Prayers of the People: Jesus, Resistor; First Sunday in Lent '17, Yr A

For Sunday, March 5, 2017, First Sunday in Lent, Year A, Readings: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Psalm 32, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11

       Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin."  [Psalm 32:6-7]

      For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ...the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness... [Romans 5:15b, 17b]

      The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" [Matthew 4:3-4]

      

          Here we are at the First Sunday in* Lent, a season of prayer, reflection, and repentance. The word repent in Biblical Hebrew is represented by two verbs: to return and to feel sorrow. And in the post-Resurrection New Testament of Christianity, it can be defined as: to think differently after; a change of mind and heart. Our Forty Days of Lent, mirrors Moses’ time on Mt. Sinai and Jesus' time in the Wilderness. Unlikely as it is that many of us will find ourselves in an actual wilderness for these forty days, it still is a time to take ourselves away symbolically for a few minutes or more each day. We can look for ways to simplify our wants in this temporal life, to dig down into our deepest selves to find the living Presence of God in Christ within us, to seek and experience a change in mind and heart, to feel sorrow for our sins, and to return to living as God intends. It is far less about giving up some thing/habit/piece of chocolate or beer, and more about taking on a spiritual practice to discover again, or for the first time, what true life is all about and how to live it in an authentically Christian way.  

        Today's Gospel reminds us of Jesus' confrontation with the Devil.  How many of us would be able to resist all that was offered? And later he resisted the threats and attempts at political inducements and stood firm in the face of execution. Am I that strong, do I have to be?!   
        Resistance builds on itself and looks ahead rather than in the heat of a moment. When we summon the strength through the grace of God to resist even mild temptation, we invite the spiritual growth that gives us ever increasing strength and grace to resist more, and so, to grow into the Life in Christ that beckons us. Lent is the perfect time to examine the temptations and distractions, the emptiness of some activity in our lives, and discover, through prayer and reflection, meditation, etc., within small groups or on one's own, how we can bolster our ability to resist evils small and big and bigger. Whether through a Lenten study guide online or in hand, the practice of Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer or another source, or the daily reading of Scripture, among many other ways, one small step after another begins the journey. The more we resist the glitter and lure of the temporary earthly delight, the less prone we will be to sliding into the cold chill of the shadows of sin, leaving behind the warmth and grace of God's embrace and the fortitude of Christ within us. Jesus, ultimate Resistor of temptation, give me strength.

* FYI: The Sundays in the Season of Lent do not “count” in the time span of 40 days which is why the heading is the Xst/th Sunday in Lent rather than of Lent. The Sundays of Epiphany or Advent do count in the time up to their Holy occasions, Christmas and Epiphany. The Sundays beyond the Epiphany and also Pentecost are noted as the ___ Sunday after.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O LORD, our God, persuade our souls to realize and accept the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness through Your Law and our Redemption by Christ. Let us praise You by our actions in faith.

                                              God of Mercy                                     

RESPONSE:             To You we confess and begin again

~ O LORD, our God, awaken the ability of those who hold leadership positions in our World, our Nation, and our Community, to forsake the temptations and vanity of the power of power, that they may govern with integrity, equity, and truth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Mercy

                                                To You we confess and begin again

                                               

~ O LORD, our God, sustain the faith and dispel the despair of all who are chronically ill in body, mind, or spirit, and of all who attend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                God of Mercy

                                                To You we confess and begin again

           

~ O LORD, our God, ground our grief in the hope of eternal life and joy, reunited with all who now live again in glory with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Mercy

                                                To You we confess and begin again

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

                                                God of Mercy

                                                To You we confess and begin again

           

~ O LORD, our God, fortify and energize all who are anointed to bring us Your Word and Sacraments. As they  guide us in faith, we walk together toward wholeness in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Mercy

                                                To You we confess and begin again

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Most Holy Creator, You sent Jesus into a world of temptation, trial, and travesty, not so different than our world of today. Accepting obedience to Your Law, he triumphed over all the enticements, seductions, and illusions we face each day. As we begin our own 40 days of reflection and repentance, purify our hearts and fill us with eagerness to turn our lives always toward You. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Great High Priest, and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, who reign with You, as our One God, forever and ever. Amen.

