A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, March 29, 2021

Prayers of the People: Risen Son ~ Easter Day '21 Yr B

For Sunday, April 4, 2021, Readings: Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8

    Peter began to speak..."I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable..."[Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead...everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. [Acts 10:34-35]

           Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his mercy endures forever....On this day the LORD has acted and we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:1, 24]

          For I handed on to you as of first importance...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures... [1 Corinthians 15:3-4]

        As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. [Mark 16:5-6a]

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

        EASTER is here! Hallelujah!! Christ is Risen!!! Wherever you are on this planet whether bursting into Spring, slipping into Autumn, or somewhere in between, today our Salvation is assured, again and still, through our faith in this Risen Lord of All. Yet it will likely be the second quietest Easter for many of us.
        Daily life in the time of pandemic continues from the upended of the usual, the regular, and even the irregular from last year. Now we are to experience a second holiday/Holy Day apart from each other and our prior expressions of extra-glorious festival worship services of common memory. Yet hope does spring eternal as we look ahead to newer, improved, and more creative online worship with pre-recorded music and choirs and joy-filled Liturgies. Even for those for whom Easter isn’t “all that” spiritually, this year will have a slightly more celebratory feeling than the abruptness of last year’s quiet.
      Yet, I am again drawn to the words of Thomas Merton in his book The Sign of Jonas, "The grace of Easter is a great silence, an immense tranquility and a clean taste in your soul. It is the taste of heaven...a discovery of order above all order...a wine without intoxication, a joy that has no poison in it. Life without death..." After the strange experience of last Easter, what might we discover about this Easter and the gifts it holds if we decide to accept? 
    There are four Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This year we hear from the Gospel of Mark, which generally feels to me as a newspaper account, light in detail and flourish with just the basics. If you were asked to tell the Gospel Resurrection story, which of the four is closest to your memory? What does Easter mean to you, how would you describe it? Listening to or reading different accounts of the same event can give us a fresh perspective and a new experience of the moment.
     Take some time this Easter season and read the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Reflect on what surprises you and what questions arise. Notice the similarities and differences. Wonder, and try to decide, if one account speaks to you more than another and why? Or perhaps you'll mix and match the Gospel writers' accounts to arrive at your own version, visualizing yourself in the time and place. Whatever you do, ask yourself: So what? What does it all mean for my life today, tomorrow, and beyond? What will I do ~ or stop doing ~ as a result of reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection? 
     Merton also says, in He is Risen, “Christ is the Lord of a history that moves. He not only holds the beginning and the end in his hands, but he is in history with us, walking ahead of us to where we are going…True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power that we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation.” How important are these words in these current days?
     Let’s seek that clean taste in our souls, that fresh joy, that creative transformation, and discover a bit of the great silence within as we dust off and resurrect our faith to meet and be liberated by Christ beyond the tomb. Now we again meet the Christ moving within us and before us, and our path with him, though not easy, will lead us into the eternal Easter of Salvation. Choirs of angels await… And while we’re at it, let us continue to be in touch with those for whom Church is always distant and unattainable, who are still more isolated than some. A phone call, a note, a mail-ordered Easter basket will help to keep Christ present through us in our absence from one another. A little taste of heaven goes a long way. The Risen Son is our Light of Life. Hallelujah!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, the earth-bound tomb is empty! You are raised to the right hand of God from the temporary bindings of human death. You redeemed our souls that we may accept Your gift of new life and join You in the joy and glory of eternal salvation.

                                                      Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
RESPONSE:              Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!  
         
~  Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, Your Death and Resurrection fulfilled the Scriptures as the Sacred Victim of political murder, feared most by those whose political power was merely temporal and time-limited. Help us strive to remind those who now hold earthly power in our World, in our Country and in our Community, that God shows no partiality and all who believe and do right are acceptable and forgiven through You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
                                                       Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, lavish Your healing grace and glory on all those who are ill in body, mind, or spirit, and on those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
                                                       Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, by Your Sacrifice, mortal death has been vanquished and the ransom for sin has been paid for those we love, and we ourselves in time, who joyously enter perpetual life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
                                                       Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
                                                       Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!                    

