Prayers of the People: Free Gift? ~ Proper 8, 5th Sunday after Pentecost RCL '26 Yr A

For Sunday, June 28, 2026, Readings: Jeremiah 28:5-91, Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-14, 22-23; Matthew 10:40-42

   The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet. [Jeremiah 28:5-9]

     I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens… Happy are the people… who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance… For you are the glory of their strength.... [Psalm 89:2, 15, 17a]

     ...present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life...as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but grace...now that you have been freed from sin...the advantage you get is sanctification...For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 6:13b, 14, 22-23]

    Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me...and whoever gives even a cold cup of water...truly I tell you, none…will lose their reward." [Matthew 10:40, 42]

   We pick up this piece from Jeremiah in the middle without the benefit of the whole conversation. It would be useful to read the full chapter to get a sense of the context of this snippet or at the very least the four prior verses that open the chapter. Essentially, we are to understand that prophecy itself is contextual for its time, not eternal for all situations and eras. What works for one moment in time doesn’t in another and may be inappropriate or even destructive in another. Just because a prophet claims the message is from God isn’t proof that it is. It sometimes appears that prophetic messages are all doom and gloom, but prophecy can also speak of hope and promise. As we “listen” to this message in our own time, we want to consider: How do we know the difference between a true prophet and a false one?  Just because one is more familiar to us is no guarantee that the message is truly from God. Perhaps we do have to wait and see if and when the prophecy comes true to know with more certainty and that can take a very long time. Yet isn’t it more calming to hear and absorb those promises of hope amidst despair in troubled times?

   The Psalmist is singing a hopeful message about the steadfastness of God’s love. Given the dire messages of other psalms, this one is more comforting as it reminds us that God loves us, especially for our faithfulness. And we are reminded that God made a covenant with David, a less than perfect human!

   Paul asks what advantage did you get…from the things of which you are now ashamed? In accepting Christ, we are freed from enslavement to sin. Yes, the language of “slave” and “enslavement” is archaic and distressing and yet truthful as we recognize the deep sin of ongoing systemic racial injustice, and the continuation of too many who are willing to practice intentional racial, gender, and other discrimination in our own time.  To put it into more contemporary language, Eugene Peterson’s Bible paraphrase, The Message, refers to the  tyranny of sin and when released, we are in living in God’s

freedom.

   Matthew’s Gospel for this week gives us the outline of the genuine welcomes that we can offer to others and how the smallest actions of life, simple as a cup of cold water, done in the name of a disciple and/or Christ himself, grants us our never-ending reward. Our "life" here, when we accept being freed from sin, welcoming and caring for others in Christ’s name, is to be a preparation for the free gift of God in eternal life in Christ.

   Free gift? Well, it is our free and intentional choice to follow the examples Jesus gives. At the very least, the promise of eternity seems well worth the price of obedience to The Great Commandment [Matthew 22:35-40] and this lesson in true Christ-like hospitality. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Lord of Steadfast Love, awaken us to know of Your faithfulness to all generations and help us to recognize and accept that You are the glory of our strength. Guide us to walk in Your Light, working through rather than fearing, each test of faith in this life, always trusting in You.
 
                                                      O Christ, Most Welcoming
RESPONSE:                            Guide us to eternal life
 
~ O Lord of Steadfast Love, ignite the hearts and souls of the leaders of this Country, this Community, and this World with extra grace and strength of character. Teach their hearts to legislate with compassion assuring economic, environmental, racial, and  humanity in every form of justice for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, Most Welcoming
                                                       Guide us to eternal life 
 
~ O Lord of Steadfast Love, restore hope and health to those who struggle with continuing illness, isolation, or homelessness, and stamina for all who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, Most Welcoming
                                                       Guide us to eternal life
           
~ O Lord of Steadfast Love, to Your Everlasting Arms, we lift up all who have exchanged this earthly life to flourish in the peace of eternity with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, Most Welcoming
                                                       Guide us to eternal life
 
~ O Lord Steadfast Love, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, Most Welcoming
                                                       Guide us to eternal life
                      
~ O Lord of Steadfast Love, fortify and sustain those chosen to help us navigate the time and tides of this human experience. Impart refreshment in body, mind, and spiritual wisdom, to preach Your Word, encourage our understanding, and connect us to You in everyday living. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, Most Welcoming
                                                       Guide us to eternal life
                                                                                                
The Celebrant adds: God of all that is, Seen and Unseen, guide us to be a welcoming reflection of Your love in all that we are and all that we do. Give light to the eyes of our souls to follow Your path of grace to salvation. We ask through Jesus, our Messiah, and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, Your Sacred Breath within us; 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

Meditation Moment: Juneteenth?

