A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Prayers of the People: In the Eye of the Believer, 20th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, October 11, 2015, Yr B, Readings: Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Ps 22:1-15, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31

          Oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling!...he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.  
[Job 23:3, 6b-7]
          The word of God is living and active... able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart...Let us...approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:12, 16]
          It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God...[but] for God all things are possible...many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
[Mark 10:25, 27b, 31]

        Poor Job! We're 23 chapters into his story and things are as grim as ever, or worse. And yet, he keeps trying, keeps wondering, keeps asking God, WHY?! But he answers for God as he knows deep in his faithful heart, that God would listen to reason and acquit him of these terrible trials, if only he could find God, if only he didn't feel forsaken. Yet, he doesn't give up; he perseveres. Would I? 
         The writer of Hebrews confirms what Job believes, that God does know our thoughts and intentions and further, because of Jesus, we are to be bold and ask God for what we need.
          And this week in the Gospel, a man grieves as he walks away from Jesus because he follows the commandments but doesn't want to let go of his earthly possessions. How many in this world this week have lost so much because of winds, floods, fires, war, and the everyday tragedies and tempests of life? How many of us say "I believe"and go about our every-day lives as if there was nothing we have to do differently, assured of our place in the front of the line. But will we cry "Where is God?" when the winds, floods, and tempests hit our lives?
          Job never stops asking for God to be present because hope keeps him going, as it does for us all even in the times when faith is weakest. And whether we wonder how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or whether Jesus meant literally that a camel would have to go through that needle, Jesus tells us plainly, with God all things are possible.  It's all in the eye of a believer.
          

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy God, Living and Active, keep us mindful of our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts that we may measure our wealth each day by how well we live out our love for You.

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
RESPONSE: Grant us the courage to trust and follow You

~ Holy God, Living and Active, strengthen our voices to reach all those who govern on this Planet, in our nation, and in our community, to implore them to show mercy, provide justice, and enable peace for all those in great need. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
Grant us the courage to trust and follow You

~ Holy God, Living and Active, cast the light of Your presence into the shadows of those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit as the love of Christ brings comfort, peace, and rest. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
Grant us the courage to trust and follow You

~ Holy God, Living and Active, ease the hearts of all who mourn by knowing that those who have gone ahead now enter the glorious Kingdom of new life in Christ.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
Grant us the courage to trust and follow You

~ Holy God, Living and Active, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
Grant us the courage to trust and follow You

~ Holy God, Living and Active, inspire the souls of those chosen to lead us in Your Church, that they may impart Your wisdom and instill Your spirit in our hearts to feed us in our every day lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, Omnipotent and Everlasting
Grant us the courage to trust and follow You


The Celebrant adds:  Holy God, Sovereign and Eternal, help us to truly believe that even in the darkest times of life, You will never forsake us, and through You all things are possible. We ask through Jesus our Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God through all time, forever and ever. 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.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Prayers of the People: Testing, Testing, 19th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, October 4, 2015, Year B, 19th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Job 1:1, 2:1-10; Ps 126, Hebrews 1:1-2:12, Mark 10:2-16

          The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life."...In all this Job did not sin... [Job 2:6, 10b]
          Prove me, O Lord and try me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. [Ps 26:2-3]
          Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. [Hebrews 2:1]
          Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. [Mark 10:15]

          The Book of Job is far from easy to read, let alone to understand and receive direction. It is at once a debate or dialogue - between God and Satan*, Job and his wife, Job and his friends - it contains poetry, it is partly folk-tale. From the opening of this Book, we can hear the music of doom playing in the background; things will only get worse yet even now we are told In all this Job did not sin... How would we fare against such tribulation? 
          The Psalmist has us asking for the trouble that I have always been advised not to borrow! Do I really want to be tried and tested? I'm not sure that I am ready to be the next Job. If I succeed, how do I refrain from the sin of boasting? If I fail, how do I keep my faith?
          In the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we are given some help by the instruction to pay more attention to what God is telling us through all he has done and especially through Jesus - who is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being. 
          And, even as Jesus is tested by the Pharisees, Jesus teaches the disciples, once again, this time as indignant, to let the children come forward and be welcomed fully and completely and with blessing. He teaches us all to be as these, feeling the peace and security of a child beloved of a parent so that we may receive the kingdom of God as a little child. Let us not drift away and lose the ability to love unconditionally as a child does. To hear and know the love and presence of God, through Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, will help us to accept and thrive within all that life provides. Whatever the tests may be, the difficult and the good (sometimes, it's easier to blame God when things go wrong; sometimes it's easier to forget God when things go well), whatever the twists and turns in the trials of faith, God is faithful to us, let us be faithful to God.

