People's Prayers

Friday, April 3, 2015

Meditation Moments in Lent: In the Silence, Holy Saturday, April 4, 2015

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. [Matthew 27:57-61]

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb ~ in the silence. In the silence of deep grief, the shock, the wide-eyed wonder of disbelief colliding with a reality that still hasn't quite set in. They are doing what must be done according to religious law and custom, but there is a nearly indefinable hollow space within them.
In the midst of all of the "Easter" busy-ness, I must take 5 minutes on this Holy Saturday and find the most silent place I am able to find even if only with headphones on in the bathroom. I must breathe in the quiet, the stillness, the emptiness of the Marys. Yet I am also able to breathe with the relief of knowing how this day will turn into joy. But for the 5 minutes, and more if I can steal the time away, I will sit with the Marys...waiting...in the silence...

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Meditation Moments in Lent: Urban Way of the Cross, Good Friday, April 3, 2015

GOOD FRIDAY, April 3, 2015

The Episcopal Church of Sts Andrew and Matthew (SsAM)

in Wilmington, Delaware, has organized its Second Annual Urban Way of the Cross.

In a small city on the east coast of the US, halfway between New York and Washington, DC,

with a resident population of about 60,000, we routinely rank in the top ten in the nation

for violent crime per capita. This year, the theme of the Way of the Cross is I AM My Brother's Keeper.

In coordination with the City of Wilmington and the Wilmington Police Department,
and the participation of the Wilmington Peace Keepers, the Movement for a Culture of Peace,

and a number of other Churches, and individuals, the procession will move through 7 Stations in the City,

stopping for meditation, prayer, and a sung Spiritual

where there has been a shooting and/or homicide in the last year.

The 8th Station will be at SsAM to conclude the service.

If you cannot join us, please pray along with us.
The Meditations and Prayers are below.

The Urban Way of the Cross:

A time to remember, a time to mourn, and a time to pray

Join us as we journey through the streets of Wilmington on Good Friday, April 3, filled with prayer and spirituals. Begin outside the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center at 3:00 PM (501 N. Madison Street) and end at The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (719 N. Shipley Street) at 4:30 PM where there will be time to place your prayers and commitment to being your brother’s keeper on the Cross. Except for the station at The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, all the stations will be held outdoors.
Music by The SsAM Adult Choir and all of you; Meditations by Bebe Coker, Prayers by Christina Brennan Lee

The Stations:

Station 1: Jesus is condemned to die, Hicks Community Center

MEDITATION: An eye-for-an-eye will make the whole world blind! Jesus the Christ lived in the midst of His enemies. We, too, live in the midst of evil-doers; in the center of Sanhedrin darkness; in the center of hatred and commitment to the crucifixion of a sinless Humanity. A Jesus who knew no sin yet He was nailed to a wooden Cross bearing the sins of Cain and Abel and each one of us….AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
There is trouble all over this place. There is pain and grief, rebuke and scorn. Cain kills Abel again and again and the blood of our brothers cries out to us from this very ground. Let us find the courage to stand with you and face Caiaphas and Pilate together, to renounce the violence in our City, to live and work every day for peace, justice, and mercy as you did, and never let us ever forget that we are our community’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: I've Been 'Buked

Station 2: Jesus takes up his cross, 7th and Monroe

MEDITATION: What Cross do we bear? What splintered beams do we place on our shoulders? What Jericho roads have we traveled? What grief and sins do we bear? Do we bear our brothers’ burdens? Our sisters’ burdens? Do we reach out to share each others’ pain? ....AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders amidst the jeers and taunts of those who only look to the angry crowd to guide their own behavior. We walk with you to share the heavy burden and hard work, to learn how to love the unlovable, to restore dignity to the rejected, and to give respect to those who have been disrespected. Never let us ever forget that we are our neighbor’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: They Led My Lord Away

Station 3: Jesus falls the first time, 5th and Monroe

MEDITATION: Who among you lifts his brother’s burdens in love? Who leaves his fallen brother in the Samaritan’s way? Who stoops to lower himself to the level of where his brother finds himself alone? Who claims to love the Jesus who he has not seen and loves not his brother who he has seen? Who lifts the brother whose cries are heard and seen and known? …. AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
It’s no wonder that you collapse with the physical exhaustion and the tortuous pain of dragging this heavy wooden beam. Yet you show us how to rise again in obedience to God’s call. Give us the strength and the patience to face with love those who accuse us, who fight with us, who demean us as we walk through these mean streets. Let us carry those who have sons and daughters of their own, who have tried hard in life, who are too tired and too grieved to go on alone. Never let us ever forget that we are our father’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: Soon'Ah Will Be Done

Station 4: Jesus meets His Mother, 5th and Madison

MEDITATION: Poor and miserable unbelievers all around us dying without the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus the Christ…and we let them die, be killed. We let them wrestle in the bowels of a fearful community, a dispassionate community. A community blinded by self-hatred, a community in darkness; a community that cannot see the only light to dispel its darkness…the light of God’s love. The invisibility of Man’s inhumanity to man….AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
the agony in your bruised and bloodied body is only matched by the anguish in the sorrowful face of your mother who suffers at the sight of your torment – Bless’ed Mary, mother of us all. Grant us the faith and the love and the hope to surround and enfold those now childless mothers and all mothers devastated by the needless violent loss of their daughters and sons. Never let us ever forget that we are our mother’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

Station 5: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene, 7th and Madison

MEDITATION: I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER! He is not heavy, he is my brother…no matter his race, color, creed, origin, differences… I am my brother’s keeper. Where is your brother Abel? Have we done all that we can to lift the burden of our brothers? Our sisters? Have we served our own as well as others who are not blood kin? Where is your Abel? Where is your Cain? Who is your brother? ….ARE YOU…ARE WE OUR BROTHERS’ KEEPER?

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
another mother’s son is made to bear the weight of your cross and he shows us how to give the gift of mercy even if reluctantly at first. Grant us the ability and willingness to share another’s burden as we see need beyond race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and any element of life that is different from our own. Remind us to pray for each other in times of good and in times of trouble, and never let us ever forget that we are our companion’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: Nobody Knows the Trouble I See, Lord

Station 6: Jesus and the women of Jerusalem, 7th and Jefferson

MEDITATION: How clean is the house I live in? Women of Jerusalem…Women of Wilmington…is your house swept clean? Are our own children given our love and protection? Our brothers and sisters? Others that we claim to know and love…have we done all that we can do to be the “Christ” in daily living that they need to see in order to be? Have we shared the God of our salvation with the ones for whom we have been given direct responsibility? Where is Abel? Are we our brothers’ keeper? Do we pretend to be contaminated by the presence of those who are not like us? Do we shake their dust from our feet? Is the blood of Abel on our hands? Lord, grant us vision to render no man invisible to the eyes of our hearts. I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
you tell us not to weep for you but to weep for ourselves, not with mere emotion, but through facing the harsh realities of the serious evil in our streets, and the heavy responsibility we all must share to end it. Dry our tears, Dear Christ, and give us the heart and the energy to not look away but to do all that needs to be done, and never let us ever forget that we are our sister’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: He Never Said a Mumbalin' Word

Station 7: The Crucifixion, 7th and Washington
MEDITATION: If I am not my brother’s keeper…..LET ME NOT BE HIS EXECUTIONER! We crucified Jesus on Calvary’s Hill…where three men were crucified…Crucified for so-called extreme crimes, crimes of extremism. The two thieves were crucified for extremes of immorality, for evil deeds. JESUS WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS AND CRUCIFIED FOR BEING AN EXTREMIST OF LOVE, TRUTH, GOODNESS, FORGIVENESS, FOR MERCY. Jesus an extremist for Love…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. He loved us enough to die for us…do we Love Him enough to live for Him? I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother,
the hammering, my Lord, the hammering – it reverberates in my ears, in my heart, in my soul. Each cruel blow to the spike rips at the fibers of our very being. How can humans created by God do such things to one another? Jesus, show us the way to care for those who do despicable acts, to love them back into your Kingdom as you did from your cross. Never let us ever forget that we are our enemy’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spiritual: Hammering

Station 8: Jesus is laid in the tomb, Saints Andrew & Matthew

MEDITATION: The killing of a man does not always mean a stabbing or a bullet or any other so-called “violent means of death.” Violence is the last refuge of the insecure, the incompetent, the undefined, the dispassionate, the brother who does not know the meaning of love. Violence has its roots in wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character; commerce without morality; science without humanity; worship without sacrifice and politics without principles…

WE ARE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER…

WE ARE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER.

