I want to begin with a reminder, that the Women’s Lectionary
for the Whole Church [WLWC] texts used here are generally not those used in the
Revised Common Lectionary [see more below]. Dr. Wilda Gafney as translator uses expansive titles
for God and a perspective using feminine titles and pronouns of which some will
appear in the prayers below. I cannot provide you with her full readings due to
copyright issues. However, the context of these readings have not changed and can
be found in whichever translation you prefer. That said, we begin with a
passage from Isaiah 8…
A warning of the overthrow of Syria and
Israel centers on the prophet fathering a child with the prophetess. While all
the translations I looked at used prophetess, the meaning of it in
several commentaries I also viewed, is as the wife of the prophet. However,
Dr. Gafney explains in her text notes for this Sunday’s readings, the female
prophet is articulated as a prophet (masc. sing.) without the feminine suffix
in the Great Isaiah Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls collection making a
number of interpretations possible, including the lack of distinction between
prophets based on gender.
At the moment of time for this passage,
approximately early 8th century BCE, war and invasion are imminent. Judah
is the continuing people of God and Israel, with the remnant of northern monarchy
allied with the Arameans and planning to invade Judah, essentially a civil war.
The passage discusses the gentle waters of the Shiloah (later known as the “Pool of Siloam”) and then that God will use the Euphrates to flood
everyone “up to neck” and “fill the width of your land.” The underlying message from God to the prophet
is that the people may be too focused on anger and threats of violence and the “water”
reference is not literal but rather that their lands will be inundated with a
flood of violence.
This section of Psalm 34 is fairly self-explanatory.
It is God’s presence that restores and preserves us while the absence of God in
one’s life is the true cause of destruction. That, then, takes on the
appearance of God’s wrath, when it is one’s own inner wrath and lack of faith
that is the cause of the presumption of God’s absence. God doesn’t leave ~ we
do when we’re angry or judgmental, or worse.
From 1 John 3 we have this peaceful moment
to breathe in deeply the words of how God loves us. A gentle comforting respite
in the midst of everyday life. It calls out ~ at least to me at this moment ~
to be printed and posted on the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror!
And the Gospel brings us to Jesus
encountering a man whose son is possessed by a demonic spirit. This is based on
Mark 9:14-29 although the author of Luke leaves out details from the other. Jesus
heals the boy and “all were amazed at the greatness of God.” In the midst of
the awe of those present, Jesus gives another prediction of his coming passion
to the confusion of the disciples. They were then debating which one of them
was the greatest and Jesus swiftly and artfully de-thrones their egos.
War, threats of violence, a shrieking
demonic presence, punctuated with the reminders of God’s love and constant presence
make for quite an arc of emotions in this group of seemingly disparate readings.
Yet the true message is sudden, with utmost clarity, and at the very end when
Jesus says ~ “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among you
all is the greatest. As we are all Children
of God no matter our age, gender, ethnicity, race, health, wealth, etc., Jesus
takes us immediately back 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…’ [and]
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Too often we do love God and our
neighbor the same way we love ourselves but haven’t recognized it as such.
So, yeah,
the piece from 1 John 3: See what kind of love has our Maker given to us,
that we should be called the children of God; and we are. Put it on the mirror
for the days when your Grrrrowl is louder than your Grrrrateful and Grrrrace.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~
Loving God, keep your eyes upon us
and your ears open to our cries. Stay near to the broken-hearted and save all
whose spirits are crushed. As we take our hope and refuge in you, strengthen
our hearts, deliver us from all evil, and preserve us in your everlasting love.
Compassionate One
RESPONSE: Turn us to
do good, to seek peace and pursue it
~ Loving God, You are our
strength as we stand before the rulers and regimes on this Earth, in our
Nation, and in our Community. Hasten to help us in pressing for leaders to turn
from governance for power and self-greatness, to walk a better way toward
mercy, justice, and peace for all. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Compassionate One
Turn us to do good, to seek peace and pursue it
~ Loving God, shelter the hearts,
minds, and bodies of those tormented by the demons of chronic pain, addictions,
or mental illness, and sustain the love and patience of all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Compassionate One
Turn us to do good, to seek peace and pursue it
~ Loving God, ease the burden of
grief for all whose loved ones now awaken to the bliss of life ever after, in
the peace of Jesus, our Christ. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Compassionate One
Turn us to do good, to seek peace and pursue it
~ Loving God, we pause in this moment to
offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and
memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Compassionate One
Turn us to do good, to seek peace and pursue it
~ Loving God, we raise up before you
all those chosen to lead us in your Church, who baptize us as Christ’s own
forever, who bring us your Word and Sacraments, and who teach us to proclaim
all that you, our Triune God, have done for us, in us, and through us. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Compassionate One
Turn us to do good, to seek peace and
pursue it
The Celebrant adds: All-Seeing God, She Who is Majesty, keep us ever mindful that the through the strength of love you have
given to us, we are called as your children. Guide us to truly welcome children
of all ages, colors, ethnicities, and genders in the name of Jesus, to become
the way we welcome you; for the least among us all are the greatest. We ask through
the redeeming love of Christ, our Savior; the comforting wisdom of the Holy
Spirit, who together with You are our One God, now and 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 lives in Christ. To learn more about her and her work,
see her website:
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