 *I find that an interesting aside is the concept of Satan, who appears in the texts of Abrahamic traditions (primarily, but not limited to, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) variously translated as "The Adversary", the "Devil", or "The Accuser". [click highlighted terms for more information]


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our Majesty on High, through Job’s trials and tragedies he stayed faithful and did not sin. Grant us the willingness to have even a small portion of the faith of Job, to pay greater attention to all we know of Your presence and love, and to live each day as Your true and beloved children.

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
RESPONSE: Help us to walk in faithfulness to you

~ O God, our Majesty on High, release all leaders of this Earth, our country, and our community, from any hardness of heart or wicked intent, that through actions of integrity, equity, and generosity, they may find their own power in the well-being of all people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
Help us to walk in faithfulness to You

~ O God, our Majesty on High, give peace and respite to those who try to cope with persistent illness, homelessness, hunger, or fear, and reinvigorate those who provide them with care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
Help us to walk in faithfulness to You

~ O God, our Majesty on High, let the hearts of the sorrowful know, that even as Jesus, those we love who experienced earthly death, are now crowned with Your celestial glory and honor, forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
Help us to walk in faithfulness to You

~ O God, our Majesty on High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
Help us to walk in faithfulness to You

~ O God, our Majesty on High, give extra grace to our anointed leaders in this congregation, and everywhere in Your Church, as they bring us Your precious Word, tell us of the signs and wonders of Christ, and help us find our own gifts from the Holy Spirit. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Glorious LORD, through Whom all things exist
Help us to walk in faithfulness to You


The Celebrant adds:  Holy and Sovereign LORD, with Your steadfast love ever before us, kindle and strengthen our hearts to accept all the tests that come to us in life, and remain faith-filled, thankful, and purified of sin,  We ask, with child-like love, through Christ Jesus, the imprint of Your Being, and the Holy Spirit, bestower of gifts great and small, who together with You, are One God, eternal, infinite, and limitless. 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.


Monday, September 21, 2015

Prayers of the People: Shake, Shake, Shake, 18th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, September 27, 2015, 18 the Sunday after Pentecost , Year B, Readings: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; Ps 124, James 5:13-20, Mark 9: 38-50

image from tinychapel.blogspot.com
      Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. [Ps 124:8]

      The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has sins will be forgiven...pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. [James 5:13-15, 16b]

      For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another. [Mark 9:49-50]

      As always there is much that can be said about today's readings, including the one from Esther for which I provided no quote. Esther is a wonderful, romantic story - one of my favorites as I was growing up and one of the few books of the Bible I ever read all the way through until I was an adult. There are fascinating and significant historical and theological differences between its Jewish/Hebrew origins (it is the basis for the feast of Purim) and the later Greek/Christian translations with which we are most familiar. But for me it was a disconnect with the other appointed readings (not an unusual occurrence with the lectionary). 
      There are an array of commentaries, interpretations, explanations, contextual considerations, and perspectives for any part of the Bible that we are given to think about each week. Of course those are the basis for study, discussion, and sermonizing. I am always interested in the thoughts and ideas of others and how I can synthesize and clarify for myself and others. This week was no different and there was much to ponder and reflect upon and yet there was something simpler calling to me from the collective words of the Psalm, James, and Mark.  I found it in the image above: Serve. Act. Love. Teach. And, from James, Pray. Let's just go with the basics this week, shall we? We can shake up our faith, shake up our intentions and shake our prayers over all that we do for, with, and in the Name of the LORD.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we use Your Name many times in each day in ways great, small, indifferent, irreverent, and in vain. Open our minds and hearts to feel the power of Your presence each time we speak of You, or to You, for ourselves and for the well-being of all Your people.

