Prayers of the People: And the Answer is... ~ 9th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, August 2, 2020, Readings: TRACK II* Isaiah 55:1-5, Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22; Romans 9:1-5,  Matthew 14:13-21

    Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?...Incline your ear, and come to me, listen, so that you might live… [Isaiah 55:2a, 3a]'

      The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness…The Lord is near…to all who call upon him faithfully…he hears their cry and helps them. [Psalm 145:8, 19, 20b]

   I am speaking the truth in Christ – I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [Romans 9:1-2]

  Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and all the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled... [Matthew 14:19b-20a]

      I was struck immediately by the two verses from Isaiah that I’ve quoted above, beginning with Why do you... Followed on by the reminder in the Psalm that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion... Then Paul astounds us by saying he'd give up his own salvation if he could only bring his Jewish brethren to understand that they and Christ are of the same flesh, that is the ancient Israelites, now the Jewish people, to whom the law was given are also one in Christ. Jesus, after all, was incarnated in Jewish flesh! Paul’s impassioned pronouncement comes just after last week's assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He is, as Paul always is, completely dedicated and unalterably determined to bring the Jewish people to Jesus even at the cost of his own soul (reminiscent of Moses in Exodus 32:32). He loves his fellow Jews and wants them to remember God's unfailing faithfulness over multiple generations that Christ continues. Through their faith, Paul is saying, the Gentiles (now us) can also feel safe and cherished by God in Christ who will not fail us, whose promises will not be broken.

      And while it seems a bit of a stretch to bring these readings together with the iconic miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, there is plenty of food for thought when these are all taken together. While there are billions of words distilling the literal from the symbolic feeding of the five thousand (oh, and let us not forget besides women and children), something significant happened that day. It was well beyond a nice story about a few bits of bread and fish passed around, or a full picnic for sustenance. One commentator described it as an extravagant, bountiful feast of God...the overflowing generosity of grace...in a gift...as improbable as it was unexpected. A reminder that even in hopeless situations, the inadequate can become more than enough and it is in faith then that feeds and nourishes our hope. Hope strengthens our will to live into each day.

   God through Isaiah asks what we are doing with our resources and time, and tells us to incline our ears to listen that [we] may live. The Psalmist echoes that God's presence and love are available always to those who call for help faithfully. Paul's unceasing anguish is palpable as we can relate in our own times in sorrow and wonder at some of the actions and inactions of our fellow humans towards one another. And Jesus feeds us all if we are merely present to him in faith, in hope, through love, and by example.

    There is much to ponder and the God questions I began with are still with us, each and all  – Why  do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”

     Here’s another perspective: There was a lovely amusing series of cartoons for church bulletins called Pontius’ Puddle. In one of them one character says, Sometimes I’d like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about them. His companion asks, What’s stopping you?  The answer comes back, I’m afraid God might ask me the same question. How will I/we answer?

     To reiterate from last week If God is with us, who can be against us? 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, by the Spirit who knows our anguished hearts, we are drawn to Your loving kindness that lifts us when we are bowed down, and satisfies our deepest need.

                                                         Holy and Loving God

RESPONSE:                                  We put our faith in You

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, urge the ears, the wills, and the morals of the power brokers of this World, this Country, and this Community, to incline to Your purpose and Your righteousness in all their ways for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, hear their cry and fulfill the hopes of all who suffer from chronic illness, injury, or anxiety, and uphold the energy of their caregivers.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

           

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, our grieving hearts are soothed by knowing that You receive with joy and open arms, those now newly arrived in glory. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

                       

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, we ask Your special blessings upon those who are chosen to feed our souls through Your Word and Sacraments. Sustain them with Your loving embrace and support, as they lead us ever closer to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

~ The Celebrant adds: God, Steadfast and Righteous, as we come faithfully seeking our spiritual sustenance, we are fed and nourished by the Words and Sacrifice of Christ, our Messiah. Grant us wisdom, courage, and fortitude to carry You with us to feed the souls of all we meet. We ask for these blessings through Jesus, Bread of Life; the Holy Spirit, Breath of Souls; who together with You, Creator of All, are the One God, forever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                                        

*We will return to Track I for Pentecost 10

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: What's in Your Basket? ~ 8th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 26, 2020, Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-39,  Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 TRACK II*

