Prayers of the People: A Choice of Keys ~ 13th Sunday after Pentecost '26 RCL Yr A

For Sunday, August 23, 2026, Readings: Isaiah 51:1-6, Psalm 138, Romans 12:1-8, 

Matthew 16:13-20

…but my salvation will be for ever, and my deliverance will never be ended. [Isaiah 51:6b]

 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart…your love endures for ever… [Psalm 138: 1a, 9b]

  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God ~ what is good, acceptable, and perfect.

[Romans 12:2]

And Jesus answered [Peter]..."I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." [Matthew 16:17a, 19]

    This reading from the Second part of Isaiah, is a reminder to those in exile and held captive in Babylonia, of God’s Covenant with Israel, of their heritage, their origin in the call of Abraham and Sarah that flourished as a nation through their offspring. They are also reminded of the coming comfort in wasted areas, a renewing act of God that would make their past sufferings in defeat and exile seem insignificant. Isaiah says to "Listen to me" so they would hear of the justice and enlightenment coming from God to all in darkness. While God also promised that deliverance would come swiftly and until that time God’s Law was to be the pattern for their life. 

    This Psalm came after the writing of Deutero/Second Isaiah at a time when the community had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and the new temple had been dedicated. It is an outpouring of worshipful praise and gratitude with a whole heart, filled with the faith and trust in God with whom we can all walk through the deepest troubles and know that God is with us constantly.

    Then Paul reminds us that we are one body in Christ with God-given, grace-filled gifts that we are to learn to identify ~ and accept ~ within ourselves and to offer in service to God and to each other. He tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God….” He both admonishes and encourages us to look beyond ourselves to work together for God's purpose; to be the welcoming all-inclusive community of the many members, with the many gifts, by the many mercies of God in Christ. 

    When Jesus asks who others think he is, perhaps the disciples were wondering themselves if Jesus was some sort of re-incarnation of the prophets. It is Simon Peter who gets the prize for getting the answer correct. Peter ~ a name meaning the stone or rock in Greek ~ is then awarded the keys of the kingdom of heaven to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Did Peter, in that moment, understand and feel the enormous weight of the responsibility? 

    Binding and loosing is a rabbinical concept that, as Jews, the disciples understood. In very simplistic terms it means a communal judgment to bind one or a group as in an obligation or to loosen that requirement to a matter of one’s individual judgment. 

    Many of us feel either a strong binding obligation, or at least a personal commitment, to present ourselves for worship each Sunday ~ in person in the Church or by watching online ~ but of course we are free to not attend or view. So what does a true obligation to the work of Christ actually mean? That's where discernment applies. Discovering what are, and how to use, our particular gifts, as well as offering them in the sincere attempt to follow God's will, is the work of a lifetime, as Paul says, our spiritual worship, our living sacrifice. Our human gifts are the keys to unlocking our spiritual gifts for our life that is now, the living and breathing and acting and working through each and every day of the life we have been given to live here on Earth. All that was, is now, and, all that is now will come again. It is up to us, individually and collectively, to recognize the connections we share with the past and the future that help us to decipher the signs to then be more aware if we are on the right path or are diverging from it.          We all, each and every one of us, wonder and question and, perhaps worry at times about what we believe and how we are called and what really are we to do to live in faith. This helpful, hopeful, and humanly honest prayer by mystic/monk Thomas Merton that begins with "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going...,”^*has a regular place in my and others’ prayer life. If a cloistered monk has had these moments, we’re all in very good company.

    Among the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, sincerity of purpose is one key to the binding of trust and the loosening of apprehension. Connecting the lessons we’ve learned from the past and those in the present is another key. And, the most important key of faith is in the form of a question and it comes directly to us from Jesus himself. It is the key to what we each bind or loose in this life in our own time and the one we must reflect upon, pray about, and ponder regularly, even as we assume and presume to simply “know.” It is, how will we each answer when we come face-to-face with Jesus and he asks: Who do you think that I am?  We all have a variety of the keys of life and living available. It’s our choice of keys that will answer the ultimate question and lead us to our ultimate destination.

* Thomas Merton's Prayer: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY  

Leader:  ~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, our whole hearts now give You praise for our spiritual heritage in the roots of Abraham and Sarah, for Your strength given us when we called, for Your care for the lowly, and for all Your Holy Ways. Grant us each the continuing awareness of and deep gratitude for Your ever-enduring love, and for the works of Your hands.

