Turn to me in mercy, as you always do to those who love
your Name. Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your
statutes.
[Psalm 119:132, 135]
If God is for us, who is
against us?...Who will separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come...will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:31b, 38]
In the Gospel, Jesus lets loose quite a
barrage of parables to further explain the kingdom of God in everyday
illustrations for that time and for some in our own. There is something for
everyone to do whether we are planting tiny mustard seeds to grow into large
trees for nesting birds and human food, mixing yeast with flour to expand the
dough of life, finding buried treasure in the field of an everyday experience,
or discovering a pearl so perfect that we choose to sell all we own to buy it (I admit that while I’ve
certainly indulged in some excess in shopping at times, buying that pearl
always makes me wonder about then what?). There are also
times when we must allow ourselves to be caught like fish in a net hoping we
will be sorted into the baskets with the good fish rather than thrown out with
the bad.
One message here is that there is no perfection
in humanity but in choosing as well as we are able, our smallest efforts can
grow and yield a positive return. We are to remember that God is always present
even if that discovery sometimes requires some digging on our part to understand
how deeply we have pushed God into the background.
Paul tells us that
to be separated from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our
faults, is nearly impossible. After all, if God is for us, who
can be against us? Only ourselves! And the choice to be separated would
have to be our own and intentional, yet even then God remains waiting for us to
remember.
Paul is also teaching us about prayer and ways
to access God’s help when we often don’t know our own minds or hearts. He
reassures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness if we have faith ~
however small, however it wavers, or is denied. It is our conscious internal intention
that God knows. We may need to be reminded that prayer isn’t about telling God
what to do, but rather to ask and seek to know what we are called to fulfill. A
question to the air, a plea for help, a “thank you” for an outcome, silently or
aloud, is a prayer. Even when some think they don’t “believe in God,” in the
midst of a life crisis many will ask themselves how to go on, where to find help,
and how to get through it. A family member, a friend, or through some other means,
may appear to give some help or offer advice, or simply be present in a time of
great need. Could that be the presence of God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
The Spirit of God, if we open ourselves to
faith, however pale and fragile, is the yeast that expands our understanding,
our relationship, and the willingness to seek God’s purpose in all that we do.
The love of Christ is what sustains us through the ups and downs and in-betweens
of life; it is the pearl of great price to be Christ’s own within ourselves and
together. The Spirit may quietly, even anonymously, nudge us, offering an idea,
a direction, a sudden thought of a path forward or someone or others who can help.
God is the
ultimate master of the Household who gathers the yield of fish and
field, the good and the bad, the mediocre and the exceptional. Some days in
God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the constant that draws us in
whether or not we believe, trust in, or disregard. In the life to which we are
born, we are created with the free will to choose our own path to discover the
treasures, the nesting places, the full or scanty harvests, and the good fish
with the bad on any given day in every given life. This is a good moment to examine
our choices, decisions, and their outcomes to find those small and great pearls
among them. Even the bad fish that result from less than great outcomes, are
great fertilizer. They promote and provide growth to the seedlings of life with
a bountiful harvest of strength for our times of weakness and confidence in our
pearls on our continuing journey of
discipleship.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ God of Steadfast Love, the smallest
seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday life,
are a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to see the ordinary
as miraculous in Your Creation, filling our souls beyond measure through faith.
O Spirit of
God
RESPONSE:
Be our strength
in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, endow all
who govern in every area of our World with wise and understanding minds, able
to discern and choose good over evil for the health and welfare of all people
in Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Be
our strength in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, ease the burden of
illness, injury, or despair for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who
give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in
need… add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Be
our strength in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, we hold closely in
our hearts all who have traveled to the end of their human experience, who now
shine in Your eternal radiance and peace. We pray especially for… add
your own petitions
O
Spirit of God
Be
our strength in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love,
we pause in this moment to offer You our personal thanksgivings,
intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Be
our strength in our weakness
~ God of Steadfast Love, bestow the gift of
grace-filled respite for all who are called to lead us in Your church, teaching
us to pray, worship, and work together, all according to Your purpose. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O Spirit of God
Be
our strength in our weakness
~The Celebrant adds: O God of Mercy, as You are always for us,
nothing can separate us from the enduring love of Christ but ourselves. Catch
us in Your ample net and draw us from the troubled waters of this life, into
the eternal Good of Your Heavenly Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Hope and
our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Counselor; who together with
You are our One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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