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 13, 2025

Prayers of the People: Our Primordial Mother*, 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation ’25 Yr C

For Sunday, October 19, 2025; Readings: Micah 4:1-4, Psalm 8**, Revelation 22:1-2,  Matthew 6:25-34

  For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [the God of Jacob] shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more… [Micah 4:2c-3]

  Lord, our God, the whole world tells the greatness of your name. Your glory reaches beyond the stars…I see your handiwork in the heavens: The moon and stars you set in place…O Lord our God, the whole world tells of the greatness of your name. [Psalm 8:1, 3, 4]**

   Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 
[Revelation to John: 22:1-2]

  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.   [Matthew 6:26, 27, 28b-29]

     It is easy enough to discover the bad news about the condition of our planet, from devastating weather to disastrous environmental events, to war and disease, and it all needs our awareness, action, and God-ordered stewardship. Today we are to re-awaken our consciousness to our earthly surroundings, close by and well beyond our mere location. Today, again, it’s time to learn and more deeply know and celebrate this great gift of our Creator, also known in Greek Mythology as Gaia*, our primordial Mother.
     We are to re-examine its lushness, its highest peaks and deepest depths, the fragrances and the freshness; to re-discover our companion creatures, wild and tame, and the extraordinary interconnections of life among the plants and organisms that support us. Let us take more than a moment to marvel at the vastness of the oceans, the rhythm of the tides, the flow of rivers, the artful shaping of clouds. We must look and see what has gone before, where we are now, and discover again our world's potential. Most importantly, we are to discover ways to maintain and expand protections against industrial waste, general pollution, and the island of plastic and garbage now twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean***,  the loss of precious water resources, and especially the vast impact of our own everyday selfish actions individually, collectively, and globally. This Earth and her resources feed our bodies and provide oxygen for our breath, and breath-taking beauty in which we experience the wonder of our God-given surroundings.
     We are called to be a servant to humanity as given in Christ’s teaching and example, and from the word of the Lord of Jerusalem to beat our modern-day swords and spears of violence into plowshares and pruning hooks for peace. Let us continuously plow the soil of Creation, to feed, protect, and prosper the gift we have been given. To not learn war any more against nations, or racism or sexism or any -ism of discrimination against our human siblings, and to see that no one anywhere should be afraid. May we turn toward those humans from whom we have the most to learn even if we have previously considered them harshly for their political, religious, lifestyle, or other perspectives different from our own; or, merely and unkindly looked past them as lesser beings unworthy of our care or attention. And while we agree or disagree with the chosen pathways of others, let us always grant due respect to our fellow humans who, like ourselves, are created in the image of God, who is fully our Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother, and who filled our souls with the shining dust of stars, and the cosmic lilt of heavenly choirs.   

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord our God of all that is, rid us of our self-important arrogance, and grant us the humility to understand our true place in, and responsibilities for Your full Creation. Turn us toward those from whom we have the most to learn, fill us with respect and care for every living creature and life form, and remind us to be a voice and champion for the protection and preservation of this, our sacred and holy Gaia, Mother Earth.

                                                      O God, Mother and Father of Creation
              RESPONSE:            We bless You by our faith in action

~ O Lord our God of all that is, instill within all who lead the Governments of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, the urgency to beat our modern-day swords and spears of violence into plowshares and pruning hooks for peace. Guide those who hold and support political office toward positive management and policies for the eco-systems and environments that sustain the life, health, and existence of your people and creatures everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                      O God, Mother and Father of Creation
                                                       We bless You by our faith in action

~ O Lord our God of all that is, surround the hearts of all who live with chronic illness, or critical need, with Your peace and healing; and endurance for those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Mother and Father of Creation
                                                       We bless You by our faith in action
      

~ O Lord our God of all that is, keep us in the knowledge that love never dies and that those we have sent ahead, have new life in the holy grandeur of Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Mother and Father of Creation
                                                       We bless You by our faith in action

~ O Lord our God of all that is, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                       O God, Mother and Father of Creation
                                                       We bless You by our faith in action

~ O Lord our God of all that is, set alight the spirits of those called by You to lead us in Your Church, who guide us to make our destination to You clear, and who join us to love, honor, and serve as Christ has taught and shown us by His example. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Mother and Father of Creation
                                                       We bless You by our faith in action

The Celebrant adds: Lord God, Feeder of birds, Clothier of the lilies and grass of the fields, awaken us each day to strive first for your Kingdom and your righteousness. Calm our worry and grant us renewed desire to restore and cherish Your precious gift of this living, breathing planet, the literal ground of every earthly being. Kindle our fervor to actively engage in and assure its health, as it continues to sustain all forms of your creation here and beyond, now and always. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Divine and Limitless Energy of our souls; who together with You are One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

 ~Click here for more information about: 

*Gaia:  ancestral mother of earth, personification of earth, a primordial earth goddess in Greek mythology, literally, "earth;" primordial: first in the sequence of time, original [Merriam Webster]

** Psalm 8:

  Lord, our God, the whole world tells the greatness of your name. Your glory reaches beyond the stars. 

