Prayers of the People: Peace and Patience ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, March 16, 2025; Readings: Genesis 31:25-27, 43-50; 

Psalm 3-4, 12:15; Romans 8:18-25; Luke 8:40-55

And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?” You have robbed my heart and herded off my daughters…Why did you sneak away and not tell me?...let us make a covenant…let it be a witness between me and you…they took stones and made a heap…Jacob called it (Heap of Witness)…Laban said, “This heap is a witness between me and you today.” [Genesis 31:26-27,44, 47-48]

   WOMB of LIFE, what is humanity that you even know them, or the woman-born that you think of them. Humanity is like a breath; whose days are like a passing shadow…Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the WOMB of LIFE.  

[Psalm 144:3-4, 15]

    I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to us…for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope…Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 

[Romans 8:18, 20, 24-25]

    Now when Jesus returned…the crows of women, children, and men welcomed him…There came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue…he fell at the feet of Jesus…urging him to come…for…an only daughter, about twelve…was dying…there was a women who had a…hemorrhage for 12 years…She came up behind Jesus touching the fringe of his garment and immediately her…hemorrhage stopped……Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”…she declared…why she had touched Jesus… Jesus said to her, “Daughter your faith has saved you, go in peace”…someone came from the synagogue leader’s house saying…”your daughter is dead…” Jesus…replied, “Fear not. Only believe and she will be saved…when he came to the house…Jesus took her by the hand and said, “Child get up!” And her breath-and spirit returned and she got up that moment…” [Luke 8-40-55]

   Ah, the disputes among families and neighbors and friends, in cities and towns, in communities and on continents ~ life is filled with us-and-them disagreements that can flare up into violence and worse. How extraordinary then, with what is clearly a serious breach between Jacob and Laban, that it is resolved with a covenant of peace, the raising of stones to mark as a witness to their renewal of relationship. A favorite point for me, in this telling, is the pillar Mitzvah. As a young working woman, I became involved with a women’s social service organization that met regularly, raised funds for charities, and had a prescribed meeting format which always ended with a Mitzvah prayer. We held hands and recited: May the Lord watch between me and thee, while we are absent, one from the other. Many years later, my late husband and I found a heart shaped pendant that had been designed in two pieces with a “crack” to separate so each of us carried half of the Mitzvah message. It is even more precious to me now. And so it is with Jacob and Laban, with the Mitzvah pillar with Dr. Gafney’s translation: The HOLY ONE watch between me and you, when we are out of sight of the other. Of course, there’s an addition for Laban, which is that God is the witness of Jacob, when out of Laban’s sight, to care for Laban’s daughters and their children. We, too, are called, in God’s witness, to care for those most vulnerable in this life, whether we agree or disagree with them for the myriad reasons available ~ politics, religion, general opinions, life choices, and so on ~ we are called to care and help and to a higher form of love in all the ways we are truly able.

   The phrasing of verse 4 of the psalm was also a moment for me to stop and just sit with the imagery. It’s quite a statement in this translation as well as in the US Book of Common Prayer [BCP] and is very similar in a variety of translations: Humanity is like a breath; whose days are like a passing shadow. The BCP is slightly less poetic and more in-your-face: We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow. Another good reason to make more peace than not.

   And in this reading, Paul truly speaks to us ALL throughout the eons with the first sentence about sufferings of this present time. How would I, you, anyone have read/heard/felt this a year ago, or even six months ago? Of course he pushes us harder by telling us that if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience… sigh…

   At first read the Jesus passage seems unrelated but then the connection came slowly and indirectly. He’s being jostled and pressed upon, you can almost hear people yelling questions and asking for attention and help. Jairus who is a leader in a synagogue is desperate for Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. Then, presumably on his way to help the child, Jesus is interrupted. He stops and discovers a woman who then confesses her problem, with understandable embarrassment, and explains that merely touching his the fringe of his garment she was healed. (The fringes are important in some forms of Judaism even today.) By her faith, Jesus tells her, she is saved. And then Jairus and Jesus are told the child is dead but Jesus moves forward, patiently, and arrives to raise the child to life. I particularly like the phrasing of her breath-and-spirit returned.

  So it is through peace and patience we are to move through this breath and passing shadow of life. Yet most certainly there are times when we must speak our piece with as much peace as we can manage, as did Laban. It is often quite necessary to speak even loudly to disagree when harm is occurring to one’s self or family or others around you. There are ways and options in the models of Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace and patience are often difficult, or harder still peace with patience as we wait in hope for  what we do not see, the glory about to be revealed to us.  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Creator God, our WOMB of LIFE, as our conscience and our guide, show us in our own day, the path to a covenant of peace with those with whom we disagree. Remind us as we care for the best interest of the most vulnerable in our families, among our friends, and, for our neighbors ~ those known and unknown to us, near and far ~ that we are called to a higher form of love by Jesus, our Christ.

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times

               RESPONSE:       Help us work and wait patiently in hope 

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, steady our hearts and minds amidst these unsettling days. Grant us the courage and fortitude to boldly bear witness to and proclaim the Gospel, upholding Your message of peace, justice, and humanity, to all Leaders and Legislators in our Country, in our Community, and across our World. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
                                                Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, comfort all who are in distress from chronic pain, serious addiction, and mental illness; and sustain the hope of all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions 

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
                                                Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, lift the weight from grieving hearts, as those we send ahead to Heaven’s eternal splendor, now live again where tears and trials are no more. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
                                                Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
                                                Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, grant extra strength and wisdom in mind, heart, and spirit to all who are ordained to the yoke of Christ, as our pastoral guides in triumph and tribulation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times

                                                Help us work and wait patiently in hope

The Celebrant adds: O God, our Witness and our Breath-and-Spirit, in Your wisdom You created humanity as a breath whose days are like a passing shadow. Grant us the vision to discern Your constant Light to draw us to return to You always in faith without fear and in Your saving peace. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and our Salvation; the Holy Spirit who Breathes within us and through us; who together with You are our One Holy and Glorious God, now, and for ever.  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: Chickening In ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent '25 Yr C

For Sunday, March 16, 2025; Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27, Philippians 3:17-4:1; 

Luke 13:31-35

   The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” [Genesis 15:1]

    The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then should I be afraid? [Psalm 27:1]

     Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me...For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ...Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven... stand firm in the Lord... [Philippians 3:18a, 19-20a, 4:1b]

    Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing! [Luke 13:34b]

    Before he becomes Abraham, the childless Abram, even with his substantial wealth, bemoans to God that his only heir is a slave born in his house. We remember where this story goes as God gives to the faithful Abraham the children he desires and the descendants that number as the stars. The message we are to receive is that through our own faithfulness and sacrifice, God speaks to us also when he says, Do not be afraid…I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.

    The Psalmist echoes the confidence we can have in God and the comfort we can take in not being fearful in either the ordinary moments or in the extraordinary. God is the light in our darkness, our strength and our salvation in all parts of this life.

     Paul is chiding the Philippians in this letter and warning them about their attachments to earthly things. He harshly reminds them, and us, that we must learn to recognize our own inconsistencies, divided loyalties, and the complacency that results in them and us, being enemies of the cross of Christ. For those who are not living as Christ would have them live, their god is the belly. Paul’s true and heartfelt intention is for us to imitate his example and model our lives ~ as much as we are able ~ on Christ. We who are faithful will be transformed by the commitment to Jesus and, therefore, our primary citizenship is in heaven, rather than in this brief human sojourn.

     Jesus speaks bluntly to the unusually well-intentioned Pharisees in a foreshadowing of the three days to come. The Pharisees were no fans of the Herod family and Jesus took their warning as sincere. He then gives them a message for that fox that lets them know that he has no fear of Herod, fully understands what is to come, and is deliberately walking into it all. Jesus scolds Jerusalem for her unwillingness to be gathered as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, as he would gather us. Yet the hope of things to come remains in his cryptic telling that he will not be seen until…

    These readings tell us, in this renewing season of Lent, to be less fearful in our everyday life and not to seek God in the stuff of earth. It is clear, however, that while we are in this mortal moment, we have much to do. We are charged with being faithful, as Paul tells us, to live in, with, and as Christ did; we also are to speak truth to power as Jesus did with the Pharisees. Rather than chickening out, let all us chickens begin this week by chickening in to whatever comes in turning our lives to Jesus who is willing to gather under his wings, and be a holy, busy, and faith-filled brood awaiting the Blessed…one who comes in the name of the Lord.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of Light and Salvation, we look to You for the courage to release ourselves from the earthly trappings and distractions that beguile us into complacency of faith. Free us of the fear to conform our lives to Christ, standing firm in Him in this life, so to attain our place and peace in the next.

                                                     O Christ, hear us         

         RESPONSE:                 Have mercy upon us 

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, steady our hearts and minds amidst these unsettling times. Grant us the courage and fortitude to boldly bear witness to and proclaim the Gospel, upholding Your message of peace, justice, and humanity, to all Leaders and Legislators in our Country, in our Community, and across our World. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, hear us

                                                       Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, comfort all who are in distress from chronic pain, serious addiction, and mental illness; and sustain the hope of all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, hear us

                                                       Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, lift the weight from grieving hearts, as those we send ahead to Heaven’s eternal splendor, now live again where tears and trials are no more. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, hear us

                                                       Have mercy upon us

~  Lord of Light and Salvation, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, hear us

                                                       Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, grant extra strength and wisdom in mind, heart, and spirit to all who are ordained to the yoke of Christ as our pastoral guides, in triumph and tribulation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, hear us

                                                       Have mercy upon us

The Celebrant adds: O Jesus, our Christ, blessed are You who comes to gather us as Your own brood, not as enemies of Your Cross, but with willing, faithful, and trusting acceptance in our citizenship of heaven, this day and always. We ask through the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; and our Creator, Most High; who together with You are One God, forever and ever. 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

Meditation Moments: Lent Begins, Don't Just Give Up! Take On, Pray ~ Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025 ~

  The fronds from last year's Palm Sunday have been burned to ash. And Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, was  filled with pancakes, great Fellowship, and many other pre-Lenten treats. Yesterday was also Shrove Tuesday as we are soon to be shriven, that is, absolved of our misdeeds great and small, if we present ourselves to God for confession, repentance, and penance. 

Lent is always a good time 

to begin again.

    The word "Lent" comes from the old Anglo-Saxon language and essentially means "lengthen" as in the days lengthening in the Spring. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are shortening so the perspective is a little different. However, we who are Christians from the Roman, Orthodox, Anglican and other Christian traditions all observe the same 40 days of Lent. It is to mirror the 40 days and nights Jesus spent alone in the wilderness, after his Baptism by John, being tempted by Satan, in preparation for the official start of his ministry that began when he returned.  

     Sundays are in Lent, rather than of Lent. A picky detail but if you've ever counted the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter...there are more than 40 days because Sundays aren't actually counted as they are in other liturgical seasons. Why? Because Sunday is ALWAYS Easter! It is indeed a liturgical remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross but it is also a celebration of the Resurrection.

     Even if you are not a church-goer, or in a denomination that experiences Lent, for someone who has faith, or wants to have faith, or whose faith has been shaken or is just shaky and filled with doubt, Lent is a season to rediscover our relationship with God and renew our commitment to it. It is a time for reflection of our past actions, our genuine intentions, and the repair of our souls. Some of us will be marked on our foreheads this day with the sign of the cross in the ashes of the palms. This is an outward sign of and inward recognition of our human mortality but not required. Whether people are Christian or not, most will know the expression Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. No matter how high one reaches in life, or how low, everyone returns to dust.

     During these 40 days, some will enter into a period of dedicated fasting, prayer, and self-denial. Some will give up things such as chocolate, alcohol, or cigarettes, some will take on activities such as daily meditation and prayer or extra volunteer work. Some will begin in earnest and maintain their discipline and others will fall away in distraction or be a bit haphazard. There's no right or wrong way to do Lent when you are intentional about wanting to be closer to God. Whatever your mode, with or without you, Lent begins...

             Create in me a clean heart, O God, and help me find my way back to You. While I would like to show my good intentions by grand repentant gestures and worthy pious activity, I have to be honest here as I know I'm not likely to stick with a full-on heavy discipline for 40 whole days. So, for today, and one day at a time, please help me clean my heart and restore my soul in other smaller ways such as with patience so as to give up arguing a point on social media or in email or even in person, and take on being mindful of my thoughts, emotions, and actions while driving and in the grocery store line. Dear Lord of all Peoples, on each day of this Holy Lent ~ and beyond ~ let me understand and live into the words You have given us through Jesus:

"Forgive us our sins AS we forgive those who sin against us."   

