A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Prayers of the People: Saints Among Us 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation '17 Yr A

For Sunday, November 5, 2017, 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalm 149, Romans 12:9-18, Matthew 5:1-12

       I, Paul... beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:1-3]

      Praise the Lord! Sing to the LORD a new song, is praise in the assembly of the faithful. [Psalm 149:1]

      Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [Romans 12:9-10]

[Jesus] taught them saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst...the merciful...the pure in heart...the peacemakers...those who are persecuted...Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven... [Matthew 5:1-12]

         Defining "saint" in this day and age isn't all that simple. For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable, and, if we're honest, undesirably difficult for ourselves. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles. What or how did their lives become exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we commend to You and celebrate the everyday saints among us and the Holy Saints for the Ages. Grant us the wisdom to seek the saint within our own flawed humanness, to persevere in prayer, and discover again that we find You always in our midst.

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
RESPONSE: Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, especially in these critical times, infuse us with the courage and strength to direct the leaders of our World, our Country, and our Community, to decry injustice, renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
                                               
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress all whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, let us rejoice and be glad as those we love are welcomed into their great, glorious, and eternal reward with You. We pray especially for:  

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
The Celebrant adds:  Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You, and the flaws we have developed, may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever 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: Finding My Inner Saint, All Saints Sunday '17 Yr A

For Sunday, November 5, 2017, All Saints Sunday, Year A, Readings: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

      They will hunger no more, and thirst no more, the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd... [Revelation 7:9-17]

     I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me out of all my terror...The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, and none will be punished who trusts in him. [Psalm 34:4, 22] 

     See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are...And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. [1 John :1-3]

[Jesus] taught them saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst...the merciful...the pure in heart...the peacemakers...those who are persecuted...Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven... [Matthew 5:1-12]

       Defining "saint" in this day and age isn't all that simple. For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable, and, if we're honest, undesirably difficult for ourselves. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles. What or how did their lives become exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we commend to You and celebrate the everyday saints among us and the Holy Saints for the Ages. Grant us the wisdom to seek the saint within our own flawed humanness, to persevere in prayer, and discover again that we find You always in our midst.

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
RESPONSE: Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, especially in these critical times, infuse us with the courage and strength to direct the leaders of our World, our Country, and our Community, to decry injustice, renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
                                               
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress all whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, let us rejoice and be glad as those we love are welcomed into their great, glorious, and eternal reward with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           

The Celebrant adds:  Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You, and the flaws we have developed, may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever 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

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Prayers of the People: All We Need (to do) is Love, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, October  29, 2017, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 
Mt 22:34-46


       You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. [Leviticus 19:18]

       Happy are they who have not...lingered in the way of sinners...Their delight is in the law of the LORD...they are like trees...with leaves that do not wither...For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. [Psalm 1:1, 2b, 3, 6]

      But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. [1 Thessalonians 2:7b]

   ...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

             We are truly all in "this" together in this life on this planet although you would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with others and just take care of us. Of course, one of the largest issues in the world today is eons old: a satisfactory definition of who us is. Another lawyer asked Jesus in Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan, Who is my neighbor? [Luke 10:25-37] We of the human variety are determined to answer this question correctly, that is, to suit our own needs and wants and keep within some construct of the rules we have devised. We build walls, fences, and tall gates that are all designed to keep out the uninvited, the unacceptable, the dangerous - in other words, those others. 
      What we are often blinded to is that we each are the other to someone, creating and receiving suspicion and fear when we step away from our sheltered space. And, of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are truly dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD - so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's people. 
      It's hard work to sift through our own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think because I know my group and will avoid the rest. It also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble loving myself? In the snippet from Leviticus, part of what is known as the Holiness Code, God is now opening up the instructions for everyone, not just the priests. Then Jesus gets directly to the point that all the Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.  
      The obvious questions are: Who is my neighbor? Any human you meet. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's reading and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. I think that U.S. Senator Corey Booker said it best, and it applies to ALL of us:   Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give. 
      Sounds so easy when God, Jesus, and Corey say: All we need to do is love. Let's keep working on it ~ together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life                               
RESPONSE:               Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity for peace, planetary health, and for the well-being of all humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                               
~ Gracious Creator, embrace with Your tender care all who are burdened with serious illness, addiction, or emotional distress, and refresh all who provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to Your loving and eternal Kingdom, to live again in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, we praise You for the calling, anointing, and commitment of those who lead us in worship, prayer, and our pilgrimage toward eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord our God, grant us humility to delight in Your Law, seek the way of the righteous in all that we do, and be as strong in our faith as trees whose leaves do not wither in adversity. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, every day, always, 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: Our Common Humanity, 3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation '17

