song -
40 – There Is a Fountain
Celebrant
Lord give us the eyes of faith,
to see your presence in the world.
Where fear closes our eyes, help us.
Where tears blind us, heal us.
Where busyness keeps us from noticing, slow us.
Where pride gets in the way, release us
Set us free to see your love at work in the world.
All
Amen