Prayers of the People: The Hour is Coming ~ 15th Sunday after Pentecost WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, September 21, 2025; Readings: Zechariah 7:8-14, Psalm 10:1-14, James 2:14-19, 24-26; 

John 5:25-29

…the word of the JUST ONE that came to Zechariah saying…True justice shall you all administer justly. Loving-kindness and mother-love shall you all offer to one another. And the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the one made poor through oppression, you must all not oppress [further]… [Zechariah 7:8-9]

   Why COMPASSIONATE ONE, do you stand afar? Why do you hide yourself in hard times?...Rise up, FAITHFUL GOD; dear God, lift up your hand; forget not the oppressed…Upon you the vulnerable entrust themselves… [Psalm 10:1, 12, 14b]

  What benefit is it, my brothers and sisters, if faith you say you have but you have, but do not have works? Is faith able to save you? If a sister or brother is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace and eat your fill,” and you all do not provide what is necessary…what is the benefit of that? And thus faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. [James 2:14-17]

   …for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. [John 5:28-29]

    As we are coming near to the end of using Dr. Gafney’s Women’s Lectionary [our Season of Creation begins October 12], I want to offer another comment here. There have been both women and men who haven’t liked its use in our Parish for this liturgical year. Some have disliked the feminine pronouns, the expanded titles for God, or the lack of the “usual” from the 3-year reading cycle from the Revised Common Lectionary [RCL]. Interestingly none of the actual context/story lines of the readings have changed. One difference is that for many of her choices of readings they are rarely, if ever, used in the RCL. Some are parallels to similar readings in the RCL and some completely different. Some of the more allegorical are a challenge to unpack historically as well as theologically. To that end, I encourage you to use the same reading references and read them in your favorite Bible and several others of the nearly one thousand English language translations available online and elsewhere (go to a library or bookstore), and, find one or two Biblical commentaries that you like (there are also many online) and discover how various scholars interpret the lessons we are given. Then you can think it through to see what speaks to you. To those who “don’t like it,” it is your prerogative. There are a few translations that I don't like either. Just think about your answer to what don’t you like and why, or, why you do like and why ~ no response necessary!

  Meanwhile, Zechariah starts us off with the words given to him by God. It is important to note that in the sacred literature of the Israelites, it reflects a time of resistance. From their time under severe oppression and later of the memories and stories of oppression, and its lingering even generational trauma beyond the real times. It was a devastating occupation in which the overlords intentionally razed arable land to make the people dependent in poverty, took hostages into slavery to be used and abused and make their  owners rich. Do any parallels come to mind? Dr. Gafney* reminds us that the writings in the books of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah occur in the same period.

   The Psalmist and James are speaking down through the ages to our time! And the Psalmist lays it out to God: WHY are you not acting? Do you know what is happening here? This is a serious tongue-lashing: Why do you hide yourself in hard times…the wicked harass the poor; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised… forget not the oppressed…take it into your hands. I’m just copying the words!

    James also asks about faith without works. Oh my does that tell a story in our times also.

    And then Jesus says: the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Deep breath here. We don’t know the hour…

  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Compassionate One, forget not the oppressed nor the vulnerable nor any of us who entrust ourselves to your love and care. Strengthen us to work in, with, and for our faith on behalf of our fellow beings to the best of our abilities and capacities given us by you.

                                    O Faithful God

RESPONSE:         Come close to lift us in your hands

~ Compassionate One, guide the hearts and souls of those in high positions as leaders on this Planet, in this Nation, and in our Community to intentionally govern with integrity, with honor, and without deceit. We pray especially for: the President, the Vice-President, our Members of Congress, our Governor, our County Executive, our City Council, and our Mayor.

O Faithful God                                       

Come close to lift us in your hands

~ Compassionate One calm the fears and anxiety of all who suffer in pain of body, mind, or soul, and fortify all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… 

O Faithful God                                       

Come close to lift us in your hands

~ Compassionate One, dry the tears of the grieving, as the glory of the heavens welcomes all who are now transformed into eternal life and joy. We pray especially for: 

O Faithful God                                       

Come close to lift us in your hands

~ Compassionate One, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… 

O Faithful God                                       

Come close to lift us in your hands    

~ Compassionate One, we praise Your Name with thanksgiving for the special gifts of all who have been chosen, anointed, and faithfully devoted in their lives and ministries among us. We pray especially for: Sean, our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop; Patrick, our Rector; Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus, and Cecily, our Deacon.

O Faithful God                                       

Come close to lift us in your hands

The Celebrant adds: Creator of All, by Your divine love we were created with the truest form of riches available in our mortal time. Infuse us with desire to serve only You, that even our little faith will become greater and offer a blameless accounting at this life’s end. We ask through Jesus, our Holy Mediator; and the Holy Spirit, the Divine Breath in our Souls; who together with You are One God, forever and always. 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/

 

 

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