For
Sunday, October 1, 2017, 17th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 78:1-4,
12-16; Philippians 2:1-13,
Matthew 21:23-32
The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink. [Exodus 17:5-6a]
We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, and the wonderful works he has done. [Psalm 78:4]
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... [Philppians 2:3-5]
Jesus said to [the Pharisees]: "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going to the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed in him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. [Matthew 21:31b-32]
We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, and the wonderful works he has done. [Psalm 78:4]
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... [Philppians 2:3-5]
Jesus said to [the Pharisees]: "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going to the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed in him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. [Matthew 21:31b-32]
As we journey through this life, do you, like me, wonder from time
to time - Is God here, among us? By our current standards the Israelites had it good;
God's presence was clear in the pillars of cloud by day and fire by night. God made a deal with Moses to be always present and have Moses do all manner of fantastic feats to lead the Israelites,
feed them, and quench their thirst. Still, it wasn't enough and they grumbled time and again looking back at the hardships of slavery as better than their wilderness journey. How much
more difficult for us to know God's presence in our own times without Moses
striking a rock for water or Jesus besting those "righteous, letter-of-the-law" chief priests and
elders, at least until the time came for them to execute him. Yet even his death is Life for us.
Many of us would say, most of the time, with a doubt or two creeping in, that we believe God is with us, even without concrete visual sightings of God's presence. But the days are busy and fraught with stress in ordinary routine, not to mention the toll of personal trials, and all the craziness in the world at large. So it's likely that we don't always stop
and question the location of God in the midst of a Tuesday afternoon or
Thursday night before bed, in an angry or frustrating conversation, or even on the happiest of occasions. Some weeks it's all some of us can do to find God on Sunday
morning in Church. But for me, this week's readings say, God is here,
where am I? Faith is as faith does, actions always
tell the tale - just think of the parable of two sons in this week's Gospel. I need to be conscious, awake, and present in the moment to think
through how what I do, or what I have done, expresses how close to or far from God I am. Is my wilderness in keeping God absent in pursuit of my selfish ambitions, in looking down on others and judging them as not as worthy as myself, or not pondering how I could possibly take on the mind of Christ? Humility in the face of all that God has done is part of Paul's message. Jesus tells us in Matthew and in Luke to A.S.K. that is, ask, seek, and knock and we will find God always in our midst. So, here's the deal - remember if you're on the road paved with good intentions make a u-turn and keep asking.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~
O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, quench our spiritual thirst by the living
waters of Your grace. Split the hard shell of our selfish-ambitions and flood
us with Your loving presence that we may take on the mind of Christ.
O
God of our Journeys
RESPONSE: We
put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our
Rock and our Salvation, grant us energy and courage to press our political
leaders, locally and globally, to seek humanitarian solutions for the issues of
our world, our nation, and our community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
God of our Journeys
We put our trust in You
~
O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, cradle and comfort all who suffer in body,
soul, or life circumstance, and ease the burdens of those who give them care. We
now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O
God of our Journeys
We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our
Rock and our Salvation, released from earthly woes and trials, welcome those now
arrived into new life with Christ Jesus, healed by joy and eternal peace. We
pray especially for:
O
God of our Journeys
We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently…
O
God of our Journeys
We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our
Rock and our Salvation, grant unflagging spirit and energy to all whose
priestly vocations nourish our spiritual development, care for our pastoral
needs, and encourage us to be closer to You in every day. We pray especially
for:
O
God of our Journeys
We put our trust in You
The Celebrant adds:
Lord within us, Lord among us, help us to be alive in our faith through reflection
on Your Word, prayer-filled action, and humble regard for others and Your
Creation. We ask through our Savior Christ who, with the Holy Spirit, live and
reign with You as One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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