People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: The Heart of the House ~ 5th Sunday of Easter '20 Yr A

For Sunday, May 10, 2020, 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, Readings: Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. [Acts 7:59-60]

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge...lead me and guide me...for you are my tower of strength...Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. [Psalm 31:1a, 3b, 5b]

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation...Come to him, a living stone...and like living stones, let yourself be built into a spiritual house...you are a chosen race...God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [1Peter 2:2 4a, 5a, 9a,b]

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe in me also...Jesus said to [Thomas], "I am the way, and the truth, and the life...If you know me, you will know my father also...Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these..." [John 14:1, 6a,b; 12a]

We hear very little about Stephen in the lectionary even as he has the distinction of being Christianity's First Martyr. His story - there isn't a whole lot - is in the prior chapter and verses, with a few more words beyond his death. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles is Luke's summary account of the activities of the original 12, and the newer Apostles, from the Ascension of Jesus through Paul's final imprisonment in Rome. Stephen's story begins briefly in chapter 6:5 and carries through from 6:8 until 8:3 where we find Saul, who becomes Paul, ravaging the church because people lamented Stephen's death. The more success the Apostles - Stephen among them - became at attracting disciples to join them, even some of the priests, the angrier the High Priest and Council grew. These Jesus-followers were a threat to their established order, and, especially their political power. They thought they had ended their woes when they fomented the political crucifixion of Jesus. And then those pesky followers kept growing in number. Another political murder was essential. It has never really ended; we just don't want to recognize it in our own time.

Stephen's commitment to Jesus mirrors Jesus' commitment on the cross, and, Stephen asks for those who have stoned him to be absolved, as Jesus did. The recurring theme in all these readings for this Sunday, for me, is commitment. What is the state of my commitment to Christ? Should I be, need I be willing to be a martyr for Christ? Yes, no, maybe, sort of? Is death the only form of martyrdom? It’s not something we western Christians generally want to ponder. Aren’t the current quarantine protests, for and against, enough to worry about? Isn’t going to church (if only online) and/or praying regularly (mostly), and sending some money, enough of a commitment? We’re not 1^st century Israel after all and I liked the Good Shepherd story better.

Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled yet, especially in this unsettling time of pandemic, it is troubling to wonder how I am supposed to be as a Christian. The messages from various denominations, not to mention some political factions, seem entirely contradictory to the message of Christ as I believe it. But it was the same in Jesus' time, and in many more times since, and this is where we hit the stones on The Way. We cannot be certain that we believe as fully and completely and as well as we want to or know as much as we think we’re supposed to but Jesus is that strong rock, that precious cornerstone that holds our spiritual house in place. When we truly turn our hearts and commit our spirits to him, when we speak our belief in him through our words and actions, it will definitely be a very rocky road on more than a few occasions. It is by walking together in and as a community of faith, by continually exploring our own understanding of what we believe and why, that our foundation is strengthened, and our hearts are un-troubled a little more each day. We will trip and fall, be ignored or outright rejected, we'll get a lot wrong, but if we got this far on faith, it is because in our hearts we are becoming the living stones. Together we find the courage and the strength to proclaim the mighty acts of him who called each of us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let us drink deeply of the pure, spiritual milk that will nourish us all the way into salvation as we turn to Christ as the Heart of our House.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, our Stronghold, You are the Cornerstone of our spiritual house, the purest Milk for our spirits; our Way, our Truth, and our Life. Lead us into the fullness of God’s marvelous light, away from the deep darkness of sin.

O Lord, O God of Truth

RESPONSE: Oh Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, embolden us, and arouse the courage of Stephen within us, to urge the political powers across this Nation, this Community, and this Planet, to employ compassion and quell inhumanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth