Prayers of the People: Take Flight! 5th Sunday after Epiphany '18 Yr B

For Sunday, February 4, 2018, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany, Year B, Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147: 1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, 

Mark 1:29-39

      Lift up your eyes and see...Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth...those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles... 
[Isaiah 40:26a, 28, 31]

     [The LORD] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names. Great is our LORD and mighty in power; there is no limit to his wisdom. The LORD lifts up the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground. [Psalm 147:3-6]

     I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.  
[1 Corinthians 9:22b-23]

     [Jesus] came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them...In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went to a deserted place, and there he prayed. [Mark 1:31, 35]


     This reading from Isaiah is filled with non-judgmental, hope-filled language of restoration, rebuilding, and renewal. In it, Isaiah reminds us that we have heard this before, that God has always promised to remain with us and, as during the Exodus, God's power never fails, never grows faint or weary. The prophet calls us to lift our eyes to look at Creation and see. In a poetic turn not only are we protected by the wings of God, but God gives those in exile - and us - wings of our own to lift us out of our weakness and weariness. This part of Isaiah is known as Second Isaiah and also as the Book of Consolation, for those who were in exile from Jerusalem, and, for those of us who feel exiled in our own time and place whether from a sense of home, family, political stability, or general health and well-being.

         The Psalmist reminds us of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the gathering of the exiles to return home, and how God recognizes and heals the wounds and broken hearts, God lifts up the lowly. 
         Paul's letter, in his not always easy way, speaks of his meeting people where they are in order to offer the way of the Gospel and salvation. What Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians - and us - is that we need to welcome, listen, and not judge. That is a true balancing act in the difficulty we all have in loving our neighbors as ourselves as well as being open and inviting about our faith.
         Jesus lifted up Simon's mother-in-law and she was freed from the fever. Her response was to honor Jesus in the best way she knew how. His response to all that had happened that day was to separate himself to pray in preparation for his next work. Isn't that what we each must do at some point each day?
         This week the readings from Isaiah, the Psalm, and the Gospel all use the word lift. Paul, by extension, is lifting up those he wants to be saved. Let us honor the gifts of God, the healings, the words, and works of Jesus, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, by accepting our wings, soaring to new heights of commitment, and proclaiming the message by word and example. But first, let us pray, on our own and together, for wisdom, strength, and constant renewal. It's all there for us to claim. Haven't you heard? We are lifted up ~ We can fly!

  LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Everlasting Creator, You call us each and all by our names, and offer us wings like eagles to soar in this life and the next. Grant us the fortitude to meet others where and as they are, that together we may hear, accept, and share in the favor of Your limitless wisdom and abiding strength.

                                                     O Lord, Great and Mighty                                                      

RESPONSE:                  Lift us again to Your Service

~ Everlasting Creator, guide us to be unwavering reminders, to those in Earth-bound political authority, of the limits and transience of human power, and their absolute duty to prosper all who are living lowly in this World, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift us again to Your Service

~ Everlasting Creator, bind the wounds and heal the hearts of those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and grant stamina to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift us again to Your Service

             

~ Everlasting Creator, we celebrate our memories and commend to You, all who have left the exile of this mortal life for Your infinite and eternal paradise. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift us again to Your Service

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

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift us again to Your Service

             

~ Everlasting Creator, continually renew the strength of Spirit in those who preside at the sacred feast of Christ’s table, as they share with us in the work for and the blessings of the Holy Gospel proclaimed. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift us again to Your Service

             

The Celebrant adds:  Gracious, All-Knowing God, free and restore us from the fever of sin, that we may be raised up to serve You by our lives of faithfulness, gratitude, and constancy in prayer. We ask this through Jesus, our Healer, and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, who live and reign with You as One God, beyond the ages of ages. 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: Awe-Fully Lacking? 4th Sunday after Epiphany '18 Yr B

For Sunday, January 28, 2018, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany, Year B, Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 
Mark 1:21-28

       I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. [Deuteronomy 18:18b-19]

      The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures forever. [Psalm 111:10]

     ...we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up...anyone who loves God is known by him...for us there is one God...from whom are all things and for who we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. [1 Corinthians 8:1, 2b, 6]

      Jesus...entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching...Just then there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out...But Jesus rebuked him...and the unclean spirit came out...they were all amazed... [Mark 1:21b, 22b, 23, 24a, 26a, 27]

        In the intervening time since I first wrote this piece (prior Yr B) I realize that I have lapsed yet again into rote worship with a mildly inattentive, and perhaps slightly soiled spirit. Thankfully our Lectionary schedule revives and retrieves the awareness of my detachment for me. Time to breathe in, savor, and begin, again:

        It is difficult to admit to myself, let alone anyone else, that I don't actually remember the last time I was amazed or astounded by Jesus. I've been very moved during a retreat, in Sunday worship, by hymns and readings, in my personal prayer, and in other ways - but I'm suddenly aware that, whether through unconscious assumptions, a mild case of apathy, perhaps even some complacency, my sense of amazement and wonder is seriously lacking. Jesus has been a part of my life for so very long, I've been taking it all for granted, as if it's all easily understood, as if "I've got this."

