Seek the Lord and live…Hate evil and love good, and establish justice
in the gate; it may be that the Lord,
the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
[Amos 5:6a, 15]
May the graciousness of the
Lord our God be upon us; prosper
the work of our hands... [Psalm 90:17]
The word of God is living and active... able to judge the thoughts
and intentions of the heart...Let us...approach the throne of grace with
boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:12 a,b; 16]
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God...[but] for God all things
are possible...many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
[Mark
10:25, 27b, 31]
The Prophet Amos is warning Israel to Seek the Lord and live… because the time is coming when it will be
too late. The rich and powerful weren’t re-writing God’s Law but they managed
to appoint people to administer them in profitable ways for themselves. They
hadn’t listened to prior warnings and now God tells them that that their
transgressions and the greatness of their sins are known. They must work for
justice and establish honest judgment if there is any hope of avoiding a
terrible fate.
Psalm 90 is the
only one we know that has been attributed to Moses. The piece we are using picks
up from the warnings of Amos and gives clear ways to ask God for help in
repairing the damage of their [and our] sins.
The writer of Hebrews also confirms
what the Prophet Amos is warning in even more stark ways. God’s word is living
and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul
from spirit…and more! Again, we hear that God does indeed know and judge
our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. Thankfully we have help to hold
fast to our confession of faith though Jesus, who was tested and remained
without sin, and understands all that we face. With faith and Christ’s support,
we are to call on God now, to approach the Throne of Grace boldly, as
the writer of Hebrews says, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help in time of need.
In the Gospel from
Mark, a man grieves as he walks away from Jesus because he follows the
commandments but doesn't want to let go of his earthly possessions. Perhaps he
expected Jesus to extol him for following the Law and confirm his own thoughts
that there was nothing more he needed do. How many in recent years, months, and
weeks, all over this world, have lost so much because of winds, floods, fires,
war, and the everyday tragedies and tempests of life? How many of us say
"Oh yes, I believe and follow the Commandments" and go about our
every-day lives as if there was nothing we have to do differently, assured of
our place in the front of the line at the gates of God’s Kingdom. Will we cry
out "Where is God?" when the winds, floods, tragedies, and tempests
hit our lives? Will our faith crumble; will we give in to despair?
The time to turn to God
is always now. Our life’s clock is ticking. Whether or not Jesus meant
literally that a camel would have to go through that needle’s eye, Jesus tells
us plainly, with God all things are possible. With the eyes of our souls
and the intentions of our hearts we can seek Christ’s path that is sometimes
rocky, sometimes tempestuous, and sometimes even calm, and always with Him
beside us. Take an inventory of what you own and discover instead, what owns
you ~ all those things you say you cannot give up. Store up your greatest
treasure in heaven for the age that will come, instead of at the bank or the closets,
or the drawers, or the garage, or the basement, or...
By the way. there is a gate in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem that is very small and difficult for any human to crawl through. It was meant for access after the main, larger gate was closed. The name of the gate is Eye of the Needle and Jesus would have known it. Google it...
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Holy God, Living and Active,
keep us mindful of our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts, that we may
measure our spiritual wealth each day, by the ways we live into our love for
You.
Gracious Lord of Hosts
RESPONSE: With You all things are possible
~
Holy God, Living and Active, speak boldly through
our voices from Your Throne of Grace to reach all those who govern on this
Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. Let us implore them to hate evil and
love good, to show mercy, provide life’s basic necessities, and establish
safety and peace for all who are in great need. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Gracious
Lord of Hosts
With
You all things are possible
~
Holy God, Living and Active, cast the light of Your presence into the shadows of those
who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, with comfort and rest to all who give them
care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Gracious
Lord of Hosts
With
You all things are possible
~
Holy God, Living and Active, may the
echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the souls of
those who’ve left this ground, now soar in the peace and glory of everlasting
life in Christ.
We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Gracious
Lord of Hosts
With
You all things are possible
~
Holy God, Living and Active, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Gracious
Lord of Hosts
With You all
things are possible
~
Holy God,
Living and Active, refresh and excite the souls of those who lead
us in Your Church, as they guide us by Word and Sacrament, on the path to Your
Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Gracious
Lord of Hosts
With
You all things are possible
The Celebrant adds: O God,
Creator of All, Seen and Unseen, as we are not hidden to Your eyes, encourage
us to seek good and find grace in time of need. Propel us to faithful action
and release us from the thrall of earth-bound possessions, for the greater
inheritance of eternal life in the age to come. We ask through Jesus, the Son
of God; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You,
reign as One God through all time, forever and ever. Amen.
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