PRAYER: Holy Jesus, Holy Son, Holy Brother, as you are finally free from the terrors, the cruelty, the agony of this terrible day. Let us take this time to rest in you, to live in the hope that will defeat despair, and to await your coming in Glory as we never stop working for and believing that we shall overcome evil someday. Never let us ever forget that we are each other’s keeper.
Jesus, Bearer of my sins, never ever let me forget
I AM My Brother’s Keeper

Spirituals: Calvary, Any How, Were You There

Let Us Depart in Silence

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Meditation Moments in Lent: Let Me Not Be Ashamed, Holy Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Psalm 70 is appointed for Wednesday in Holy Week, April 1, 2015

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
O LORD, make haste to help me.

Jesus, Savior of us ALL,
On this Holy Wednesday, as we anticipate the coming events in Your life, let me remember all who have been demeaned, discounted, damaged, and disparaged in your name by those who would believe themselves better, more sincere, and more Christian than others.
Help me to not fall into the same trap and grant me the humility to pray more diligently for those whose motives I question, whose truth I doubt, and for those I have judged harshly. Perhaps, Lord, that will be the most difficult prayer for me to make, but if I must love my enemies and my neighbors as myself, praying for others is the best antidote to despair, discouragement, and the devil. amen.

Let those who say, "Aha!" and gloat over me turn back,*
because they are ashamed.

Let all who see you rejoice and be glad in you*
let those who love your salvation say for ever,
"Great is the LORD!"

But as for me, I am poor and needy*
come to me speedily, O God.

You are my helper and my deliverer;*
O LORD, do not tarry.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Prayers of the People: Easter Day, 2015

For April 5, 2015, Easter Day, Year B, Readings: Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Mark 16:1-8

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him....As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." [Mark 16: 1, 5-6a]

Did you listen to or actually read the Gospel for today? Did you happen to notice that this year's snippet seems to be noticeably lacking in the "WOW" factor? The women "fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them..." It's not what we expect to hear in the midst of a grand and glorious liturgy celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. But, we already know the story - or, do we?
Matthew tells us there was an angel whose "appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow." He spoke to the women who then "left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy..." and Jesus met them. In Luke there were "two men in dazzling clothes" who said to the women "why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." The women told the apostles but those words "seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." John's seems low key by comparison. Mary Magdalene arrived first and then ran to "...Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him.'" It was some time after Peter and the "other disciple" looked in and saw the tomb empty before Mary had an encounter with "two angels in white" and was shortly after greeted by Jesus.
Most of us will have participated in Easter celebrations many times so we know what it is all about. But listening or reading slightly different accounts can give us a fresh perspective. Take some time this Easter and read the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Reflect on what surprises you, what questions arise, which one account resonates the most with you and why? Or perhaps you'll mix and match the Gospel writers' accounts to arrive at your own conclusions. Whatever you do, ask yourself, what does it all mean for my life today and tomorrow? What will I do - or stop doing - as a result of reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection? It may take until next Easter to decide and then it will be time to decide again. Lent is over; Easter has just begun!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, the tomb is empty! You are raised from human death and glorified into the eternal life which You now offer to us. You are the Lord for whom we have waited so long. Let us be glad and rejoice in Your gift of salvation!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Response: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, You were feared most by those whose political power was merely earth-bound and time-limited. Let us strive to remind those who hold earthly power in our own time, that God shows no partiality and all who do right are acceptable through Your enduring mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, lavish Your healing grace and glory on all those who are ill in body, mind, or spirit and on those who give them care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, You wipe the tears from our faces with Your Good News that death has been vanquished by Your cross. You have brought those we love, and we ourselves in time, to perpetual life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Jesus, Anointed Lord of All, we give You thanks for those priests of Your Church who are not consumed with their own importance and glory but who lead us to and walk with us to experience the fullness of Your Salvation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Celebrant adds: Christ our Glorious Redeemer, from the beginning You were the Word that was with God and You brought God to each of us. Help us find our way out of our self-imposed tombs that we may transcend mortal desires and lift our souls to You. We ask through Your saving Grace, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the benevolence of Almighty God, who are One God, now and through eternity. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Meditation Moments in Lent: The Lazarus Plot, Monday in Holy Week, March 30, 2015