~ Christ Jesus, Risen Lord of All, we give You great thanks for those anointed priests of Your Church who, in teaching, care, and humility, walk with us and lead us in this life, toward the fullness of Your Salvation in the next. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
                                                       Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Celebrant adds: Son of God, our Savior Christ, You are the Word with God from the Beginning, Who is Beloved of God, and through Whom God is brought to each of us. Release us from our self-imposed tombs of sin, that we may transcend mortal desires, be stronger in faith, and lift our souls to You. We ask through You, our Living Lord, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and the Enduring Grace of the Almighty, who together are our One God, forever and ever. 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


Monday, March 22, 2021

Prayers of the People: The End of the Beginning ~ The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 28, 2021, Readings: Mark 1:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, The Passion according to Mark 14:1-15:47

     Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" [Mark 11:9]

          Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. [Isaiah 50:8]

         But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD, I have said, "You are my God, my times are in your hand... 
[Psalm 31:14-15a]

        Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus...and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:5, 11]

   Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." So when [Jesus] came [the betrayer] went up to him and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 
[Mark 14:44-45]

       [Peter] began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept. [Mark 14:71-72]

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

        What a day it was! The palms, the cloaks, and branches on the road with cheering and exuberance for this Jesus, heralded as a prophet and a known miracle worker, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey [a donkey was symbol of peace, a warrior king would have ridden a horse]. It was all being carefully watched by the Roman occupiers and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council who had its own police force and trial court. 
       Just as suddenly as the air fills with joyous gusto, the week turns deadly and the same crowd’s Hosannas turn to shouts of Crucify him! And this is the Sunday we revisit, re-enact, and relive it all through the appointed readings.
      Decades ago the celebration of Palm Sunday and the commemoration that was Passion Sunday were two separate successive Sundays. These were later combined into the one-Sunday, two-part Liturgy we have now. At first thought it seems a shame to shortcut the two experiences and yet, I think, it can truly heighten the experience of both parts ~ if we let it. It highlights the stunning speed at which any and many of us can be manipulated into changing what we think we believe, and by virtue of who is telling us, we can be artfully redirected to know that we want to believe whatever he/she/they are saying. 
       Yet, whether we are attending church in person this Sunday, or more likely watching online once more, how much of the combined readings do we really hear, feel, or think about? We’ve heard them all before, or at least we know the story. The readings are long, even if acted out more than simply read. Where am I in this? Am I listening, or watching the clock, warming the coffee or tea in the microwave, answering texts, or thinking about the grocery list for Easter baskets and Easter Dinner and peeps, jelly beans, and chocolate bunnies? 
     Am I willing to look at the world as it is now, how many examples of crowd-manipulating, politically- and religiously- and racially-motivated-murders take place every day in my country and around the world? Am I willing to wonder what it is that I could possibly do about it now? Or, at the very least, am I even considering who and what Jesus is to me? 
    When my younger grand-daughter was 4 she loved singing a little happy-clappy ditty she learned in Vacation Bible School, "I am following Jesus" and her volume increased exponentially ~ as she also learned ~ with the line he changed my life forever. So, wise and self-proclaimed Christian grandmother that I think I am, the hard question for myself, again, is how am I following Jesus? Has he changed my life forever, or, more to the point, have I let him? When have I betrayed and deserted him ~ or if that's too hard for me to willingly acknowledge ~ when have I ignored him? Yes, Palms AND Passion today, and it's here all week! And, it's here every day of every year that I choose to profess my faith in all that I think and do ~ often uncomfortable, unpopular in places, but oh so redeeming
    Anticipating the Gospel events as they arise this week, I resolve to start over, re-read the lessons, pray with them, and seek the courage and confidence to live into and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God [Phillipians 2:11]It is time for me to look at each day in this Holy Week, again, as if for the first time, as a sincere period of reflection, penance, and re-commitment. There's no Easter without Good Friday, and when I am following Jesus ~ the real Jesus ~ my life does change, and the rising joy is palpable. Holy Week is the end of the beginning of Jesus, as Christ takes us forward into Forever.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ Jesus, Light of God, today we begin with Hallelujah and Hosanna and end with Heartbreak and Hostility. How quickly the crowds turn, prodded by intentional distortion of truth, political manipulation, and betrayal. Grant us the courage to listen deeply, to walk the path to Your coming death as if for the first time, to stand with You through it all now, and to never deny that You are our Messiah, our Lord.
 