For Sunday, October 29, 2017, 3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: On Care for our Common Home*, Psalm 133, Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**, Matthew 22:34-40


       We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters...We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. [Laudato Si*]

      How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!...For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore. [Psalm 133:1, 3b]

     The earth is at the same time other; she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all is human, she is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. [Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**]

      ...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

      The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. The overarching theme for 2017 is Environmental Justice inspired in part by the Youth Principles from the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC in 2002, the text of which and a fuller explanation of the Season can be found here: http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html
         We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers.

Week Three's Theme is: Our Common Humanity

  We are truly all in "this" together ~ this life, this planet. Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical Laudato Si, that We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth...and that we are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. In the first Creation Story [Genesis 1], God gave dominion, or sovereignty, over the earth and all its species to humans. That doesn't seem to be going very well, with arguments over whether there is or isn't climate change, loosening or tightening restrictions about the quality of the ground, air, and water, and who will materially benefit most from legislation. Abbess Hildegard reminds us that our earth is the mother of us all, containing the seeds of all. 
     It is, as the Psalmist says so good and pleasant when we are all working together in unity for a common purpose. Jesus reminds us that we are to first love God with all we have and second - concurrently - to love our neighbors as ourselves. You would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with the Earth and others and just take care of us and our part of the planet. But, as from the beginning of human sovereignty, we have fought wars seeking the destruction of others we don’t like or that we deem dangerous, especially to our self-interests. We blow up, ravage, and desecrate parts of this earth as if we had someplace else to go when this only home we all share becomes uninhabitable. And there are too many of us willing to decimate the resources of our planet for personal, privately held, material gain, oblivious - or uncaring - that this life is too short to exploit, wreck, and destroy the future of this Earth and humankind for the sake of the moment that is only now. 
     Of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD. Too often we rely on the blanket statements of those in "power" so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's Creation.
      It's hard work to sift through my own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think and just let others do all the work of preservation or destruction of people and places on my behalf. To love my neighbor and care for our common home also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me and what am I expected - and willing - to do? 
      Two obvious questions emerge: Who is my neighbor? Anyone who is human. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. We might actually enjoy the learning! We have common ground - pun intended. We must be intentional in our efforts to improve life for all – humans, the Earth, and every living creature and plant, for therein lies the future of Creation. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. Let's keep working on it ~ together ~ for the sake of our common humanity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life                               
RESPONSE:               Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity, for planetary health, and for the well-being of humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                               
~ Gracious Creator, embrace with Your tender care all who are burdened with serious illness, addiction, or emotional distress, and refresh all who provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to Your loving and eternal Kingdom, to live again in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions


                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, we praise You for the calling, anointing, and commitment of those who lead us in worship, prayer, and our pilgrimage toward eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                                                                                        
The Celebrant adds:  Supreme, Holy, Generous God, grant us humility in the awareness of our place in Creation, and through the nourishment we receive from Your bounty. Keep us mindful of our responsibility to restore and protect the health of our Earth and her people, in covenant with this holy, fruitful, and natural mother to our common humanity and beyond. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, every day, always, and forever. Amen.
 