And Solomon said…”O Lord my God…Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people able to discern between good and evil… [1 Kings 3:7a, 9a]

   Turn to me in mercy, as you always do to those who love your Name. Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.  [Psalm 119:132, 135]

    If God is for us, who is against us?...Who will separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:31b, 38]

   Jesus [said]: " The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...like yeast...like treasure hidden in a field...[and] like [a pearl] of great value...[and] like a net that...caught every fish...when it was full, they...put the good into the baskets but threw out the bad. [Matthew 13:31, 33, 44, 45, 48-49]

        In Solomon’s time as in our own there were corporate/communal rituals and worshipful actions along with precise words that allow for congregants to say in unison. Then, as now, there were also individual conversations with God – aka prayers – for a more intimate expression of emotion and thoughts to share with God. Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 3:6-9 is an early example of such a prayer. God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks Solomon what he wants – clearly a test that Solomon passes very well as he is now the icon of his reward: wisdom. The Psalms, of course, are also expressions of prayer and cover every human emotion possible from joy, rage, peace, adoration and more. Today’s Psalm is promise to remain faithful with God’s constant help.

       Even Paul is teaching us about prayer and ways to access God’s help when we often don’t know our own minds or hearts. He reassures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness if we have faith – however small and however it wavers. It is our intention that will be known by God. We may need to be reminded that prayer isn’t about telling God what to do, but rather to ask and seek to know what we are called to fulfill.

       Jesus lets loose quite a barrage of parables to further explain the kingdom of God in everyday illustrations for that time and some in our own. There is something for everyone to do whether we are planting tiny mustard seeds to grow into large trees for nesting birds and human food, mixing yeast with flour to expand the dough of life, finding buried treasure in the field of an everyday experience, or discovering a pearl so perfect that we choose to sell all we own to buy it. And there are times when we must allow ourselves to be caught like fish in a net, and the goal of that moment – and every other – is to be sorted into the baskets with the good fish rather than thrown out with the bad.
        One message here is that there is no perfection in humanity but in choosing well, our smallest efforts can grow and yield a large return. We are to remember that God is always present even if that discovery sometimes requires some digging on our part. Paul tells us that to be separated from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our faults, is nearly impossible. After all, If God is for us, who can be against us? Only ourselves! And the choice to be separated would have to be our own.

       The Spirit of God, if we open ourselves in faith, is the yeast that expands our understanding, our relationship, and the willingness to seek God’s purpose in all that we do. The love of Christ is what blends us all, as Christ’s own, together, and God gathers the yield of all the harvest. Some days in God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the constant that draws us. All we have to do is choose what’s in our basket: a great pearl or bad fish?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our God, the smallest seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday life, are a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to see the ordinary as miraculous in Your Creation, filling our souls beyond measure through faith.

                                                       O Spirit of God                    

RESPONSE:                                Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, endow all who govern in every area of our World with wise and understanding minds, able to discern and choose good over evil for the health and welfare of all Your people. We pray especially for: Donald, our President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, ease the burdens and fear of illness, injury, or despair for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

          

~ O Lord, our God, we hold closely in our hearts all who have traveled to the end of their human experience, and now shine in Your eternal radiance and peace.  We pray especially for…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

                       

~ O Lord, our God, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite for all who are called to lead us in Your church, teaching us to pray, worship, and work together, all according to Your purpose. We pray especially for: Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop; David, our Rector; Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus; Emily and Peter, our Associate Priests.

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~The Celebrant adds: O God of Mercy, as You are always for us, nothing can separate us from the enduring love of Christ but ourselves. Catch us in Your ample net and draw us from the troubled waters of this life, into the eternal good of Your Heavenly Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Hope and our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Counselor, who together with You are our One God, forever and ever. Amen.