O God, our Help and our Hope
RESPONSE: Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another

~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, in a world fraught with anger, violence, suspicion, and fear, guide us to seek out and encourage leaders, with earthly political authority, to end war, intolerance, and injustice for all people, from the youngest to the oldest, in every part of this Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, our Help and our Hope
Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another

~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, whisper Your love into the hearts of those longing for release from sickness, injury, or the struggles of life, and give them comfort from the prayers we lift together. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O God, our Help and our Hope
Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another

~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, calm the pain of grief for those whose loved ones have departed this life as You celebrate the arrival of those who will live forever in Your joy-filled eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, our Help and our Hope
Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another

~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

O God, our Help and our Hope
Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another

~ Holy LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we give You thanks for those who have been chosen and who have accepted the challenge of leading us in Your church. Bless them for praying with us and for us, and guiding our spiritual journey in our community of faith.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God, our Help and our Hope
Strengthen us to be at peace in You and with one another


The Celebrant adds: Abiding, Everlasting LORD, salt our souls with the fire of love that we may live and act through the power of Your name, and one day enter, and bring each other into, Your heavenly kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and Redeemer, and through the Holy Spirit, Your Sacred Breath, who together with You, are our One God, forever and ever.  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.


Monday, September 14, 2015

Prayers of the People: The Question Is..., 17th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, September 20, 2015, 17th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: Proverbs 31:10-31, Ps 1, James 3:13-4:3, Mark 9: 30-37

          For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. [Ps 1:6]
          But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth...But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy...And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. [James 3:14, 17-18]
          ...for [Jesus] was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him...Then they came to Capernaum; and...on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. [Jesus]...said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he...said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." [Mark 9:31-32, 33a, 34b, 35b, 37]

          In a culture that teaches that one must strive to thrive through success, achievement, wealth, power and position, it is exceedingly difficult to avoid the traps of envy, ambition, conflict, distrust, and so on. Fear of asking questions is also prevalent - one learns early in school to be fearful of being labeled stupid if one asks a seemingly dumb question. Surely one only wants to ask the "right questions" and not give too much information away to those with whom one competes. As the writer of Mark tells us this week, even the chosen disciples were afraid to ask Jesus to explain what he meant by all the talk about being betrayed and killed and rising again. But then, there they were asking and arguing among themselves about which one of them was the greatest of them all. 
          Righteousness is one of those words we hear a great deal of from the Bible - we can guess by its sound that it means to be "right" with God and in truth it does mean that, to lead a life that is pleasing to God, someone whose actions God would find to be justified and ethical. We are told very specifically what happens to those who sit in the seats of the scornful [Ps 1:1]  and are boastful and false to the truth [James 3:14b] . And Jesus gives the disciples, and us, the terms of a righteous life: Be last, not first, a servant of all, and those they welcome in the name of Jesus will be welcoming God into their midst, thereby drawing themselves closer to God. So, the question is, what am I waiting for? 


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, refresh our souls in the human struggle to balance our earthly needs, wants, and promises with our yearning to live in faithful closeness to You, our God.  

Holy God, Just and Merciful
RESPONSE: Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You

~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, enliven our spirits to stand together as we intentionally seek ethical and principled governing by the leaders of our world, our country, and our community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy God, Just and Merciful
Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You

~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, especially cherish those who suffer debilitating pain in body, mind, and spirit and envelop the stalwart hearts of those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

Holy God, Just and Merciful
Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You

~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, illuminate the dark corners of this earthly life for those who are grieving, as You gather those newly departed from us, into the gleaming expanse of eternal life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy God, Just and Merciful
Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You

~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

Holy God, Just and Merciful
Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You

~ LORD of Truth and Righteousness, quicken the minds and hearts of those who share Your wisdom with us, who free us from the fear of asking questions about our faith, and delight with us in the building of a diverse worshiping community dedicated to Your never-ending glory. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy God, Just and Merciful
Keep us from envy and selfishness; draw us to You


The Celebrant adds:  Benevolent LORD, Infinite and Immanent, quell our pridefulness that we may come to You as selfless, loving, and welcoming servants of all Your people, all Your children. We ask through the glory and sacrifice of our Savior Christ Jesus and the splendor of the Spirit Most Holy, who together with You, are our boundless and eternal God, forever and ever. 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.