  Even the babble of infants declares your strength, your power to halt the enemy and avenger.

  I see your handiwork in the heavens: The moon and the stars you set in place.

  What is humankind that you remember them, the human race that you care for them?

You treat them like gods, dressing them in glory and splendor. 

You give them charge of the earth, laying all at their feet: cattle and sheep, wild beasts, birds of the sky, fish of the sea, every swimming creature.

 Lord our God, the whole world tells the greatness of your name.

      [From The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering, Liturgy Training Publications 
(International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994]

***Twice the Size of Texas Ocean Garbage/Plastics Island: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240115-visualising-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch

 





All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact:
Leeosophy@gmail.com




Prayers of the People: A Persistent Bother! ~ 19th Sunday after Pentecost '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, October 19, 2025;  Readings: Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 121, 
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8

      The Burren” Country Clare, Ireland 
          Persistent Flowers amid the Rocks
   Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak…Jacob called the place Peniel, saying “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” [Genesis 32:24, 30]

   I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. [Psalm 121:1-2]

   I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable...For the time is coming when people...will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. [2 Timothy 4:1b-2a, 3a, 4]

  " ...yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming." And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? ...I tell you he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" [Luke 18:5-7, 8]

      We are God's people and persistence is the order of the day. Jacob, in wrestling with the man until daybreak, is the representation of all of us wrestling with our innermost selves, the unjust judge within us, fearing our self-perceived failings and lacking. But as Jacob prevails despite a life-long wound to remind him, so do we. For Jacob, as for us, it was less about the struggle and more about his capacity to withstand, to overcome obstacles and personal history, and to be preserved by God.
      The Psalmist’s words bring us to the dawn of inner comfort as our help comes from the Lord and is always within us if we but remember to call out and to call on that inner strength.
       The writer of 2nd Timothy calls us to be persistent, whether the time is convenient or not, to proclaim the message, and to be steadfast in the ministry to which Christ calls us, because people – including us – will wander away from the truth and believe whatever they like. 
       The parable that Jesus tells is a way to keep the disciples, and always us, from losing heart and abandoning prayer. The widow keeps up the good fight to the annoyance of the judge who believes he is an entity unto himself. We also stubbornly yield to the sense of singularity of our own stature or desires, with no apparent care or interest in the needs of others beyond our own, at times. Yet this widow – a woman with no husband was the least of the least in those days – kept coming before the judge, a bothersome, constant, squeaky wheel whose noise the judge could no longer ignore or endure. He grants her the justice she seeks but only in order to be rid of her. So, too will God hear us who cry – or rather, pray – day and night, though never to be rid of us. God’s Presence is always within, always available even in our struggles with doubt and the frustrations and injustices of daily life. 
         Jesus leaves us with that final disconcerting question: And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? How do we answer? By returning again, and again, and again to Scripture, to prayer, to patience, to giving and receiving support in a community of faith and discipleship, to carry out our ministries fully. Let us feel bothered if we wander away. Let us be bothered enough to listen, remember, and turn back to the Gospel Truth, each time we turn only to ourselves as judge. Let us be a bother in patience, persistence, and inspiration, to all we meet. Let our faith bloom amidst the rocks and obstacles of this human sojourn in spite of our own doubts and attempts to stop it.  Oh, yes, do bother, persistently!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Watchful, Loving God, as we wrestle with the unjust judge inside ourselves, awaken us to Your strength within us, to carry and proclaim Your truth in our every thought, word, and action.

                                                        O Lord, our Help
RESPONSE:                             Preserve us in faith and truth

~ Watchful, Loving God, arouse our inner courage, in this time of unending urgencies, to be the persistent and bothersome conscience of all who serve in the halls of government across this Planet, this Nation, and this Community, on behalf of all Your people and the very Earth itself. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O Lord, our Help
                                                     Preserve us in faith and truth                   

~ Watchful, Loving God, grant healing and hope to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and revive the energy and dedication of all who serve their needs.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                     O Lord, our Help
                                                     Preserve us in faith and truth 

~ Watchful, Loving God, grant divine comfort to those who grieve as You joyfully welcome, for all eternity, all to whom You gave first breath and received their final earthly sigh. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                     O Lord, our Help
                                                     Preserve us in faith and truth

~ Watchful, Loving God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions  

                                                     O Lord, our Help
                                                     Preserve us in faith and truth                 

~ Watchful, Loving God, enrich and inspire the souls of all who bring us to Your Word and Sacraments, and guide us to carry out Your ministry in all facets of everyday life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O Lord, our Help
                                                     Preserve us in faith and truth                                                                    
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, quicken and embolden our faith that in all times, whether unfavorable or good, we may persevere in learning and sharing through the Gospel message, in hope that others may listen and walk with us in prayer and faith. We ask through Jesus, Son of Man; and the Holy Spirit, the Persistent Voice within; who together with You are One God, above all, forever and ever. Amen.

 




All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Monday, October 6, 2025

Prayers of the People, In the Beginning, 1st Sunday of Season of Creation

For Sunday, October 12, 2025, Readings: Genesis 2:4-9, 15-25; Psalm/Azariah 1:1-22 ~ Canticle of the Three Young Men;* Hildegarde von Bingen,**  John 1: 1-14 


          Welcome to the Season of Creation!          

      The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa in 2008 and is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. We are to realize our place in the order of God’s creating and to see and act upon the need to care for our entire life—support system— the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil in which we grow our crops—not merely humanity, but our total environment, as it pertains to ALL life. 

         From the early days of the Season of Creation at The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew [www.ssam.org], we established that “the primary aim of the events of the season is to enable adults and youth to celebrate and experience the inextricable link which binds together the destinies of all of God’s creatures.” It is a moment of pause to remind ourselves that God calls us to see “what great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions” and for us to renew our commitment to making real the biblical vision of the earth at unity with itself. It is a vision of human beings of all races, backgrounds and walks of life in local communities and among the nations of the earth, living together in love and peace with justice for all. "As disciples of Christ, we are called through our Baptismal Covenant, to be instruments for the healing of our broken world," and with a renewed commitment to personal and communal prayer and action.

         We will use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 6 weeks. The texts of the alternate readings used will follow the prayers on this page.

    We open this Season "In the Beginning." Our inspiration begins with Professor Wangari Maathai, [1940-2011], a Kenyan environmental and political activist, Member of Parliament as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, she was educated in the United States and in Kenya. In 2004, she was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was honored for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace."  Professor Maathai described the Book of Genesis as "the book for environmentalists." And she said, "If we had been created on Tuesday, there would have been nowhere for us to stand! God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!"

Week One's Theme is:  In the Beginning

      In place of a Psalm this week, we are using The Prayer of Azariah which is contained in the Apocryphal Books of most but not all Bibles. This piece is from an addition to the Greek translation of the Book of Daniel. It is placed in Daniel Chapter 3 in the Greek texts and in the Septuagint edition at the end of Daniel after 12:13 following after the prose stories of Bel and the Dragon, and of Susanna. The Three Young Men, gifted and handsome youths are better known to us from Hebrew, by the names given to them during the Babylonian Exile, by Nebuchadnezzar’s Chief Eunuch, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. The Greek Septuagint, their Hebrew names are pronounced in Greek as Ananias, Azarius, and Misrael.

*PSALM CANTICLE OF THE THREE YOUNG MEN [The Prayer of Azariah 1:1-22]:

 And they walked about in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord. Then Azari′ah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said:

“Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise;
    and thy name is glorified for ever.
For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us,
    and all thy works are true and thy ways right,
    and all thy judgments are truth.
Thou hast executed true judgments in all that thou hast brought upon us
    and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers,
    for in truth and justice thou hast brought all this upon us because of our sins.
For we have sinfully and lawlessly departed from thee,
    and have sinned in all things and have not obeyed thy commandments;
we have not observed them or done them,
    as thou hast commanded us that it might go well with us.
So all that thou hast brought upon us,
    and all that thou hast done to us,
    thou hast done in true judgment.
Thou hast given us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful rebels,
    and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the world.
10 And now we cannot open our mouths;
    shame and disgrace have befallen thy servants and worshipers.
11 For thy name’s sake do not give us up utterly,
    and do not break thy covenant,
12     and do not withdraw thy mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham thy beloved
    and for the sake of Isaac thy servant
    and Israel thy holy one,
13 to whom thou didst promise
    to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven
    and as the sand on the shore of the sea.
14 For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation,
    and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins.
15 And at this time there is no prince, or prophet, or leader,
    no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
    no place to make an offering before thee or to find mercy.
16 Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted,
    as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
    and with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
17     such may our sacrifice be in thy sight this day,
    and may we wholly follow thee,
    for there will be no shame for those who trust in thee.
18 And now with all our heart we follow thee,
    we fear thee and seek thy face.
19 Do not put us to shame,
    but deal with us in thy forbearance
    and in thy abundant mercy.
20 Deliver us in accordance with thy marvelous works,
    and give glory to thy name, O Lord!
Let all who do harm to thy servants be put to shame;
21     let them be disgraced and deprived of all power and dominion,
    and let their strength be broken.
22 Let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God,
    glorious over the whole world.”

For more information on the Apocryphal Books, here is one interesting source of information: https://www.bartehrman.com/apocrypha/

** Second Reading, Hildegarde von Bingen: Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earths’ greenings. Now, think, What delight God gives to humankind with all these things. All nature is at the disposal of humankind. We are to work with it. For without it we cannot survive...The fire has its flame and praises God. The wind blows the flame and praises God. In the voice we hear the word which praises God. And the word, when heard, praises God. So all of creation is a song of praise to God. 

    Hildegarde von Bingen, now St. Hildegard was born 1098, Böckelheim, West Franconia [Germany]—died September 17, 1179, Rupertsberg, near Bingen; canonized May 10, 2012; feast day September 17) was a German abbessvisionary mystic, and composer. In 2012 she was proclaimed a doctor of the church, one of only four women* to have been so named. She is revered as a patron saint of musicians and writers. [From Brittanica online] Her music is still being used today and some can be found on YouTube with this link and by searching her name to find more: https://youtu.be/HYzPR0nwcmY

*The other women saints named Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church are Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux. 





All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Prayers of the People: One out of Ten ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, October 12, 2025 ~ Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Psalm 111, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, 
Luke 17:11-19

     But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash and be clean'?  So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. 
[2 Kings 5:1-14]

    …the Lord is gracious and full of compassion…The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; all his commandments are sure. [Psalm 111:4b; 7]

   Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. [2 Timothy 2:14]

   Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [Luke 17:17-18]

    In the reading from 2 Kings, servants asked Naaman if he might have agreed immediately to the healing ritual that Elisha prescribed if the activity had been more difficult. After all, a mighty warrior only does difficult tasks of great importance, not simple and ordinary things. Perhaps we, as ordinary mortals, feel the task of truly living into our faith through taking time to stop doing to just be in a few moments of personal prayer or reading over the previous Sunday Scriptures, or a page in a daily booklet of meditations, is just easy enough to get to sometime later on. We escape into checklists of giving money and attending church services as doing our basic duty, with perhaps a volunteer activity here and there. But in moments when we are looking for inspiration or feel a need to look beyond the ordinary, we often wander off to another river, rather than one before us. Once there we may not realize until too late that we are in over our heads by the lures of this temporary world, and yet, for now, swimming to God’s shore seems too easy.     
   We in this country fail, in epic proportions, to avoid wrangling over words, 
especially in the midst of political or human divisions, attempting to out shout and out insult one another on social media, however muted or even anonymous we feel behind the computer or phone screen. We also fail to understand the reality that such arguing changes no minds, causes one’s own trenches to become deeper, and only ruins those who are listening [2 Timothy 14] as well as the one wrangling. But, of course, who of us will listen to the arguments of anyone we have already decided is wrong? Are we all ruined and in exile from one another and from God? The Letter to Timothy brings our focus back to do our best to present ourselves to God in all that we are, say, and do.
    In the Gospel reading, 10 lepers who begged Jesus for healing were told to present themselves to the priest. After they did and realized they were all healed, they all went on their merry ways ~ except this foreigner. Only 1 out of 10, the Samaritan foreigner, turned back, in faith, to thank Jesus. How often do I forget to give thanks ~ true, sincere thanks for spiritual and other healing gifts to my soul?
     For me, the readings this week seem to particularly mirror where I see my own conscious and unconscious behaviors and responses to upsets in my body, mind, and/or spirit. I am all-too-often in self-imposed exile from God. I do my own wrangling over words and thoughts, ignoring the wonders of Creation around me, complaining to myself about all the injuries from others (real and imagined), and celebrating only myself when wellness or some other good fortune occurs. Time to get out the NO WHINING banner, return from the exile I chose to choose again to be in the faith-filled life where I am planted, remembering why and for Whom I was created. Remembering that in the exercise of the faith I claim, I don’t need to be a mighty warrior saving the world, nor a self-absorbed couch potato drowning in hollow entertainment. Now is the time to realize that I don’t require my faith to be too difficult to acknowledge, to live in, or for me to be grateful. It is past time for my faith to be conscious again and to present myself to God in Christ, each day, directly, and through all that I think, do, and say. Now and always it is time for me to remember to whom I am faithful so as to be one who immediately turns to Christ in thanksgiving for all things great and small.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Eternal God, shine again in the darkness that covers us in times of hardship and when we distance ourselves from You. Restore our conscious faith, that we may always give You thanks for healing us, in ways known and unknown, as we walk each day toward our salvation in Christ.

