Prayers of the People: Great Mustard, Bad Fish 8th Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

For Sunday, July 30, 2017, 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Romans 8:26-39, 

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

       When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?' [Gen 29:25 NIV]

       Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; make known his deeds among the peoples...let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Search for the Lord and his strength... [Psalm 105: 3-4a NRSV]

       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 NRSV]

        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 NIV]

      A continuing family drama this week: The deceiver is deceived. But to Jacob’s good credit (he often needs all he can get), he chose to work hard and faithfully to win the hand of lovely Rachel, and, even though it was a bait and switch scheme by Laban (did Jacob understand the irony of sibling substitution?), he also honored his commitment to work an additional seven years after two weddings in two weeks. In using imperfect people to show us to ourselves, we also see that we, like Jacob, are still counted among all those that God loves, regardless of our flaws.

       Jesus lets loose quite a barrage of parables to further explain the kingdom of God in everyday illustrations for that time and 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. And there are times when we must allow ourselves to be caught like fish in a net, and the goal of that moment – and every other – is to 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 well, our smallest efforts can grow and yield a large return. We must remember that God is always present and search for the Lord and his strength, as the Psalmist tells us, and sometimes that requires some digging. 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.

       The Spirit of God, if we open ourselves in faith, 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 blends us all, as Christ’s own, together, and God gathers the yield of all the harvest. Some days in God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the constant that draws us. All we have to do is decide: Which part of the harvest do we choose to be – great mustard or bad fish?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Strength and Presence, we receive the smallest seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday life, which are only a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to seek and discover the many ordinary and miraculous ways that Your Creation fills our souls beyond measure when we open ourselves in faith.

                                                Spirit of God                                    

RESPONSE:             Help us in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, excite the willingness of the political leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community to provide life’s basic necessities for Your neediest people, ethical and practical legislation for all those they govern, and globally beneficial partnerships across the Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of God

                                                Help us in our weakness

                                               

~ O God of Strength and Presence, 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 voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of God

                                                Help us in our weakness

           

~ O God of Strength and Presence, we hold closely in our hearts all who have traveled to the end of their human experience, now shining in the radiance of Your glorious light, peacefully and joyously nesting in Your heavenly tree of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Spirit of God

                                                Help us in our weakness

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

                                                Spirit of God

                                                Help us in our weakness

           

~ O God of Strength and Presence, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite for all who are called to lead us in Your church. Let us pray, worship, and work together for all that is good, according to Your purpose, and out of our love for You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of God

                                                Help us in our weakness

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord, our God, 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 out of the troubled waters of our own making, that we may find our way into the good basket of Your Kingdom of Heaven. 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 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: We have met the Enemy... 7th Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, July 23, 2017, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23; Romans 8:12-25, 

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

      And the Lord stood beside him and said, "...Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place - and I did not know it!" ... He called that place Beth-El. 

[Genesis 28:13a, 15-16, 19a]

      Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways...Look well whether there be any wickedness in me and lead me in the way that is everlasting. [Psalm 139:1-2, 23]

      When we cry, "Abba! Father!" is is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then...heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ...But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." [Romans 8:15b-17a, 25]

            [Jesus] answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels...The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect...all causes of sin and all evildoers, and...throw them into the furnace...Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. [Matthew 13:37-42a, 43a]

        "Pogo" was a daily American newspaper comic strip by Walt Kelly that ran from 1948 to 1975. Set in the Okefenokee Swamp in the deep south, it used animal characters that portrayed human characteristics, and often mixed comedy with social and political satire. On the second Earth Day, in 1971, Pogo the possum is trudging through the swamp with his friend, Porkypine. In this two panel rendering, the characters bemoan the state of the swamp with the overwhelming amount of rubbish that has been dumped in it, and Pogo utters a now iconic phrase that captures us all too well: We have met the enemy, and he is us.

        We are often, in so many ways, our own worst enemies. Jacob is frequently a victim of his own schemes (learned at his mother's knee) as he, in this case, runs away from his angry twin, Esau, never to see his mother again. Even the sometimes daunting, sometimes comforting verses of Psalm 139, belie a part of our less than honorable human nature that appears in the verses we usually leave out of our liturgical readings - see verses 15-18 for those days when a harsh cathartic venting feels necessary! Paul speaks to our inward groaning and mortal struggles to avoid the deeds of the body as he exhorts us to hope for what we do not see as then we wait for it with patience.

         But it is this parable of Jesus, often known as the wheat and the tares [noxious weeds that resemble the wheat sprouts], that offers us a lesson in prudent personal agronomy. It takes an experienced farmer/gardener to know the difference between seedlings that grow into the desired plants and those that produce invasive, destructive weeds. The Master of this field wisely leaves well enough alone as at maturity, the reapers will have no difficulty in distinguishing the wheat from the weeds. While the Master of this story blames an enemy for the deliberate seeding of tares in his field, we can look to ourselves for the crop of noxious weeds we produce. Each time we point a finger in hate - however self-righteous and correct we believe we are - and each time we judge and belittle those we believe to be the enemy of our personal agenda, and every time we decide who is an undesirable useless plant growing where it isn't wanted, and especially, when we believe we know who God will - or should - burn, we sow another seed of soul-destroying rubbish in our own spiritual ground reducing it to an unholy swamp. The message is pretty clear - and always difficult - it's not our job to reap the harvest and separate the weeds from the wheat. We are called to be the good seeds - the children of the kingdom - to be fruitful and nourish the fields of the Lord. In growing strong in Christ together, we will crowd out temptation, resist and lessen the impact of the weeds in God's Creation. The true and fertile seeds of the Spirit are ready to sprout. When we meet the enemy again, let her/him not be us.

          

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Abba! God! You have traced our journeys from the womb and know well our hearts and thoughts. Keep us from the causes of sin to labor with patience in Your fields, as joint heirs with Christ to a fruitful harvest, in Your Kingdom of life everlasting.

                                               

RESPONSE:             Spirit of Hope

                                    Lead us together

~ Abba! God! Kindle the light of mercy within the hearts and souls of all who serve the governments of our world, our country, and our community. Grant them courage to clear the choking tendrils of injustice, greed, and war from the lives of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of Hope

                                                Lead us together

                                               

~ Abba! God! Relieve the pain and despair from those who suffer with illness, injury, or addiction, and sustain the strength of those who give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of Hope

                                                Lead us together

           

~ Abba! God! We lift up and release those we love into Your joyous welcome, to shine like the sun in Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Spirit of Hope

                                                Lead us together

~ Abba! God! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of Hope

                                                Lead us together

           

~ Abba! God! We commend to You, with gratitude, those who have committed their lives to us in Your service. Bless, inspire, and uphold them as they work with us in Your Creation and guide us always toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Spirit of Hope

                                                Lead us together

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: O God of Promise and Glory, sow in us a longing to take the wings of each morning to search and know our own hearts, clear the weeds of sin and doubt, and to prosper our spiritual ground as the Beth-El we each are called to be. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom and Comfort, who together with You reign as 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: Groundings, 6th Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

For Sunday, July 16, 2017, Readings: Gen 25: 19-34; Ps 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Mt 13:1-9, 18-23

       The children struggled together within her...the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided..." [Genesis 25:22a, 23a]

         Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path. [Psalm 119:105]

           To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace...But you are not in the flesh; You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  [Romans 8:6, 9]

         Let anyone with ears listen! ...for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word...yet such a person has no root...and immediately falls away...As for what was sown among thorns, this is one who hears the word but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word, understands it, who indeed bears fruit... [Matthew 13:9, 20a, 21a,b; 22, 23a]

           This week, among other things, we have twins who fight, parents who play favorites, and the Divine Master Gardener at work. 

