For Sunday, August
14, 2022, Readings: Jeremiah 23:23-29, Psalm 82,
Hebrews 11:29-12:2, Luke 12:49-56
Am I a God nearby, says the LORD,
and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?
I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name…Is not my
word like fire… [Jeremiah 23:23, 25a, 29a]
Arise, O God, and rule the
earth, for you shall take all nations for your own. [Psalm
82:8]
Therefore, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight
and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race
that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our
faith... [Hebrews
12:1-2a]
Do you think that I
have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From
now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against
three...You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and
sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
[Luke 12:51-52, 56]
In the dining room of my paternal Great-Grandmother, who was born in 1867,
was a framed calligraphed message that read: Christ is the head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal,
the silent listener to every conversation. As a child, it both fascinated and
frightened me and I often tried to avoid going into the room, possibly thinking
and hoping that was the only place the charm worked! I was not quite 12 when
she died and, for reasons I still do not understand, I asked if I could have it and
it was given. I still have it though it is carefully packed away because of its age and
fragility. It no longer frightens me yet when I think of it, as with this
week’s readings, I am caught a bit short, or, perhaps more than a bit.
God is blunt in
Jeremiah: Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? I
have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name…Is not my
word like fire? God is equally clear in the Psalm when castigating
unjust gods who show favor to the wicked…Nevertheless,
says God, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.
Paul gives us equal
clarity for our path now and going forward by emphasizing the role of faith that
kept the ancients on their road to God, despite all manner of hardship. He
points us to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith as
our guide. Yet not only is God near by, and Jesus within us, along
with the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul reminds us that we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, those who have persevered in
the life we have each been given. Are we repelled, or at least unsettled as I
was with the plaque as a child, or comforted and bolstered by the wonder of a
God who knows all we say and do, with Jesus as perfection when we are so
imperfect, and a Cloud filled with support?
In this piece from
Luke’s Gospel, Jesus seems uncharacteristically harsh when he tells us that
he came to bring fire to the earth and division within
households. At first glance it strikes a particularly disheartening chord in
these days of fiery political and “religious” false rhetoric that seems
designed to enflame passions and instill fear, especially among the weak and the
poor. Families, friends, nations are torn apart by
mortals-who-would-be-gods. However, the fire of God and Jesus
isn’t intended to burn us to a crisp and turn the Earth into an orbiting
cinder, ruled by the “winners” of the race that is set before us.
This fire is the refiner’s fire of purifying and cleansing,
removing the dross – the junk and rubble that weakens our faith. It is a call, even a warning to us to re-order our priorities, our principles, what we value, our
purpose in life. This fire will be uncomfortable as we turn away from the
temptations of all the false gold that glitters, but the reward is beyond all
joy that we can imagine. Jesus, impatient for us to understand, knew at that
moment that his baptism of blood would come first. Our
next baptism is upon us.
This mortal life is not meant to be a
“rat-race” to the finish. Yet it will finish at a time unknown
and unexpected. As that clock ticks on, I must now ask myself, again, what am I
still trying to hide from that Unseen Listener? Maybe, the unseen listener is also me, hearing my own rationalizing easy temptations, as well as Jesus who is listening to see how I am hearing and heeding His words. Ok, I'm going to go read that plaque again and make some plans.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord Most High, kindle our hearts and refine our
souls with the purifying fire of Your Presence. Guide us to run with
perseverance the race and understand the division from those
who have not yet found their enduring faith.
Arise, O
God
RESPONSE:
Fire our Faith
~ O Lord Most High, with the courage and wisdom
of the celestial Cloud of Witnesses beside us, let our voices be heard by the
leaders of our Earth, our Country, and our Community, to lay aside the clinging sins
of destructive and unholy words and actions. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Arise, O God
Fire
our Faith
~ O Lord Most High, sustain and comfort all who
suffer physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and renew all who offer
supportive care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add
your own petitions
Arise, O God
Fire
our Faith
~ O Lord Most High, accompany the mournful
through the trial of loss, as the choirs of Heaven sing in jubilance for those
now arrived in the splendor of Your Eternal Kingdom… add your own petitions
Arise, O God
Fire
our Faith
~ O Lord Most High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Arise, O God
Fire our Faith
~ O Lord Most High, grant the grace of
authenticity to those we choose to interpret the Truth in Your Word, guiding us
as together we sift through the deceits and false prophecy of those who
use distortion for their own secret purpose. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Arise, O God
Fire
our Faith
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, Who rules
the Earth, transform the fires of discord, violence, and hate that rage across
this planet into the cleansing waters of Baptism, revealing the glory of
Salvation, beneath the dross of human excess, and the eternal beauty of the
Gospel message. We ask through Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of Faith; and
the Holy Spirit, the Fire of Wisdom; who together with You are One God, in the
blaze of Mercy, Justice, and Everlasting Peace, forever and ever. Amen.
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