*Reading #1: Quotes from Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Ecology, 2015, Laudato Si, On Care for our Common Home…on humanity’s relationship with the Earth

“[The earth] now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her.

We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.

Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it.

Today, the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals related to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to others and to the environment.”

**Reading #2: Abbess Hildegard of Bingen

The earth is at the same time mother; she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human, she is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. The earth of humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful; all creation came from it, yet in forms not only the basic raw materials for humankind, but also the substance of the incarnation of God’s son.




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


Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Prayers of the People: Your Mother Called, 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation '17

For Sunday, October 22, 2017, 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Tell the World*, Psalm 104: 1-5, 14-15, 24-27, 31-33; 
Job 12:7-10, Matthew 6:25-34

       In the Lakota way, everything is connected. In days past you could see it in the rustling of the leaves or the swift rushing of a waterfall. Now you can see it in more obvious ways. The worms tunnel below the Earth, searching for food while at the same time helping the plants collect oxygen through their roots. This insight is fading from the general population, and because of this we are no longer taking care of the Earth....In our tradition, you respect everything. This idea was lost with the European colonization of the Americas and I’m trying to bring it back. [*Dorian Sage]

      Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment...how manifold are your works, in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. [Psalm 104:1-2, 24]

      But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air...the plants of the earth...the fish of the sea...Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? [Job 12:7-9]

      And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil not spin yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these...But strive first for the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you as well. [Matthew 22:27, 28b-29, 33] 

       Welcome to The Season of Creation, week two.  This liturgical season originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. The overarching theme for 2017 is Environmental Justice inspired in part by the Youth Principles from the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC in 2002, the text of which and a fuller explanation of the Season can be found here:   http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html
        We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers on this page.

Week Two's Theme isOur Planet Earth

       We wake in the morning and we do whatever it is we do on any given day. Work, school, vacation, overload on electronics or broadcast, rush to do this or that, catch the news and gloat or swear, or just shake our heads and move along to the next appointed activity; repeat. Do many of us ever stop, think, and say to ourselves or to another, "Wow, can you believe we are just floating around in space on this planet?" Um, well, no, not really - at least, I'll admit, I haven't thought about it quite that way, until now. Take a breath and a moment and ponder: 
C R E A T I O N, and for this week, specifically Earth. Here's a thought that I have enjoyed wondering about since reading some information on the late Kenyan Professor Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in sustainable development. She suggested that we all re-read the story of Creation in Genesis, paying particular attention to the order in which God created. After all, 'If we had been created on Tuesday,' she said, 'There would have been nowhere for us to stand! God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!' 
       Many of us, especially in western culture, take our planet for granted. We have much to learn about how to live here from the many indigenous cultures that inhabit this world with us. There is much to celebrate yet there is much to bemoan. Today, as we recognize the God-given bounty of Earth, our hearts are full and heavy. It isn't until our attention is wrenched from habit and routine, that we are faced with a true sense of "the real" reality. Untold millions of our fellow humans, other creatures, and living space that God has made, are suffering through the unfathomable environmental destruction of their lives through storms, floods, earthquakes, and fires, not to mention willful neglect of water systems, air quality, the crumbling infrastructure, wars, and too many other potential threats to name. There is a continuing stream of exceedingly bad news, of the dreadful and terrible kind, just about the condition of our planet that requires our attention, our action, and, our God-ordered stewardship. Why does this turn of cataclysmic events seem so sudden and unexpected to so many? Perhaps we've all just left things to others to care and fix - maybe the government, the scientists, those "environmentalist" types?  And in the midst of all of this, Jesus tells us do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. Where is Alfred E. Neuman when you need him? Apologies if the reference is too obscure. He's a fictitious cartoon/comics character whose tag line is "What, me worry?" And then there's W. Clement Stone [1902-2002], a very successful American businessman, who once said, Thinking will not overcome fear but action will. Fear is definitely a big part of worry. So perhaps it can be said that the proverbial "wake-up" has arrived and it's time to act. Your Mother called, she wants to know what you’re doing to help.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Honor and Majesty, deliver us from distraction and neglectful disrespect that we may again experience wonder and amazement at the beauty of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, the seas, and mountains, and sky. Strengthen our faith, our trust, and our hope to strive first for Your Kingdom to weaken our worry, and energize our will to do Your Work in this World. 