For Juneteenth, June 19, 2026

   Today, the reason for our newest Federal Holiday is still unknown in many white communities of this country (or worse: ignored, discouraged, and disparaged). Federal employees have the day off as do many state employees where it has been adopted.* So what exactly does it mean or commemorate? Let me answer first with this:

    Imagine that you have been in a prison for your entire life. You were born there. Many of your family have died there. You MUST do what your Jailer tells you to do inside or outside from dawn to dark of night, in all kinds of weather amid threats, serious physical  punishment, or a violent death, if you fail even for a moment. Your parents, your children, your spouse ~ if you have any ~ are sent to other prisons and you will likely never see them again. You are fed, some more meagerly than others, and you have housing, of a sort ~ cold, hot, damp, with rats and mice and other critters and insects living with you crawling through your food and all over your body for the few hours you are in that space. So if you are 90 or 50 or 30 or 15 years old or younger you have been conditioned to be a prisoner. 

    Then one day, say you’re imprisoned in Texas on June 19, 1865, this General Gordon Granger arrives to tell you and all imprisoned like yourself, that your release from prison was ordered by President Lincoln more than TWO YEARS ago but you are only hearing about it today. What is your first reaction? And what comes later as you realize that it took more than 2 years for you to be released? And then what becomes of you and your descendants who were and are hated and maligned and murdered because those who imprisoned you, and were then forced to release you, poisoned the small minds of others who didn’t look like you. And how do you suddenly manage your life with no experience of an “outside life” beyond  enslavement in a manufactured prison constructed solely because the color of your skin granted the overlords profit from your toil and extra votes for them in national elections ?

    Most of us in many religious denominations whether church attendees or not, believe we were created by our God, in the many colors and physical attributes of our ancestors, from the palest pale to the darkest dark and all the hues in between. With that we were given the free range of the various parts of this, and perhaps other planets at some point, to develop our languages, spiritualities, and cultures that bring great and beautiful diversities to the whole Earth. We are created to walk together with our friends, our neighbors near and far, our sisters and brothers of all the colors, shapes, and sizes we were given across God’s Creation. Let us learn of and share our joys and our sorrows, our similarities that far outnumber our differences. Let us also discover and share our celebrations, our life traditions and rituals from the history that we have learned from our recent and distant ancestors, and what we create in our own time to hand across as well as down. Let us also, even in angry and despairing times, pray for one another and especially for those spiritually and culturally damaged by uncountable generations of teachings by those with pathological fears of all who are unlike themselves; who intentionally invent themselves in their own minds as chosen to be the premier race, created to subdue and denigrate all who are not.

   May we always choose to walk together with our Creator as our Guide who Mothers and Fathers us all on every spiritual path, and in my religious tradition with Christ our Teacher, and with the Holy Spirit as our Grace-Filled Energy, to love one another ~ and ourselves ~ loving and blessing each of us humans of all shapes, sizes, languages, temperaments, cultures, and colors.

   May this day and every Juneteenth, and every day in between, remind us that we are each to guard and hold sacred the value of our created equality and diversity in our humanity, in our humility, and especially in our respect and appreciation for one another and in the joys and sorrows that join us together in this life and beyond.

