People's Prayers: 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