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Big Bright Cloudy Mountains, Last Sunday after Epiphany '17 Yr A

For Sunday, February 26, 2017, 8^th/Last Sunday after Epiphany, Year A, Readings: Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9

       The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain... and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction...The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days... [Exodus 24: 12, 16a]

       For [Jesus] received honor and glory from God...We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven...So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the morning star rises in your hearts...no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 
[2 Peter 1:17a, 18a, 19, 21]

       Six days later, Jesus...led them up a high mountain...and he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white...While [Peter] was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" ...they fell to the ground...overcome by fear. But Jesus...touched them saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." [Matthew 17:1a, 2, 5, 6b, 7]

       The first reading and the Gospel for this Sunday make significant references to the cloud, first covering and settling on Mt. Sinai when Moses went up to receive The Law, and next, the cloud that overshadows those assembled on the Mount of Transfiguration and from which God spoke. These particular kinds of clouds, in which God is present, are known in Judaism as the Shekinah - a feminine Hebrew word for a name of God. It also translates to "settling or dwelling of the Divine Presence."
       In the Second Letter of Peter, we have an eyewitness account of Christ in the moment of Transfiguration, which has been called a foreshadowing of the Second Coming. Peter seeks to lay to rest all false teaching saying We did not follow cleverly devised myths in verse 16, and later implores us to be attentive...until the morning star rises in your hearts. 
       On Mt. Tabor (the traditional site of the Transfiguration), God speaks from the cloud that envelopes Jesus saying again, as at his Baptism, This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased; and adds in the Gospel account for the benefit and the chosen disciples - and us - listen to him! 

       The 13^th century Italian theologian Thomas Aquinas considered this miraculous moment as the greatest of the miracles of Jesus as it corresponds to the 5 most significant events in his life, the other 4 being: Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.  It was at this moment, the Transfiguration of Christ, at the top of the mountain, that Human and Divine meet, when Jesus is the connector between heaven and earth, when the temporal and eternal spark a dazzling display of transcendent Majestic Glory, all in the sight of the chosen disciples who then bear witness to the prophecy confirmed. 
       Here, then, from upon those Big, Bright, Cloudy Mountains, is a simple yet complex formula for our human experience: Read and Listen. God wrote the Law on the stone tablets for our instruction and, given all the shining and dazzling glory, it is clear that we are urged to listen to Jesus until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. How perplexing for Moses, Peter, James, and John in their moments, and not always easy in our own. But Jesus tells us, do not be afraid. Let us go forward together in the Divine Presence of God in Christ.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Light and Glory, upon Your Sacred Mountains you gave Moses the Law for our instruction and transfigured Your Beloved Son, Jesus, as our model for life. Rise in our hearts as the morning star, and enfold us in Your Holy Cloud of All-Knowing.

                                                Most Holy Lord

RESPONSE:             Let our prayers ascend to You

~ O God of Light and Glory, uncloud the minds and transform the hearts of the leaders of this Planet, this Nation, and this Community, that they will enable legislation with justice tempered with mercy for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord

                                                Let our prayers ascend to You

                                               

~ O God of Light and Glory, embrace all who are seriously ill, weary, or anxious, and bless those give them strength of body and heart with their care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord

                                                Let our prayers ascend to You

           

~ O God of Light and Glory, our Beacon of Hope in the dark times of mourning, give us comfort in knowing that the souls of those who have gone before us are now bathed in the dazzling glory of the Transfigured Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions  

                                                Most Holy Lord

                                                Let our prayers ascend to You

~ O God of Light and Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

                                                Most Holy Lord

                                                Let our prayers ascend to You

           

~ O God of Light and Glory, rejuvenate and sustain those You have given to us as the leaders of Your Church, and help them remember that they may also follow and take refuge in Your wisdom and counsel.   We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord

                                                Let our prayers ascend to You

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord our God, You enjoin us to “listen” to the Transfigured Christ who himself told us “do not be afraid.”  Disperse the clouds of our own making that we may hear the Radiant Christ in our hearts, and strive to follow Your Law with courage and conviction in community with one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Your Beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Persist with Love, 7th Sunday after Epiphany Yr A '17