O Lord, our God                                                  

RESPONSE:                 Transform and Renew us 

~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, empower us to be vigorous in the pursuit of re-forming the attitudes, agendas, and actions from callous to compassionate on the part of the political leaders in the small and large areas of this World, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us 

~  O God of Love and Faithfulness, infuse hope, healing, and comfort in all who are lost in the grip of serious or life-threatening illness, in body, mind, or spirit, and to all who give of their strength in support.  We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

       Transform and Renew us       

~  O God of Love and Faithfulness, open wide the gates of heaven as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

       Transform and Renew us  

~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, we pause in this moment to offer You our other personal thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions   

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us                     

~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, we offer our special thanksgivings for those who guide us by their teaching, preaching, and prayers, to discern our own gifts and discover our path to all that is good and acceptable to You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us  

The Celebrant adds: Lord of All That Is, awaken us each morning with eagerness to offer ourselves in service to Your Holy Will, to escape the snares of conforming to what is of this world, to transform our thoughts and actions through continuous renewal, and to bind ourselves only to Your Kingdom in each and every day. We ask through Jesus, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Advocate; who together with You are one God, loving, eternal, and everlasting.   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

Prayers of the People: To Gather and Connect ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost '26 Yr A

For Sunday, August 16, 2063, Readings: Isaiah 56:1-8, Psalm 67, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32,

Matthew 15:21-28

   And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord…will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel: I will gather others to them besides those already gathered. [Isaiah 56:6-8]

  May God be merciful to us and bless us…Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations…Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth. [from Psalm 67]

  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew…For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. [Romans 11:2a, 29-32]

  Just then a Canaanite woman from that region…shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord”… He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs”… She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” [from Matthew 15:21-28]

   The Readings for this week are wonderfully and marvelously connected. With the reading from Isaiah, some backstory may be useful. This piece is from the Trito- or Third (section) of the Book of Isaiah, likely written when the people of Israel are returning from the exile of generations in Babylon. Depending on source material, the exile or captivity lasted somewhere between 48 to 70 years. Presumably most of the adults who were originally exiled are dead and so come the descendants who have likely been assimilated to some degree by custom and culture. They would be wondering if they are welcome in the homeland of their ancestors and of their religion. They may have been told that they must dissolve their foreign marriages and move away from their Babylonian wives (and children?). Some choose not to make the move. However, for the many, the prophet Ezekiel and other Jewish elders kept the religious traditions in place in newly established synagogues and community.

   Moving to a whole new place far away from where you have been for many years or even your entire life is never easy. Think of the treatment of immigrants to the US and to other countries as well. Those moving into and those already there may be wary and worried, feel threatened or threatening. Yet God says the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord…will be accepted on my altar…says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them… and then we move to Psalm 67 which reminds us God’s ways are the saving health among all nations and that God judges all people with equity.

   Paul continues this almost-theme of people wondering if they are being rejected or, if they should reject those “others” ~ arriving with strange habits, language, food, or cultural practices that go against the local norms. It is strange phrasing when Paul says that God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. But the clear message comes before that: For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Who of us haven’t been disobedient? Whether we are imprisoned in order for God to be merciful requires greater thought and many extra words. Perhaps he means we who imprison ourselves with our own thoughts and behaviors, but for me, I’ll stick with the God Who is Merciful to ALL.

    And then the classic encounter with THE OTHER! Ok, so did Jesus set himself up for this one? By Jesus and his disciples traveling out of Galilee, of course they would come in contact with foreigners. But a Canaanite and a woman, tsk tsk tsk, not good! All the prejudices and religious practices of the Jewish community would clearly see her as not only an unclean outsider but an enemy. When she calls out to Jesus, even with her best recognition of his status, begging for him to cure her daughter, Jesus and the disciples are more than dismissive, they’re rude. Jesus actually insults her by comparing his potential interaction with her as throwing the food of children to a dog. Then she kneels before him, and while risking everything with her feisty remark she tells him, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables. He then commends the greatness of her faith and heals her daughter. 

    Was it another test for the disciples, was it planned in advance, was it a simple human response to an "other" on his part? We don’t know, we can’t know. But what we can know is that all these crumbs gathered together in these readings are an enormous opportunity for us all to look at all those around us to see the them and the us and who is them to us and who is us to us and most importantly why. And then, we are to remember that God gathers us, the outcasts, and the foreigners, and judges all people with equity and mercy. If God doesn’t reject outcasts, and Jesus heals them, who am I to reject an other that doesn’t seem to fit in my “normal” environment. And remember further, that we each are an other to someone, somewhere, even if only a block away.  Let us gather and connect all those crumbs and make a whole community of all peoples. After all, God created us ALL, each and every.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ O God of Equity and Mercy, open the eyes of our souls to see the light of Your Countenance, illuminating our path on this Planet Earth, Your House of Prayer. Gather us together as citizen, foreigner, and outcast, to know and respect each other and ourselves as Your Creation, One People with our One God.

