For Sunday, July
7, 2019 ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings:
Isaiah 66:10-14, Psalm 66:1-8, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16,
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
As a mother
comforts her child, so I will comfort you… and it will be known that the hand
of the Lord is with his servants…
[Isaiah
66:13a, 14b]
Bless our God, you
peoples…who holds our souls in life… [Psalm:66:7a, 8a]
You who have received the Spirit should
restore [a transgressor] in a spirit of gentleness…Bear one another’s
burdens…
for you reap whatever you sow...
if you sow to the Spirit, you
will reap eternal life...let us work for the good of all, and especially for
those of the family of faith. [Galatians 6:1b,2a, 7b, 8b, 10]
[The Lord] said to them, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few...Go on your way. See, I am sending
you out like lambs into the midst of wolves...Whatever house you enter, first
say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone...shares in peace, your peace will
rest on that person; but if not it will return to you...But whenever you enter
a town and they do not welcome you...say, 'Even the dust of your town that
clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.' [Luke 10:2a, 3, 5-7, 10-11a]
There is nothing new
happening in the world. The world is and has always been a fearsome place. Wars,
threats of war, battles for power, hate mongering, violence, poverty and desperation, extreme
weather, and multiple other catastrophes destroy lives daily everywhere around
the globe. We truly are but sheep among wolves in the fields of ancient and new
history and humanity. But there are more of us now than ever before and we think
that we "know" more given the increasing rapidity of the broken
"breaking news," misinformation, disinformation, “viral” and
manipulated Us vs Them social media posts, wearying ourselves into the anxiety
of alternating chaos and paralyzing ambivalence. Yet Isaiah provides a glimmer
of our consoling God who comforts us, nurtures us, and, as the Psalmist says, who
holds our souls in life. All we need to do is know that, accept it,
live it.
Paul slows us down by reminding
us that we who have received the Spirit are to do our best to bring back
into the community, in a spirit of gentleness, those who have transgressed
in some way. As Jesus tells the disciples, enter a house in peace. If we
are not welcomed, we are free, through Jesus, to shake off the dust and move
along, without accepting the taunts, threats, or disbelief. Each of us must
take responsibility for ourselves yet bear one another’s burdens. We can’t
make an unbeliever believe by argument, but perhaps through observing our
sincerity and faithfulness, a fearful soul will begin to open.
We reap what we sow,
says this part of letter to the Galatians, and we are not to grow weary in showing
others helpful care according to the teachings of Christ. We are to find joy in
the humility of serving God in the Jesus that lives in everyone. In faith, with
prayer, and in community we can let go of fearing the wolves who will mock us -
or worse - and embrace the commitment to live the life we are called to live. Let
us walk together, in the Family of Faith, to follow the Gospel path, offer
Peace to all, and accept what returns. Let us shake the dust of complacency from
ourselves as Christ's lambs, and labor among the wolves in the fields of God. Even
the strongest most vicious wolf among us will fall eventually; let us always live with and offer
the welcome of Jesus’ saving power and love. Whether accepted or refused, the offer transforms the bite.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~
Loving Lord, who holds our souls
in life, arouse us in heart and mind to bear one another’s burdens as we labor
in Your fields. Help us sow to the Spirit to reap a plentiful harvest for the
good of all, especially for the family of faith.
O God of All and Everywhere
RESPONSE:
We find our strength in You
~ Loving Lord,
spare the lambs of Your pasture from the wolves of unbridled self-interest that
lurk in many global and local governments now and in the ones to come. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O God of All and Everywhere
We find our strength in You
~ Loving Lord, comfort all who are trapped in
chronic sickness, poverty, or depression, and lighten the hearts of all who
give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O God of All and Everywhere
We find our strength in You
~ Loving Lord, as You console hearts in the depths
of grief, infuse a spark of joy that grows into rejoicing, to know that those
we have sent to You are a new creation of life, love, and peace for all
eternity. We pray especially for…
O God of All and Everywhere
We find our strength in You
~ Loving Lord, we pause in this
moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or
silently…add your own petitions
O God of All and Everywhere
We find our strength in You
~ Loving Lord,
grant infectious energy and contagious inspiration to those You have appointed
to lead us on the Path to everlasting life in You. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
O God of All and Everywhere
We find our strength in You
The Celebrant
adds: Nurturing, Knowing God, excite our desire to shake off the dust
of our own complacency and to immerse ourselves in Your service. May our lives
bless You by all that we do in the spirit of gentleness and in the name of
Christ. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer,
who together with You are One God, infinite and eternal. Amen.
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