For Sunday, September 3, 2023, Readings: Jeremiah
15:15-21, Psalm 26:1-8, Romans 12:9-21,
Matthew 16:21-28
Your words were
found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my
heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord,
God of Hosts, [Jeremiah 15:16]
O Lord,
that I may go in procession round your altar, singing aloud a song of
thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds. [Psalm 26:6-7]
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is
good;...outdo one another in showing honor...never avenge yourselves...for it
is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord."...overcome evil with good. [Romans 12:9, 10b, 19, 21b]
…[Jesus] turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine
things but on human things…For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who want to lose their life for my sake will find it. For what does
it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?" [Matthew 16:23, 25-26 ]
The
world of today is not so far away in attitude from the times of Jeremiah. Around
the world and in each of our own countries, many of us go through our days just
minding our earthly whines and gripes, and the pointing of our self-justified
fingers toward the annoying peccadilloes of others. Meanwhile, there’s an explosion
of intentional racial, ethnic, gender, and various forms of hatred of the “other”
and the “them,” resulting in senseless mass killings, as well as unchecked, well-supported,
and imposed power grabs. The social and political environment continues, from
eons ago, creating old and new forms of enslavement through poverty, robust
greed, oppression, suppression, and the lighting of the fuses of reactive
violence ~ all elements that have never left the human realm. And, like
Jeremiah, we sometimes brood over what God didn’t do for “us”
until we realize God IS with all, the ones we wag our fingers at and our
very own selves.
But God, through Jeremiah, Paul, and Jesus, reminds us that,
however reluctant, we are each called to step up to find our individual
ways to save nations, if only by one “them, other, or us” at a time.
It is much easier to wander in the wilderness of
apathy or cling to the false gods of power and profit as if to save us from
ourselves and each other. This week, Paul, gives us a rapid-fire list of
how to begin to be the Living Sacrifice that Jesus calls us to be: Let
love be genuine, hate evil, hold fast to good, love one another, outdo, don't
lag, rejoice, be patient, persevere, contribute, extend, bless, rejoice, weep,
live, associate, and don't claim to be wiser than you are, etc., etc.,
etc.
I'm nearly exhausted at the thought of it
all yet Jesus reminds us that all that has been done will be
repaid in kind by God. If we only Follow, Jesus says, not
setting our minds on human things but on the divine, we will gain
the life we were created to live. We must take care to suspend our natural
impulse to argue with Jesus out of doubt, fear, or unwillingness that turns us
into stumbling blocks obstructing the path of others. We must come back from
the lock-step and hiding behind columns of others, attracted to and distracted
by the addictive and devilish desires for ridding ourselves of “them” in pursuit
of human treasure. It’s time we move to the front of the line, as did Peter,
seeking to overcome evil with good. Let us individually, on
the path to collectively, ignore the bluster of the wealthy and the powerful,
who are seeking only more wealth and more power at the expense of life and soul.
One small act, one prayer at a time leading to another and another and
another...opens the Way forward. It is the best of our heart’s intention that
moves us toward a life with Christ. As Jesus reminded us last week, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Whatever wealth and power that is gained on Earth, not used
for the benefit of God’s People and Creation, is left behind in the ashes of
ego.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord God of Hosts, Your Love will redeem us in the moment we lose our earthly longings and live into our true calling through Christ. Guide us to forgive the unforgivable in everyone including in us, to live honorably and honestly, and to continue the work to love everyone we meet as if they are ourselves.
Saving, Loving Lord
RESPONSE: We sing
thanksgivings by our lives
~ O Lord God of Hosts, guide us to rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer to turn the hearts and minds of all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community. Ardent in spirit, may we directly express our expectations that they will act for the safety, wholeness, and health of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Saving, Loving Lord
We
sing thanksgivings by our lives
~ O Lord God of Hosts, comfort and heal all
who are chronically ill, live in the relentless demand of addiction, or have
lost their sense of home, and refresh all who give them care. We now join
our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Saving, Loving Lord
We sing thanksgivings by our lives
~ O Lord God of Hosts, grant us peace in
knowing that our loved ones now blossom in the eternal sunshine of Life
everlasting with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Saving, Loving Lord
We
sing thanksgivings by our lives
~ O Lord God of Hosts, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Saving, Loving Lord
We
sing thanksgivings by our lives
~ O Lord God of Hosts, prepare a special place in Your house of eternal glory, for those who lead us in Your Church, who pray with us and for us, preach Your word to us, and shepherd us to spiritual growth in this Community of Faith in ever changing ways. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Saving, Loving Lord
We
sing You thanksgivings by our lives
The Celebrant adds:
O God of Glory, awaken us again and now to serve You well in this
short life, that You will see each and all of us with love, compassion, and
understanding. Illumine our path with the Light of Christ, the armor that binds
us against the darkness of sinful action and evil intent, our own and others.
We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of Wisdom;
who live and reign together with You, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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