                                                Hosanna! Messiah!                                          
             RESPONSE:        Our Strength and our Redeemer
 
~ Jesus, Light of God, embolden us to earnestly engage the leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community, to confront and eliminate the fear mongering, treachery, and racism that lead to cruel deaths like Yours. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                Hosanna! Messiah!
                                                Our Strength and our Redeemer
 
~ Jesus, Light of God, enfold with Your loving arms all who are ill, desperate, or hopeless, and all who worry and care for them. We now join our hearts to pray aloud for those in need… We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… 
add your own petitions

                                                Hosanna! Messiah!
                                                Our Strength and our Redeemer
           
~ Jesus, Light of God, You came to lead us all into the glory of eternal life through Your gift of Salvation. We rejoice in knowing that those we mourn are alive again with You, in everlasting peace. We pray especially for: 
add your own petitions
 
                                                Hosanna! Messiah!
                                                Our Strength and our Redeemer
 
~ Jesus, Light of God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… 
add your own petitions
 
                                                Hosanna! Messiah!
                                                Our Strength and our Redeemer
                       
~ Jesus, Light of God, as we begin this sacred week, endow our spiritual leaders with extraordinary grace, that we may all be drawn together, to be opened and accept the same mind in us that was in You, and live always aware of Your continuous life-changing embrace. We pray especially for: 
add your own petitions
 
                                                Hosanna! Messiah!
                                                Our Strength and our Redeemer
 
The Celebrant adds:  O God of Enduring Mercy, guide our experience this day and the fullness of the week to come with awareness of the times when we, too, have deserted and betrayed Jesus by turning first to the ways of this world. Grant us the willingness to confess through our thoughts, words, and actions that Jesus Christ IS Lord, to the Glory of You, our God. We ask this through our Savior Christ, Your Holy and Sanctified Son; and the Most Holy Spirit, Your Breath and Wisdom within us; who live and reign with You, 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

Monday, March 15, 2021

Prayers of the People: Peddle Toward Forever ~ 5th Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 18, 2018, Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-13, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33

    ...I will make a new covenant...I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts...I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. [Jeremiah 31:31, 33b, 34b]

      Have mercy on me, O God...in your great compassion...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me...Give me the joy of your saving help and sustain me with your bountiful spirit. [Psalm 51:1,11, 13]

     Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered...he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him... [Hebrews 5:8a, 9b]

     Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [John 12:24]


       From the beginnings of formal Christian/Church Liturgy until the late 1950s, the 5th Sunday in Lent was known across many liturgical denominations as Passion Sunday, and it marked the beginning of a two-week Passiontide. The 6th Sunday was Palm Sunday with the Passion cycle culminating on Good Friday, as we are to then solemnly await the news of the Resurrection on Easter Day. There are a few traditionalists that still follow that liturgical line but these days in our corner of Episcopal/Anglican Land, the official two weeks of Passiontide is no longer observed in that way. The 6th Sunday in Lent is the combined Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.
      The readings for this 5th Sunday and for all of Lent have been preparing us for what lies ahead for Jesus, as he was preparing those who were following him in that time. Of course, we know the rest of the story, and his real-time followers did not at this point. But what does it all mean to me now, in my daily life?
      In this second year of virtual liturgy per pandemic, in this 5th week in Lent, I find myself, as much as possible, wanting to suspend my "knowledge" of the biblical events to come and letting the Scripture and Liturgy carry me as if I were going through them for the first time. I will strive to pay attention to each reading, each moment of the Liturgy, and think about what is being said to me, and what it is teaching me. What will I experience? What will I learn? How might living into the spirit of these readings change the direction of my life? Will I let them?
     Jeremiah is teaching us of a New Covenant, not in content so much as in form, that is, God has written on, inscribed upon, fully internalized The Law in our hearts; we know it; it is ours. The Psalmist brings us the beauty and poignancy of David’s remorseful and repentant voice after his unlawful taking of Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah. And Paul heightens our awareness of Jesus as our Great High Priest [see Hebrews 7:1-22 for more about Melchizedek].
     This week, Jesus tells his disciples about the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit. The cycle of this grain’s death begets new life that bears fruit, is harvested, planted, and dies, to beget new life as this cycle repeats. 
     As we move through these remaining two weeks of Lent, we are to begin to crack open the grains of Christ’s truth and God’s Law within us, to die to the unnecessary of this Life, that we may blossom into the fulness of Christ, and live on to harvest the fruit of our souls in the bounty of eternal life. Now is the time to crank up the Life-Cycle and peddle toward the best of forever. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Loving Kindness, You have written on our hearts, granted us unlimited pardon, and still we look away toward earthly wants. Let us see and hear again, through the faith we have and the faith we want, that we will blossom into the full fruits of eternal life in Christ.