                                                Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
RESPONSE:                     We return to You with thanks and praise

~ Eternal God, open the eyes of the souls in all who hold political authority on and over the land and sea and in the air across your diverse Creation. Guide them to see you in every human face, every grain of sand, every field and star and ocean, and especially in themselves. Fill them with the desire to govern in all good faith, justly, and humbly. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                              Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
                                              We return to You with thanks and praise

~ Eternal God, heal and comfort the spirits of those laid low by illness or life circumstance, and grant resilience for all who give them care.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                               Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
                                              We return to You with thanks and praise

~ Eternal God, may echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the souls of those who’ve left this life, now soar in the peace and glory of everlasting life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                              Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
                                              We return to You with thanks and praise 

~ Eternal God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                              Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
                                              We return to You with thanks and praise

 ~ God of Eternity, we give thanksgiving for Your loyal servants anointed to re-awaken us to the wonders of all Your great deeds and marvelous works, and who guide us to our true place within You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                              Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                      
                                              We return to You with thanks and praise

The Celebrant adds: Lord of Life from before the Beginning to beyond Infinity, release us from wrangling over words that do no good but only ruin ourselves and those around us. Fill us with continuous awareness, praise, and delight for the Divine Good in all You have wrought, that propels us to faithful action, and prepares us for the perfection of life in Your eternity. We ask through Jesus, our Merciful Healer; and the Holy Spirit, Your Still Small Voice; who together with You are our One and Almighty, God of all Creation. Amen.

 



All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact:
Leeosophy@gmail.com

Monday, September 29, 2025

Prayers of the People: Testimony ~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

 For Sunday, October 5, 2025; Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 118:14-26, 1 Peter 1:10-12, 
John 4:27-30, 39-42

How beautiful upon the mountains for the feet of one who brings good news, proclaiming peace, proclaiming salvation
the Holy One of Old has comforted God’s people…all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. [Isaiah 52:7, 9b, 10b]

  The Mighty God is my strength and my might and has become my salvation…The Merciful God has punished me severely, but to death did not hand me over. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Fount of Justice. This is the gate of the Living God…This is the day that the Creator of All has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it…[Psalm 118:14, 18-20a, 24]

  It was revealed to the women and men who prophesied that they were serving not themselves but you all, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you the good news—gospel—by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven… [1 Peter 1:12]

    …The disciples of Jesus came while [he was speaking to the woman at the well…The woman left her water jar and went back to the city and she said… “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! Might he be the Messiah?” Many Samaritan women and men from that city believed…because of the woman’s testimony…and said, “no longer because of your report…we ourselves have heard and…this is truly the Savior of the world.” [John 4:27, 39, 42]

