For
Sunday, November 11, 2018, 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Reading Bridges Not Walls*, Psalm
127, Seven Days**,
Mark 12:38-44
God-with-us, you sit down in our midst. Nothing can separate us
from your love – not towering concrete walls or the deep darkness between
searchlights; not distance from friends or despair in our hearts that the world’s
wrongs cannot be changed. [Jan Sutch Pickard]
As we honour the graves of our neighbours may we face those we
fear, cry justice for the oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace
flourish until the moon fails. [Rosemary Power]
Then [Jesus] called his
disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more
than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have
contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in
everything she had, all she had to live on. [Mark
12:43-44]
God-with-us, you sit down in our midst is the powerful and
comforting opening to this week’s readings as we explore the theme of Our World at Peace. This reading from
Scottish poet Jan Sutch Pickard is hopeful in its recounting of ways in which
humans experience separation and despair and yet are never separated from God’s
love. The second reading also shines a strong light on the realities of our world
upended by the damage we humans can do to others. By action and by complacency when
we build barriers to hide what we fear to
see…wear wounds unhealed by anger…when
we defend ourselves from other people’s rights peace disappears. Even in the first part of
the Gospel, Jesus is warning about
those who cannot be trusted, those who seek only honor for themselves and devour
widow’s houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. Jesus
is quick to say in effect, that God knows what we carry in our hearts and minds
and the mere appearance of faithfulness will not help in the end.
And then the story of the widow who gives all she has out of her poverty in the
midst of those who give so much more from their abundance. But with nothing to
lose, who, then, is more impoverished? How is peace in the whole world attained if our actions, consciously or not, are harmful and divisive?
The concept of World Peace is daunting in and of itself. What possible difference
could this one small human make in the face of so much destruction by on-going wars
large and small, global and one-on-one? Peace
must begin within ourselves first. St. Francis of Assisi prayed famously, let there be peace on earth and let it begin
with me and if we are not at peace inside, we cannot transmit peace to others.
This day, November 11, 2018, is the 100th Anniversary
of the Armistice that formally ended WWI, the momentary peace in the world that
has never lasted long because we deny God’s lineage in ourselves and others.
Abundance of wealth and privilege is not an antidote to the poverty of
self-importance. When we fail to embrace the fullness of the Gospel message in
how we live our lives, we may discover too late that too much is not enough. Let
us begin to change our part of this world by praying for peace within ourselves.
When we are at peace, we radiate peace and God’s love to others. Easy, no. But life-giving,
yes. Rosemary Power also prays at the end of our 2nd Reading in hope-filled
words that can give rise to acts of peace: As
we honour the graves of our neighbours may we face those we fear, cry justice
for the oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace flourish till the moon
fails. Amen! One small step for humankind…
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader:
~ O God-with-us, guide us to seek and expect You in everyone
we meet, to know You living deep within us, and ask as You sit down in our
midst, to teach us the words to pray without ceasing, for the fullness of peace
in the whole of Your Creation.
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
RESPONSE: We put our trust in You
~ O God-with-us, guide us to be fearless as we carry the
words and actions of peace and equity to the halls of government in our World,
our Nation, and our Community, to establish for all time that the rights and
privileges of some are the rights and privileges of all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
We put our trust in You
~
O God-with-us, lay Your healing hand
upon those weary of the pain, anguish, or fears of this life, and hold fast to
those who offer caring help.
We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
We put our trust in You
~ O God-with-us, may our grief be calmed as we send our
loved ones Home to the eternal splendor and glory of new life in Christ. We pray especially for:
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
We put our trust in You
~ O
God-with-us, we pause in this moment
to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and
memorials, aloud or silently. We ask Your special blessings upon
all the men and women Veterans who have served their Country in the Armed
Forces in war and in peace, and particularly those who have never returned and
those who have permanent injury…add your own petitions
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
We put our trust in You
~ O God-with-us, ease
the path of all who are anointed to call us to Your Word and Sacraments and to
inspire us to serve in this world together in Christ’s holy name. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Lord, in Safety and in Danger
We put our trust in You
The
Celebrant adds:
Creator Lord, Spirit of Hope, 100 years ago today, all of Your people breathed
a collective sigh of peace and promise for the future, as the misery of World
War I was signed, sealed, and finished. But restive humans, never satisfied,
keep destroying one another through wars on battlefields and wars of racial,
religious, and economic divisiveness and violence. Release us from the poverty
of self-importance and complacence to joyfully accept the abundance of unashamedly and openly
embracing Christ’s Gospel of peace, truth, and justice with all, for all, and
everywhere. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Example, and through the Holy
Spirit, our Wisdom Guide, who together with You are One, Infinite, Eternal God,
now and forever. Amen.
*1st Reading: Bridges
Not Walls
God-with-us, you sit down
in our midst.
Nothing can separate us
from your love –
not towering concrete
walls
or the deep darkness
between searchlights;
not distance from friends
or despair in our hearts
that the world’s wrongs
cannot be changed.
You are with our brothers
crowded at the checkpoint,
with our sisters
witnessing for peace:
you sit down in our midst.
Born into poverty, to
displaced people living under occupation,
you shared our human
lives,
and we know that your love
can never be contained
by the walls of
separation.
You sit down in our midst,
God-with-us. Amen.
~ Jan Sutch
Pickard, a poet,
preacher and storyteller in Scotland
**2nd Reading: Seven Days
Creator Lord of the
unclaimed place and of clashing claims, of no one’s land where some have homes,
in danger zones, in human souls, in nations’ claims: we are all guilty. We build
barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people’s hearts,
we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger,
we defend ourselves from other people’s rights. Drive out the demons that
divide neighbours.
Jesus, in the land
where your feet were tired, where you carried the oppressor’s burden, broke the
chains of the prisoners, demolished walls, made wounded lives blossom, and set
our hearts free to turn and to serve: may you be the potter in our lives’
neutral zones; in divided land, may justice return.
Spirit of hope, may
those who build houses live in them, those who plant olive trees harvest them,
may they shelter under fig trees, give water to strangers, tell stories to
children, keep Covenant with God.
As we honour the
graves of our neighbours may we face those we fear, cry justice for the
oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace flourish till the moon fails.
~ Rosemary Power, From Seven Days - Stories and reflections for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel
~ Rosemary Power, From Seven Days - Stories and reflections for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel
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
No comments:
Post a Comment