Click here for more history of Juneteenth:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

*States that have adopted Juneteenth as a State holiday:  

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/does-state-observe-juneteenth-paid-161119212.html

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: Wolves and Swords and Sparrows, Oh My! ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost '26 Yr A

For Sunday, 21, 2026, Readings: Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10 16-17; Romans 6:1b -11, Matthew 10:24-39

 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and...your slave woman...do as [Sarah] tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring will be named for you. I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring...God called to Hagar..."Do not be afraid; lift up the boy...I will make a great nation of him"...God was with the boy... [Genesis 21:12-13, 17b-18, 20a]

 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love for all who call upon you...In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for your will answer me. [Psalm 86: 5, 7]

   ...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life...So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3b, 4b, 11] 

   So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows..."Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven...I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." [Matthew 10:31-32, 34b, 38-39]

    In the prior reading from Genesis, Sarah was laughing ~ she got caught, denied it, and was brought up short. She was then granted happiness in her old age, or so we thought…

    This week we find a different Sarah, jealous and vengeful, separating the child from his father, Abraham, and willing to allow that child and his mother to die. God calmed Abraham and later Hagar, by telling her Do not be afraid. And we are told about this other son of Abraham, known to us as Ishmael, upon whom God also founded a nation, that God was with the boy.  

     Paul reminds us that in Baptism we die, to sin that is, and if all goes well with us, we are alive to God in Jesus. And then Jesus tells the disciples (us, too) not to fear those who disparage him. Yet although the words those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul are fearsome, Jesus reminds us that even sparrows sold cheaply are valued by God. He echoes God in saying do not be afraid because we are more valuable than many sparrows.  

    THEN, BOOM - where did THIS Jesus come from: Not bringing peace but a sword, setting family against family, households against one another? Separating us from him if we love others more? We have arrived at Part 2 of Jesus' teaching on what discipleship actually means. Last week we were sheep in the midst of wolves and now we learn what can happen when confronting those wolves, when we pick up His cross and follow Him. He has my attention ~ he had me at I have not come to bring peace, but a sword... 

     But then, how different is this from what we experience in life, especially in these tumultuous times, when we hold differing opinions with those we love? Political and even religious rhetoric can be fiery and fierce, families and friends stop speaking to one another. Strangers are yelling at each other in the streets and, of course, on social media. Sarah and her wrath against Hagar and her child Ishmael, fathered by Abraham, whose descendant founded the religion of Islam, is remembered and fuels the wrath among and between Jews, Muslims, and Christians, forgetting that we are ALL, Each and Every, Sisters and Brothers as the Children of Abraham, Children of the same God.

    The world seems angrier than ever and us vs them boils over all too often into violence, personal, global, and even as entertainment for the uber wealthy, politicos at high levels, and just-regular-folks ramped up to take it to the streets. Yet Jesus stops us in our tracks with his sword  because it begs the questions to ourselves and each other: What really is our life all about? How easily ~ like sheep ~ do we bolt headlong into everything except what our Shepherd wants from us? He doesn't want us to stop loving each other, we are simply to love Him more. The glint of the sword blade is a clear warning that being steadfast in faith, acknowledging Him above all else ~ family, friends, job, lifestyle, etc. ~ is fraught with far more than separation anxiety, it can be dangerous for a mere human. We are not to be the sword-carriers, we are to bearers of the Word, the Good News. And, as with life in general, some days will be easier than others. This is not a part-time occupation, a Sunday thing, or a Christmas and Easter duty. This is what we sign up for when we call ourselves Followers of Christ/Christians. The pay-off is full-time, eternal life. No easy road ~ yet ~ if we travel together, we can keep the wolves at bay and save some sparrows all while losing only that which keeps us from finding our true life. Remember that pray without ceasing thing? Start NOW and, oh yes: Do not be afraid. God in Christ is with us, always.

 LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, You bid us to choose between living now in false comfort or with division among us by walking in the newness of Christ. Keep us grounded, strong in our faith, willing to bear the cost in this life for the promise of Jesus in the next. 

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous                                         

           RESPONSE:          We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, give us the courage to be what we expect and demand of political leaders in this World, across our Country, and in our Local cities and towns. Strengthen us to work in large and small ways to end quarreling, power plays, and violence that separate and kill us here and across this Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous
                                              We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, comfort and help all who are seriously ill, addicted, or homeless, and grant extra blessings for all who provide support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, we commend those we love to the freedom of eternal life, resurrected and alive in Jesus, never to die again. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                               We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

 

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                               We lift our souls to Your Mercy              