   We begin this last week of using Dr. Gafney’s* Lectionary with her opening words in her section of “Preaching Prompts”: In the multifaceted tradition of the Black Church when one has survived difficult and or dangerous times, events, and circumstances, including death and disease, it is common to say, “She’s got a testimony.”  The community of the prophet writing as Isaiah are the survivors of the Babylonian captivity. With God showing undiminished power in the restoration of these people and their return to Zion, their testimonies about God as Liberator remain as the bedrock of our faith, unchanged to this day.
   The Psalm, then, is the liturgy of return. It, too, is a testimony of one who has been delivered as an individual, beyond the usual idea of the Israelite return as a corporate action.
    The writer of 1 Peter’s testimony is reminding us that given the extraordinary length of time of the Israelite exile, liberation became merely a faint hope of an unfulfilled promise, but the promise was fulfilled and salvation was accomplished. And yet, in our times, we wonder, given all the oppression, real and being attempted, in our current life and world, can we hold our faith that our liberation and salvation will come?
   So enters the Samaritan Woman at the Well. Last week we looked at the beginning encounter between her and Jesus. An amazing moment for Jesus to be speaking with a Samaritan let alone a Samaritan woman who held her own as the conversation began. Then Jesus recounted episodes of her life to her astonishment. When we left off last week, she said that she knew that the Messiah is coming and “he will proclaim all things to us. Jesus said to her, ‘I am, the one who is speaking to you.’” [John 4:25-26] In this week’s reading she has left her water jar to go into town and tell the people what he has said to her. Remember, this is a woman who has had 5 husbands and is currently living with a man who is not her husband. We do not know the details, we can surmise that her reputation may be at least slightly less than sterling given her relationships past and current, and, there’s the thing that she’s a woman, after all, which also lessens her credibility significantly. Yet her faith in him was so strong she went straight to her community and said, “He told me everything I have ever done” and with such conviction that “many Samaritan women and men believed” her. They themselves went to meet Jesus and asked him to stay with them, and he did for two days and many more believed in him. Her testimony brought the others to Jesus, and no doubt they brought others after their time with him. SHE became a preacher of the Gospel, an evangelist bringing the good news to her Samaritan neighbors. No doubt some weren’t impressed but many were. It is the way of the faith journey. God comes to us in many and various ways. We are told that God liberates and saves and perhaps we expect great miracles to happen when sometimes that transformation of life and circumstance becomes a quiet moment of a change in our attitude toward faith. The car still has issues, the rent is due, the kids are sick… yet there is a long slow deep breath in, through a moment of a “help me” prayer, that feels like rescue enough to go another day.
   In the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday, we hear again the parable of the mustard seed. A tiny capsule of nature that grows into an enormous tree providing its fruit and shade and leaves and branches for humankind’s use with food and shelter for our Creator God’s other creatures.
   As was the Woman at the Well, we each are tiny capsules of nature. We are also preachers of the Gospel by the testimony of our words and actions. Even the faintest hope of an as yet unfulfilled promise is faith enough to grow on, to share, and to hold onto, to celebrate in times of light and joy, and to curl up with in darkness and grief until the light returns. Every life is a testimony to the power of our Creator. What shall we do with it?
 
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Living God, Fount of Justice, fill our hearts with the blessed comfort of your eternal Presence, and instill in us the courage to be a living testimony for you our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, as the foundation and cornerstone of our very existence.

                                    O Merciful God
RESPONSE:          Our strength and our salvation

~ Living God, Fount of Justice, we pray to you for the removal of evildoers and perverted judgment from the chambers of all who govern on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community. Bestow upon all victims of violence, poverty, bigotry, and war crimes, the fullness of your righteousness, justice, and relief. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

O Merciful God
Our strength and our salvation     

~ Living God, Fount of Justice, give ease to all who live with distress in body, mind, or spirit, and give physical and spiritual rest to all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions 

O Merciful God
Our strength and our salvation     

~ Living God, Fount of Justice, may the joy of our loved ones, now freed from earthly bondage, shine brightly in immortal life, through the light and glory of the Risen Jesus. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

O Merciful God
Our strength and our salvation      

Living God, Fount of Justice, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions 

O Merciful God
Our strength and our salvation            

~ Living God, Fount of Justice, we lift up in thanksgiving all who are ordained to bring us the good news of your Salvation and Grace. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, may they proclaim the Gospel that illuminates your purpose and prospers our souls. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    O Merciful God
  Our strength and our salvation  

The Celebrant adds: Generous One, remind our impatient hearts to seek moments to rejoice in every day that you create, in difficult as well as easier times. Inspire us to nurture the fragments of faith within our souls that gather our thoughts and words into positive and generous action for all we meet. We ask through our Savior Jesus, our Christ; and the Holy Spirit, the Prompting Voice within us; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.


*Readings for our Parish to this point in Year C have been from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her "Text Notes," and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. We give great thanks for this time with her work for Year C of the Lectionary cycle. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

Join us next week, October 12, 2025, as we begin our 7 Week Season of Creation. 

We return to the Revised Common Lectionary on the First Sunday of Advent
for Year A, beginning November 30, 2025

 

 

 

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