             Perhaps that could change us all for the better.  

For all this we pray. 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: The Eyes of Our Hearts ~ 1st Sunday in Lent WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, February 23, 2025; Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 49: 1-2, 5-15; 

Ephesians 1:15-21, John 3:1-8

  

Thus says the Highest, the Breath of Life: From the four winds-of-breath-and-spirit, come spirit breath and breathe spirit upon these who have been slain, that they may come to life…and she, the breath-that-is-spirit came into them and they came to life and stood upon their feet, a vast legion. [Ezekiel 37:9b-10]

 For when one sees the wise, they die; the foolish and ignorant perish together…Like sheep they are set for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall rule over them until the morning, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their abode. But God will ransom my soul, for from the grasp of Sheol she will take me. [Psalm 49:10, 14-15]

   I do not cease to give thanks for you all as I make mention of you all in my prayers…in order that the God of our Redeemer Jesus, the Messiah, the Origin of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know God…so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you all may know what is the hope to which God has called you…and what is the surpassing magnificence of God’s power for we who believe, according to the working of the power of God’s strength. [Ephesians 1:16-20]

   [Jesus responded to Nicodemus] Truly, truly I tell you without being birthed again—that is being birthed from above, no one can see the majesty of God…I tell you, without being birthed of water and spirit no one can enter the majesty of God. What is birthed of the flesh is flesh, and what is birthed of the spirit is spirit…You must be birthed again, birthed from above. [John 3:3, 5-6]

   Thanks to this combination of readings, transport, restoration, and spirit/breath are the themes that gathered together for me in them. Ruach in the Hebrew means spirit, wind, and/or breath of the Holy Spirit/aka Wisdom/God. Obviously there is no life without breath and sometimes the wind overwhelms us, perhaps the Spirit does, too, and I/we don’t recognize it. Yet we and all living creatures that are not plants were created with the Breath. (an interruptive aside here ~ have you ever noticed the word creature and its relationship to create/Creator?) And so it is when the Spirit and Breath transports those very dry bones from their graves and the bones become enfleshed and are restored to stand up and live again.

   The Psalmist is clear that those who trust in their wealth and praise of the abundance of their riches (Gafney v. 6-7); or The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, and boast of their great riches… (v. 5 in the Book of Common Prayer ~ BCP~, Psalm 49, pg. 652) will be transported to Sheol and unlike those dry bones, the land of the dead shall be their home…They shall join the company of their forbears, who will never see light again. (BCP Psalm 49:14b, 19). And then we have verse 15! The transport of some and the restoration of The upright in this version of the psalm and the ransom of God in the BCP, redeem in the NKJV, The Complete Jewish Bible, NIV; ransom in Authorized KJV, and so it goes in many other translations. [I use Biblegateway.com]. Of course it doesn’t mitigate the damage done to the upright in the short term. But the ransom/restoration/transport away from the Pit of Sheol, by God, is what keeps our hope alive and the spirit breath within us flowing.

   And then to the Letter to the Ephesians…as we remember, Paul wrote letters to specific churches for specific reasons. Sometimes it’s very difficult to connect those letters to our own time for those reasons. Yet in there are some letters and moments in them that certainly stand out and this is one of them. Again, you can read this in any translation you prefer and the phrasing that hit me immediately was/is with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you all may know what is the hope to which God has called you… Some of the paraphrases ~ that is translations re-written to be more modern in their wording such as The Message, The Living Bible, Good New Translation, etc., simply have the same basic thought just phrased differently. For me, this week, it was with the eyes of your heart enlightened that jumped out. A continuing reminder to dig deeply and often, and to reflect on what and why my attention is captured positively and especially if otherwise.

    And then in John’s Gospel, the Born Again piece that has been used often though perhaps not so wisely, but, as said above, digging more deeply we get a restoration of the full meaning of Jesus, especially as we move beyond verse 8 all the way to verse 21, whereafter the scene changes.

    Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel (v. 9-10) is having difficulty believing what Jesus is saying. In verse 12, Jesus responds with, If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? A question for the ages! What do you think Jesus means by saying we must be birthed of water and the spirit? For me, these chosen readings all come full circle in the Gospel. Through the breath-wind of the Spirit we are given life. When we take the time, as we stop for a period of time every single day to consciously breathe deeply in, hold, and breathe deeply out, for at least several minutes and more, with our questions on these readings as a beginning, we invite the Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we may turn toward the light of God in Jesus and be birthed again, and again, and again from above. As we seek, often, to know what is the hope that God calls us, placing our hope in Jesus, our Christ, is our first step.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Reader: ~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, come upon us and bring us out through your Spirit. Cause your spirit-and-breath to enter us and fill our bones with Your energizing life, to rise upright, birthed again from above.

       Response:                  O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts

~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, now in this blessed season of Lent, grant us the fortitude of Christ in the wilderness to stand before the ruling powers in our world, in our nation, and in our local communities, to demand for all people the release from affliction, injustice, inhumanity, and oppression imposed by the evils of greed and corruption. We pray especially for…  add your own petitions        

                                                O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts

~  Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, shelter in Your love all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and encourage all who give them help. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts

~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, ease the hearts of all who grieve, as those we love in our living memory are now risen in the joy and glory of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts

~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING 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 Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts

~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, may all who are chosen to bring us Your Word and Sacraments, in times of sorrow and times of gladness, abide under Your Shadow, bound to you in love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life

                                                Enlighten the eyes of our hearts 

The Celebrant adds: O God in Your Majesty, rescue us from the wilderness of our own making; turn us from fear to faith, and from complacency to action. Help us to keep the Word of our Redeemer Christ near, on our lips and in our hearts as we move through the humanity and the sound of the Spirit throughout Your Creation, each and every day. We ask through Jesus, our Messiah; and the Holy Spirit-that-is-like-wind; who together with You are One God, the Origin of Glory, now and beyond forever. 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 worship and in our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

 

**PLEASE NOTE that you can go to any translation to read the lessons that Dr. Gafney uses. She does NOT change the context or much of the phrasing. Rather she adds expansive Titles for God and highlights the feminine aspect that she gleans from her own translations from the early languages in which she is fluent. The context of each reading is essentially the same even in those that are not in our usual Revised Common Lectionary. Do go read these in at least 2 other translations and, it’s also useful at times to read the full chapter. 

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: Give In to THIS ~ 1st Sunday in Lent RCL '25 Yr C

For Sunday, March 9, 2025; Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Ps 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13

   

  Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and your house. [Deuteronomy 26: 11]

    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall say to the Lord, "You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust.  [Psalm 91:1-2]

    For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Romans 10: 12-13]

    Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil...Jesus answered him..."One does not live by bread alone...Worship the Lord your God and serve only him...Do not put the Lord your God to the test." [Luke 4:1-2a,4b, 8b, 12b]

    40 days and 40 nights thou wast fasting in the wild…tempted and yet undefiled. So goes the 19^th century hymn [#150 in "The Hymnal 1982" of the US Episcopal Church]. And so our time of 40 days and 40 nights has begun again; shall we be “undefiled” at its conclusion? Temptation is a human foible and even with the best of intentions, we all – more often than we’d like to admit – fall prey to the allure of some thing or another, sometimes to especially unhealthy levels and to our own or others' detriment, or both. Yet isn’t our situation different? Jesus was tempted by the Devil, after all, with promises of earthly power and glory and authority. But do we dismiss ourselves from this self-examination because of our mere mortal-hood? It would seem that as he was "full of the Holy Spirit," it must have been much easier for him. Yet this preparation for his imminent ministry, this long retreat, fully human as he was, was no picnic in the park. Sure, we might not be promised power and authority by a supernatural being, or spend all that time alone in a wilderness, but the pull to just turn toward the glitter of all that beckons, those idols we create for ourselves, can be very difficult to resist in our brief human journey. And that brings its own kind of wilderness and at least a touch of defilement.

   The readings for this week give chapter and verse on how God hears us, shelters us, and saves us if we but turn toward the Lord our God. The literal translation of "repent" from the Greek is, at its basic level, to turn away from sin by turning toward God. These 40 days bring us the time to reconcile our earthly wants with our eternal souls. We are to clean out our spiritual closets and blow the dust off hidden temptations, overindulgence, and the shallow distractions that distance us from Christ. It's time to turn the light on what we hide from ourselves and re-awaken to the call of salvation. I bid myself and each of us, over these weeks, to worry less about what to “give up” and concentrate more on what to “take on” to discover what will turn us back toward our Risen Lord and Savior. Keep the word near you, on your lips and in your heart as Paul tells us. Prayer is a starting place, even if only asking “WHAT, HOW, WHERE DO I START?”