       As for the "fear" that the Psalmist speaks of, I do remember that as a child I was afraid of God, terrified at times and threatened that my misbehavior was grounds for eternal damnation. It's hard to distance oneself from that kind of image and language. So how can I begin to have wisdom if I am frightened of my Creator who loves me and who I am supposed to love?
      This fear of God or "of the LORD" isn't meant to be the kind of fear we associate with being scared and worried, or afraid of being in trouble. Rather, the ancient sense of the word tells us that in being filled with love, respect, and awe, we will fervently desire to be faithful in our daily lives, offering ourselves to God through our thoughts and actions. It's the kind of "fear" we have when we don't want to upset, offend, or anger anyone we truly love.
      If we consciously engage with and love God more, if we sincerely want to know God the Creator, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, from whom all things are, and for whom we all exist [1 Cor 8:6], our wisdom will increase and our amazement will rebound. With faithfulness and awe of God as our life's primary work, our little forays into eating in the temple of an idol [1 Cor 8:10], that is, giving in to the earthly temptations and everyday distractions that surround and pull us away from God, will be easier to overcome.
      It is time once again to find that amazement, to be astounded at the life and work and words of Jesus, to open our daily life and frequent prayers with true wonder, love, and praise. What can happen? I bet it's pretty awe-ful... Here's a way to begin, start well and just sing out with gusto:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.  

[composed by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885, translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hein]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, arouse and provoke us to rediscover amazement and awe in Your truth, equity, and righteousness. Turn us away from the puffery of mere knowledge and the empty glamor in temples of idols, to full engagement and accountability in the work You have given us to do.

                                                       Compassionate Lord                                          

RESPONSE:               You know us by our Love

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, embolden our resolve to demand of those in authority in this World, in this Country, and in this Community, the fulfillment of basic needs, economic justice, and mercy for all Your people, as the fundamental necessities for peace, human rights, and the moral and ethical survival of our souls. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

                                                      

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, warm the spirits of all who are confined by illness, severe weather, or loneliness, and re-kindle the energy of all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

             

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, help our hearts rejoice as You clothe the newly departed with Your garments of heavenly glory and infinite abiding peace. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

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

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

             

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, place Your Voice in the words of all who lead us in the Church, to speak to us as Your true prophets that we may hear and heed Your wisdom and commands. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

             

The Celebrant adds:  O God of Truth and Equity, from Whom all things are and for Whom we all exist, free our spirits from all that is unclean and build us up in love. Re-ignite our desire to be Your faithful and faith-filled servants, constantly astounded by the breadth and depth of Your Power and Glory. This we ask through Christ Jesus, our Messiah, and the Counsel of the Holy Spirit, who together with You live and reign as One God, infinite and eternal, 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: Fish Tales, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany '18 Yr B

For Sunday, January 21, 2018, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany, Year B, Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:6-14, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, 

Mark 1:14-20

     So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord...And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 

[Jonah 3:3a, 4b-5]  

    For God...alone is my rock and my salvation...my safety and my honor...and my refuge. [Psalm 62:7a, 8b]

    I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short...for the present form of this world is passing away. [1 Corinthians 7:29a, 31b]

   As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea...And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. [Mark 1:16-17]

     I love the Book of Jonah! In an early part, he tries to hide from God, running off to a ship in the opposite direction of where God is ordering him to go. Then, thrown overboard by the crew, he gets caught in a whale of an experience! (I just had to go there) After praying to God and being granted his release from the fish, he finally, if grudgingly, goes where he is told to go and tells the people what God wants them to hear. He is so convincing that the people hear, believe, and repent. Later in this story, Jonah - who never wanted to be a prophet -  is actually angry because God changes direction and decides not to destroy the city after the people overthrew their own evil ways because of Jonah's prophecy.  Such a human response: wait, what, you're NOT going to kill them? But I said what you told me to say...  The book leaves us as it finds us with Jonah still unhappy.      