      The story of Jacob, whose narrative will take nearly half of Genesis, begins. He and his twin, Esau, struggle together in the womb and far beyond and the telling of it has all the hallmarks of a compelling and contemporary family drama. Hero and anti-hero in one, Jacob's significant life begins with his name in Hebrew that basically means "heel", from his holding on to his brother's heel at birth. It also comes from the same Hebrew root that means "cheat" and so he is, quite often, a heel who cheats. The family dynamics are quite fascinating as we will see going forward but there is, I believe, an important continuing theme undergirding the narrative itself that repeats from Genesis to Jesus to Paul ~ the flawed and sometimes despicable humans that move the people of God are all chosen by God and gifted with the free will to obey or not. Many of those who play the larger roles find themselves in thorny patches on rocky roads diverted from their appointed mission by the lure of earthly distractions, intemperance, or a volatile nature. Yet they are brought to us in Scripture, remembered for their deeds and misdeeds, as human as we are, and, like us, with depths and shallows, tragedies and triumphs, ordinary and extraordinary depending on the day, the dilemma, and the choices made.

        We, too, are created and chosen by God with the seeds of the Spirit planted within us. It would seem that all we need to do is till, tend, water, feed, and weed for a bountiful harvest of God's love, Christ's salvation, and life eternal. But, of course, it's not always quite so simple. Farming is tough work, a 24/7 job on and in the ground. Great soil, good weather, and hard work should yield a good crop. But even excellent farmers have epic failures despite their best efforts. We, as all those who came before and all who come after, will encounter feasts and famines, droughts and floods, rocks, thorns, and pestilence, within the span of our lives; some of it through no fault of our own and some by our willing neglect and impetuous choices. But, the Spirit of God dwells within us and when we are shaken back to that consciousness, it is never too late to replenish the soil, enrich it with the nutrients of prayer and penitence, and nurture the deep roots that always remain. Whatever is on the surface of our temporal acreage at any given time, the Word of God will ground us if we will hear and understand.           

        A dandelion can flower in all manner of groundings, and a desert will erupt in blooms with the slightest moisture. Whenever the Word penetrates my awareness, I must try, try again to clear the rocks, cut back the thorns, and cultivate those deep roots that are the ground of my being; to be fruitful and multiply the good yields of my soul, to belong to Christ Jesus again and forever.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, Your Word is a lantern to our feet on the journey of this mortal life. Grant us eyes to see and ears to hear Your call to us, each and together, to seek the fertile path of the Spirit, to listen deeply, understand, and to willingly live and act upon Your Will.

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

RESPONSE:              Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, sow the seeds of grace and goodness in the hearts of the leaders of this world, our nation, and our community. Divert them from the way of thorns into the arable terrain of fairness, honor, and integrity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

                                               

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, comfort and heal all who struggle with illness in body, mind, or heart, and ease the burden of those who care for them. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ
                                                Deepen our roots in You

           

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, we commend to Your hand, all who have left this world for Your Kingdom where there is no death, only life everlasting in the fullness of joy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions  

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ
                                                Deepen our roots in You

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

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ
                                                Deepen our roots in You

           

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, plant a grower’s vitality within those chosen and anointed as the tillers of Your verdant fields. Guide them to model and inspire spiritual growth in each other, in ourselves, and in our community of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ
                                                Deepen our roots in You

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Lord of Creation, our Divine Gardener, weed our hearts free of the lure of temporal pleasures that chokes away our spiritual birthright of salvation. Cultivate our willingness to tend and nurture Your Word and Presence within us for a fruitful yield; a soul-fulfilling harvest to last eternally. We ask this through Jesus, Sower of the Word, and the Holy Spirit, Wellspring of Wisdom, who live and thrive together with You as 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 Yoke's on Us, 5th Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, July 9, 2017, 5th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Genesis 24:4-8, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:11-18, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

          I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but the very thing I hate...For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do...Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God though Jesus Christ our Lord!  [Romans 7:15, 19,24b-25]

   Jesus said to the crowd, "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another...For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say 'he has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds...Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will bind rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [Matthew 11: 16, 18-19, 28-30]

        The appointed lectionary this week, for me, is a rare moment of disconnection between the Hebrew Testament and the Christian Testament. The reading from Genesis is setting up the background for the narrative to come and the Psalm supports it so I will put them aside for that stage to be set.  But it is this self-revealing angst of Paul that always speaks to me, as well as the stark reality of all that happens now has been happening all along. 

