People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: 2 + 5 = Satisfaction ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost Yr B '18

For Sunday, July 29, 2018, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21

…[David]…saw from the roof a woman bathing…Bathsheba…wife of Uriah…David sent messengers to get her and she came to him…David wrote a letter [to] “set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting…that he may be struck down and die.” [2 Samuel 11:2b, 3b, 4a, 15a,c]

All are corrupt and commit abominable acts...The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God...those evildoers...[who] do not call upon the LORD...will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.[Psalm 14:1b, 2, 4b-c, 5]

I pray that...you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...that you may have the power to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth...[of] the love of Christ...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians 3:16-18]

A large crowd kept following [Jesus]...they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted...When evening came, his disciples got into a boat, and started across the sea...It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough...[and] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [John 6:2, 10b ,16-20]

How, when one is the adored [or feared] King with unlimited power and significant appetites, possessing or immediately acquiring everything desired, even the life or death of another within finger-snapping distance, does one keep that power in check, the appetites moderated, and the ego from attempting to control the world? If you're King David, apparently not very well. But God was watching...and every human reign ends.

Reckless and wanton disregard for the lives of others, as the psalmist describes corrupt and abominable acts, may ultimately be forgiven by God, though not without consequences and only IF the self-serving seek after God’s love and mercy. Otherwise they will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.

Paul's prayer from prison reminds us, that God has the power to grant us inner strength when we seek God and are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ through faith. Although the faith exhibited by the disciples who followed Jesus wasn't always perfect, as ours is also far from perfection, the people knew by the signs of his actions who Jesus was. The available 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread were all Jesus needed to satisfy the hunger of a large crowd. Imagine how faith in Christ, as the Bread of Life, could satisfy our spiritual hunger and deepest soul needs. And, after all that had happened on that day alone, as Jesus walked across the water to the boat - he still had to tell the disciples not to be afraid. How many of us are fearful, anxious, and worried even as we proclaim our faith?
All of us falter or fail in how we live our faith, some fail with ego-moderating, and others with the suppression of various appetites, others just fall away. Even Jesus got angry - righteously so, perhaps, but still...And God is watching, knowing our hearts even more than we do at times, and loving us anyway. Stop, breathe, and pray, every now and then, to be rooted and grounded in love, to try and understand in some small way what is the breadth and length and height and depth of our Creator's gift of this life and the next. Whether feeding the 5,000 on the mountainside or strolling across the Sea of Galilee on foot, God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, by the power of the work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine from the heavens to the universe, on land and at sea. Let us be fed by faith, even if weak, for spiritual and eternal satisfaction, for courage and comfort in the rough seas of life. When we step out together no matter how fearful, we find courage, support, and complete satisfaction in the wealth of Christ’s bounty.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, as You look down upon us and know us deep in our hearts, fortify our inner beings that we may be rooted in faith, fed by Your limitless love, and express the eternal fullness of You in our everyday lives.

Faithful, Merciful God

RESPONSE: Turn our fear into courage

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, equip us to transform the minds and hearts of all who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. Grant us the energy and determination to release all of Your people from bigotry, poverty, and dread. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Faithful, Merciful God