O Lord of All Peoples and Nations                                                

       RESPONSE:              O God, our Saving Health

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, empower our hearts to be vigorous in the pursuit of justice, mercy, and all that is upright in Your eyes. Guide us to urge ourselves, and particularly the political leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community, to transform all our personal attitudes and actions from callous to compassionate. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples and Nations

 O God, our Saving Health

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, infuse hope, healing, and comfort in all who are lost in the grip of serious or life-threatening illness or addiction, and all who give of their strength in support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples and Nations

 O God, our Saving Health 

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, open wide the gates of heaven as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples and Nations

 O God, our Saving Health

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples and Nations

 O God, our Saving Health                

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, we offer our special thanksgivings for those who guide us by their teaching, preaching, and prayers, to discern our own irrevocable gifts and calling, to rediscover our path toward all that is good and acceptable to You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples and Nations

 O God, our Saving Health 

The Celebrant adds: O Creator and God of All, awaken us each morning with the eagerness to offer ourselves in service to Your Supreme Will. Grant us the grace to respect each one we meet as Your Own, letting go of our prejudice, our …isms, and fear of the other in our midst, to recognize we each are an other to someone. We ask through Jesus, Son of David, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Advocate; who together with You are one God, eternal and everlasting.  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

Prayers of the People: Before You Sink, Look Up ~ 11th Sunday after Pentecost RCL Yr A

For Sunday, August 9, 2026, Readings: 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15, 

Matthew 14:22-33

   At Horeb, the mount of God, Elijah came to a cave…and spent the night there…[God] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain…for the Lord is about to pass by…” the Lord was not in the wind…in the earthquake…in the fire…and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it…and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave…Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus…” [1 Kings 19:9-18]

   I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to him. [Psalm 85:8]

   For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. [Romans 10:12]

   But when the disciples saw [Jesus] walking on the sea, they were terrified...But...Jesus...said, "...it is I, do not be afraid." Peter [said]..."command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." [Peter] became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught [Peter], saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  [Matthew 14:26a, 28-, 30b, 31-32]

   The full story of Elijah has some very interesting twists and turns. In this small snippet, we find Elijah running for his life from the threats of the infamous Jezebel, wife of King Ahab which comes a bit earlier in this chapter 19. Then Elijah was directed by an angel to journey 40 days and nights. At the beginning of our reading for this Sunday, Elijah has arrived at a cave at Mt. Horeb, the mount of God, where God was first revealed to Moses. [Wait a minute: wasn’t it Mt. Sinai where God spoke to Moses? Well it depends on what you read and who you ask. [See below for a link to give a bit more, but not necessarily clarifying, information.*] Continuing in this account, the cave of Elijah is also reputed to be the place where Moses had such an intense experience of God (a theophany**) that his face shone so brightly he had to wear a veil when leaving God’s presence. Elijah is then told to stand out on the mountain as the Lord is about the pass by. Elijah tells the Lord of his fear for his own life, and the Lord tells him to go back to the wilderness of Damascus to the work the Lord has given him to do to anoint new kings and appoint Elisha as his successor.

   The constancy of God is a continuing theme throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, no matter the whims and wastes of those the Lord God loves. The Psalmist reminds us, among other things in this short piece, to listen to what the Lord God is saying and truth shall spring up from the earth.

   Paul tells us that God in Jesus is Lord of all, of everyone, whether Jew or Greek or whatever else you may be ~ this was a shocking idea in those times, a notion that God doesn't dismiss or exclude those people who aren't one of us was quite radical ~ no wonder Paul ended up in prison! Imagine if we felt that way today ~ oh, wait, have you read today’s news? This concept is seemingly shocking to many who identify themselves as Christian and yet encourage the violence and irrational hatred which divides families, friends, neighborhoods, and nations. Yet Paul is adamant that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [Romans 10:13]. Furthermore, we are the ones who are to proclaim the truth of Christ to all.  