    Jesus gave 40 days and 40 nights to his spiritual growth and strength for the beginning of his earthly ministry. Can you give 40 minutes over 6 weeks? How about 10 minutes 4 times a day? How about 4 minutes 10 times a day? How much time is spent on the idols of our daily living, not counting work time, there are our mobile phones, tablets, social media, online shopping, video games, flipping channels on the tv remote, etc. Take 10 or 4, in a quiet space – the morning or evening shower, that time looking through the refrigerator for something – wherever and whatever. Take on a definitive, intentional, conscious turn toward the Lord by thought and by action, by desire, and most importantly by faith. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. What could be more important for those of us who call ourselves Christian? Here's a start, copy this one line onto post-it notes for the laptop, the refrigerator door, the coffee pot, or the car dashboard for moments at stop lights. Ask Alexa to read it to you at regular intervals, and take a long slow deep breath every time you see it, hear it, or say it out loud; this one line from this week’s Psalm: You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust. Got 40, 10, or 4 minutes? We can always make time for the things we really want to do. We can easily blow 40 minutes scrolling Facebook, playing Wordle, or watching funny reels. It’s time to be more tempted to turn toward the One Who is calling: Give in to THIS.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Almighty God, Most High, as we enter the pilgrim way of Lent once more, let these 40 days and 40 nights fill us with unceasing prayer. Strengthen our souls to dismiss the enticements of this earthly life, and to proclaim, with faith on our lips and in our hearts, that Christ Jesus is our Risen Lord.

                                                Jesus, Son of God                                                       

         RESPONSE:            Deliver us from idol temptation

~ Almighty God, Most High, in this blessed season, grant us the fortitude of Christ in the wilderness to stand before the ruling powers in our world, in our nation, and in our local communities, to demand for all people the release from affliction, injustice, inhumanity, and oppression imposed by the evils of greed and corruption. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Son of God

                                                Deliver us from idol temptation

~ Almighty God, Most High, shelter in Your love all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and encourage all who give them help. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Son of God

                                                Deliver us from idol temptation

~ Almighty God, Most High, ease the hearts of all who grieve, as those we love in our living memory, are now risen in the joy and glory of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Son of God

                                                Deliver us from idol temptation

~  Almighty God, 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

                                                Jesus, Son of God

                                                Deliver us from idol temptation

~ Almighty God, Most High, may all who are chosen to bring us Your Word and Sacraments, in times of sorrow and times of gladness, abide under Your Shadow, bound to you in love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Son of God

                                                Deliver us from idol temptation     

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord, our God, rescue us from the wilderness of our own making, turn us from fear to faith, and from complacency to action. Help us keep the Word of our Redeemer near, on our lips and in our hearts, as we call upon Your name and serve only You. We ask through Jesus, the Christ of our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, Divine Breath of our Souls; who together with You are 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: Removing the Inside Veil ~ (8th) Last Sunday after the Epiphany '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, March 2, 2025, Readings: Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, 

Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]

  As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. [Exodus 34:29]

   Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill; for the Lord our God, is the Holy One. [Psalm 99:9]

  And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit…we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. [2 Corinthians 3:18, 4:2b]

   And while [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem... Then from a cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" [Luke 9:29-31, 35]