So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus...The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see, you can do nothing. Look the world has gone after him." [John 12:10-11,19]

Just yesterday this Jesus rides into the city on a donkey while across town Roman Governor Pilate leaves his seaside resort to parade into town on his grand horse with all the pomp, circumstance, and glitter of the Imperial Roman Authority. Pilate's presence, and that of his troops, is meant to quell any type of rebellious activity during the festival of Passover.
Then there are the Sanhedrin and Pharisees, in the middle between this heretical, itinerant Jew preaching and mesmerizing the crowds, and the threatening reminder of a power only granted to them as long as Rome finds it convenient. And this Jesus raises a dead man back to life from his tomb! The path is clear, kill Jesus and the raised man, Lazarus. Isn't that what those who feel threatened do - kill the opposition in order to keep life pure? Or at least so that we can continue being the authority, even if only by grant of a few holding power over us.
Of course they were extra brutal in those days. Today we'd keep those people from being able to shop, dine out, or receive services because they walk through life on what we have decided is the wrong path. And if a few get hurt or killed along the way, well, that will show them who is really in charge. It always turns out well when a few decide how the many ought to believe, behave, and be ruled.

Holy Jesus, Son of God,
It sometimes seems difficult to know which path is Yours with so many authorities claiming to have the TRUTH. How is it that there are so many people reading the same words and coming to different conclusions about what You were telling us? The truth will set us free if only we can find it. Help us, Lord, find the truth You have given us in the Greatest Commandment: The first commandment is this: ...The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. [Mark 12:29-31] Perhaps if we live and love that way, we won't have to shut out or kill the opposition, we can learn to live together as the neighbors You intended us to be. amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Prayers of the People: Passion and Palm Sunday, 6th Sunday in Lent

For March 29, 2015, The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, Sixth Sunday in Lent, Year B, Readings: Mark 11:1-11, Is 50: 4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Phil 2:5-11,
Mark 14:1-15, 47

The Sunday of the Passion:

Palm Sunday

It's that time again. We read about Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds wave palm branches, throw their cloaks on the ground in front of him and cheer him on with loud "Hosannas". Then suddenly it all goes wrong, things go beyond ugly and by the end of the week his friends have betrayed and deserted him and Jesus suffers a terrible death by crucifixion. But we all know the story and also that was then and this is now. So how much of it do we really hear, feel, think about? Is it just another way to mark the time and season of the year? Oh, Palm Sunday, that means it's time to buy the peeps, chocolate bunnies, and jelly beans...

My 4 year old granddaughter was singing I am following Jesus with great gusto this morning, a song she learned last summer in Vacation Bible School. A happy-clappy little ditty that she loves and her volume measurably increases - as she learned also at age 3 - on the line that he changed my life forever. A question suddenly struck me this morning, after having heard this piece by her a few dozen times, am I following Jesus? Has he changed my life forever - or, more to the point, have I let him? When have I deserted him - or if that's too hard for me to acknowledge - when have I ignored him?

It isn't just Palm Sunday, it's also the Sunday of the Passion. Have I just suffered through long readings about then or am I willing to look at the world as it is now, how many times such political murders take place each day, and wonder what it is that I could possibly do about it? Anticipating the Gospel events as they arise this week, I'll start over, re-read the lessons, ask God for mercy, trust that God will help me find my way, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God [Phillipians 2:11]... It is the season for me to look at each day in this Holy Week as a time of reflection, penance, and re-commitment.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, Light of the World, how quickly the joy and exuberance of the people on this day was turned hostile and angry by political manipulation, and even Your friends betrayed You. Let us walk with You through this coming Holy Week, remain in Your presence, and never deny that You are our Savior.

Hosanna to our Messiah!

RESPONSE: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

~ Jesus, Light of the World, help us to engage the hearts and minds of the leaders of this world, our country, and our community, that we may eliminate the fear-mongering, posturing, and oppression that leads to a death like Yours. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Hosanna to our Messiah!