          Paul, who thought that the Second Coming of Jesus was imminent, grimly but accurately reminds even us now that our time in this life is short and we need to pay attention to how we are living.      
         And then there is Jesus who calls the next group of disciples - Simon, Andrew, James, and John - to leave their current lives NOW and follow Him. Can you even imagine walking away from your life as you know it, from family, and responsibilities, and all that you have worked for because someone like Jonah, Paul, or Jesus says you must? What level of trust does that require? I cannot quite grasp it, and yet, there is this nagging from the still small voice inside that I can do better, I can answer the call, I can live a life that calls others to see, respond, and join me in the net cast by God. It does sound a little fishy to an un-faith-filled ear, but then, is there a better way to be caught? Tick-tock...

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, You call us through Prophets and Teachers, through the Gospels of Jesus, and from within our very souls through the Voice of the Holy Spirit. Open our ears and hearts to recognize that our appointed time has grown short. Let us, in the fleeting breath of our human existence, hear again, trust, repent, and leave our nets to follow You.  

                                                     Lord Almighty                            

RESPONSE:                  Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

~ O God our Rock and our Salvation, grant us the courage to walk the true path of discipleship and bring to account for restitution, the leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community, for the words and actions that diminish the lives of all Your people instead of enhancing them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord Almighty

                                                       Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

                                                      

~ O God our Rock and our Salvation, impart and sustain hope for all laid low by illness, homelessness, or despair, and encourage all who provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Lord Almighty

                                                       Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

             

~ O God our Rock and our Salvation, lighten the hearts of those who grieve as You receive our faithful departed with open arms in everlasting love and light. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                       Lord Almighty

                                                       Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

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

                                                       Lord Almighty

                                                       Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

             

~ O God our Rock and our Salvation, we ask Your favor upon all You have chosen to lead us in Your Church. Fill them with the words and actions that will cause us to re-think, re-work, and re-direct our lives toward You. pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord Almighty

                                                       Help us hear, believe, and heed Your call

             

The Celebrant adds:  O God, our Safety and our Honor, urge our complacent wills to become the faith-filled and trustworthy lure, that calls others to follow with us, as the fishers of people Jesus asks us to be. Reconcile us to Your heart and steadfast love through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, live and reign in the bliss of eternal life, 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

Meditation Moments: WE MUST KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE! Martin Luther King, Jr Day 2018

"How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.

How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, 

but it bends toward justice."

~ The Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many writers considerably more eloquent than I have written far more useful and perfect words to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

In this year that brings the 50th Anniversary of his assassination, we find ourselves still asking the question: HOW LONG with ever more frustration, anxiety, and fearful wonder at the almost incomprehensible conditions in this Country and in our World. 

In the wise words of my dear friend, the Rev. Canon Lloyd Casson,

"Let us not just commemorate, let us EMULATE!"

"How Long, Not Long" is the popular name given to the public speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 

on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after the successful completion of the 

Selma to Montgomery March on March 25, 1965. 

 The speech is also sometimes referred to as "Our God Is Marching On!" 

The following is an excerpt from that speech. 

The words, never more relevant than today, are his. 

The emphasis is mine:

"...Our whole campaign in Alabama has been centered around the right to vote. In focusing the attention of the nation and the world today on the flagrant denial of the right to vote, we are exposing the very origin, the root cause, of racial segregation in the Southland. Racial segregation as a way of life did not come about as a natural result of hatred between the races immediately after the Civil War. There were no laws segregating the races then. And as the noted historian, C. Vann Woodward, in his book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, clearly points out, the segregation of the races was really a political stratagem employed by the emerging Bourbon interests in the South to keep the southern masses divided and southern labor the cheapest in the land. You see, it was a simple thing to keep the poor white masses working for near-starvation wages in the years that followed the Civil War. Why, if the poor white plantation or mill worker became dissatisfied with his low wages, the plantation or mill owner would merely threaten to fire him and hire former Negro slaves and pay him even less. Thus, the southern wage level was kept almost unbearably low.

"Toward the end of the Reconstruction era, something very significant happened. That is what was known as the Populist Movement. The leaders of this movement began awakening the poor white masses and the former Negro slaves to the fact that they were being fleeced by the emerging Bourbon interests. Not only that, but they began uniting the Negro and white masses into a voting bloc that threatened to drive the Bourbon interests from the command posts of political power in the South.



Marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge
in Selma, Alabama in March, 1965

"To meet this threat, the southern aristocracy began immediately to engineer this development of a segregated society. I want you to follow me through here because this is very important to see the roots of racism and the denial of the right to vote. Through their control of mass media, they revised the doctrine of white supremacy. They saturated the thinking of the poor white masses with it, thus clouding their minds to the real issue involved in the Populist Movement. They then directed the placement on the books of the South of laws that made it a crime for Negroes and whites to come together as equals at any level. And that did it. That crippled and eventually destroyed the Populist Movement of the nineteenth century...