*We will be using Track II for Pentecost 8 & 9

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Un-Tare-ing the Wheat ~ 7th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 19, 2020, Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23; Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

 

        And the Lord stood beside him and said, "...Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place - and I did not know it!"...He called that place Beth-El. [Genesis 28:13a, 15-16, 19a]

        Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways...Look well whether there be any wickedness in me and lead me in the way that is everlasting. [Psalm 139:1-2, 23]

        When we cry, "Abba! Father!" is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then...heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ...But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."  [Romans 8:15b-17a, 25]

            [Jesus] answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels...The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect...all causes of sin and all evildoers, and...throw them into the furnace...Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. [Matthew 13:37-42a, 43a]

        "Pogo" was a daily American newspaper comic strip by Walt Kelly that ran from 1948 to 1975. Set in the Okefenokee Swamp in the deep south, it used animal characters that portrayed human characteristics, and often mixed comedy with social and political satire. On the second Earth Day, in 1971, Pogo the possum is trudging through the swamp with his friend, Porkypine. In this two panel rendering, the characters bemoan the state of the swamp with the overwhelming amount of rubbish that has been dumped in it, and Pogo utters a now iconic phrase that captures us all too well still today: We have met the enemy, and he is us.

       We are often, and in many ways, our own worst enemies. Jacob is frequently a victim of his own schemes (learned at his mother's knee) as he, in this case, has run away from his understandably angry twin Esau, and will never see his mother again.

        The verses of Psalm 139 in this reading are the comforting ones that we use in Liturgy. See verses 18-21 for those days when a harsh look at our sometimes unkindly selves and a cathartic venting feels necessary!

         Paul speaks to our inward groaning and mortal struggles to avoid the deeds of the body as he exhorts us to hope for what we do not see and wait for it with patience.

         But it is this parable of Jesus, often known as the wheat and the tares [noxious weeds that resemble the wheat sprouts], that offers us a lesson in prudent personal agronomy. It takes an experienced farmer/gardener to know the difference between seedlings that grow into the desired plants and those that produce invasive, destructive weeds. The Master of this field wisely leaves well enough alone, as at maturity, the reapers will have no difficulty in distinguishing the wheat from the weeds, knowing which to save and which to burn.

        While the Master of this story blames an enemy for the deliberate seeding of tares in his field, we can look to ourselves for the crop of noxious weeds we produce. One grows each time we point a finger in hate, however self-righteous and correct we think we are. Another shoots up each time we judge and belittle those we believe to be the enemy of our personal agenda (even if they are). The next grows tall every time we decide who is an undesirable and useless plant growing where it isn't wanted. And half-an acre rises up especially when we believe we know who God will - or should - burn. It is so easy to sow another seed of soul-destroying rubbish in our own spiritual ground, reducing it to an unholy swamp.

         The message is pretty clear, and always difficult: it's not our job to reap the harvest and separate the weeds from the wheat. We are called to be the good seeds, the children of the kingdom, to be fruitful and nourish the fields of the Lord. In growing strong in Christ together, we will crowd out temptation, resist and lessen the impact of the noxious weeds in God's Creation. The true and fertile seeds of the Spirit are ready to sprout. God is the true and only judge of the hearts of others. Jesus came to save the fallen, not just the faithful. Let us not be the enemy. Only God is the One to un-tare the wheat.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Abba! God! You have traced our journeys from the womb and know well our hearts and thoughts. Keep us in the Spirit of Hope to labor with patience in Your fields, and away from the causes of sin.

                                        O Lord of All
RESPONSE:            You are in this place

~ Abba! God! Impel the hearts and souls of all who govern our World, our Country, and our Community to tear out the choking tendrils of deadly contagion, injustice, and greed to save the lives of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                        O Lord of All
                                        You are in this place

~ Abba! God! Relieve the pain and despair from those who suffer with illness, injury, or addiction, and sustain the strength of those who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                        O Lord of All
                                        You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We lift up and release those we love into Your joyous welcome, to shine like the sun in Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                        O Lord of All
                                        You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                        O Lord of All
                                        You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We commend to You, with gratitude, those who have committed their lives to us in Your service. Bless, inspire, and uphold them as they work with us in Your Creation to guide us always toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                        O Lord of All
                                        You are in this place

The Celebrant adds: O God of Promise and Glory, sow in us a longing to take the wings of each morning to search and know our own hearts, to clear away the weeds of sin and doubt, and to prosper our spiritual ground as the Beth-El we each are called to be. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom and Comfort, who together with You reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: The Ground of Being ~ 6th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 12, 2020, Readings: Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-2

       The children struggled together within her...the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided..."  [Genesis 25:22a, 23a]

        Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path. 

