For Sunday, January 15, 2023, Readings:
Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42
(see
excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. below*)
The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's
womb he named me. [Isaiah 49:1b]
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. [Psalm 40:3a]
...just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among
you -- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift...He will also
strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ. [1
Corinthians 1:6-7a, 8]
"Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"...The two disciples heard [John] say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following he said to them, "What are you looking for?" [John 1:29b, 37-38a]
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’… Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr]
Fresh from his Baptism, Jesus
is identified as the Lamb of God by John the Baptizer to two of
John’s own disciples who then become followers of Jesus. Jesus asks them, What
are you looking for? They, calling him Rabbi, ask
where he is staying. Jesus answers, come and see and they
spend the day listening to him. Later, Andrew, one of those men, tells his
brother, We have found the Messiah. He takes his
brother Simon to meet Jesus, who knows him immediately and tells him he’ll now
be known as Peter.
We know that Peter, along with his brother
Andrew, and the others who joined them, often struggled with the message of
Jesus, yet even in the face of enormous obstacles, defeats, trials, and
tribulations, carried on and carried the message forward. It’s easy to think
the original disciples, chosen in person by Jesus, were holy and able to move
through life with absolute certainty of their mission. But they, as all we
humans, including Dr. King, had doubts, human imperfections, moments of
uncertainty ~ and fear. A huge obstacle to living faithfully in today’s world
is that there is simply TOO MUCH everything to get in the way of attending to
our faith and faith development. Two thousand+ year old events don't always
have much of an impact on my everyday thoughts and actions, yet the question, What
are you looking for, caught my attention. Now at the beginning of a
new year, in a volatile national and worldwide political and economic climate,
we prepare to celebrate ~ some more than others ~ the birth of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and in that regard, to the question from Jesus, I
would add, What is your dream? ~ not for the personal and material
things you want or hope for, but rather for humanity itself.
While the significance of the impact of Dr. King's work and
words is undisputed, the echoes of his voice are slowly fading as we are nearly
55 years since his death. Various groups were not, and still are not, fans of
this particular recognition, yet it holds.
Racism, as all people of color know, continues with a vengeance along
with other hate-filled discriminations of religious beliefs, gender, sexuality,
ethnic, and even physical and mental disabilities. As with Christmas and
Easter, we are more likely to pay attention to a date on a calendar to be
reawakened, to listen again and hear anew, to stop and consider again, and then
take a step forward. This date is no exception. In many places, this
"holiday" is advertised as a day of community service with
opportunities to give of oneself in a Day On rather than
merely a day off.
In times such as these when certainty is
upended and the status quo is now status unknown, it is as critical as ever
that we carry Christ's and Dr. King's messages forward to uphold people of all
colors, creeds, national origin, sexual orientation, and for any reason that
any one is targeted for oppression, brutality, bullying, and discrimination.
We are all equal in the Eyes and Heart of God. And, as Dr.
King said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about
things that matter." Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Mark [12:29-31], "Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no
other commandment greater than these." No good action is ever
wasted, and with consciousness and intent, good actions of heart, mind, and
soul can become as routine as checking for "likes" on Facebook
throughout the day and night. As Dr. King has said, Darkness cannot
drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only
love can do that.
What is your dream for this still New
Year – will you shy away from whatever discomforting challenges may
be ahead, or look more deeply for ways to learn more about how to be and live
in faith? How can we shine in and radiate Christ’s light? How can we muster up
the love to neutralize the hate we all encounter? Maybe, if we can step up and
step out in uncertainty, we will discover that what we are actually looking for
is the place within ourselves where Jesus is staying and loves us as we are.
Come and see, and spend some time listening to Him. And spend some time with
Martin, too.
See below prayers for an excerpt and click here for a short video of the I Have A Dream speech excerpt - Martin Luther King, Jr 1963
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of
California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain
of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Full text, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/i-have-a-dream-speech-text_n_809993.html
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord our God, in Your compassion, love, and faithfulness, teach us the way of patience and trust. Keep us mindful of the spiritual gifts we each have within us by Your grace, that we may come, see, and radiate the light of Christ to all we meet.
Jesus, Lamb of God
RESPONSE: Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, in these uncertain times, renew our willingness to continually exhort the ruling authorities on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community, to ensure the dignity and well-being of every person on this planet. Fill us with the courage to work, as Your Servant Martin before us, to reveal and reverse false strength and corrupt power spent for vanity only. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, give comfort and healing to all who are sick, troubled, or weary of this life, and to those who care for and about them. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Leader: ~ O Lord our God, in Your compassion, love, and faithfulness, teach us the way of patience and trust. Keep us mindful of the spiritual gifts we each have within us by Your grace, that we may come, see, and radiate the light of Christ to all we meet.
Jesus, Lamb of God
RESPONSE: Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, in these uncertain times, renew our willingness to continually exhort the ruling authorities on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community, to ensure the dignity and well-being of every person on this planet. Fill us with the courage to work, as Your Servant Martin before us, to reveal and reverse false strength and corrupt power spent for vanity only. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, give comfort and healing to all who are sick, troubled, or weary of this life, and to those who care for and about them. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, soothe sorrowful hearts with the knowing that You enfold our loved ones in the grace, glory, and joy of new life forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
~ O Lord our God, hold fast in Your embrace all who lead us in Your Church as they guide and walk with us in Word, Sacrament, and Faith, away from false gods and always to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Lamb of God
Our Love and Light to the Nations
The Celebrant adds: God Almighty and Everlasting, You called us before we were born and named us in our mother’s womb. Keep us seeking and finding the Love that drives out hate and the Light that drives out the darkness in ourselves and in each other. We ask through the grace of our Light ~ Jesus, our Rabbi and our Christ; and our spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit, who together with You, live and reign, One God, today, always, forever. Amen.
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