"Thus, the threat of the free exercise of the ballot by the Negro and the white masses alike resulted in the establishment of a segregated society. They segregated southern money from the poor whites; they segregated southern mores from the rich whites; they segregated southern churches from Christianity; they segregated southern minds from honest thinking; and they segregated the Negro from everything. That’s what happened when the Negro and white masses of the South threatened to unite and build a great society: a society of justice where none would prey upon the weakness of others; a society of plenty where greed and poverty would be done away; a society of brotherhood where every man would respect the dignity and worth of human personality..."

O Creator God ~ guide us to cross the bridge again, together, for the sake of all God's people, in every hamlet, town, city, county, state, and country in this world. Let us keep the Dream Alive, let us fight hatred with love, let us seek You in all that we do, re-dedicate ourselves to Your purpose, and burn the words of Jesus into our very being as he told us to: Love the Lord God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds, AND love our neighbors as [if and because they are] ourselves.  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: God Knows... 2nd Sunday after Epiphany '18 Yr B

For Sunday, January 14, 2018, 2^nd Sunday After Epiphany, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1:1-10 (11-20), Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, 

John 1:43-51

      And Samuel said, "Speak for your servant is listening." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle..." As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him...And all Israel...knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. 
[1 Samuel 3:10b-11,19-a-20]

     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. Indeed there is now a word on my lips, but you O Lord, know it altogether...Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb... [Psalm 139:1-2, 15a]

     But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him...do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 
[1 Corinthians 6:15a, 17, 19]

     Nathanael said to [Philip], "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see..." And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." [John 1:46, 51]

      There are many Psalms that resonate within me and Psalm 139, particularly, always has a profound effect on me. There is my Creator, my Divine Parent, who knew me while my limbs were being knitted in the womb and still traces my journeys and my resting-places. Sometimes, admittedly when I’m not at my best (okay, that’s most of the time), my inner child tries to lie lower as if not to be seen by that Parent, especially when those words on my lips are, well, frankly, quite far from God-like. And then Paul reminds us that our bodies are members of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. I’m still working on that. I find living up to such holy standards, in daily life in faith, far easier to intend than to do.

      I show up at church fairly regularly, give to charity, help people and organizations that help people from time to time, I pray ~ and sometimes it isn't just for Divine intervention to get myself out of a jam. God knows what I do with the rest of my time.

      How do I truly answer THE CALL, and, Follow? Would it were easier to be like young Samuel and merely follow the instructions of a trusted elder. Or to be like Philip, readily follow Jesus and then invite the slightly snarky Nathanael to simply "Come and see."

       But we have those instructions from trusted elders! The readings for this week are calling me to again see and discover how I am to live my life. It is never too late to start over or to begin. For example, there is Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to claim conversion and declare Christianity as a state religion, built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (on the believed site of Jesus’ Tomb), and Old St Peter's Basilica in Rome, convened the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, from which we still use the Nicene Creed, and yet he would not be baptized until he was on his death bed. St. Augustine, who said in his Confessions [written between 397-400] that in the early days of his conversion he asked God to make him chaste and self-controlled but not yet. SO, when does YET arrive for me? How many times have I waved YET away until I think I’m ready? God knows.

        What will it mean for my life, how will I have to change, what will others think ~ am I ready? God knows. Speak, Lord, for I, your (slightly worried) servant/child, is listening. I'm more (or slightly less) ready to come and see, again. My intentions are good. God knows, and still remains with me. I'll try again...         

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, You have searched us and known us, from before we were in the womb and throughout our earthly lives. Tingle our ears and awaken our hearts to remember that we are not our own but rather members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and to hear again, listen, and follow Your call to us.

                                                       Steadfast Lord                          

RESPONSE:               Unite us as One in Your Spirit

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, guide our path as we seek truth, honor, and justice in a world filled with alienation among people and nations. Grant each of us, and the leaders of this World, this Country, and our local Communities, the wisdom and selflessness to choose the well-being of us all, over destructive actions tied to temporal and temporary power. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Steadfast Lord

                                                       Unite us as One in Your Spirit

                                                      

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, strengthen the faith of all who suffer from sickness, addiction, and depression, and for all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Steadfast Lord

                                                       Unite us as One in Your Spirit

             

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, whisper words of hope to the grieving, and let us all celebrate with joy for those now released from the trials of this life, into the unbounded Glory of new life with You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       Steadfast Lord

                                                       Unite us as One in Your Spirit

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                                       Steadfast Lord

                                                       Unite us as One in Your Spirit

             