[Psalm 119:105] 

        To set the mind ion the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace...But you are not in the flesh; You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  [Romans 8:6, 9]

         Let anyone with ears listen! ...for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word...yet such a person has no root...and immediately falls away...As for what was sown among thorns, this is one who hears the word but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word, understands it, who indeed bears fruit... [Matthew 13:9, 20a, 21a,b; 22, 23a]

           This week, among other things, we have twins who fight, parents who play favorites, and the Divine Master Gardener at work. 

                 The story of Jacob, whose narrative will take nearly half of Genesis, begins. He and his twin, Esau, struggle together in the womb and far beyond, and the telling of it has all the hallmarks of a compelling and contemporary family drama. Hero and anti-hero in one, Jacob's significant life begins with his name in Hebrew that basically means "heel", from his holding on to his brother's heel at birth. It also comes from the same Hebrew root that means "cheat" and so he is, quite often, a heel who cheats. The family dynamics are quite fascinating as we will see going forward but there is, I believe, an important continuing theme undergirding the narrative itself that repeats from Genesis to Jesus to Paul ~ the flawed and sometimes despicable humans that move the people of God are all chosen by God and gifted with the free will to obey or not. Many of those who play the larger roles find themselves in thorny patches on rocky roads diverted from their appointed mission by the lure of earthly distractions, intemperance, or a volatile nature. Yet they are brought to us in Scripture, remembered for their deeds and misdeeds, as human as we are, and, like us, with depths and shallows, tragedies and triumphs, ordinary and extraordinary depending on the day, the dilemma, and the choices made. 

                 We, too, are created and chosen by God with the seeds of the Spirit planted within us. It would seem that all we need to do is till, tend, water, feed, and weed for a bountiful harvest of God's love, Christ's salvation, and life eternal. But, of course, it's not always quite so simple. Farming is tough work, a 24/7 job on and in the ground. Great soil, good weather, and hard work should yield a good crop. But even excellent farmers have epic failures despite their best efforts. We, as all those who came before and all who come after, will encounter feasts and famines, droughts and floods, rocks, thorns, and pestilence, within the span of our lives; some of it through no fault of our own and some by our willing neglect and impetuous choices. But, the Spirit of God dwells within us and when we are shaken back to that consciousness, it is never too late to replenish the soil, enrich it with the nutrients of prayer and penitence, and nurture the deep roots that always remain. Whatever is on the surface of our temporal acreage at any given time, the Word of God will ground us if we will hear and understand. 

                A dandelion can flower in all manner of groundings, and a desert will erupt in blooms with the slightest moisture. Whenever the Word penetrates my awareness, I must try, try again to clear the rocks, cut back the thorns, and cultivate those deep roots that are the ground of my being; to be fruitful and multiply the good yields of my soul, to belong to Christ Jesus again and forever.

  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, Your Word is a lantern to our feet on the journey of this mortal life. Grant us eyes to see and ears to hear Your call to us, each and together, to seek the fertile path of the Spirit, to listen deeply, understand, and to willingly live and act upon Your Will.

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

RESPONSE:            Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, sow the healthy seeds of grace and goodness in the souls of those who govern this World, our Nation, and our Community. Divert them from the way of thorns into the arable terrain of fairness, honor, and integrity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, comfort and heal all who struggle with illness in body, mind, or heart, and ease the burden of those who care for them.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

           

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, we commend to Your hand, all who have left this world for Your Kingdom where there is no death, only life everlasting in the fullness of joy. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

                       

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, plant a grower’s faith and vitality within those chosen and anointed as the tillers of Your verdant fields. Guide them to model and inspire spiritual growth in each other, in ourselves, and in our community of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord Jesus, our Christ

                                                Deepen our roots in You

The Celebrant adds:  Lord of Creation, our Divine Gardener, cultivate our hearts to free us from the weeds of temporal pleasures that choke away our spiritual birthright of salvation. Enrich our willingness to tend and nurture Your Word and Presence within us for a fruitful yield; a soul-fulfilling harvest to last eternally. We ask this through Jesus, Sower of the Word, and the Holy Spirit, Wellspring of Wisdom, who live and thrive together with You as One God, now and forever.  Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com