   Just as God is Lord of ALL, regardless of human categorizations of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, status in life, etc., Jesus calls us, make that requires us, all of us, to get our feet wet in the realities of life's unpredictable times, tides, and weather; political and otherwise. There's nothing easy about it ~ just ask Peter as he’s sinking. Praying more regularly to strengthen our faith will help us to speak our faith out loud in words and actions that bring Christ to others. Jesus bids us Come. We need not be in a crisis in life and/or in faith to look and move toward Jesus. Whatever you’re doing in any minute of any/every day, stop, look up, and know that Christ is with you. Before you sink, build the habit of acknowledging the presence of Christ in ordinary moments. A quick “hello, Jesus” many times a day is as much a prayer as anything written in prayer books and for Sunday worship services. And in those sinking moments of fear and doubt, it will be much easier and quicker to look inward and up for the hand and heart that is reaching for us. Together we will know and share the calmer seas of Christ’s Good News. 

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount Horeb At the bottom of the information on this link, there is a reference to the sixth century St. Catherine’s Monastery, the oldest inhabited monastery in the world and it is situated at the foot of Horeb/Sinai. I have stayed there and climbed up to the summit from the front side facing the monastery, and down the back side from which a cave can be seen that is, by tradition, reputed to be Elijah’s Cave where Moses had his theophany. The monks and locals in the area refer to the mountain in Arabic as Jabal Musa, the mountain of Moses. There are other Wikipedia articles with a few other places some name as Mt. Sinai. The truth is no one anywhere knows for certain or when or even it Moses was there with the Israelites, or if the narratives are the true history of the events. Some speculate that, if the narrative of the Exodus occurred, they may have arrived at Mt. Sinai possibly between the 15^th and 13^th centuries BC/BCE.

**theophany: an appearance of God/a god, to a human; while an epiphany is: in the Christian religious context, the celebration of the Magi’s visit in which they recognize the divine nature of the Infant Jesus as the Messiah Christ.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Generous and Merciful God, you guide us through the calm and chaos of our earthly life when we turn our hearts to you. Amplify our faith, relieve our fears and doubts, and quicken our determination to answer Christ’s simple call, “Come.”

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

RESPONSE:           Our Strength and Salvation

~ Generous and Merciful God, renew us in spirit daily to carry the message of Christ on our lips and in our hearts to the leaders of this Community, this Country, and this World for the peace, health, and well-being of all people everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All
                                                Our Strength and Salvation                                                

~ Generous and Merciful God, soothe the hearts and minds of all who struggle with serious illness, chronic pain, or depression, and revive the stamina of those who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation                                                          

~ Generous and Merciful God, we give You thanks and praise for the new life of our loved ones in the glorious eternity of heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation 

~ Generous and Merciful God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation         

~ Generous and Merciful God, grant spiritual vitality and an even keel to all who lead us in your Church through your word and wisdom, through the calm and perilous waters of this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions                                         

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation  

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Ever-Living God, You created us all in Your image and bid us always to turn to You in each hour of life. Empower us to step into the depths of our faith, answering your call with courage and conviction, in tempest and tranquility, for this life and the next. We ask this through Christ Jesus, our Rock and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Breath of our Faith, who together with You, are One God, 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

Prayers of the People: He Simply Fed Them, 10th Sunday after Pentecost RCL Yr A

For Sunday, August 2, 2026; Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5, Psalm 145:8-9, 15-22; 

Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-31

  Thus says the Lord: "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!... Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. [Isaiah 55:1, 3]

  The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is loving to everyone and his compassion is over all his works. The Lord upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,  and you give them their food in due season. [Psalm 145:8-16]

  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. [Romans 9:3-5]

  Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. [Matthew 14:19b-20]

   This week we begin with 5 hope-filled verses from the Prophet Isaiah. It is from the exile/exilic period of Israel’s history ~ that is after approximately 7,000 Judeans were effectively kidnapped by the Babylonians in the year 597 BCE* and many more after the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the city of Jerusalem itself 10 years later. Finally, they were allowed to return to their ancestral home in about 539 BCE, nearly 60 years after the initial captivity. Not surprising, not all returned, especially some of those who were born during the time of captivity. As with many of Biblical books, Isaiah is particularly complex. The very short version is that this passage is in the final part of what is known as Deutero- or Second Isaiah also known as The Book of Consolation. Since the 18^th century until now, scholars have identified 3 separate sections, Proto-Isaiah by the Prophet himself, while Second Isaiah was written by unknown authors at least a century later. Trito-Isaiah, or Third Isaiah, was written after the return from exile and parts of which were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is far more to discover about the entire Book of Isaiah, but for these very few verses, the essence is Proto-Isaiah’s prediction of the promises made to David, that his reign would extend forever through his descendants, ended with the Babylonian captivity. This is now a restored Judean nation which will have no human king. And, that all humanity who now recognize and follow the one true God, will be part of the new and everlasting covenant.

