For Sunday, July 16, 2017, Readings: Gen 25: 19-34; Ps 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Mt 13:1-9, 18-23
Lord Jesus, our Christ
Deepen our roots in You
Lord Jesus, our Christ
Deepen our roots in You
Lord Jesus, our Christ
Deepen our roots in You
Lord Jesus, our Christ
Deepen our roots in You
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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…
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…
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:
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
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