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, lift the hearts and souls of those anointed to guide us in Your Church in these wearying times. Grant unceasing energy as they endeavor to fortify us in our discipleship, as we seek to be worthy of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                               We lift our souls to Your Mercy         

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord, our God, rescue us from the desert of denial, open our eyes to the wellspring of the Spirit, awaken our hearts to live first for Christ, and guide us to walk unafraid in Your Light and Love. We ask in the name of Christ Jesus, our Sin-Bearer; and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of all Wisdom; 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: Oh Those Wolves ~ 3rd Sunday after Pentecost '26 RCL Yr A

For Sunday, June 14, 2026, Readings: Exodus 19:2-8, Psalm 100, Romans 5:1-8, 

Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23)

   

They…entered the wilderness of Sinai…Israel camped in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the LORD called to him…Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: You have seen…how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself…if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed the whole earth is mine… [Exodus 19:2-5]

 

  Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness…Know that the LORD God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. [Psalm 100: 1-3]

  Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...we have obtained access to this grace...and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God...we also boast in our sufferings...[that] produces endurance...and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit... [Romans 5:1-6]

  Jesus went about...proclaiming the good news...curing every disease...he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said..."The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest"..."See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves...But the one who endures to the end will be saved."  [Matthew 9:35-38; 10:16]

   When we are given the readings for the Liturgy week by week, we might remember that last week Jesus called on Matthew to follow him to the utter dismay of the Pharisees, and that as usual, there were several other readings from the Hebrew (Old) Testament and something non-Gospel from the Christian (New) Testament, and virtually no other context because available. The Episcopal Church uses the New Revised Standard Version, NRSV. Try using that and one (or more) other translations., essentially, that’s for the Sermon. But when one actually reads Matthew and Luke all the way through, it’s almost a breathtaking experience to discover how continuously and seriously busy Jesus was from the beginning of his public ministry. Walking up mountains and down, taking boats to get across to the other side, teaching, preaching, healing, restoring health and life, gathering disciples, irritating the Jewish Authority, and the many many miracles. I say Matthew and Luke because they are the most detailed of the activities of Jesus. Mark is more like a Reader’s Digest Condensed version and John is a whole other thing, more cosmically centered on the divinity of Jesus sent by God to take on a human identity. While we are early in the Season after Pentecost, and regardless of your official and unofficial experience of Bible study, try to make a practice to read 2 chapters a day, beginning with Matthew ~ that won’t take long. If you don’t want to carry a Bible around, go to BibleGateway.com and just start at Matthew 1 and go. On the right of that page you’ll see the very many translations and paraphrases so click on the NRSV to start and then choose another translation or more for comparison.

   SO this week: Moses is ascending Mt. Sinai for God’s instructions on what to say to the Israelites on their journey out of Egypt. The psalmist reminds us to make a joyful noise and to serve the Lord with gladness and uses the metaphor of God’s people as sheep that Jesus picks up in the Gospel. Paul is telling us that in having faith we are justified to be given the access to God’s grace through Jesus. Through that access is our hope and God’s love through Jesus and the Holy Spirit even in our darkest times. It is also for us to know with our whole selves that we did absolutely nothing to deserve that grace yet is has been bestowed upon us.

   Then we move to Matthew’s account of this time when Jesus saw the crowds. He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. It is startling, at times, when the words of Scripture are so easily seen in the current news cycles, in cities and towns, in the streets of today, urban, suburban, and rural. When Jesus sent the disciples ~ and us by extension ~ out like sheep into the midst of wolves with the admonishment to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, it wasn't with the understanding that all will be easy and comfortable. In fact, then as now, the assignment is quite frightening and dangerous. The key tools for our success at attaining a share in the glory of God are wisdom and innocence. Innocence, it must be said, is NOT about being naïve or dimwitted. It is about paying attention to surroundings, who or what is lurking in them, and keeping ourselves and each other safe from the clutches of danger as best we can with all the endurance we can muster to the end of our individual journeys.

