For Sunday, November
14, 2021, Readings: 1 Samuel
1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-14, 15-18, 19-25; Mark 13:1-8
[Hannah] said, “Let your servant find favor
in your sight.” [1 Samuel 1:18a]
…there is no Rock like our God…for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. [1 Samuel 2:2b, 3b]
Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together...but encouraging one another... [Hebrews:10:24-25]
Not one stone will be left…all
will be thrown down…Many will come in my name…and they will lead many astray… When
you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take
place…This is but the beginning of the birthpangs. [Mark
13:2b, 6, 7a, 8c]
Hannah’s pain was deep over many years at the inability
to bear a child. Yet she continued to faithfully pray through her tears and
distress and was finally given a son by God. Perhaps our prayers seem to be
unanswered when we don’t get what we most desire ~ the health of a loved one,
or peace in the family. Yet Hannah’s words Let your servant find favor
in your sight are the words of faith for us to embrace. We cannot know
the mind of God, but we can be assured that our minds and our hearts are not
hidden for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are
weighed. And though we are judged, God grants us forgiveness and
salvation though Christ.
The Christian life is not intended to
be a solitary journey. Even Jesus had his companions along the way and has told
us he’s in our midst whenever two or three ~ or more ~ are gathered. We, too, are to be
companions in, with, and through Christ, sometimes following, sometimes
leading, but often together in a supportive, encouraging, spiritually renewing
community. It is through such a community of prayer, worship, and relationship,
that we stay connected and are reminded of the faithfulness of God to
those who are faithful to God.
The path of Christ is no easy walk. He tells
us to beware of those who claim to be him as they will lead us astray. There
will be hardships, rumors of wars and wars, earthquakes and famines. It’s all
too easy to be fearful with the speed of news of disasters around the world and
nearby. But such times are the beginning of birthpangs, birthing the
coming again of the glory of Christ. It is all in God’s time, and well beyond
our comprehension. Do not be alarmed, Jesus says, stones will be thrown down
and buildings will fall. The writer of Hebrews tells us to have the
confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living
way that he opened for us…by our faith we are cleansed in body and in heart
so Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for
he who has promised is faithful. Let us keep faith in practice and in hope.
Birthpangs is the beginning of the labor that will become the delivery of the fresh, new life that awaits.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord Most High, You call us in every time and place of our lives to provoke one another to love and good deeds, with true hearts in the full assurance of our faith, awakened to the brightness of the everlasting life to come.
O God our Rock and our Strength
RESPONSE: May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, we offer our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance to know that You are a God of knowledge who weighs their minds and actions as much as ours. Inscribe their souls with a yearning for integrity, global and local peace, and justice tempered with mercy for all the people in their charge. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, nestle the aching, the fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who support their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, grant us a foretaste of the joy and glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom as the gates open wide to receive our beloved who now live in the newness of Christ forevermore. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, quicken the spirits of those called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments, inspiring us all to live lives of holy, generous, and selfless intention in this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
The Celebrant adds: Loving, Patient God, grant us faith-filled confidence in the Gospel to take on the mantle of servanthood in Your Name with continuous hope. Show us the righteous path of life, as we strive to set the needs of others above our own, un-swayed and undeterred by false prophets who would lead us astray. We ask though Christ, our Great High Priest; the Holy Spirit, our Counselor; who with You, are One God, now and through all Eternity. Amen.
Leader: ~ O Lord Most High, You call us in every time and place of our lives to provoke one another to love and good deeds, with true hearts in the full assurance of our faith, awakened to the brightness of the everlasting life to come.
O God our Rock and our Strength
RESPONSE: May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, we offer our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance to know that You are a God of knowledge who weighs their minds and actions as much as ours. Inscribe their souls with a yearning for integrity, global and local peace, and justice tempered with mercy for all the people in their charge. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, nestle the aching, the fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who support their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, grant us a foretaste of the joy and glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom as the gates open wide to receive our beloved who now live in the newness of Christ forevermore. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, quicken the spirits of those called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments, inspiring us all to live lives of holy, generous, and selfless intention in this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May we find favor in Your sight
The Celebrant adds: Loving, Patient God, grant us faith-filled confidence in the Gospel to take on the mantle of servanthood in Your Name with continuous hope. Show us the righteous path of life, as we strive to set the needs of others above our own, un-swayed and undeterred by false prophets who would lead us astray. We ask though Christ, our Great High Priest; the Holy Spirit, our Counselor; who with You, are One God, now and through all Eternity. Amen.
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