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
RESPONSE:               Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, grant us abundant and vigorously convincing words and actions that will enlighten and animate the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, to care for and protect Your glorious Creation, this fragile Earth, our island home. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
                                                Let Your breath within us create worthy action
                                               
~ God of Honor and Majesty, soothe and heal all who live in chronic pain, worry, and hopelessness, and rejuvenate those who give love and care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…  add your own petitions

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
                                                Let Your breath within us create worthy action
           
~ God of Honor and Majesty, our hearts are full of love and thanksgiving for all You have called home to glory and rejoicing in new life through Christ. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions 

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
                                                Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…  add your own petitions

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
                                                Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, magnify Your presence in and through all who teach us Your Word, hear our needs, preside at the Eucharist, and whose life work is to walk with us toward You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth
                                                Let Your breath within us create worthy action
                                                                                                        
The Celebrant adds:  O Lord of Creation, fill us again with conscious awareness of Our Planet, Earth, our many living companions seen and unseen, the habitats, the resources, and the complex life systems without which we will all simply cease to exist. Enlighten, animate, and urge us to respect, repair, and re-connect with the Work of Your Hands.  We ask this through our Jesus, our Savior Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Energy of our Souls, who together with You, reign as One God now, always, forever.  Amen.
       
*Reading #1: Tell the World by Dorian Sage, 2015 Grand Prize Winner in the Middle School #WeAreHere Writing Challenge©, Lakota Children’s Enrichment
       In the Lakota way, everything is connected. In days past you could see it in the rustling of the leaves or the swift rushing of a waterfall. Now you can see it in more obvious ways. The worms tunnel below the Earth, searching for food while at the same time helping the plants collect oxygen through their roots. This insight is fading from the general population, and because of this we are no longer taking care of the Earth. In the past, the Lakota people would migrate so that the Earth had a time for cleansing. The area that we lived in would never be forgotten so much that it would die. We relied on the Earth, but it did not rely on us.
       Aspens are a unique kind of tree because they sprout from the roots of another Aspen, which is why you often see them growing in groves. If one of these trees gets sick, the rest of the trees usually get sick too because they rely on the same food supply. It is much the same with us. If one of our food sources had an unexpected shortage in production, the majority of human life would be affected. This is just one of the reasons it’s good to be self-reliant, and to have your own energy source if possible.
       Everything is too connected in the modern world. There is no longer privacy, and your information is there for everybody to see. If something happened in the world, like an outbreak of some sort, our food supply could be cut off, and it could affect our water because we don’t focus on renewable sources of food and energy.
       Human life is too destructive, and it is ruining the Earth’s natural cycle. Eventually humans are going to bring about their own downfall, and there will be nothing there to stop it. This is why I encourage our great people to start living off the grid, and to start relying on themselves for sustenance. In our traditional ways, we would always let the Earth replenish itself. We relied directly on the animals and on the signs from nature for survival.
       One tribe in Africa even relies directly on a certain species of bird to help them find beehives. The bird helps the tribe so that in return they will give them part of the honey store that the bee hive holds. The bird will fly in the direction of the hive, showing the humans where to get it, and then will whistle when nearby. The bird will then wait on a tree somewhere near until the people leave a piece of the honeycomb somewhere within the bird’s line of sight.
       If the idea of these short paragraphs is not yet obvious, what I am trying to get at is everything is connected, even us. We need to start relying more on ourselves for our food, and taking better care of the environment which takes such good care of us. In our tradition, you respect everything. This idea was lost with the European colonization of the Americas and I’m trying to bring it back.





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