Prayers of the People: The Stuff That's Left, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Yr C

For Sunday, July 31, 2016, 11th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: Hosea: 11:1-11, Ps 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21

       I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.  [Hosea 11:4a]

       Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever...He put their feet on a straight path...For he satisfies the the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Whoever is wise will ponder these things and consider well the mercies of the LORD.  [Psalm 107: 1, 7, 9, 43]

      Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God...Christ is all and in all!  [Colossians 3:1-11]

       But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God. [ Luke 12:20-21]

       As the saying goes, "You can't take it with you" though heaven, and those left behind, know how hard we try. What we do take with us, is the baggage of sin, error, and, mostly, foolish neglect of God. As we build our un-noble barns to store up earthly materials, we are unaware of the ticking clock and unknowing what hour the chime will toll for us. Be sure to take a look around the world and in our own country and see what treasures others cling to and are desperate for - clean water, food, mosquito nets, basic shelter, health care. Google the after effects of hurricanes such as the infamous Katrina or the Asian tsunamis, tornadoes, catastrophic floods, and wild fires and see the loss of possessions measured against the loss of life.
      Check out a local estate sale and see a lifetime of collections, clothing, furniture, and just plain stuff that's left, offered for sale ~ at a bargain ~ to be collected by others and then ultimately left again for sale or other disposal. The U-Haul won't accompany the hearse. (If you've never heard, or it's been awhile, look up George Carlin's comedy piece on "Stuff" on YouTube - get the censored version if the language might offend, but it is a classic riff on shallow values.)
      How are you prepared this very night? And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?  It's less about downsizing than upsizing - start storing up spiritual treasures with God. Be filled with human kindness and bands of love; life is short and no amount of stuff will make it last longer. Whoever is wise will ponder these things...Set your minds on things that are above... 
      

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ LORD of Enduring Mercy, release us from the human desire for all things unnecessary to a full life in the Spirit. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts and lead us on the straight pathway to You.

                                                 God of Eternal Life

RESPONSE:               Set our minds on Christ

~ LORD of Enduring Mercy, awaken the souls of all who govern by merit or by force in the nations of this world and in our local communities. Grant them the wisdom to ponder well that no amount of wealth or power determines the length of one’s earthly span. Their good and sincere service to benefit all Your children in this life will also benefit themselves in the next. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Eternal Life

                                                Set our minds on Christ                                                                                           

~ LORD of Enduring Mercy, free all whose spirits languish in the face of physical or emotional pain, hunger, or fear, and refresh the energy of those who try to help. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                God of Eternal Life

                                                Set our minds on Christ

           

~ LORD of Enduring Mercy, liberate the hearts that grieve with the joy that all whom we have loved now rise to live again, in the newness and glory of Christ our Lord. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Eternal Life

                                                Set our minds on Christ                                                                                           

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

                                                God of Eternal Life

                                                Set our minds on Christ

           

~ LORD of Enduring Mercy, for all You have called to lead us in Your church with cords of human kindness and bands of love, we give You thanks. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Eternal Life

                                                Set our minds on Christ

The Celebrant adds:  Compassionate Lord, as the longest life on this Earth is but a moment in Your time, keep us from foolishness that we may present ourselves to You, in our designated time, ready and worthy to ascend to heaven’s highest height. We ask through Jesus, our constant Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our eternal Advocate, who together with You are One God, now, always, 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.

Prayers of the People: A.S.K., repeat, A.S.K., repeat... 10th Sunday after Pentecost Yr C

For Sunday, July 24, 2016, 10th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: Hosea 1:2-10, Psalm 85, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13

       ...and in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God."
[Hosea 1:10b]

        Mercy and truth have met together...righteousness shall go before him, and peace shall be a pathway for his feet. [Ps 85:10a, 13]

        See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition...and not according to Christ. [ Colossians 2:8]

        I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened....how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" [Luke 11:9-10, 13b]

     I don't like to ask for things, for favors, or even help, sometimes to my own detriment. I am getting better mostly because there have been moments where I had no choice, but it goes against the in-bred grain of self-sufficiency. I am fortunate to have family and friends nearby who remind me often that they are as available to me as I am to them, in all times, good and bad, and especially in times of need. Yet, more often than not, I cave to my self-imposed notion of "bothering" them. 

    The parable Jesus tells us in this week's reading makes many of us in western culture a bit squirmy and, perhaps silently, critical of the friend who would knock at midnight and be told to go away only to continue until the door is opened and the request fulfilled. RUDE! is what we would say (or worse). But the code of hospitality and community is so strong in other cultures that despite the inconvenience, one asks and the other aids. Jesus explains and reinforces the expectation of God that we are to continually Ask of, Search for, and Knock on God's eternal door to be given, to find, and to have opened. The idea is simple, who of us would even think of feeding a snake or a scorpion to children who ask for fish and eggs, therefore, how much greater will we receive from the Holy Spirit if we but merely ask. It sounds a lot harder than it is, but less difficult if we do it together. Persistence is the key and Ralph Waldo Emerson tells us, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed but that our power to do is increased." A.S.K, repeat...

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O LORD of Righteousness and Peace, restore our hearts to the certainty of Your mercy and truth, and protect us from captivity in false teaching and empty deceit.  

                                                  Holy and Living God

RESPONSE:           Deliver us from evil; renew us in hope

~ O LORD of Righteousness and Peace, transform and enlighten the leaders of this Earth, our nation, and our community. Allay our fears and grief for the tragedies in this world, and keep us rooted in the Gospel of Jesus. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy and Living God

Deliver us from evil; renew us through hope

                                               

~ O LORD of Righteousness and Peace, soften the pain and anguish of all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and grant patience to all who give care and support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Holy and Living God

Deliver us from evil; renew us through hope

           

~ O LORD of Righteousness and Peace, calm the sorrow and tears of those who mourn as You grant to all of our faithful departed the glory of everlasting life in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy and Living God

Deliver us from evil; renew us through hope

                       

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

Holy and Living God

Deliver us from evil; renew us through hope

           

~ O LORD of Righteousness and Peace, may those ordained and anointed to pastor us in wellness and in ill health, in joy and in sorrow, in preaching and in teaching, be further enriched in wisdom and in grace to Your glory and the salvation of us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy and Living God

Deliver us from evil; renew us through hope

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Gracious God, endow us with the persistence to ask often for Your Presence in our lives, search for help to forgive others as we are forgiven, and knock constantly on the door to Eternal Life. Turn us from the human pathways of trespass and trial into the fullness of Christ our Savior. We ask through Jesus, the Bread of Life, and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, who together with You are 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.

Prayers of the People: Busy is as Busy Doesn't, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Yr C

For Sunday, July 17, 2016, 9th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: Amos 8:1-12, Ps 52, Col 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42

       This is what the Lord GOD showed me ~ a basket of summer fruit...Then the LORD said to me, "The end has come upon my people, Israel..." [Amos 8:1, 2b]

        But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will give you thanks for what you have done and declare the goodness of your name in the presence of the godly.  [Psalm 52: 8-9]

        And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death...provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith... [Colossians 1:21-22, 23a]

        But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her. [Luke 10:41-42]

        We're all so very busy despite all sorts and conditions of modern technology  in our western culture that is supposed to encourage and allow more leisure time. Yet even our vacations are busy before, during, and after, to the point of exhaustion; and, in everyday life there is always so much more to be done. At home, at work, at Church - organize, plan, prepare, meet, discuss, re-organize, re-plan. Think: Christmas and Easter - oh the lists, the shopping, the food, the interminable interruptions of the other parts of life such as weddings, births, sickness, and those always inconvenient deaths. And if you have children or teens at home, there are a thousand other things to do. Naturally we know that once everything settles down, we can get on with the business of the God and faith stuff. Well, except that as a volunteer, ministry participant, committee chair, or by just showing up on Sunday, God's business does get done, but where is the living in faith in all of that?        

        Yes, we try to do good work in God's name which is all well and fine as long as we remember to do what we do, and occasionally mention, that it is all in God's name. So, as soon as time permits, I'll remember to trust in the mercy of God and give thanks, and declare the goodness of God's name, and be securely established and steadfast in the faith in the midst of all that the Marthas in my life and I think I should be doing. 

        I saw a sign today that said, "Someday is not on the calendar." Busy may accomplish earth-bound tasks in the life where someday never arrives. But being merely busy doesn't draw us closer to Christ. Let us choose the better part of the God-given life we have, a Mary-er life in faith.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Fullness and Refuge, help us to be as constant and vigorous as a green olive tree, securely established in living the truth of the Gospel, and not be turned and wilted as quickly as a basket of summer fruit, in the heat of difficult times.