                                                      O Lord, our God
RESPONSE:       Your Saving Help is our Joy
         
~ O God of Loving Kindness, create clean hearts, renew right spirits, and awaken Your written Law within the hearts of all political leaders on this Planet, so that their actions will restore all people to their rightful justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                       Your Saving Help is our Joy

~ O God of Loving Kindness, calm the fears and pain of all who are afflicted by illness, turmoil, or doubt, and refresh the energy of all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                       Your Saving Help is our Joy 

~ O God of Loving Kindness, we offer our praise and unending gratitude for the joy and gladness of those we love, now alive again forever in Your glorious and bountiful Spirit.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                       Your Saving Help is our Joy

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

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                       Your Saving Help is our Joy               

~ O God of Loving Kindness, grant special grace and blessings to all who are anointed to bring us Your Word and Sacraments, that we all may know and live in the reconciling love of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                       Your Saving Help is our Joy

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Eternal God, break us out of our self-protecting shells to die to temporal distractions, that, rooted in the holy ground of Christ, our spiritual fruitfulness may nourish our souls as You guide us all into eternal life. We ask through Jesus, our great High Priest; and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier; who together with You, live, love, and 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


Monday, March 8, 2021

Prayers of the People: The Saving Antidote ~ 4th Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 14, 2021, Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22, Ephesians 2:1-10John 3:14-21

    The Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea...but the people became impatient...[and] spoke against God and against Moses...Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents...many Israelites died...So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." 
[Numbers 21:4-5a, 6, 7b-8]

        Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever...Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [Psalm 107:1, 19]

       But God, who is rich in mercy...made us alive together with Christ...For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:4a,b; 8-9]

      Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life...the light has come into the world...those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." [John 3:14, 19a, 21]

      Even God gets tired of grumbling. After all the grand displays of glory ~ pillars of cloud and fire, parting of seas, manna (what no salt and pepper?), and more ~ the grumbling Israelites still had no confidence in the eventuality of God's deliverance. So, God sends poisonous snakes that kill, and suddenly chastened, the people begged Moses to pray and intervene for them, and he did. God delivered ~ not an end to the dangers, but relief.
    Moses, on God's orders, made a bronze snake to hang on a pole. All the Israelites had to do was look at the snake on the pole when bitten and they lived. God is not predictable, but God is faithful. The Psalmist tells us that God’s mercy endures forever. And, Paul tells us we are saved by God's grace.
       We ALL have God's grace. We don't have to work for it ~ no one does ~ it comes to us by faith. Yet how have we harnessed it, especially after we have been bitten by the snakes of our own trespassing behavior, or that of someone else's?
       Have you ever thought or said that old expression: There but for the grace of God go I? It is mostly well-intended, and at once unintentionally thought-less and even care-less. It's an instant reaction to reduce our own fear and to comfort ourselves against the dangers of life as in: “Whew! Dodged that! There's that poor guy who was run over in the same intersection I just crossed, and there but for…" Even well-meaning, the unconscious thought is: "I have more grace than that guy."
       As we are deep in this Lenten season, let us work to be more conscious, more aware of even our most random reactions and instant thoughts. God is "rich in mercy" and loves and understands each of us as only our Creator could; certainly better than we understand ourselves or each other. Our lives are filled with danger, there are all sorts and conditions of "snakes" that bite us, many of which we invite into our own space by striving for ever-more earthly material.
      The poison of sin can be quite tempting as well as lethal to our souls. God doesn't promise our earthly life will be easy or safe and John 3:16 isn't magic or just for signs at football games. It is for us to know, deep down, in every day of this life, so that everyone who believes in Christ may not perish but may have eternal life.        
      We are to be steadfast and faith-filled in the knowledge of the Light of Christ within us. Our conscious acts are clearly to be of and for God. As the Israelites were directed to look up to the pole, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man is also to be lifted up. We are called to look to Christ and the Cross, in faith, for our salvation, before we are bitten by the snakes of sin, as well as after. With meaningful prayer and practice over time, even our unconscious thoughts and actions may be less poisonous to ourselves and others. And, maybe, we could even stop grumbling quite so much. Meanwhile, let us strive to grow in faith, to accept and feel the infusion of the ever-flowing Grace within us that is a saving antidote to the darkness of sin.

