For Sunday, June
14, 2020, Readings: Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7), Psalm 116:1, 10-17, Romans 5:1-8,
Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23)
Now Sarah said,
"God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with
me." [Genesis 21:6]
I love the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me...How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done
for me?...I will call upon the Name of the LORD. [Psalm 116:1,10-11]
Since
we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...we have obtained access to this grace...and
we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God...we also boast in our sufferings...[that] produces
endurance...and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit... [Romans 5:1-6]
Jesus went about...proclaiming the good news...curing every
disease...he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said..."The harvest is plentiful,
but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into his harvest"..."See, I am sending you out like sheep
into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves...But
the one who endures to the end will be saved." [Matthew 9:35-38; 10:16]
When [Jesus] saw
the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd. It is startling, at times, when the words of
Scripture are so easily seen in the news, in the cities and towns, in the
streets of today. When Jesus sent the disciples -
and us by extension - out like sheep into the midst of wolves with
the admonishment to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, it
wasn't with the understanding that all will be easy and comfortable. In fact,
then as now, the assignment is quite frightening and dangerous. The key tools
for our success at attaining a share in the glory of God are wisdom and
innocence. Innocence, it must be said, is NOT about being naïve or
dimwitted. It is about paying attention to surroundings, who or what is lurking
in them, and keeping ourselves and each other safe from the clutches of
sin.
Sheep
are as good or better at flocking together as their feathery avian counterparts
and just as skittish when disturbed. Unlike the birds of the air, sheep have
limited directional options and will frequently scatter helter-skelter when
frightened. The shepherd's job to calm them is all the more difficult and
important as the shepherd must continually shift the flock to different
pastures for feeding and safety. But sheep do come to trust their shepherd and
to recognize and remember both animal and human faces and, along with a keen
sense of smell, the comfort or danger they represent. The behavior of the flock
is communal and spontaneous - impulsive and reactionary - to threats real and
merely perceived. How like sheep we humans are, except that our sense of
"smell" doesn't always tip us off to the many wolves in our midst.
The wolves of
this world are many indeed, but there are billions upon billions of sheep. The importance of our
flocking together as a community of Christ was never more crucial as now.
Jesus was clear when he says later in Matthew: For where two or
three are gathered in my name, I am there among them [Mt 18:20]. As the body
of Christ, each endowed with specific gifts from the Holy Spirit, we are called
to labor in the fields of the LORD, to build up the Kingdom, and ultimately to
share in God's glory through the sacrifice of Jesus. Our safe haven is always shepherded by the constant Presence of Christ among and within us.
Our community of believers is a
place to learn from, comfort, and guide one another around the wolves that
would devour us, harass us, or tempt us. As we flock together, we also reap the
benefit of joyful times. God gave laughter to an aged Sarah, and to us in many
and various ways. While we may not always feel like whistling while we work, we
can seek pause to enjoy our life together, gather others lost and alone in
their fields, and continually shift ourselves and our fellow sheep out of the
dens of wolves and back onto the path of hope that leads to the Heavenly and
Eternal Pasture. As Paul told the Romans, Hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that
has been given us.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~ God
of Grace and Hope, arouse and provoke us in heart and in mind to take up
the labor in Your fields, sow to the Spirit, and reap the plentiful harvest to
grow Your family of faith.
Lord of Love and
Glory
RESPONSE:
We call upon Your Name
~ God of Grace and Hope, keep
us wise, fervent, and unceasing in our quest to speak Your truth to misguided
power as we strive for Justice, Compassion, and Principled governing across
this World, this Country, and our Community. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Lord of Love and Glory
We
call upon Your Name
~ God of Grace and Hope, grant
comfort and endurance to all who suffer from chronic or life-threatening disease,
depression, or desperate circumstance, and constantly renew the energy of their
caregivers. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…
Lord of Love and Glory
We
call upon Your Name
~ God of Grace and Hope, precious in Your sight is the death of
Your servants. We hold them always in our hearts as You now hold them in Your
everlasting embrace.
We pray especially for…
Lord of Love and Glory
We
call upon Your Name
~ God of Grace and Hope,
we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings,
intercessions, petitions, and memorials…
Lord of Love and Glory
We
call upon Your Name
~ God of Grace and Hope, uplift
and uphold all who lead us on our journey to You, as faithful witnesses of the
love and presence of Christ, through their prayer and service in His name. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord of Love and Glory
We
call upon Your Name
The Celebrant adds:
Holy God, Holy and Mighty God, guide us to safeguard our souls from the
devouring wolves of temptation in this life. Fill us with the innocence and
wonder of holy laughter, and diligence in Your service as we spend our human time
in thanksgiving for the gift of Salvation. We ask through the redeeming
sacrifice of Jesus, our Christ, and Your boundless love from the Holy Spirit,
who together with You are One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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