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:
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