T'was Grace that taught
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
the hour I first believed.
 
Through many dangers, toils and snares
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far
and Grace will lead us home. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of Enduring Mercy, awaken us to the snakes we invite into the wilderness of our own making by impatient striving for mere earthly advantage. Open the eyes of our souls to the light of Christ that stems the poison of sin and lifts our desire for eternal salvation.

                                                      Lord of Eternal Wonder
RESPONSE:                   By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, amplify our voices to all who hold power on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community, as we combat and clamor against ordinary and catastrophic injustice toward all who are endangered by the darkness of deliberate human trespass. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Eternal Wonder
                                                       By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, deliver from their distress all who are suffering through life-threatening illness, addiction, or homelessness, and give rest to all who provide support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

                                                       Lord of Eternal Wonder
                                                       By faith we accept Your grace    

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, we shout for joy in thanksgiving for all who are now made alive again and gathered forever into the immeasurable riches of Your unending love. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Eternal Wonder
                                                       By faith we accept Your grace

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

                                                       Lord of Eternal Wonder
                                                       By faith we accept Your grace                  

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, guide the souls, the minds, and the hearts of all who bring us together into our Living Christ through their service of Pastoring, Preaching, and Prayer. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Eternal Wonder
                                                       By faith we accept Your grace

The Celebrant adds: Good and Redeeming Lord, invigorate our faith and inspire us in our repentance to acknowledge and accept Your free gift of Grace, that our souls may not perish in sin, but thrive in Your eternal life. We ask through Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ; and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit; Who live and reign with You as One God, now, in the ages to come, 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


Monday, March 1, 2021

Prayers of the People: Turning the Tables ~ 3rd Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 7, 2021, Readings: Exodus 20:1-7, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22

       I am the Lord your God...you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth...Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy...But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God... [Exodus 20:2a, 4, 8, 10a]

     The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul...The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes... Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight... [Psalm 19:7a, 8, 14]

        For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 
[1 Corinthians 1:25]

          In the temple [Jesus] found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables…Making a whip of cords he drove all of them out of the temple...poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables..."Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"...Jesus answered [the Jews], "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"...But he was speaking of the temple of his body. [John 2:14-15, 16b, 19, 21]

       Here we are at about the halfway point in this Lent, and the first of the appointed readings for this week presents us with the Ten Commandments. While we all think we know them, and perhaps even memorized them as children, it's a good opportunity to look at the list again and re-think our relationship with them. By digging through some archaic vocabulary and translating it into current expressions, we may very well discover a fresh perspective. [Try this paraphrase: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A1-17&version=MSG and while on this site, try a few of the many other translations and paraphrases offered, any time you are reading a piece of Scripture; you may be surprised at some of the differences and discover a freshness in something old and familiar]
       Jesus later gave us what seems to be a simplified version when answering a question, by saying that we are to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and, to love our neighbors as ourselves [Mark 12:28-29]. Yet to me, there is nothing simple in those words of Jesus when we consider the entire list of Commandments ~ that is, if I truly Love God and Love my neighbor as myself, then I won't create idols, misuse God's name or covet anything of anyone, as well as all the other dictates including sabbath. But it's always useful to revisit the original and consider how ~ or if ~ they are informing our thoughts and actions.
      We may not use the term idol generally in today’s conversations other than tv talent shows, but here are some questions I need to explore for myself: What are the idols that get in my way of an active and conscious commitment to God? Are they electronic devices, streaming services, social networking? Are they food, drink, or online shopping? When does wanting something become coveting? Is my sabbath time ever spent resting with God? What is sabbath time in my life?
       I'm quite taken with the Psalmist's language this time ~ not unusual as they often speak to me. For this one I could put every word down in this space and allow my soul to float in the imagery. A day and a night telling tales and imparting knowledge to one another, without words, but yet sounds that travel to all lands. The law of the Lord revives the soul and gives light to the eyes; cleanse me from my secret faults. Just sliding into a sabbath reverie with these words is resting with God and keeping a holy time, no matter the day or the hour.
       In Paul’s writing to the Corinthians, I was struck by the ending note of this small piece that God's foolishness is wiser that human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. It's unusual to think of God with foolishness and weakness but Paul makes it clear that we are definitely not in God's league! And, Christ incarnate is the power and the wisdom of God, the Word was God, as John’s Gospel says in its opening [John 1:1].
      But the real surprise is Jesus with a whip ~ wow ~ turning the tables in more ways than one! Bad day at the Temple for those livestock sellers and money changers.
      This account appears in the other three Gospels [Mt 21:12-17, Mk 11:15-19, and Lk 19:45-48] but at a significantly later time in the ministry of Jesus. All the accounts agree, however, that this action precipitated the plotting against him by the High Priest and his men.
      In John’s version, the cleansing of the Temple becomes the first public act of Jesus in Judea. The wedding at Cana was a private event. The issue of the Gentile marketplace in the Temple, for Jesus, was that it profaned a sacred area that was meant to be open to all people, of all nations [Mk 11:17]. It had become a convenience and a source of revenue for the Temple, an opportunity for corruption. Jesus wasn’t opposed to the sacrificial acts themselves ~ as long as they conformed to the Laws, e.g. animals without blemish, and changing the Roman coins with an image of Caesar (no graven images, remember?) for the local coins with no such image. For him this was a clear desecration of the space itself. Yet the real purpose is to set the stage for the transformation of “Temple” worship in a stone building, to the living structure of The Mystical Body of Christ, people united with their Lord and raised with him to the newness of true life, as a “temple” of the Holy Spirit.
      When Jesus said if the temple was destroyed he would raise it in three days, he was speaking of the temple of his body. I remember my grandmother telling me that my body is a temple of God and I should treat it with holiness. When was the last time I thought of that (and avoided it)? A conscious relationship with my body and my mind might just be a way to mindfully live into those pesky Commandments. A regular attempt at a holy Sabbath could well do more than I expect, especially in days of violence, hate-mongering, and pandemic distress, and reduce my dependence on the idols of my own human excess. I might find that I need God for more than just a dashed off prayer when the thought occurs. Yes, it's time to turn over a few tables.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Power and Wisdom, from the covenant given to us through Moses, Your Divine Commands give us each clear direction for our daily lives. Embolden us to change our unfaithful ways, to choose the desire to love You above all else in this life, and to actively seek to fulfill our spiritual destiny in the next.

                                                Most Holy Lord                                              
RESPONSE:                     Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, quicken our determination to be heard by every political leader on this Earth, in this Nation, and in this Community. Grant us the words and vitality to inspire and require positive, life-giving action on behalf of all Your people, especially those beset and beleaguered by poverty, violence, and discrimination. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord
                                                Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, restore hope in all who are lost in the illness of body or despair of mind, and give comfort to all who provide them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord
                                                Revive and Strengthen our Souls     

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, help our hearts rejoice as the doors of Heaven open wide to receive those we love, now alive again in Christ forever.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord
                                                Revive and Strengthen our Souls

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

                                                Most Holy Lord
                                                Revive and Strengthen our Souls     

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, excite and enlighten the words and meditations of the hearts of those who lead us in Your Church, and, in our own. Draw us to willingly and joyfully follow the path You have set for us. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy Lord
                                                Revive and Strengthen our Souls

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, You created each of us as a living temple to embody the love of You, our neighbors, and ourselves. Shield us from the lure of idols in the distractions of earthly life, lift our hearts and give light to our eyes, as we rejoice in Your steadfast Presence, and eternal love for us all. We ask through Your power and wisdom in Jesus our Christ; and the faith-giving fire of the Holy Spirit; who together with You, reign as One God, forever and ever. Amen.



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