    Paul is quite obviously upset in this passage from his Letter to the Romans. We should remember that Paul and his kinsfolk “according to the flesh,” are Jews. That is his ethnic-identity and even as a follower of Christ he remained essentially Jewish, as did Jesus himself. Further, he reminds us, and his Jewish brethren in his time, that the Jewish expectation of the Messiah arising from the seed of David and the root of Jesse is achieved in Jesus, who is, according to the flesh, a descendant of David and Jesse, and through God is over all and God blessed forever.

   As always, there is so much more hiding amidst the words of a few biblical verses. This is such a familiar story of the feeding of far more than 5000 men, given that women and children were also present that we may miss that this is a deep lesson in compassion. These were dangerous times for those speaking out against the ruling class, not unusual for any era in human history including our own. Jesus had been constantly travelling for healing, preaching, and teaching, and was being closely watched by those in authority who knew of his relationship with his cousin John. With all the parables he used that we heard last week in Matthew 13, he was subsequently strongly criticized and rejected by his hometown synagogue. He had also recently heard of his  John’s arrest and then about John’s execution. And so in grief and likely exhaustion, he headed off to be by himself for some quiet time. However those thousands who knew of and were followers of him were a step ahead and waiting for his arrival. They knew of his healings, his hopeful and sobering messages, they wanted to be seen and known by him in their sickness, in their poverty, in their fear, and especially in their hunger for his word as well as for food. Despite his own needs, in giving them hope for divine consolation and restoration, as in the Isaiah passage for this week, he simply fed them.

*BCE, Before the Common Era, and CE, Common Era, are the common usage to denote ancient times and current times that cover all civilizations regardless of religious traditions, rather than BC, Before Christ, or AD, after Christ which refer to only one religious tradition across the world.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, you are the Constant who guides us through the calm and chaos of our earthly life. Incline the ears of our hearts to listen carefully to you, and quicken our desire to be slower to anger and of great kindness to all whom you have created.

                                  Jesus, Lord of All

RESPONSE:        Our Strength and our Salvation 

~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, renew us in spirit daily as we carry the message of Christ on our lips, in our hearts, and in our actions, especially to the leaders of this Community, this Country, and this World for the peace, health, and well-being of all people everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                   Jesus, Lord of All

                                   Our Strength and our Salvation                                                

~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, soothe the hearts and minds of all who struggle with serious illness, chronic pain, or depression, and revive the stamina of those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                   Jesus, Lord of All

                                   Our Strength and our Salvation                                                    

~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, we give You thanks and praise for the new and unending life of our loved ones in the glorious eternity of heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                   Jesus, Lord of All

                                   Our Strength and our Salvation

~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, we pause in this moment to offer You our other personal thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                   Jesus, Lord of All

                                   Our Strength and our Salvation         

~ Gracious God, Full of Compassion, grant spiritual and physical vitality and continuous renewal in faith, to all who lead us in Your church, by your Word and through your Wisdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                   Jesus, Lord of All

                                   Our Strength and our Salvation

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Ever-Living God, in your image, you created each and all of us across this planet in our many shapes, sizes, and colors, and gave us Jesus as our Lord over all. Empower us to step out and answer Your call with courage and conviction, in tempest and tranquility, for this life and the next. We ask this through Christ Jesus, our Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; who together with You, are One God 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

Prayers of the People: Even Bad Fish... ~ 9th Sunday after Pentecost '26 RCL Yr A

For Sunday, July 30, 2023, Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-39,  

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

  And Solomon said…”O Lord my God…Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people able to discern between good and evil… [1 Kings 3:7a, 9a]

  Turn to me in mercy, as you always do to those who love your Name. Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes. 

[Psalm 119:132, 135]

If God is for us, who is against us?...Who will separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:31b, 38]

   Jesus [said]: " The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...like yeast...like treasure hidden in a field...[and] like [a pearl] of great value...[and] like a net that...caught every fish...when it was full, they...put the good into the baskets but threw out the bad. [Matthew 13:31, 33, 44, 45, 48-49]

    In Solomon’s time as in our own, there were corporate/communal religious rituals and worshipful actions along with the precise words for congregants to say in unison as prayer. Then, as now, there were also individual unscripted conversations and spontaneous utterances with and to God, that are also prayers, as more intimate expressions of emotion and thoughts to share with God. Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 3:6-9 is an early example of such a prayer. God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks Solomon what he wants ~ clearly a test that Solomon passes very well as he is for us the icon of his reward: wisdom. The Psalms, of course, are also expressions of prayer and cover every human emotion possible from joy, rage, peace, adoration, and more. Today’s Psalm is a promise to remain faithful with God’s constant help.