    We have arrived at the Last Sunday after the Epiphany and we end nearly as we began. All the way back on January 6^th, in the readings for the day of the Feast of the Epiphany, not on a Sunday, Isaiah told us to Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. [Isaiah 60:1] and the Gospel reminded us of the Wise men from the East following a shining star leading them to newly born king of the Jews [Matthew 2:2]. This Sunday Moses has talked with God and comes down from the Mountain with the two tablets and the skin of this face was shining. [Exodus 34:29] And a parallel is in the Gospel of Luke telling us of the Transfiguration of Jesus as his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white.
    The season of Epiphany can last anywhere from 4-9 weeks depending on how Easter falls on the lunar calendar guided by the timing of Vernal Equinox (Autumnal in the Southern Hemisphere). This year, Easter is April 20, almost as late as it can be. We are finishing this season on the 8^th Sunday after the Epiphany, with Ash Wednesday following immediately. Whatever the number of Sundays, the final one is always known as The Last Sunday after the Epiphany and includes one of the three Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration.
    As we hear this week, Moses brought the tablets down to those waiting at the base of the Mountain in the time of the Exodus. As you will recall, the Israelites are in the desert after fleeing slavery in Egypt. Having spoken with God, his face is shining so brightly it frightens everyone. So, after revealing the Commandments that God had spoken to him, Moses veiled his face to hide the brilliance but removed the veil whenever he went in before the Lord.    
    Paul gives us a different perspective, with a seeming rebuke in saying about those who when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. In turning to Christ we are as with unveiled faces. Through the Spirit of Christ there is freedom and, in that freedom with our unveiled faces we, too, are being transformed.
    As Jesus takes Peter, John, and James to another mountain to pray, he knows his destiny. This was the chance to reveal himself in such a way to give them the strength to go through what was to come.
         In the midst of the stunning change in his appearance, who appears in the blaze of glory but Moses and Elijah and they discuss with Jesus his coming departure, his own exodus. The disciples were too overwhelmed in that moment to consciously understand that the presence of these others is what connects Jesus to the breadth of the history of Salvation. In that moment, Jesus completes the teachings of the Law and the Prophets. As the voice of God appears from a cloud – as through the pillar of cloud along the trek of the Exodus – the command is to listen to him, the one who is chosen as the Son of God.
    As we leave the season of Epiphany let us carry the dazzling glory of the Transfiguration with us so as to not lose our spiritual momentum during the weeks of Lent ahead. Let us not live as if Lent is dark and dreary and full of don’ts and severity. To repent simply means to reexamine ourselves in order to turn toward God.  It is a time to reflect on our faith, our lives, and through our repentance we turn toward and seek the new radiance of Christ’s Resurrection. As Paul says through Christ, we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth, we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
    Verse 9 of today’s Psalm 99 says: Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill; for the Lord our God, is the Holy One. Our whole Earth, this island home, is God’s holy hill as are the sanctuaries of our houses of worship that serve the same special purpose to proclaim God’s greatness.
     To paraphrase Julia Ward Howe’s poem that became the Battle Hymn of the Republic: “In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make us holy, let us live to make all free, with Christ we’re marching on.”  It is time again to remove the veil from the inside that we use to hide Christ's shining glory within us from ourselves and others, so we can light up the world we live in!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ Great and Glorious Lord, unveil our hearts to know Your Glory within us that we may shine upon all we meet. Transform our faith from passive to active, reflecting Your mercy and love in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.
 
                                                Jesus, our Christ
             RESPONSE:         We turn again to You
 
~ Great and Glorious Lord,  inspire and remind all who govern on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community, to commend themselves in Your sight and in good conscience to renounce all forms of racism, injustice, and all legislative acts that deprive basic human rights to our brothers and sisters everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                Jesus, our Christ
                                                We turn again to You 

~ Great and Glorious Lord,  release all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and grant resilience to those who offer support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…add your own petitions
                                                Jesus, our Christ
                                                We turn again to You
 
~ Great and Glorious Lord,  brighten the shadows for all who grieve by the new radiance of those we love, who now share in the bliss of new and unending life in Christ.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                Jesus, our Christ
                                                We turn again to You

 ~  Great and Glorious Lord,  we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions
                                                Jesus, our Christ
                                                We turn again to You
           
~ Great and Glorious Lord,  uplift and continually energize all who are chosen and anointed as our earthly Shepherds of Your Word and Will, the guiding beacons on our sacred path to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                Jesus, our Christ
                                                We turn again to You
 
The Celebrant adds: O Christ, Transfigured, draw us by Your Light and Love to obey God’s command to listen and to heed the words of Your Gospel. Strengthen our hearts to feel Your constant presence, and to faithfully embrace the call to Your ministry as our purpose, lighting the way for us all in this life. We ask this of You, God’s Chosen Son; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Source of Wisdom; who together with our Creator of All That Is, live and reign as one God, in Glory, now and for ever. 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