People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Find, Lose, FIND! ~ Proper 7, 4th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, June 25, 2023, Readings: Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 69:8-11, 18-20; Romans 6:1b -11,

Matthew 10:24-49

But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and...your slave woman...do as [Sarah] tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring will be named for you. I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring...God called to Hagar..."Do not be afraid; lift up the boy...I will make a great nation of him"...God was with the boy... [Genesis 21:12-13, 17b-18, 20a]

Draw near to me; redeem me; set me free because of my enemies. [Psalm 69:18]

...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life...So you also much consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3b, 4b, 11]

So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows..."Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven...I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." [Matthew 10:31-32, 34b, 38-39]

In a prior week's reading from Genesis, Sarah was laughing ~ she got caught, denied it, and was brought up short. She was then granted happiness in her old age, or so we thought.

This week we find a different Sarah, jealous and vengeful, separating the child from his father, Abraham, and willing to allow that child and his mother to die. God calmed Abraham and later Hagar, by telling her Do not be afraid. And we are told about this other son of Abraham, known to us as Ishmael, upon whom God also founded a nation, that God was with the boy. The nation that was founded upon Ishmael, is known today as Islam. As Isaac, son of Abraham was the brother of Ishmael, son of Abraham, so are we: Jews, Muslims, and Christians all children of Abraham.

Paul reminds us that in Baptism we die, to sin that is, and if all goes well with us, we are alive to God in Jesus. And then Jesus tells the disciples (us, too) to have no fear of those who disparage him. Yet although the words those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul are indeed fearsome, Jesus reminds us that even sparrows sold cheaply are valued by God. He echoes God in saying do not be afraid because we are more valuable than many sparrows.

THEN, BOOM ~ where did THIS Jesus come from: Not bringing peace but a sword, setting family against family, households against one another? Separating us from him if we love others more? We have arrived at Part 2 of Jesus' teaching on what discipleship actually means. Last week we were sheep in the midst of wolves and now we learn what can happen when confronting those wolves, when we pick up His cross and follow Him. He has my attention ~ he had me at I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...

But then, how different is this from what we experience in life, especially in these tumultuous times, when we hold differing opinions with those we love as well as with those we don’t love, but we should love, so maybe we’re just not fond of? Political and even religious rhetoric can be fiery and fierce, families and friends stop speaking to one another. Strangers are yelling at each other in the streets and, of course, on social media.

The world seems angrier than ever and us vs them boils over all too often into violence. The difference is that Jesus stops us in our tracks in this Gospel with his sword, because it begs the questions to ourselves and each other: What really is our life all about? How easily ~ like sheep ~ do we bolt headlong into everything except what our Shepherd wants? He doesn't want us to stop loving each other, but we are to love Him more than others. The glint of the sword blade is a clear warning that being steadfast in faith, acknowledging Him above all else ~ family, friends, job, lifestyle, etc. ~ is fraught with far more than separation anxiety, it can be dangerous for a mere human. We are not the sword-carriers, we are bearers of the Word, the Good News. And some days will be easier than others. But this is not a part-time occupation, a Sunday thing, or a Christmas and Easter duty. This is what we sign up for when we call ourselves Followers of Christ. It is newness of life. The pay-off is full-time, eternal life. No easy road but if we travel together, we can keep the wolves at bay while losing only that which keeps us from finding our true life. Remember that pray without ceasing thing? Start NOW and, oh yes: Twice in these readings, to Hagar and to us: Do not be afraid. God in Christ is with us. At first we live the life we Find, then by following Christ we Lose that life, yet through Christ we will FIND the Life Eternal.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, You bid us to choose between living now in false comfort or with division by walking with Christ. Keep us grounded, strong in our faith, willing to bear the cost in this life for the promise of Jesus in the next.

O God of Glory

RESPONSE: Draw us to newness of life

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, give us the courage to be what we expect and demand of political leaders in this World, across our Country, and in our Local cities and towns. Strengthen us to work in large and small ways to end quarreling, power plays, and the violence that separate and kill us here and across this Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions