Prayers of the People: The Other Resurrection ~ 13th Sunday after Pentecost WLWC* ‘25 Yr

For Sunday, September 7, 2025; Readings: Isaiah 40:6-11, Psalm 43:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; John 11:1-6, 11-27

 See, the Sovereign Redeemer comes with might…She will feed her flock like a shepherd; she will gather the lambs in her arms, and carry them in her bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. [Isaiah 40:10a, 11]

  Deliver for me justice God and defend my case from a people devoid of lovingkindness; from the deceitful and iniquitous deliver me! Send forth your light and your truth…let them bring me to your holy mountain…Then shall I go to…God my joy, and my delight. [Psalm 43:1, 3-4]

  Now then, friends and kin, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by [spoken] word or by our letter. And now may our Savior Jesus Christ himself and God our Maker, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. [2 Thessalonians 2:15-17]

  When Jesus arrived he found that for four days Lazarus had already been dead in the tomb…Martha said to Jesus, “Rabbi, if you had been here, my brother would never have died…Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even though they die, they will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, “Yes Rabbi, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world. [John 11:17, 21, 25-27]

   This week in the Hebrew/Old Testament readings, we remain in the Babylonian captivity through the passage in Isaiah and in the Psalm. God, in Isaiah, knows the suffering of the Judean people long in exile. God has instructed the prophet to give comfort and hope that their deliverance will be soon coming. The feminine imagery used by Dr. Gafney* is particularly poignant here in the ending verse as God feeding her flock and gathering them in her arms as she gently leads the mother sheep.

   The Psalmist gives voice to those still held in captivity to their deep yearning for the return to their homeland from which they were taken long before.

    Moving to the Christian/New Testament, the young congregation of Thessalonica is being guided by the letters to them as they struggle with their cultural occupation. While Paul’s authorship is disputed among scholars, nonetheless the letters give comfort by assuring them to hold fast to the teachings they have been given in person or by the letters. Their hope and strength will come with all that they do together to share the word of Jesus by their proclamation of the Gospel in every good work and word.

    In our own times It is not at all difficult to find communities in exile in or out of their homelands, held hostage by enemies for one political purpose or another. Whether they are a Christian community or another faith tradition or of no particular religious affiliation at all, we Christians are called to give comfort in the many and various ways we have available, individually and collectively. It is the inherent duty and moral imperative given through our Baptismal Covenant and, in the complex simplicity of Christ’s teaching of The Greatest Commandment to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” [see Mark 12:28-34, and other versions in Matthew 22:37-40 and Luke 10:25-38]

   The story of Lazarus is one known by Christian, non-Christian, and non-religious persons alike. What is difficult and shocking is that Jesus chose to stay away when notified that Lazarus was likely dying. How unusual for Jesus, who showed such foresight with other people and situations. Martha was clear in saying to him when he arrived, that her brother would have never died if Jesus had been present. Was this to be a lesson for Mary and Martha and those around them that perhaps God does not answer all of our prayers? Or, was it to give Jesus a chance to show another side of his power beyond multiplying bread and fish or healing the living? We all know by one experience or another that God doesn’t answer all prayers, at least insofar as we can know how, why, or when God chooses to or not. Perhaps God is doing something much larger and beyond our understanding that we will may or may never know. Not a comforting thought when grieving a loss of one’s own. Yet, all of these readings are letting us know the need for us to share comfort with and for one another and the source of the comfort is of and comes from God, as we are God’s own creation; and the death-defying eternal life we are offered through the resurrection of Jesus. Oh ~ the other resurrection? It isn’t that of Lazarus, it’s ours. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, feed us, your flock, with your spiritual food to nourish our souls and our hearts. Gather us in your arms and guide us to your holy mountain, beyond the oppression of our enemies, to refresh and renew our faith.

O God, our Maker and our Refuge

RESPONSE:                       Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice 

~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, guide the hearts of all who build the towers of governments to defend us from the deceitful and iniquitous, and those devoid of lovingkindness. Grant us continuing courage, in difficult and comfortable times, to hold fast to the teachings and model of Jesus in all that we say and do. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                              O God, our Maker and our Refuge                                     

                                              Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice

~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, send comfort and healing to all who are ill, addicted, feel hopeless, or angry, and replenish the energy of those who give support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need: add your own petitions

                                              O God, our Maker and our Refuge                                     

                                              Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice

~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, let grieving hearts be lifted, until the day when we will be joined forever with those who have now gone ahead to your glorious and eternal Land. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                              O God, our Maker and our Refuge                                     

                                              Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice

~  Most Sovereign Redeemer, 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 Maker and our Refuge                                     

                                              Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice           

~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, thank you for the spiritual gifts of all who have dedicated their lives as true disciples of Jesus. In teaching us, we endeavor together to live, grow, and act by and through our faith. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                              O God, our Maker and our Refuge                                     

                                              Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice

The Celebrant adds: O God, our Joy and our Strength, fill us all with your light and truth as we seek to be a living example of the Gospel of Christ. Turn us toward you, in the time we each have, to stand firm in your grace as we share our faith through every good work and word.  We ask through Jesus, our Savior Christ; and the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor of our souls; who together with You are One God, our Eternal Comfort and Good Hope. Amen.

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Counting the Cost ~ 13th Sunday after Pentecost, '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, September 7, 2025, Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 1, 

Philemon 1:1-21, Luke 14:25-33

   But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray…you shall perish…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life…loving the Lord your God, obeying…and holding fast…for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. [Deuteronomy 30:17a, 18a, 19-20]

   Happy are those who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked…everything they do shall prosper…It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 

[Psalm 1:1a, 3b, 4]

   Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me...So, if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me…Refresh my heart in Christ. 

[Philemon 1:11, 17, 20b]

    For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?...Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?  [Luke 14:28, 31]

    These are not-so-easy readings this week with uncomfortable choices between blessings and curses. Deuteronomy, [doo-ter-AH-nah-mee] is not merely a “practical cat” named by poet T.S. Eliot. It is a series of sermons by Moses to the Hebrews as they have a first view of the entry to the Promised Land. He speaks to the new generations of those who left Egypt 40 years earlier. The word “deuteronomy” is from the Greek, meaning “second law.” In this use, Moses is recounting the original laws of God, the Commandments, that God gave to him at Sinai. The book also relays some of the history of the mighty acts of God on behalf of the ancestors to this group who never lived in Egypt or experienced the Exodus. We are only given a taste of this final book of the Pentateuch [pen-teh-too-k], the name also from the Greek, meaning “5 books.” These first five books of the Bible were traditionally ascribed to the hand of Moses himself, but later and current scholarship hold it to be from the ancient texts that compile the Jewish Torah. Moses, in this piece, is stressing that the importance of obeying God’s Commandments as the way to authentic life and that turning away is to perish. The psalmist echoes his words by telling us that the wicked…are like chaff which the wind blows away.

     Paul is writing to Philemon [pick one: fuh-LEE-muhn, FILL-uh-muhn, fye-LEE-muhn] in what is quite an amazing little letter in only 25 verses. There are far more paragraphs written about it than there are in it and it has a very interesting back-story that leaves so many unanswered questions ~ for one, is Onesimus [oh-NESS-ih-mus] a runaway slave? We won't ever know the fine details of the life of Onesimus, but Paul ~ following the law and culture of the land and its time ~ reminds us even now, regardless of this or any other man's, woman's, or child's status, he, she, they are to be welcomed as a beloved brother or sister. Nothing is more true, necessary, or timely in this day and time than this! Paul tells Philemon that when we understand all the good that comes from sharing our faith, we will become even more effective.

    And then there's the discomforting passage in Luke’s Gospel, admonishing those of us who would travel with Jesus, to hate family and even life itself and give up all possessions or we cannot become disciples. But in pondering and reading all the words such as Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus [Luke 14:25a] it occurs to me that maybe he was tiring of the party groupies who were merely enjoying hanging out with him as a celebrity and not quite understanding the full importance of his teaching. This certainly would have gotten their attention, it does mine! Perhaps that was the point. He goes on with the analogy of building a tower ~ reasonable for us to consider now ~ who wouldn't begin a building project by estimating the cost? As for warring kings, there are other parallels for us to envision such as the long-term costs and implications of political policies and pronouncements that help or hinder the lives of God's people and Creation itself.

    The Israelites knew, or at least learned, about following God, and we know that traveling with Jesus isn't all just loaves and fishes. It IS a hard road but who of us are able to imagine the cost of giving up our families and all of our possessions? We aren't told that we MUST do that, only that we MUST IF they or that stand in the way of our faith and our work as disciples; in other words, the taking up of the Cross. Last week Paul told us to be content with what we have and in Luke, Jesus was telling us how not to exalt ourselves. I think this is much the same in this week. A recurring theme of Scripture is not getting caught up in earthly delights or gathering wealth or possessions but rather to focus on the goal of everlasting life in Christ. Missteps, loving community, disagreements, estrangements, reconciliations are all along the way and we can use them wisely as tools for climbing out or digging deeper. This isn't just a hobby for groupies to follow when convenient, although sometimes looking curiously is the start of finding something much bigger and deeper. This is a Life-calling and there is a price. Some days we'll feel blessings and other days will seem like curses. We'll have many wrong turns and unholy moments, but, if our intent is true and we keep turning back to Christ, we will be made whole and sanctified when we arrive at our ultimate destination. We are called to a life that continues to build on Christ as our One Foundation, not merely counting the cost of constructing a tower to enjoy the view. We’re seeking the full price of admission to Forever.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, grant us the grace, the peace, and the courage, to accept discipleship of the cross of Christ throughout our length of days, however steep the price or the path.

                                                       O Lord our God                                                

                RESPONSE:            Refresh our hearts in Christ

~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, guide the hearts of all who build the towers of governments to step away from the costs of wicked counsel and choose the life-prospering benefits of justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our God

                                                       Refresh our hearts in Christ    

~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, send comfort and healing to all who are ill, feel hopeless, or are addicted, and replenish the energy of those who give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…  add your own petitions 

                                                       O Lord our God

                                                       Refresh our hearts in Christ      

~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, let grieving hearts be lifted, for those from whom we are now separated will be back with us forever, in Your glorious and eternal Land. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our God
                                                       Refresh our hearts in Christ

~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our God

                                                       Refresh our hearts in Christ                         

~ O God, Almighty and Boundless, we give You thanks for all who have dedicated their lives as true disciples of Jesus, who teach us to count the blessings more than the cost, to grow and live in faith. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our God

                                                       Refresh our hearts in Christ                          

The Celebrant adds: O God of Blessings and Curses, You offer us a choice for life through the blessing of carrying of Christ’s Cross as His willing prisoners of and for love, or the curse of throwing our souls like chaff into the winds of the wicked. Turn us toward You, in the time we each have, to stand upright in Your Knowing Presence sharing our faith with joy. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Source of Wisdom; who together with You are our One God, now and forever. Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Spiritual Fuel ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, August 31, 2025, Readings: Obadiah 1:1-4, 10-15; Psalm 7:8-11, 17; James 4:5-12, 

Luke 17:1-4 

  You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off their refugees; you should not have shut out over their survivors on the day of their distress. For the day of the RIGHTEOUS ONE is near against all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your recompence shall be returned on your own head. [Obadiah 1:14-15]

  The RIGHTEOUS GOD judges the peoples; grant me justice…according to my righteousness and according to my integrity. May it come to an end, the wickedness of the wicked…my shield is God who saves the upright in heart. [Psalm 7:8-9a, 10]

   See here! Do you all suppose that in vain the scripture says, “God jealously longs for the God-crafted spirit settled within us? Rather, God gives great grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but to the humble grants grace…Submit yourselves…to God…Draw near to God and God will draw near to all of you.  [James 4:5-6, 7a, 8a]

   Now Jesus said to his apostles, “It is not possible that things that will trip you up and lead you to stumble into sin will not come…Guard yourselves! If a sister or brother sins, you must rebuke them, and if there is repentance you must forgive them. And if seven times a day they sin against you and turn back to you seven times a day and say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” [Luke 17:1a, 3-4]

    So, who is Obadiah from this week’s first reading? The translation of the name is servant of Yahweh, and while the name can be found in 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Ezra, he/they may not all be the same person. This Minor Prophet’s book is the shortest in the Hebrew/Old Testament and is placed just after the Book of Amos, perhaps because Amos also mentions Edom at the end of his book. There is much historical significance in this short book and this short reading. Primarily this is outrage over the actions of Edom, a nation that joined forces with the Babylonians to pillage and plunder Israel during the Babylonian captivity. There is a distinct reference to the kinship of the two, as descendants of Esau, represented by Edom, and the descendants of Jacob, represented by Israel. They have been in serious fray prior to this reading. As Dr. Gafney notes, There is no happy ending for this passage and it should not be given one.” Retribution begets more retribution. As we can see each and every day, multiple times, in our own headline news.

    The Psalmist may have been a witness to or involved in this fight, or a survivor of a prior assault by Israel on Edom. Either way the writer is confident that God is  indignant and that God will act.

    The Epistle from James is highlighting another serious conflict in personal and communal life. We are to each take stock of our own actions and humble ourselves to God. In the emotional highs and lows of every human life, we are to actively and consciously submit ourselves to God, opposing the forces of evil we encounter, in order to receive the great grace God gives as we help one another on the journey. It’s also incumbent upon us not to speak ill of or fall into judgment of others. That’s God’s job. Humbling is hard, the rest of it for us mere mortals is very hard.

    Jesus does understand that life happens and it’s impossible to avoid all situations that might trip us and others and lead us to stumble into sin. If someone sins against us, we are to rebuke them. If they repent, we are to forgive. Further, as many times as they sin and repent, we are to forgive each time, no matter how many times in a day, or presumably, in a lifetime. But, while perhaps “understood,” Jesus says nothing about “our” repentance to another or from whence cometh our rebuke. How difficult might that “trip” be if we are rebuked by another?

   Taken as a whole, these readings speak to betrayal and conflict resulting in pain for individuals and entire communities and nations. That leads to more conflict as we see in our own day within our personal/communal/political beliefs, thoughts, and actions. Humility, non-judgment, and forgiveness are not easily taught or adopted. What are our individual and communal responses that contribute to the reciprocation of judgment or violence or our understanding and forgiveness? In the latter, I believe that humility does encompass and entreat us to recognize and admit when our “more self” motivates our actions. When we intentionally engage and act out of our “self, less” it can guide us to repent of any sin we’ve tripped into, to ask forgiveness for any harm caused, and to grow in humility ~ of which we are not to be proud! Our reward will be the great grace that God will give us quietly as the Spiritual Fuel in our souls to keep our lifetime “trips” down the sin slide to a minimum.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ ALL-SEEING GOD, help us keep our hearts upright and filled with the integrity for which you offer great grace. Draw us to draw near to you and to the kinship of our human partners in this life, especially in the days of our and their distress.

                                              O RIGHTEOUS GOD

RESPONSE:       In you is our hope and our redemption 

~ ALL-SEEING GOD, humble the souls of those who wield international, national, and local power. Guide them, and us all, to the path of leadership vested in compassion, generosity, and thoughtful justice that frees us all from hatred and violence.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               O RIGHTEOUS GOD                                               

          In you is our hope and our redemption

~ ALL-SEEING GOD, refresh the spirits of those laid low by serious illness or critical life circumstance, and lift the energies of all who give support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions 

                                               O RIGHTEOUS GOD                                               

          In you is our hope and our redemption

~ ALL-SEEING GOD,  dry the tears of the sorrowful with the comfort of knowing that our loved ones are now exalted to a place of honor at your eternal heavenly feast. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               O RIGHTEOUS GOD                                               

          In you is our hope and our redemption

~ ALL-SEEING GOD,  we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                               O RIGHTEOUS GOD                                               

          In you is our hope and our redemption      

~ ALL-SEEING GOD,  in the name of Jesus, our Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we ask Your special blessings upon all who lead us in Your Church. Guide us to listen to those who speak Your word to us, and teach us, in faith, to thoughtfully consider our place in your Creation and Redemption, as we consider the outcome of our own ways of living. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               O RIGHTEOUS GOD                                               

         In you is our hope and our redemption

The Celebrant adds: O HOLY GOD, Most High, you call us to judge not the faults of others but to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts as we are each subject to trials in this life that may lead us to stumble into sin. As we humble and submit our ourselves before you, we remember the words of our Christ, to guard ourselves and repent, to accept the repentance of others who sin against us and forgive them as many times as we are forgiven. We ask through Christ our Present and Eternal Savior; and the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Breath of Heaven; who together with You are One God, from before the beginning to beyond the end.  Amen.

 

 

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Self-More or Self-Less ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost '25 Yr C

For Sunday, August 31, 2025; Readings: Proverbs 25:6-7, Psalm 112, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; 

Luke 14:1, 7-14

   

   Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. [Proverbs 25:6-7]

   Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are merciful and full of compassion…they put their trust in the Lord. [Psalm 112:4, 7b]

  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it...Keep  your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have...Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Through him, then, let us offer a sacrifice of praise to God... [Hebrews 13:2, 5, 8, 15]

But when you are invited, go and sit at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up higher"...For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." [Luke 14:10-11]

    The basic elements of the readings for this week contain the full Gospel of Christ in a nutshell: Humility. Love. Hospitality. These are at once the minimal and the essential requirements for an authentically faithful and faith-filled life. One can be taught how to embrace and internalize these to live and act from within them; yet, confusingly, to actually “have” them is to not be consciously aware of them. We are to, not-so-simply, just “be” and do accordingly. That is contrary to our first-world notions of proof and confidence that we have “arrived” by what we have gathered to ourselves in fulfillment of earthly wants, our worldly status as determined by our place at various tables or events, and our magnanimous gestures to the “less fortunate” among us. Humility can be an ego trap.
     Feeling proud and pleased with a prestigious invitation, having a beautiful home, or wearing the best clothes are not in themselves bad. Rather, as always, it's how we reflect these kinds of acquisitions by our lives. We wander off the path of Christ if our attitude, whether conscious or less so, places us above any others. We are perfectly justified to be content with what we have as long as we Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have... [Hebrews 13:16] without regard to being thanked or repaid.

     Feeling proud and pleased with a prestigious invitation, having a beautiful home, or wearing the best clothes are not in themselves bad. Rather, as always, it's how we reflect these kinds of acquisitions by our lives. We wander off the path of Christ if our attitude, whether conscious or less so, places us above any others. We are perfectly justified to be content with what we have as long as we Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have... [Hebrews 13:16] without regard to being thanked or repaid.

     Humility is a tricky aspect of character as it is difficult to keep our egos unaware and our motives pure. Some of us may have to start small and practice often until the true spirit of it takes hold. I’m getting better at letting that car in ahead of me in traffic yet I still have to stop myself too often in the midst of silent judging. One definition of humility is “lowliness of mind,” in that it is a heart-attitude, not merely outward behavior. Tough work for those of us who want to be humble and, the payoff is if we do it right we won't know we've gotten there, although we always know deep down when we have not.

     This has reminded me of the 1980 song by Mac Davis, O Lord It’s Hard To Be Humble [link below*]. It is a funny piece and also slightly sobering. We can only do the best we can in trying not to judge those who reflect the song lyrics, or worse, recognize them in ourselves. In faith and by intentional attention to our own soul-work, we are more able to let mutual love continue without needing direct evidence of those hidden angels. Jesus modeled humility for us in many ways, especially with the foot washing at the Last Supper. Participating in that gesture on Maundy (Holy) Thursday by having another wash your feet is truly a humbling and awkward experience the first time. One can easily imagine how the Apostles felt.

      We, as followers of Christ, are called to humility, love, and hospitality in an attitude of a lower place in this life with the blessings and grace already given us. When all else fails me, I try to remember that Jesus doesn't want us to be proud of our humility!

* copy and paste into your browser:  https://youtu.be/0WTrMuZOZvM

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, open our hearts to let mutual love continue among all of Your people, whether known or unknown to us. Let us not neglect to show hospitality in sharing with and caring for all who are poor, imprisoned in a difficult life, or tortured in body, mind, or soul.

               O God, Light in our Darkness                                 

           RESPONSE:               We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, humble the souls of those who wield international, national, and local power. Guide them, and us all, to the path of leadership vested in compassion, generosity, and thoughtful justice that frees us all from hatred and violence. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      O God, Light in our Darkness
                                                      We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, refresh the spirits of those laid low by serious illness or critical life circumstance, and lift the energies of all who give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Light in our Darkness
                                                       We put our trust in You 

~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, dry the tears of the sorrowful with the comfort of knowing that our loved ones are now exalted to a place of honor at Your eternal heavenly feast. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Light in our Darkness
                                                       We put our trust in You 

~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, 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, Light in our Darkness
                                                       We put our trust in You           

~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, we ask Your special blessings upon all who lead us in Your Church, who speak Your word to us, and teach us by example, to imitate their faith and thoughtfully consider the outcome of our own ways of living. In the name of Jesus, our Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God, Light in our Darkness
                                                       We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our God, inspire us to choose a lower place at Your holy table than the place we offer to others, that in humility we may entertain angels unaware. May Your name always be the fruit of our lips and each facet of our lives reflect a continual sacrifice of praise to You. We ask through Christ our Present and Eternal Savior; and the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Breath of Heaven; who together with You are One God, from before the beginning to beyond the end.  Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: A Conscious Conscience ~ 11th Sunday after Pentecost WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, August 24, 2025, Year C, CORRECTION to the READINGS previously listed: 

Ezekiel 22:1-8, 12; Psalm 50:106, Hebrews 10:26-31; John 5:19-24

  You, child of earth and Eve, will you judge? Will you judge the city of blood? Then make known to it all its abominations. So shall you say: Thus says the Holy God: Oh city! Shedding the blood of its own; its time has come! It makes idols for itself, defiling itself. [Ezekiel 22:2-3]

  God of gods, the Maker of All, speaks and summons the earth from the dawning of the sun to its setting…She summons the heavens above—and the earth—in order to judge her people: Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” [Psalm 50:1, 4-5]

   Indeed, if we willfully sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no longer is there a sacrifice for sins. Rather [there is] an expectation of judgment and a zealous fire that will devour those opposed [to God]…How much…even worse punishment will be deserved by those who the Child of God, they put under their feet and the blood of the covenant, they treat as a common thing… [Hebrews 10:26-27, 29]

   …The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he is doing and will show him greater works than these, so that you all will be astonished. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son, to whomever he wishes, gives life…Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly I tell you all, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. [John 5:20-21, 23b-24]

    Such a light-hearted opening from that Ezekiel! Ok, not so much. He’s speaking the words that God gave him to speak to the former authorities in Jerusalem in its captivity in Babylonia. In experiencing the violence of forced migration, those formerly in power are also guilty of perpetrating the same to its most vulnerable people. Ezekiel, in the full reading says: The leaders of Israel among you, each one wielded power within you for the purpose of shedding blood. Mother and father are treated with contempt within you; against the immigrant in your midst they commit violent acts of extortion; orphan and widow are subjected to violence within you… The message is that if you choose to follow God and God’s covenant, ignoring that covenant and living outside of the values God places within it, subjects one to the full force of God’s Judgment. Here I offer a reminder that while Dr. Gafney’s* translations are her own, the context does not change through other translations. What is happening to those now under Babylonian rule, is the same as how they were treating the least among them in their own land.