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, our prayers ascend for all those anointed and elected to lead us in Your church, and guide us on our journey to You. May their insights and faithfulness encourage and embolden us to come again to see, and to live through Your call, in each and every day. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Steadfast Lord

                                                       Unite us as One in Your Spirit

             

The Celebrant adds:  God of Angels and Humanity, renew the right Spirit within us, that as You trace our journeys and our resting places, You find us as open and trustworthy as Samuel, free of deceit and filled with unyielding faith, glorifying You in body, mind, and action. We ask through the Sacrifice of our Redeemer, Christ; and the Sustaining Guidance of the Holy Spirit, who reign with You, together 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: Wading into The New First Day 1st Sunday after the Epiphany '18 Yr B

For Sunday, January 7, 2018, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany, Year B, Readings: Genesis: 1-5, Ps 29, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11

        In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light...And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day. [Genesis 1:1-3, 5b]

     Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness...The LORD shall give strength to his people; the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace. 

[Psalm 29:2, 11]

      Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them... [Acts 19:4-5, 6a]

      In those days Jesus came from Nazareth...and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." [Mark 1:9-11]

        How fitting it seems to begin the New Year with the reading from Genesis 1 about Creation's First Day, with light overcoming darkness and wind across the waters. Then the Gospel of Mark detailing the baptism of Jesus which is considered the First Day for his official ministry, with the Holy Spirit arriving as a Dove and the Voice of God proclaiming Jesus as God's Son. 

        Given all that the Scripture of Advent gave us of John's instructions to prepare the way, and now John baptizing the one who is more powerful than himself, I find it curious that Baptism has such varied practices across the breadth of Christianity. For some denominations it is an obligating sacrament, for others a rite of initiation and adoption into the Christian faith, some require it to participate in certain rituals of worship, or reception into a specific sect. Baptism is required by some and deemed unimportant by others. Many believe that infant Baptism is necessary whenever possible, many others do not. Some may offer it to older children or teens and adults for admission into a particular congregation whether or not one has been baptized elsewhere. And as many reasons for it, opposed to it, or neutral, there are many ways to achieve it.  With water considered a channel for holiness there is 

aspersion (sprinkling), affusion (pouring), or immersion (total or partial, standing or kneeling, or complete submersion). And for those who find themselves wishing they had been baptized but were not for whatever reason, there is the Baptism of Desire - that is, if you want it, you have it. John, in Mark's Gospel, and Paul, in the reading from Acts, are clear that through Jesus we will also be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 

        We are called by Jesus to follow Him, officially baptized or not, so why not start again at the beginning of this new year and the symbolic beginning of his ministry? A new day begins. The words of an old Negro Spiritual say it best. God will trouble the water - stir it up - so we can see the right place to enter the path:  

Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children,
Wade in the water
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see?
God's a-goin' to trouble the water
The Holy Ghost a-coming on me
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

      From the waters of Creation, to the waters of Birth and Baptism, Christ is our bridge over waters troubled and calm and it is He who comes to set our souls ablaze with the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Whether baptized by water, desire, or faith, before now or not, it is time to be refreshed and renewed as we begin our own ministry again. Come on in, this "water" is fine! Let us bathe in the Light of Christ and the Fire of the Holy Spirit! Welcome to the New First Day.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Almighty Creator, in the Beginning, You brought forth light from the formless void and darkness on the First Day. From the waters of Birth and Baptism, Jesus came forth as our new Beginning, a radiant light to dispel the shadows in our souls. Let this be a new First Day, as we accept Baptism in the power of the Holy Spirit, by answering the call to serve Christ in others and ourselves.

                                                      Spirit of the Living God                                                      

RESPONSE:               Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, strengthen us to carry Your voice over the troubled waters of political oppression, injustice, and greed. Give us the words to speak of compassion, and humanity, be heard and cause positive action in the halls of government throughout this Earth, in our Country, and in our Cities and Towns. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

                                                      

~ Almighty Creator, calm the hearts and minds of all who are unsettled by illness, physical challenge, or addiction, and bring rest to those who provide for their comfort. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

             

~ Almighty Creator, we, too, treasure and celebrate all who have gone ahead and are now risen in the beauty of holiness in Your eternal life. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

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

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

             

~ Almighty Creator, refresh and grant special blessings to all who lead us in Your church, as we journey together seeking Your holy will. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

             

The Celebrant adds:  Holy LORD of Power and Glory, release us from the turbulence of the doubt and fear we allow within us, and guide us to a new dawn of faith and hope, quenching our spiritual thirst in the living waters of Christ’s Baptism. We ask this through Jesus, Your Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of Wisdom, who together with You reign as One God, now and forever.  Amen.

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