Monday, September 7, 2015

Prayers of the People: Fill in the Blank, 16th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday September 6, 2015, Year B, 16th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Proverbs 1:20-33; Ps 19, James 3:1-12, Mark 8: 27-38

        For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle...From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. [James 3:2, 10]

       Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" [Mark 8:27-29a]

          "Who do you say that I am?" An easy enough question to answer in the safety of my prayers, or in conversation with my priest. But how do I respond "in public"? Is wearing a cross enough? What about attending church, pledging, and doing good deeds? As James calls us out for blessing and cursing with the same mouth, I think oh, that, well, I do make mistakes... Farther on in Mark, Jesus speaks of those who are ashamed of him and his words - is it shame that keeps me so quiet? Or am I just embarrassed to be seen as one of those proclaimers that seems, to me, to be less interested in Jesus, and more interested in themselves...oh, wait, am I blessing and cursing?...Catholic social activist Dorothy Day said, If I have achieved anything in my life, it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God.
          Ok, stop, breathe, and fill in the blank: JESUS IS the MESSIAH. Now all I need to do is set my mind on divine things, take up my cross, follow Jesus, and let others do as they will. Ok, that should be easy, sort of...



LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, rather than forfeit our souls for mere earthly profit, grant us the courage to know, name, and proclaim Jesus as our Messiah with joy and delight, with praise and confidence.

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
RESPONSE: May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You

~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, help us to use our strong voices to implore all of the world’s leaders, and those in our nation and our community, to grant immediate and compassionate aid to all who struggle amidst the tragedy and life-threatening circumstance of war. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
                                    May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You

~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, cradle those exhausted by the endless pain of disease, depression, or homelessness, and fortify those who work hard to fulfill all earthly needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
                                    May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You

~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, brighten the hearts of those who have shrouded themselves in sorrow, so they may know that the ones they love live once more in the splendor of Your holy eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
                                    May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You

~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
                                    May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You

~ God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, sanctify again all who lead us in Your Church, who teach us the ways of discipleship, and who, while also only human, journey with us in all phases of our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Strength and our Redeemer
                                    May the meditations of our hearts help turn our lives to You


The Celebrant adds:  Glorious, Life-Giving, Creator, in the midst of our many mistakes in this life, help us to rejoice in Your commandments and re-dedicate our minds to follow the path of Your divine and eternal glory. We ask through Jesus, our Christ and our Messiah, and the Holy Spirit, our fount of Pure Wisdom, who together with You reign as the fullness of One God, now and forever. 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.

Monday, August 31, 2015

Prayers of the People: Grand Opening, 15th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, September 6, 2015, Pentecost 15, Year B, Readings: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; Ps 125; James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17; Mark 7: 24-37


My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?...What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?           [James 2:1, 14]

"But she answered [Jesus], "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter"...Then looking up to heaven, [Jesus] sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. [Mark 7:28-29, 34-35]

          Consciousness, mindfulness, awareness, attentiveness...faithfulness... are these not the keys to living out our faith in God? I'm not always aware of how unaware I am in the rush of the day, the list to be completed, life speeding by at warp. Then James asks if I really believe....well, sure, when I'm conscious, mindful, aware, faithful and, in church, more or less. I have to think about what I believe, sometimes. Yet at other times I'm absolutely certain but don't have time [don't take time] to do much about it.
         The readings this week are filled with instruction, images, warnings, and questions I'd prefer to think about later. And yet, for me, the overarching theme this week is Jesus saying, "Ephphatha" - "Be opened."  I can be fairly tightly wound at times and this miraculous phrase gives me a pause, a moment to breathe, a release of the self-imposed binding. The writer of James is trying to open us to act on what we say we believe, as faith must be also be accompanied by action. Even the Syrophoenician woman opened herself - in an unexpected way for a woman of her time - to speak back to Jesus. Was he merely testing her or was he in turn also opened by her candor and so removed the demon from her child? As Jesus healed the man who was deaf and couldn't speak clearly, he also heals us, right now, in this moment. By these words we, too, can be opened to new insight, new consciousness. We were created to live and act in faith, to be as God wants us to be, to reap the harvest of eternal life, to love and treat [all] our neighbors as if they were us. Let us renovate our understanding of what we really believe and have a grand opening, a new flowering, to our active faith in God consciously, mindfully, aware, attentively, faithfully.
  
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, in the midst of a busy life we often forget to be consciously aware of Your love and Your presence. Awaken our desire to turn to You in all things, to be as generous to others as You have been to us, and to use the life You have given us to live as a reflection of our true and abiding belief in You.  

 Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
RESPONSE:  Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith   

~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, empower us to be heard by all who wield power in the halls of government on our planet, in our nation, and in our community. Let us work to hinder injustice, turn aside those with crooked ways, and sow the seeds of benevolence, dignity, and humanity for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
                                    Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith

~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, envelop with Your healing grace all who are lost in serious illness or chronic despair, and strengthen the resolve of all who give them loving support.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                    Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
                                    Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith

~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, surround those who mourn with the peace of knowing that their beloved has found the eternal bliss of life everlasting with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
                                    Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith

~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

                                    Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
                                    Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith

~ O LORD of Goodness and Mercy, as we come to the end of one season and the beginning of another, re-excite the spirits of those upon whom we depend to shepherd us on our journey to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Dear God in Whom we say we trust,
                                    Open our true hearts to live, speak, and act with faith


The Celebrant adds:  Creator God, Constant and Steadfast, grant our ears to be opened to hear Your Word, and our tongues released to speak our faith plainly, as we walk in Your ways to do the work You have given us to do. We ask in the name of Jesus, our Glorious Lord, and the Holy Spirit, our Holy Comforter, who together with You reign as one God from before all time and for evermore. 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.















Monday, August 24, 2015

Prayers of the People: Straight to the Heart, 14th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, August 30, 2015, Year B, Pentecost 14, Readings: Song of Solomon 2:8-13, Ps 45:1-2, 7-10; James 1:17-27, Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

       [Jesus] said to them, Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines. 'You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." 
       Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come... [Mark 7:6-8, 14]

        The language of the readings this week is rich, provocative, and even sensual. The Song of Solomon is clearly a magnificent and moving love poem and the Psalm carries the romance along enticing us with idyllic images saying that the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad. [Ps 45:9] 
        The writer of James tells us that it is through God's generous act of giving that we are brought to birth by the word of truth and are directed to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger...we are to be doers of the word, and not merely hearers. [James 1:17a, 18a, 19, 22a]  But, as always, it is Jesus who speaks bluntly to the Pharisees who make human tradition and precepts into idolatrous doctrine even as they abandon the commandments of God. He tells the rest of us by way of addressing "the crowd" that it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come... [Mark 7:14]  
        In our own time and "religious practice" when the "tradition" and ritual are the end rather than the means to holiness, when purpose and origin are lost or forgotten, when the "why" of it is no longer considered, we have lost the integrity and intention of the worship of God. We have ceased to be conscious - we are merely hearers, not doers. We are desensitized, sterilized, and removed from receiving and giving the deep, abiding love of God.  
       Jesus yanks me into awareness that my commitment has become shallow and I hearken back to Ps 51, verses 2 and 10 in particular: Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 
        We are given these extraordinary words of love this week to deepen our relationship to God with gladness and singleness of heart [Book of Common Prayer, p. 365] , to be unstained by the world, and to act on behalf of those less fortunate. As we recommit ourselves to the acting within God's commandment, let us welcome with meekness the implanted word that will save our souls as it goes straight to each of our hearts.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, stir our hearts with noble intentions that we may be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slower to anger. Infuse our souls with Your perfect love.

LORD of Lights
RESPONSE: Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word

~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, impart a purity of purpose to all those who govern Your peoples in all places, that they may be free of hypocrisy and filled with justice and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

LORD of Lights
Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word

~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, nurture the hope of those in distress with the pain of illness, depression, or addiction, and give strength to those who provide for their daily needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

LORD of Lights
Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word

~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, soothe the wounds of those who grieve even as the Court of Heaven opens in a festival of everlasting joy for those we love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

LORD of Lights
Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word

~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

LORD of Lights
Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word

~ Sovereign God, Generous and Giving, continually revitalize those who bring us Your Word and Sacraments, that they may move us from the idolatry of mere human precepts to honoring Your commandments with each action of our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

LORD of Lights
Let us hear Your Beloved Voice and be doers of Your Word


The Celebrant adds:  Almighty God, we are anointed by Your Oil of Gladness and called to keep ourselves unstained by the world. Fortify our resolve to cleanse our own hearts as we think, pray, speak, and act on Your implanted Word that has the power to save all of our souls. We ask through the perfection of Jesus, our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.




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