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

RESPONSE:         Keep us steadfast in our faith

~  God of Fullness and Refuge, strengthen our resolve to reveal Your Word to all dominions, rulers, and powers, in every corner of this world, great and small, that the hearts and minds of all earthly leaders are reconciled to You for the sake of all Your peoples. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

                                                Keep us steadfast in our faith

                                               

~  God of Fullness and Refuge, restore the health and hope of those burdened with chronic pain in body, mind, or spirit, and refresh all who bring them comfort and care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

                                                Keep us steadfast in our faith

           

~  God of Fullness and Refuge, we give You thanks and praise for the joy of eternal life in glory now bestowed on those we have loved in this life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

                                                Keep us steadfast in our faith

                       

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

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

                                                Keep us steadfast in our faith

           

~ God of Fullness and Refuge, look with favor upon those who serve You in Your Church and shepherd our souls to follow in the footsteps of Christ together. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord, in Your Mercy

                                                Keep us steadfast in our faith

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Lord God, of Promise and Presence, free us from the traps of worry, busyness, and distraction we set for ourselves, estranging us from You. Infuse us with the wisdom to choose the better and everlasting part of the life you have given us to live. We ask through Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation, and the Holy Spirit, our Wonderful Counselor, who together with You are 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.

Prayers of the People: Plumbing the Depths, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Yr C

For Sunday, July 10, 2016, 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: Amos 7:7-17, Ps 82, Colossians 1:1-14, Luke 10:25-37

Thy Republican Neighbor, Thy Democrat Neighbor,
Thy Libertarian Neighbor, Thy Liberal Neighbor,
Thy Conservative Neighbor, Thy Hindu Neighbor, 
Thy Buddhist Neighbor, Thy Annoying Neighbor,
Thy Cranky Neighbor, Thy Gossipy Neighbor,
Thy Neighbor's Terrible Children, Thy Old Neighbor,
Love All Thy Neighbors as Thyself

         This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel..." [Amos 7:7-17]

         Rescue the weak and the poor;
deliver them from the power of the wicked. 
[ Ps 82:4]

         May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from [God's] glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience... [Colossians 1:11] 

         "Teacher", he said, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" [Jesus] said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" [The lawyer] answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all our soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." [Jesus] said, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live. [Luke 10:25-28]

        Amos saw God with a plumb line, a cord with a heavy weight at the bottom used to determine if a vertical wall is perpendicular ~ straight and "true" in its construction. It can also determine depth. In this reading, God, not finding a good measure of plumb, decided to do some reconstruction, or perhaps more accurately, some demolition. And the lawyer in this passage from Luke speaks words that are so familiar we could recite them yet don't we still find them difficult to live? This was a shocking parable in its time and if we use a substitute for Samaritan such as Satanist, and something like "contagious" for the man beset by robbers on the road, perhaps we can understand the apprehension of those who passed by without helping [and also the "Law" that forbade touching the "unclean"] and the amazement that he would be helped by so unlikely a person. In the words of a popular tv show, What would you do? Now is a good time to plumb the depths of our own faith, to do some reconstruction (and demolition if necessary), to hear, understand, and accept that to love our neighbors IS to love ourselves and God; and, that everyone whether liked, unliked, feared, mistrusted, dangerous, annoying, etc., IS our neighbor. Paul prayed, as we must, for our strength, endurance, and patience from God. The Samaritan showed mercy ~ above and beyond ~ let us go and do likewise.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Almighty and Abiding God, in such difficult times as these when our fear and mistrust of those unlike ourselves is rising, fill us with knowledge and understanding of Your will, that our love for our neighbors and ourselves will be a true measure of our love for and faith in Christ.

                                                Holy Creator

RESPONSE:         Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength

~  Almighty and Abiding God, help us to support the upright and honorable people who serve in governments in every nation, state, and locale, who uphold the principles of integrity, compassion, and mercy, on this, Your Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy Creator

Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength                                     

~  Almighty and Abiding God, rescue the poor, the weak, and the sick with Your healing mercy, and give comfort and endurance to all who assist them. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Holy Creator

Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength      

~  Almighty and Abiding God, deliver all who are lost in the darkness of grief into the joy of knowing, that those who have died, now live on in the eternal light of Christ’s heavenly peace. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

Holy Creator

Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength      

                       

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

Holy Creator

Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength      

                       

~ Almighty and Abiding God, as we look to our faithful ministers of Your Word and Sacraments as our guides of truth in action, endow them with steadfastness and endurance to urge us along the right pathways and share in the inheritance of the saints. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy Creator

Grant us wisdom, patience, and strength      

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O God, Source of all Being, help us to plumb the depths of our faith to reset our grounding in You, and seek to share the love and mercy for others that we each have in You. We ask through Jesus, the Incarnation of Love, and the Holy Spirit, the Fount of Wisdom, who together with You, are One God, forever and always.  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.