For Sunday, February 19, 2017, 7th Sunday after Epiphany, Year A, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18, Psalm 119:33-40, 1 Cor 3:10-11,16-23, Matthew 5:38-48

       Speak to all the congregation... and say to them: You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy...You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge...but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. [Leviticus 19:1-2, 10, 18]

      Incline my heart to your decrees and not to unjust gain. Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless. [Psalm 119:36-37]

      Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells within you? ... God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.  [1 Corinthians 3:16, 17b]

      Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you...if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also...You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate you enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...for if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?"  [Matthew 5:38, 39b, 43-44, 46]

      We come now to another segment of the Sermon on the Mount. Going far beyond the familiar Beatitudes, Jesus had much more to say in his gathering in the Galilee. This week Jesus reinterprets the Ten Commandments, not in opposition, but rather, by expansion. This is his new teaching that outlines our path to salvation. In expanding God’s own statement in Leviticus 19:18 to love your neighbor as yourself, we are commanded to care for God's people - “them” and “us”.  We are to love them, and by extension our selves, by not stealing, defrauding, reviling, slandering, hating, or taking vengeance, and so on. Love those who love us, but mostly love those who don't - our enemies, our persecutors, the evildoers. Turn the other cheek? Oh sure, and we’ll likely get slapped again! [for more on the context of what to do with your cheek and why clink on the link: Walter Wink on Turning the Other Cheek] 

      It seems that there is almost as much satisfaction in retaliation as there is in love, perhaps even more in current society when violent reaction by physical and/or social media smack-down is instantaneous and frequently viscious. How are we supposed to love everyone and not respond in kind to a disagreement, a threat, or a despicable action? Of course, loving is never free of pain or difficulty. However, we aren’t called to like our neighbors, or agree with every thought or opinion. Who in your life that you truly love – child, parent, spouse, friend – do you always like?

      American Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, writing in his book Life of Christ in 1958, speaks to our present times when he said: Why turn the other cheek? Because hate multiplies like a seed… And Gandhi said, An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. But the practical question remains, how do we love people we don't like and who don't like us? Perhaps we can start by at least accepting the concept if only because it’s what Jesus is telling us to do, and then work up to trying it. Paul reminds us that we each are God's Temple, that means so are they. It's a very tough sell, especially in these times of instant gratification by whatever means possible. But, if we only ever fight back, we dig in, and we never move out of the hole we dig deeper and deeper for ourselves and the world around us. It does not mean that we unequivocally accept all difficult or dangerous behavior passively. So, we MUST pray.....without ceasing….. and work, together, with and for each other on ways to respond as CHRISTians.

       This week's assignment: Love our neighbors as ourselves, turn our eyes from what is worthless, remember that we and those "others" are God's Temple; oh, and don't forget to turn the other cheek when slapped. Pray for the courage to persist with love in responding thoughtfully, positively, pro-actively, and practically, rather than react in haste, hate, and impulse.  Easy, right? Not. At. All.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy LORD, our God, You exhort us to love our neighbors, as if they were ourselves, with every action of our lives. Expand our willingness to see each other, and ourselves, as the living Temples of Your Spirit and Grace, by following the path of Your Commandments.

                                       O Christ, our Sure Foundation                                 

RESPONSE:             Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

~ Holy LORD, our God, infuse the marrow of every leader and member of government throughout our World, our Country, and our Community, with the ethical intent to do justice, to have mercy, and to govern with compassion, working together according to Your Way. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Christ, our Sure Foundation

                                                Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

                                               

~ Holy LORD, our God, ease the distress for those who are sick, injured, or afraid, and for those who selflessly aid and comfort them.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O Christ, our Sure Foundation

                                                Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

           

~ Holy LORD, our God, soften the grief for all who are bereft, as Your glorious gates receive our beloved, now joyfully alive again with You for all eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                O Christ, our Sure Foundation

                                                Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

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

                                                O Christ, our Sure Foundation

                                                Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

           

~ Holy LORD, our God, we ask Your blessings on those who lead us in Your Church, that they may be revitalized and enlivened, as they enlighten us with the ways to turn, not merely the other cheek, but our entire being toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Christ, our Sure Foundation