       We all succumb to the us vs them mind game more often than we are willing to admit to ourselves. It may be hidden in a desire for a sense of personal superiority or of belonging to the correct group. There can be an almost addicting need for a sense of acceptance within a given community ~ if you are not one of or with us in all we think, say, or do, then you are one of or with them, painting with the broad brush of no exceptions. Further, if you are one of them you can't be one of us ~ THEM have demons, are gluttons and drunkards and associate with all who are unacceptable. It is so easy, familiar, and self-comforting to get caught up in the want of knowing unequivocally who is right and who is wrong. And Paul brings our humanity front and center - deep down I know I don't want to say or do some of the things I say or do but I do the very thing I hate. When I catch myself I resolve to be better and improve my reactions and responses in everyday living. Then suddenly I begin to think I'm better than fill in name of person or group and act accordingly, whereupon - eventually - I realize, I have failed, again, to be who and what I want to be. 

       Jesus offers us His easy yoke, to guide us and teach us. The burden is light, he says, but the pull back to the familiar behaviors - even those we don't want - is often unconscious and easier than thinking about and making changes, and, taking on the very real risk of being ostracized as one of "them." In the language of addiction treatment, we are sinners in recovery. The tendency to fall back is always strongest at the start of healing. But the farther we move ahead of it, the easier to resist, especially in a learning, supportive community of those who acknowledge their sins and strive to overcome them; and when a fall occurs, the easy yoke of Christ will carry us together. 

       There is a yoke on each of us and each come with a clear choice. One binds us to the sins great and small that we know are within us, that bruise and chafe our hearts and damage our souls. The other is  the Yoke of Christ, not free of pain or trials or even fear, but the loads and burdens of this short life - much of it self-inflicted - are lightened, less wearisome, healing, and hopeful. We are always one in, of, and with Him.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, grant us the wisdom that will awaken us to the tangles of familiar sin we bind ourselves to, that keep us from hearing and acting upon Your truth. Rescue our hearts to seek and recover the eagerness to accept Your guiding yoke of learning and redemption.

                                                                O Christ, our Savior                                                           

RESPONSE:                               Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, burden the leaders of our World, our Nation, and our Community with the understanding of the good they are capable of doing, the strength to avoid the evil of power that is tempting, and the vision to see into the eyes and hearts of those for whom they legislate, as well as those they know and love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                O Christ, our Savior

                                                                Rest our souls in You

                                                               

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, soothe the pain and suffering of those depleted by disease, injury, or depression, and comfort those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                                O Christ, our Savior

                                                                Rest our souls in You

               

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we commend with our love all who have been released to the gracious and glorious reception into everlasting life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                O Christ, our Savior

                                                                Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                                O Christ, our Savior

                                                                Rest our souls in You

               

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, for all who lead us in Your Church as a visible sign of Your Yoke, we ask a revival of spirit and replenishment of joy in life and ministry. Let us be mutual companions on this journey of our souls, caring and carrying in turn.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                O Christ, our Savior

                                                                Rest our souls in You

                                                                                                                                           

The Celebrant adds:  O God of our spirit and our humanity, help us to come as children to listen and learn, to hear and grow. Fill us with the desire to recognize and repent of our sins great and small, and to be held captive only by Your love and grace. We ask this through our Most Holy Jesus, and Your Glorious Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You, as 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