   In the Gospel, Jesus lets loose quite a barrage of parables to further explain the kingdom of God in everyday illustrations for that time and for some in our own. There is something for everyone to do whether we are planting tiny mustard seeds to grow into large trees for nesting birds and human food, mixing yeast with flour to expand the dough of life, finding buried treasure in the field of an everyday experience, or discovering a pearl so perfect that we choose to sell all we own to buy it (I admit that while I’ve certainly indulged in some excess in shopping at times, buying that pearl always makes me wonder about then what?).  There are also times when we must allow ourselves to be caught like fish in a net hoping we will be sorted into the baskets with the good fish rather than thrown out with the bad.

   One message here is that there is no perfection in humanity but in choosing as well as we are able, our smallest efforts can grow and yield a positive return. We are to remember that God is always present even if that discovery sometimes requires some digging on our part to understand how deeply we have pushed God into the background.

   Paul tells us that to be separated from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our faults, is nearly impossible. After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? Only ourselves! And the choice to be separated would have to be our own and intentional, yet even then God remains waiting for us to remember.

   Paul is also teaching us about prayer and ways to access God’s help when we often don’t know our own minds or hearts. He reassures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness if we have faith ~ however small, however it wavers, or is denied. It is our conscious internal intention that God knows. We may need to be reminded that prayer isn’t about telling God what to do, but rather to ask and seek to know what we are called to fulfill. A question to the air, a plea for help, a “thank you” for an outcome, silently or aloud, is a prayer. Even when some think they don’t “believe in God,” in the midst of a life crisis many will ask themselves how to go on, where to find help, and how to get through it. A family member, a friend, or through some other means, may appear to give some help or offer advice, or simply be present in a time of great need. Could that be the presence of God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

   The Spirit of God, if we open ourselves to faith, however pale and fragile, is the yeast that expands our understanding, our relationship, and the willingness to seek God’s purpose in all that we do. The love of Christ is what sustains us through the ups and downs and in-betweens of life; it is the pearl of great price to be Christ’s own within ourselves and together. The Spirit may quietly, even anonymously, nudge us, offering an idea, a direction, a sudden thought of a path forward or someone or others who can help.

    God is the ultimate master of the Household who gathers the yield of fish and field, the good and the bad, the mediocre and the exceptional. Some days in God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the constant that draws us in whether or not we believe, trust in, or disregard. In the life to which we are born, we are created with the free will to choose our own path to discover the treasures, the nesting places, the full or scanty harvests, and the good fish with the bad on any given day in every given life. This is a good moment to examine our choices, decisions, and their outcomes to find those small and great pearls among them. Even the bad fish that result from less than great outcomes, are great fertilizer. They promote and provide growth to the seedlings of life with a bountiful harvest of strength for our times of weakness and confidence in our pearls on our continuing  journey of discipleship.

 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 

Leader:  ~ God of Steadfast Love, the smallest seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday life, are a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to see the ordinary as miraculous in Your Creation, filling our souls beyond measure through faith.

 

                                                     O Spirit of God                     

RESPONSE:                            Be our strength in our weakness

 

~ God of Steadfast Love, endow all who govern in every area of our World with wise and understanding minds, able to discern and choose good over evil for the health and welfare of all people in Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Be our strength in our weakness

 

~ God of Steadfast Love, ease the burden of illness, injury, or despair for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

 

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Be our strength in our weakness

           

~ God of Steadfast Love, we hold closely in our hearts all who have traveled to the end of their human experience, who now shine in Your eternal radiance and peace.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 

                                                          O Spirit of God

                                                       Be our strength in our weakness

 

~ God of Steadfast Love, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

 

                                                          O Spirit of God

                                                       Be our strength in our weakness

                        

~ God of Steadfast Love, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite for all who are called to lead us in Your church, teaching us to pray, worship, and work together, all according to Your purpose. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 

                                                          O Spirit of God

                                                       Be our strength in our weakness

 

~The Celebrant adds: O God of Mercy, as You are always for us, nothing can separate us from the enduring love of Christ but ourselves. Catch us in Your ample net and draw us from the troubled waters of this life, into the eternal Good of Your Heavenly Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Hope and our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Counselor; who together with You are our One God, 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