                                                Incline our hearts to Your Teaching

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O God of Grace and Glory, be ever constant in Your presence and keep us ever faithful to our souls’ Foundation. Guide us toward having the charity of heart and the strength of character to be as giving of our love as we are eager to receive it. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

    

    

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com 

Prayers of the People: The Garden of Idol Distractions, 6th Sunday after Epiphany Yr A '17

For Sunday, February 12, 2017, 6th Sunday after Epiphany, Year A, Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119:1-8, 1 Cor 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37

     If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God...the Lord your God will bless you...But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish...Choose life... [Deuteronomy 30:16-18a, 19b ]

   Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Happy are they who observe his decrees and seek him with all their hearts! I will thank you with an unfeigned heart... [Psalm 119:1-2, 7a]

    I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather...infants in Christ. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still people of the flesh...So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose...For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building. [1 Corinthians 3:11b, 2b-3, 7-9]

    So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift...If your right eye causes you to sin tear it out...and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut if off and throw it away... 

[Matthew 5:23, 29a, 30a]

       CHOICES. For me, the readings are all about the spiritual choices that I decide to make. Moses tells me the basics of the Law of God, the Commandments, and outlines the “if this/then that” actions/consequences. Choose life, Moses urges, obey the Commandments. Otherwise, by turning away and being led astray to serve other gods is to choose to perish. The Psalmist chimes in with how happy they are who observe the Law of the Lord our God.

        Paul lays it out to the Church at Corinth – they weren’t ready to hear what he had to say and he spoke to them as infants in Christ because they were still of the flesh. He also tells them/us that working together in community with a common purpose serves our God. There are planters and waterers in God’s fields and we’re all called in to till, and fertilize, and manage. Yet with all we are to do, only God provides the growth. 

       I wonder, might I still be one of the flesh being led astray and bowing to the gods in a garden of idol distractions - the idolatry of social media, of celebrity, of wealth, of the socially or politically “right” way to be, or being around the “right” kind of people and eschewing "those" kinds of people?

       And in this continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus furthers the idea of community with a list do’s and don’ts regarding our behaviors with and toward others. For me, the crux of my call to walk in God’s Law is being reconciled to our brothers and sisters and then returning to the altar of God as a gift, an offering of myself.  As we hear Jesus say in Mark’s Gospel, the Greatest Commandment is to love God with all of yourself and love your neighbor as (if she/he were) yourself - if we do all that then we ARE following the Commandments, we ARE living the Law, we are reconciled to God and humanity, and we do Choose Life - eternal life, spiritual nourishment, an open and unfeigned heart. 

       The clear message of the combined readings that I hear is that God gives us free will to choose the path we take and tells us what results to expect. Take it or leave it. Face the consequences. Be reconciled. Grow up in, with, and for Christ. Return to the Garden of the Lord our God.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Mercy and Promise, turn our eyes from the idol distractions of earthly existence, and impart a conscious spiritual hunger to our souls that drives us to walk in Your ways as thankful servants working together.

                                             O Lord, our God                                            

RESPONSE:                     Help us put our trust in You

~ O God of Mercy and Promise, temper the judgment of all who govern in our names throughout this world, this country, and this community, so that all will act faithfully, equitably, and in good conscience, for the well-being of all Your people and Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Help us put our trust in You

                                               

~ O God of Mercy and Promise, we ask your blessings on those who are seriously ill, addicted, or life-weary, and for all who serve their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Help us put our trust in You

           

~ O God of Mercy and Promise, hold close the hearts in sorrow, as we celebrate all who have departed this life for eternity in Your complete love and perfect peace. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Help us put our trust in You

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

O Lord, our God

Help us put our trust in You

           

~ O God of Mercy and Promise, affirm and encourage our anointed leaders of Your Church. As they guide us toward growth and grace in You, we join together as Your servants, the planters and waterers, in Your sacred fields. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Help us put our trust in You

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: Lord God Almighty, Master of All Creation: Grant us the clarity of spirit to reconcile our hearts with one another even in disagreement, to begin each day with sincere desire to seek and follow Your Will, and to have the wisdom to choose the blessings and abundance of true Life with You, through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and through eternity.  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.