   Sheep are as good or better at flocking together as their feathery avian counterparts and just as skittish when disturbed. Unlike the birds of the air, sheep have limited directional options and will frequently scatter helter-skelter when frightened. The shepherd's job to calm them is all the more difficult and important as the shepherd must continually shift the flock to different pastures for feeding and safety. But sheep do come to trust their shepherd and to recognize and remember both animal and human faces and, along with a keen sense of smell, with the comfort or danger they represent. The behavior of the flock is communal and spontaneous ~ impulsive and reactionary ~ to threats real and merely perceived. How like sheep we humans are, except that our sense of "smell" doesn't always tip us off to the many wolves in our midst.  

 

     The wolves of this world are many indeed, but there are billions upon billions of sheep. The importance of our flocking together as a community of Christ was never more critical as now. Jesus was clear when he says later in Matthew: For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them [Mt 18:20]. As the body of Christ, each endowed with specific gifts from the Holy Spirit, we are called to labor in the fields of the Lord, to build up the Kingdom, and ultimately to share in God's glory through Jesus. Our safe haven is always shepherded by the constant Presence of Christ among and within us.   

    Our community of believers is a place to learn from, to comfort, and to guide one another around those wolves that would harass us, tempt us, and/or devour us. As we flock together, we also reap the benefit of joyful times. While we may not always feel like whistling while we work, we can seek pause to enjoy our life together, gather others lost and alone in their fields, and continually shift ourselves and our fellow sheep away from the dens of wolves to the path of hope that leads to the Eternal Pasture. As Paul told the Romans, hope does not disappoint. When we serve the Lord with gladness our noise will be joyful. As there are far more sheep than wolves in this world, let us sheep work to confound and confuse a few along the way, and even work to gather a few to start tagging along as friends. Jesus did!

 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Hope and Love, arouse and provoke us in heart and in mind to take up the labor in Your fields, sow to the Spirit, and reap the plentiful harvest to grow Your family of faith.

                                                Lord, Faithful and Good                                 

              RESPONSE:        We serve You in Faith with gladness

~ God of Hope and Love, keep us wise, fervent, and unceasing in our quest to speak Your truth to the wolves of misguided power. Guide us as we strive for Justice, Compassion, and Principled governing across this World, this Country, and our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord, Faithful and Good

                                                We serve You in Faith with gladness

                                

~ God of Hope and Love, grant comfort and endurance to all who suffer from chronic or life-threatening disease, depression, or desperate circumstance, and constantly renew the energy of their caregivers. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                 Lord, Faithful and Good

                                                We serve You in Faith with gladness

      

~ God of Hope and Love, as we grieve for all whom we have loved in this life, our hearts rest easier knowing You now hold them in Your everlasting embrace. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                 Lord, Faithful and Good

                                                We serve You in Faith with gladness

~ God of Hope and Love, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Lord, Faithful and Good

                                                We serve You in Faith with gladness    

   

~ God of Hope and Love, uplift and uphold all who lead us on our journey to You, as faithful witnesses of the love and presence of Christ, through their prayer and service in His name. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord, Faithful and Good

                                                We serve You in Faith with gladness                                                                                                 

The Celebrant adds:  Holy God, Holy and Mighty God, guide us to safeguard our souls from the devouring wolves of temptation in this life. Fill us with the wisdom of innocence and joyful diligence in Your service, as we spend our human time in praise and thanksgiving for the gift of Salvation. We ask through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus, our Christ;  and Your boundless love from the Holy Spirit; 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

Prayers of the People: Continuously, Constantly, Ceaselessly ~ 2nd Sunday after Pentecost RCL '26 Yr A

For Sunday, June 7, 2026; Readings: Hosea 5:15-6:6, Psalm 50:7-15, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

  For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. [Hosea 6:6]

  Offer to God a sacrifice of Thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. [Psalm 50:14-15]

  For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. [Romans 4:13-14]

  As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him… [Jesus] said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” [Matthew 9:9; 12-13]

   The opening reading this week is from Hosea, someone we don’t hear from all that much yet this week his thoughts appear twice. Hosea is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets whose writings are aggregated into one book in the Jewish Bible. In the Christian version of the Hebrew [Old] Testament, he has his own, if brief, book. The Talmud refers to him as the “greatest prophet of his generation” and his writings take us from significant doom to restoration. He is also quoted in the Qur’an and as we are each and all ~ Jews, Christians, and Muslims ~ children of Abraham, this should not come as a surprise though, sadly, it often does. We’ll see Jesus quote Hosea in Matthew 9:13, building on Hosea’s quote about what God truly wants ~ not things we think we are to sacrifice to God as God has/is everything. The Book of Hosea, 14 short chapters, is worth reading in full for he has quite a personal history of direction from the Lord which includes some rather shocking commands, and is of punishment, restoration, and forgiveness. Not the happiest of Biblical books but short and direct.

