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.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Prayers of the People: Feeling Sheepishly Goat-Like, Final Sunday after Pentecost

for November 23, 2014, Final Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: [RCL] Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Ps 95:1-7a, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46   

       In this Sunday of Christ the King, the Final Sunday in the Season after Pentecost, or The Season of the Kingdom, in some places, we look at the Christ of Wisdom, of Eternity, of Majesty and yet we must also seek the Jesus that is the human-divine manifestation, the incarnation that brings the mystery of God closer to us.  
       We sometimes forget that Christ has always been but Jesus is just over 2,000 years old. Jesus became the human face of God, God's own divine self on earth. Earlier in Ephesians we are told: God has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of the divine will, according to the divine purpose which God set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. [Eph 1:9-10] It is a bit much to take it all in at times. And not a little inconvenient to follow as a sheep and remember to look for Christ in strangers, and the sick, the imprisoned, and the poor - not to mention even those who seem better off in life than we. We are, after all, admonished to: seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being [Baptismal Covenant, US Book of Common Prayer]. Most days it's much easier to be a goat and seek the more comfy Jesus of the Christmas glitter and bright colors of Easter eggs. But as we are at the end of one liturgical season and as we begin another, it's time to shake off the dust, the indifference, and the complacency, and walk again with the Christ who is Jesus with intention and consciousness, for we are the blessed inheritors of the Kingdom, and life as we know it is truly a gift from God. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Glorious Lord, Creator of All Wisdom, we come into Your presence today especially, to offer deep thanksgiving for seeking us when we are lost and strayed, and helping us to awaken from our daily indifferences to You. Let us give offerings of praise by all of our actions toward one another and by seeking and finding Christ in every face.

                                          Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
            RESPONSE:     We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand

~ Glorious Lord, Creator of All Wisdom, let us call upon the leaders of this world, our country, and our community to cease using religion and the politics of power and greed to divide and threaten. Let us not be imprisoned together as strangers, but rather live peacefully together as members of Your One Family.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
                                    We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand

~ Glorious Lord, Creator of All Wisdom, let us create harmony and healing together for all who suffer in spirit, soul, or body. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
                                    We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand
                                         
~ Glorious Lord, Creator of All Wisdom, anoint the grieving with Your oil of compassion as You joyously receive and bless those now entering Your gracious eternal kingdom.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
                                    We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand

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

                                    Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
                                    We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand

~ Glorious Lord, Creator of All Wisdom, we ask Your special blessings upon those whose lives we depend upon for guidance and inspiration as we make our way to You through the gifts and trials of earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth
                                    We are the people of Your pasture and the sheep of Your hand


The Celebrant adds: Son of Man, the Incarnation of Love, let us come before You, sheep and goats as we are, to receive and to give the blessing of Your hands, welcomed and welcoming as inheritors of the holy and sacred Kingdom. We offer our praise to You as Jesus our Christ, the Holy Spirit as the breath of the Trinity, and the Creator, who together before time, live and reign as one God, then, now, and into forever. Amen.





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