For Sunday, July 30,
2023, Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-39,
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
And Solomon said…”O Lord my God…Give your servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern your people able to discern between good and evil…
[1 Kings 3:7a, 9a]
Turn to
me in mercy, as you always do to those who love your Name. Let your countenance
shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes. [Psalm 119:132, 135]
If God is for us, who is against us?...Who will
separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
rulers, not things present, nor things to come...will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:31b, 38]
Jesus [said]: " The Kingdom of Heaven is
like a mustard seed...like yeast...like treasure hidden in a field...[and] like
[a pearl] of great value...[and] like a net that...caught every fish...when it
was full, they...put the good into the baskets but threw out the bad. [Matthew
13:31, 33, 44, 45, 48-49]
In Solomon’s time as in our own, there
were corporate/communal rituals and worshipful actions along with precise words
that allow for congregants to say in unison. Then, as now, there were also
individual conversations with God ~ aka prayers ~ for a more intimate
expression of emotion and thoughts to share with God. Solomon’s prayer in 1
Kings 3:6-9 is an early example of such a prayer. God comes to Solomon in a
dream and asks Solomon what he wants ~ clearly a test that Solomon passes very
well as he is now the icon of his reward: wisdom. The Psalms, of course, are
also expressions of prayer and cover every human emotion possible from joy,
rage, peace, adoration, and more. Today’s Psalm is a promise to remain faithful
with God’s constant help.
Jesus lets loose quite a barrage of parables to further
explain the kingdom of God in everyday illustrations for that time and some in
our own. There is something for everyone to do whether we are planting tiny
mustard seeds to grow into large trees for nesting birds and human food, mixing
yeast with flour to expand the dough of life, finding buried treasure in the
field of an everyday experience, or discovering a pearl so perfect that we
choose to sell all we own to buy it. And there are times when we must allow
ourselves to be caught like fish in a net, and the goal of that moment – and
every other – is to be sorted into the baskets with the good fish rather than
thrown out with the bad.
One message here is that there is no perfection in
humanity but in choosing well, our smallest efforts can grow and yield a large
return. We are to remember that God is always present even if that discovery
sometimes requires some digging on our part. Paul tells us that to be separated
from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our faults, is nearly
impossible. After all, if God is for us, who can be against
us? Only ourselves! And the choice to be separated would have to be
our own.
Even Paul is teaching us about
prayer and ways to access God’s help when we often don’t know our own minds or
hearts. He reassures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness if we have
faith – however small and however it wavers. It is our intention that will be
known by God. We may need to be reminded that prayer isn’t about telling God
what to do, but rather to ask and seek to know what we are called to fulfill.
The Spirit of God, if we open
ourselves in faith, is the yeast that expands our understanding, our
relationship, and the willingness to seek God’s purpose in all that we do. The
love of Christ is what blends us all; it is the pearl of great price to be
Christ’s own together. God is the ultimate master of the household who
gathers the yield of fish and field, the good and the bad, the mediocre and the
exceptional. Some days in God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the
constant that draws us near. We’re called to choose our own path to discover
the treasures, the nesting places, the full or scanty harvests, and the good
fish with the bad on any given day in every given life.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ God of Steadfast Love, the
smallest seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday
life, are a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to see the
ordinary as miraculous in Your Creation, filling our souls beyond measure
through faith.
O Spirit of God
RESPONSE: Our help in our
weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, endow all who govern in every area of
our World with wise and understanding minds, able to discern and choose good
over evil for the health and welfare of all Your people. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Our help in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, ease the burdens and fear of illness,
injury, or despair for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who give
them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Our help in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, we hold closely in our hearts all who
have traveled to the end of their human experience, and now shine in Your
eternal radiance and peace. We pray
especially for… add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Our help in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, we pause
in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Our help in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite
for all who are called to lead us in Your church, teaching us to pray, worship,
and work together, all according to Your purpose. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Our help in our weakness
~The Celebrant adds: O God of Mercy, as You are always for us, nothing can separate
us from the enduring love of Christ but ourselves. Catch us in Your ample net
and draw us from the troubled waters of this life, into the eternal good of
Your Heavenly Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Hope and our Savior; and the
Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Counselor; who together with You are our One God,
forever and ever. Amen.
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