Many will come in my name…and they will lead
many astray…When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this
must take place…This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. [Mark 13:6, 7a, 8c] Hannah’s pain was
deep over many years at the inability to bear a child. Yet she continued to
faithfully pray through her tears and distress and was finally given a son by
God. Perhaps our prayers will seem to be unanswered when we don’t get what we
most desire ~ the health of a loved one, or peace in the family. Yet Hannah’s
words Let your servant find favor in your sight are the words
of faith for us to embrace. We cannot know the mind of God, but we can be
assured that our minds and our hearts are not hidden for the Lord is a
God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. And though we are
judged, God grants us forgiveness and salvation though Christ.
The Christian life is not intended to
be a solitary journey. Jesus had his companions along the way and has told us
he’s in our midst whenever two or three – or more – are gathered [Mt
18:20]. We, too, are to be companions in, with, and through Christ, sometimes
following, sometimes leading, but often together in a supportive, encouraging,
spiritually renewing community. It is through such a community of prayer,
worship, and relationship, that we stay connected and are reminded of the
faithfulness of God to those who are faithful to God.
The path of Christ is no easy walk. He tells
us to beware of those who claim to be him as they will lead us astray. There
will be hardships, rumors of wars and wars, earthquakes and famines. It’s all
too easy to be fearful with the speed of news of disasters nearby and around
the world. But such times are the beginning of the birth pangs,
birth of the coming again of the glory of Christ. It is all in God’s time,
beyond our comprehension. Do not be alarmed, Jesus says and the writer
of Hebrews tells us to have the confidence to enter the sanctuary by
the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us…by our
faith we are cleansed in body and in heart so Let us hold fast to the
confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Let
us keep faith in practice and in hope. Birth pangs are just the beginning of
the fresh, new life that awaits. But as we are told in many many Gospels
and Epistles, we do not know the time or the hour of Christ’s return. People
have thought for more than 2,000 years with disasters and wars and cataclysmic
events that “This is IT, the end times are beginning!” Someday, but in the
meantime, let us continue to walk in faith one.day.at.a.time with love and
good deeds…encouraging one another as we are called to do by our Christ until…
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord Most High,
You call us in every time and place to encourage one another with generous
hearts, true and wise, in the full assurance of our faith, awakened to the
brightness of the everlasting life to come.
O God our Rock and our
Strength
RESPONSE:
May
we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most
High, we offer our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and
this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance to know that You are a God of
knowledge who weighs all actions. Inscribe their souls with a yearning for
integrity, global and local peace, and justice tempered with mercy for all the
people in their charge. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May
we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, nestle the aching, the
fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who
support their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in
need… We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own
petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May
we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, grant us a foretaste of the
joy and glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom as the gates open wide to receive
our beloved who now live in the newness of Christ forevermore. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May
we find favor in Your sight
~ 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
O God our Rock and our Strength
May
we find favor in Your sight
~ O Lord Most High, quicken the spirits of those
called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments,
inspiring us all to live lives of holy and selfless intention in this earthly
life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God our Rock and our Strength
May
we find favor in Your sight
The Celebrant adds: Loving, Patient God, grant us unashamed confidence
in the Gospel to take on the mantle of servanthood in Your Name in unwavering
hope. Show us the righteous path of life, as we strive to set the needs of
others above our own, un-swayed and undeterred by false prophets who would lead
us astray. We ask though Christ, our Great High Priest; the Holy Spirit, our
Counselor; and our Creator Lord, who together are One God, now and through
all Eternity. Amen.
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