People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Be the One in Ten ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '19 Yr C

For Sunday, October 13, 2019 ~ 18^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Psalm 111, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19

But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash and be clean'? So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. [2 Kings 5:1-14]

…the Lord is gracious and full of compassion…The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; all his commandments are sure. [Psalm 111:4b; 7]

Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. [2 Timothy 2:14]

Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [Luke 17:17-18]

Servants asked Naaman if he might have agreed immediately to the healing ritual that Elisha prescribed if the activity had been more difficult. After all, a mighty warrior only does difficult tasks of great importance, not simple and ordinary things. Perhaps we, as ordinary mortals, feel the task of truly living into our faith is just easy enough to get to later on. We escape into checklists of giving money and attending church services as doing our basic duty, with perhaps a volunteer activity here and there. But in moments when we are inspired to look beyond the ordinary we wander off to another river, rather than one before us, to seek our cleansing and healing. Once there we may not realize until too late that we are in over our heads by the lure of this temporary world, and yet swimming to God’s shore is too easy for now.

We in this country fail, in epic proportions, to avoid wrangling over words, especially in the midst of a presidential campaign, attempting to out shout and insult one another on social media, however mutedly behind the computer or phone screen. We also fail to understand the reality that such arguing changes no minds and only ruins those who are listening as well as the one wrangling. But, of course, who of us listens to the arguments of anyone we have already decided is wrong? Are we are all ruined and in exile from one another and from God? The Letter to Timothy brings our focus back to do our best to present ourselves to God in all that we are, say, and do.

In the Gospel reading, 10 lepers who begged Jesus for healing were told to present themselves to the priest. After they did and realized they were all healed, they all went on their merry ways ~ except this foreigner. Only 1 out of 10, the Samaritan foreigner, turned back, in faith, to thank Jesus. How often do I?
For me, the readings this week seem to particularly mirror where I see my own conscious and unconscious behaviors and responses to upsets in my body, mind, and/or spirit. I am all-too-often in self-imposed exile from God. I do my own wrangling over words and thoughts, ignoring the wonders of Creation around me, complaining about all the injuries from others (real and imagined), and celebrating only myself when wellness or some other good occurs. Time to get out the NO WHINING banner, return from the exile I chose, and live a faith-filled life where I am planted, remembering why and for Whom I was created. Remembering that in the exercise of the faith I claim, I don’t need to be a mighty warrior. Now is the time to realize I don’t need to make my simple faith too difficult to live in, acknowledge to all, and be grateful. It is past time for my faith to be conscious again and to present myself to God in Christ each day directly and through all that I do and say. Now and always it is time for my faith to remind me to be at least the one-in-ten who immediately turns to Christ in thanksgiving in all things great and small.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Eternal God, shine again in the darkness that covers us in times of hardship and when we distance ourselves from You. Restore our conscious faith, that we may always give You thanks for healing us, in ways known and unknown, as we walk each day toward our salvation in Christ.

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

RESPONSE: We return to You with thanks and praise

~ Eternal God, open the souls of all who hold political authority on land and sea and in the air across Your diverse Creation. Guide them that they may see You reflected in themselves, in every human face, in every grain of sand, so to govern justly, mercifully, and with humility. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious, Compassionate Lord