   The partial piece of Psalm 50 appointed for today continues this theme that God isn’t interested in the sacrifice of livestock but rather a sacrifice of thanksgiving and honoring God by actions that pay our vows to God. Reading the full Psalm from verse 1 to 23, gives us a greater understanding of what God is calling us to be and to do.

   After his conversion, Paul understood that strict obedience to The Law as only a system of rules was, in a sense, replacing personal goodness and obedience to God; a message found often in the teachings of Jesus. Paul further realized that for Gentiles to understand salvation, it needed to be expressed as God’s promise, as it had first been given to Abraham and later to Moses. As one source says: Therefore, Abraham could be the spiritual ancestor of everyone who shared his obedient faith, quite independently of racial heritage [emphasis added]. It is to the fulfilling of our faithful commitment and thanksgiving to God rather than arbitrary sacrifice that God calls us.

   This week’s Gospel reading from Matthew begins with the Call of Matthew: As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. After this was a dinner to which many tax collectors and sinners came to sit with Jesus and the disciples. The rigidly Law-abiding, self-righteous Pharisees asked the disciples why Jesus would eat with such people. Jesus overheard and responded that well people don’t need a doctor and, with the piece from Hosea but with his own interpretation said: “Go and learn what this means. ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” 

   So for this week, the sum and substance of these readings are fairly clear. God doesn’t want and certainly doesn’t need blood sacrifices, but rather for us to simply follow through with the faith commitments we’ve made and establish new ones that we may have been afraid to do. And, they/we who have begun to feel sorry for what we have and haven’t done can and must learn to accept the ceaseless outpouring of forgiveness that God is offering. Put the angry God of vengeance behind you. Too much rule-based religion has been grounded in fear. Hear the words of Jesus: EVERYONE who yearns to, wants to, hopes to, or is even afraid to receive the love of God, already has it. Believe it, and know that God through Christ, with the Holy Spirit, loves and forgives then, now, forever, and continuously, constantly, ceaselessly.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our God, You give eternal life to the dead and call into existence the things that cannot exist without You. Remind our hearts and our souls, to return our own selves to You, that we may not be counted among the wicked. In offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving, paying our vows to You, and through Your Covenant with us, we have the gift of calling on You in our days of trouble. Let us glorify our God!

                                                    Lord God of Promise

RESPONSE:                         By Faith we rest in Your Grace 

~ O God, our God, guide us in the ways and strength of faith, that we may deliver to the leaders of this Planet, this Country, and this Community, the message that we require mercy from and by you, without sacrificing  principles, morality, or loss of human rights and basic needs. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord God of Promise

                                                       By Faith we rest in Your Grace                                             

~ O God, our God, still the fear and quiet the anxiety of all who are ill in body, mind, or spirit, and give energy and strength of purpose to all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Lord God of Promise

                                                       By Faith we rest in Your Grace                                  

~ O God, our God, embrace the hearts of all who grieve and guide them to the comfort of knowing, that all whom we have loved and lost, are now risen in the joy of eternal life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Lord God of Promise

                                                       By Faith we rest in Your Grace

~ O God, our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Lord God of Promise

                                                       By Faith we rest in Your Grace                                

~ O God, our God, renew again and always, the souls, the hearts, and the minds of all those anointed to serve Your Church, in guiding and teaching, listening and caring. Give them the self-knowing and courage to care as much for their own needs as for ours. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord God of Promise

                                                       By Faith we rest in Your Grace  

The Celebrant adds: Most High and Loving Creator, as Jesus called Matthew, so he calls us each to follow Him. Open our eyes and hearts each day with our spirits renewed, to go forth as Christ’s Body in all that we do in love and with mercy for all of Your people. We ask through Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith, who live and reign with You, One God, now and forever. Amen. 

 

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