   The Psalmist also reminds us of the expectations of God in how the voluntary covenant works ~ the faithful who follow the covenant will be gathered to God. Others are subjected to God’s judgment.

   The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is unclear. As early as the 2^nd century AD/CE, scholars weren’t confident that it was a letter from/by Paul. Other authors have been suggested including Priscilla who was a significant leader in Paul’s movement. Regardless, the message is clear: unintentional sin is forgiven. However, those who choose to sin are in bigger trouble and at the mercy of God. This is the theme for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which for the Jewish people is the holiest day of the year. The term “scapegoat” comes from this for the ancient practice of symbolically placing one’s willful sins onto a goat and sending it out into the wilderness to die. Thankfully, say the goats, that’s no longer necessary. And so, the Letter asks, if people, in the time of Moses were executed for such sin against the Father, imagine how much more grievous the punishment for those who do not honor the Son whose life was sacrificed for them?

   This piece of John’s Gospel brings together the difficult concept of the Father and the Son being separate and yet not. They are more than simply parent and child. As Jesus says Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. If we hear the words of Jesus and believe the Father who sent him, then we pass into eternal life without judgment. Sounds easy, yes? Or not quite so.

    All in all, Dr. Gafney tells us that these readings together are a rebuke to those who are convinced they are “saved” with no particular responsibilities attached. “Oh sure, I raised my hand in that meeting and accepted the Savior, I’m good, thanks!” With so many directions this life offers ~ this way, that way, or the other way ~ we must choose carefully or be sent to the wilderness to die. The daily news of abuses of people in our own country and various places in our world is testament enough to know that we each have more to do to follow and honor Jesus and by that to honor God. We are, at the very least, to have a conscious conscience to keep the covenant we have chosen with Jesus, by how we live, think, and act in this, our, one and only, human life.  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of gods, the Maker of All, shake us from a sense of self that deludes us into believing that we are more virtuous and much holier than any other sister or brother through the arrogance of our personal judgments. Open our souls to the humility of grace received from faith-filled honor and belief in your Son, our Savior Christ.

                                           O God, our God

RESPONSE:    We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you 

~ God of gods, the Maker of All, deliver us from any and all leaders who speak evil, oppress others, and only serve their own interests. Guide us to support and join with all who give food to the hungry, relieve the needs of the afflicted, and bring Your light into our World, our Nation, and our Communities. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                            O God, our God

      We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you

~ God of gods, the Maker of All, heal the ailments of all who suffer in body and spirit, and release all minds and hearts crippled by anger and hate into the peace of Your great kindness. Refresh the spirits of all who give them care with patience and stamina. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                           O God, our God

     We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you

~ God of gods, the Maker of All, may those who mourn be comforted by the festal gathering of innumerable angels for the glorious entry of our loved ones into Your Heavenly City. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                           O God, our God

     We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you

~ God of gods, the Maker of All, 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 God

     We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you          

~ God of gods, the Maker of All, we offer blessings and thanksgivings for all Deacons, Priests, and Bishops for their humanity, spiritual guidance, and devotion to Your work in this World. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                            O God, our God

      We, your faithful, gather ourselves to you

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy God, who dwells above all that is known and unknown, you are our complete and infinite source of faith, love, hope, and redemption. Urge our earth-bound hearts, to seek higher fulfillment in faith, as heirs, proclaimers, and teachers of Your eternal Truth in this life, through our thoughts, words, and actions. We ask through Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Sanctifier; who together with You, reign as One God, now and forever.

 

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com