For
Sunday, June 26, 2022; Readings: 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Psalm 16, Galatians 5:1, 13-25;
Luke 9:51-62
The Lord said to Elijah…you shall anoint
Elisha…as prophet in your place…So he set out from there, and found Elisha, who
was plowing…Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him…Then [Elisha]
set out and followed Elijah… [1 Kings 19:15-16, 19]
Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in
you…my good above all other…my portion and my cup…You will show me the path of
life… [Psalm 16:1, 5a, 11a]
For freedom of Christ has set us free.
Stand firm…do not use your freedom for self-indulgence… the whole law is
summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that
you are not consumed by one another…Live by the Spirit… [Galatians 5:1a, 13, 14-16]
To another [Jesus] said: "Follow me." But
he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said
to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim
the kingdom of God." [Luke 9:59-60]
Elisha was going
about the daily chores, plowing the fields with a yoke of 12 oxen, not a common
task for most of us non-farmers. Elijah passed by and threw his mantle
over him, the sign of adoption as Elijah’s God-ordered successor. We don’t
know how old Elisha was, but he was likely living with his parents as he wished
to kiss them goodbye, which Elijah permitted. A contrast from Jesus who tells a
disciple asking to bury his father to follow him and not look back. Both lives
were interrupted and abruptly changed by the acceptance of a Divine command. As
the saying goes, life happens when you’re making other plans.
The Psalmist is more positive this week praising and feeling more secure and
hopeful in God’s presence and guidance. And in Paul’s letter to the
Galatians, he reminds us of part of the Great Commandment of
Jesus: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. He then says
that if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not
consumed by one another, an interesting aside that speaks volumes to
us in our own day and time!
Paul opens this week’s selection by saying that we are called to freedom by
Christ, freedom from a yoke of mortal temptation, and to stand firm in that
conviction. He lists examples of desires of the flesh and he
also lists a contrasting list of the fruits given us by the Holy Spirit, a
mantle of guidance and strength. The Fruits of the Spirit are available as
easily as the works of the flesh, yet recognizing the Fruits already within us,
and accepting and incorporating them into our daily lives, requires conscious
and continuous effort to move beyond earthly self-indulgence. Consciousness and
effort, then, are the costs of the freedom "you were called to" by Christ, or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer* calls it in his book of the same name, the cost of
discipleship.
Bonhoeffer tells us that, We must be ready to allow ourselves to be
interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our
plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.
What is the going rate for discipleship? In terms of avoiding earthly
self-indulgence or a scheduling inconvenience, the cost may feel high indeed at
first awareness. But how do we measure short-term, mortal pleasures against
eternal life and salvation? Developing a regular, consistent, conscious, active
spiritual/prayer life and a like-minded community helps to pay the price in
ways that will feel more free than being caught in the traps of the flesh.
While we may be quick to beg and pray when all is going wrong, we may be
considerably slower giving thanks for all things ~ small and big ~ that go
well; and even, upon reflection, to give thanksgiving for things that went
wrong yet led us in a direction we might not have found otherwise. But
sometimes we are nearly aware of that little nagging, goading, prodding something that calls us to take a second look at a person in need, give
extra change to someone in the grocery line, allow that annoying driver to pull
into the lane in front of us, or (albeit with a heavy sigh) go out of our way
to help someone at the last minute when other plans had been made. Divine
interruption? Perhaps, and/or a sudden conscious moment of discipleship in loving your neighbor as yourself.
The price of eternal freedom is tax free soul transformation, merely a
commitment to be the hands, the feet, the voice, the smile, the love of Christ
on earth. In asking for the help to find our path of life all we need to
do is Follow and live life expecting and hoping for divine interruptions.
*Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(1906-1945) was a German Lutheran theologian, pastor, and dissident, author of
"The Cost of Discipleship" and other books. He was imprisoned and
subsequently executed by the Nazis as the regime was collapsing, just one month
before their surrender.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord, our Path of Life, interrupt our
daily thoughts and plans to remind us that Your way, O God, is holy as You are
our Portion and our Cup. Let us seek to follow You in the ordinary and mundane,
in the joy and satisfaction as well as in sorrow, fear, or frustration. May we
love You enough to see You in all others and to truly love them as we love
ourselves.
Most Holy
God RESPONSE:
Our Refuge and our
Hope
~ O
Lord, our Path of Life, renew our strength and courage that we may
continue to stand firm and speak on behalf of those who have no voice, no
justice, and no freedom before dictatorships and governments in this world,
this nation, and this community. We pray especially for: add your
own petitions
Most Holy God
Our
Refuge and our Hope
~
O Lord, our Path of Life, relieve the anguish of those in physical or
emotional pain and bolster the energies of those who provide care and
support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add
your own petitions
Most Holy God
Our
Refuge and our Hope
~
O Lord, our Path of Life, attend all hearts who are in the depths of
mourning as You lift the souls of those, beloved on earth, to the light of new
life in Your everlasting Presence. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Most Holy God
Our
Refuge and our Hope
~
O Lord, our Path of Life, we pause in this moment to offer You
our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials,
aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Most Holy God
Our
Refuge and our Hope
~
O Lord, our Path of Life, enhance, enrich, and enlighten the faith of all
who are called as today’s prophets in Your church, that they may continue to
inspire and guide our pilgrimage toward You. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Most Holy God
Our
Refuge and our Hope
The
Celebrant adds: Living,
Loving God, by Your Eternal Presence rouse us from complacency and
self-indulgence to recognize the mantle of Christ already laid upon our
shoulders. Open us to wholly accept and live by the Fruit of the Spirit,
looking only forward to the fullness of Your Kingdom through all we do on this
Earth. We ask through Jesus, our
Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Guide in Truth; who together with You
are One God, now and forever. Amen.
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