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…
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…
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…
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.
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