Prayers of the People: Labor and Delivery ~ 25th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, November 14, 2021, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-14, 15-18, 19-25; Mark 13:1-8

    [Hannah] said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” [1 Samuel 1:18a]

 …there is no Rock like our God…for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. [1 Samuel 2:2b, 3b]

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together...but encouraging one another... [Hebrews:10:24-25] 

Not one stone will be left…all will be thrown down…Many will come in my name…and they will lead many astray… When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place…This is but the beginning of the birthpangs. [Mark 13:2b, 6, 7a, 8c]

    Hannah’s pain was deep over many years at the inability to bear a child. Yet she continued to faithfully pray through her tears and distress and was finally given a son by God. Perhaps our prayers seem to be unanswered when we don’t get what we most desire ~ the health of a loved one, or peace in the family. Yet Hannah’s words Let your servant find favor in your sight are the words of faith for us to embrace. We cannot know the mind of God, but we can be assured that our minds and our hearts are not hidden for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. And though we are judged, God grants us forgiveness and salvation though Christ.

     The Christian life is not intended to be a solitary journey. Even Jesus had his companions along the way and has told us he’s in our midst whenever two or three ~ or more ~ are gathered. We, too, are to be companions in, with, and through Christ, sometimes following, sometimes leading, but often together in a supportive, encouraging, spiritually renewing community. It is through such a community of prayer, worship, and relationship, that we stay connected and are reminded of the faithfulness of God to those who are faithful to God.

     The path of Christ is no easy walk. He tells us to beware of those who claim to be him as they will lead us astray. There will be hardships, rumors of wars and wars, earthquakes and famines. It’s all too easy to be fearful with the speed of news of disasters around the world and nearby. But such times are the beginning of birthpangs, birthing the coming again of the glory of Christ. It is all in God’s time, and well beyond our comprehension. Do not be alarmed, Jesus says, stones will be thrown down and buildings will fall. The writer of Hebrews tells us to have the confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us…by our faith we are cleansed in body and in heart so Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Let us keep faith in practice and in hope. Birthpangs is the beginning of the labor that will become the delivery of the fresh, new life that awaits. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Lord Most High, You call us in every time and place of our lives to provoke one another to love and good deeds, with true hearts in the full assurance of our faith, awakened to the brightness of the everlasting life to come.
 
                                                     O God our Rock and our Strength           
           RESPONSE:                May we find favor in Your sight
 
~ O Lord Most High, we offer our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance to know that You are a God of knowledge who weighs their minds and actions as much as ours. Inscribe their souls with a yearning for integrity, global and local peace, and justice tempered with mercy for all the people in their charge. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God our Rock and our Strength
                                                       May we find favor in Your sight
 
~ O Lord Most High, nestle the aching, the fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who support their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God our Rock and our Strength
                                                       May we find favor in Your sight
          
~ O Lord Most High, grant us a foretaste of the joy and glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom as the gates open wide to receive our beloved who now live in the newness of Christ forevermore. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God our Rock and our Strength
                                                       May we find favor in Your sight
 
~ O Lord Most High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God our Rock and our Strength
                                                       May we find favor in Your sight
                       
~ O Lord Most High, quicken the spirits of those called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments, inspiring us all to live lives of holy, generous, and selfless intention in this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God our Rock and our Strength
                                                       May we find favor in Your sight
 
The Celebrant adds:  Loving, Patient God, grant us faith-filled confidence in the Gospel to take on the mantle of servanthood in Your Name with continuous hope. Show us the righteous path of life, as we strive to set the needs of others above our own, un-swayed and undeterred by false prophets who would lead us astray. We ask though Christ, our Great High Priest; the Holy Spirit, our Counselor; who with You, are One God, now and through all Eternity. 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: Our Role as Stewards ~ 6th Sunday in the Season of Creation '21 [Yr B]

For Sunday, November 14, 2021, Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1a, 2, 4, 8-11; Psalm 145:1-4, 10, 17-18-22; Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations*, Matthew 6:25-34

     The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see:  

https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2018/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html 

      We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisk.

                         Week VI's Theme is: 

                         Our Role as Stewards

So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, that you, O Lord, have given me…set it down before the Lord your God and bow before the Lord… [Deuteronomy 26:10]

We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show a great respect for all beings of this earth...In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics... [from: Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations*]

 One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power….My mouth shall speak your praise, O Lord; let all flesh bless your holy name for ever and ever.  [Psalm 145:4, 22]

 Jesus said, "I tell you, do not worry about your life...Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing...But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you...So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6:25, 27, 33-34]

*A reading from Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations [from Wisdomkeepers by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden]:

Brothers, listen to the words of the Creator given to the first United Nations, the Haudenosaunee, over one thousand years ago. The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans; which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people. With endless patience, they shall carry out their duty. Their firmness shall be tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation. In every Nation there are wise and good men. These should be appointed Chiefs. They should be the advisers of their people and work for the good of all people, and all their power comes from the “Great Peace”. A chief must never forget the Creator of mankind, never forget to ask Him for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth…We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show a great respect for all beings of this earth…In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics…When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed, and human life on this planet will come to an end These are our times and our responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth from whom all life comes. In order to do this we must recognize the enemy – the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.

       Any of us who attend a church regularly and considers themself as a “member” or a “parishioner” or a “congregant” has heard and understands what is meant by Stewardship. The dictionary defines it as: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. Inside the building where the Church is housed, much is needed to support the staff, the worship, the physical plant, with all the elements of church (small “c”) that we Episcopals call time, talent, and treasure. Of course money is an integral part of the running and maintenance of any organization, not least of all the Church. Your seat in a pew has a weekly price tag, whether or not you are sitting in it or supporting it financially or otherwise, yet there is much more to being Church than its residence. Outside the walls, the needs are exponentially greater. All and each of us are called by Our Lord to give of our selves significantly from what God has given us. Money, or treasure, of course, is what we hear as foremost on the list of needs and wants for inside and outside. Yet there is much more to our role as stewards within the Body of Christ.

     The Rev. Eric Law, in his book Holy Currencies: 6 Blessings for Sustainable Missional Ministries, shows us a different way to think about the flow of currencies in our lives. Within the usual offerings of time, talent, and treasure is contained a breadth and depth of re-imagining and discovering our personal gifts for ministry that take us well beyond the scope of a seasonal directive. Stewardship ~ Missional Ministry ~ is not merely a specific program for a specific time of year, but rather it is a way of life through which we continue to fulfill our Baptismal, Confirmation, and/or less formal vows to be faithful to God.

     As John Wesley said, "Not, how much money will I give to God, but how much of God's money will I keep for myself?" And that equation works equally well with the other two elements of the stewardship trio: time and talent. A faith community needs our help as it builds us up and sends us out to do the work of Christ we called to do. The CHURCH is not a building, it is whatever we do together and on our own to be true, faithful witnesses as part of the Body of Christ by every thought, word, and action. That said, the physical space of a Church is where we gather to be spiritually refueled to take on all that is outside. It does require ongoing sources of funding as well as other resources for all of the seen and unseen support it provides.

      The more we strive to be generous of spirit, to be good Stewards of Creation in all of its forms and faces, the more God will strengthen us. No truer words were ever more applicable than: So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. I don't know what tomorrow will bring for my Church, my community, my country, or this world, but I will pray without ceasing for the faith, the energy, the mindset, to be a continuously generous person, to be the Church [capital "C"] as a Christian in the world with many stewarding roles. Jesus reminds us, that through faithful endurance, without worry, in giving and receiving, we will gain the strength of our souls to ensure our eternal bounty.

 LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord our God, re-awaken us to the bounty of Your Creation, the miracle of this earth and the lives we have been given to live. Let us, and all who reside among us celebrate and offer ourselves as Your grateful stewards in times of plenty, and without worry in times of hardship.

                                                        O God of Power and Wonder           

    RESPONSE:               We bow in faith, respect, and trust           

~ O Lord our God, we lift up our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance. Implant in their souls a spiritual consciousness and faithful commitment to their sacred trust, for undeniable integrity, and for the restoration of harmony for all peoples everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            O God of Power and Wonder
                                                            We bow in faith, respect, and trust

~ O Lord our God, nestle the aching, the fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who support their needs. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                            O God of Power and Wonder
                                                            We bow in faith, respect, and trust           

~ O Lord our God, console those stricken by grief with a foretaste of the joy in all who are alive again, in the glory of Your eternal land of milk and honey. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                            O God of Power and Wonder
                                                            We bow in faith, respect, and trust

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

                                                            O God of Power and Wonder
                                                            We bow in faith, respect, and trust

~ O Lord, our God, quicken the spirits of those called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments, inspiring us all to live lives of selfless patience and tenderness for others in this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            O God of Power and Wonder
                                                            We bow in faith, respect, and trust 

The Celebrant adds: O LORD our God, dissolve our reluctance and embolden us to go from faithful hearing of Your Word into generous action, striving first and always for the good of Your Kingdom through the mantle of servanthood, forever blessing Your holy Name. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit our Advocate; who together with You are our One, Holy and Mighty 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: All Saints’ Sunday, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Yr B

For Sunday, November 7, 2021; Readings: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9, Psalm 24, Revelation 21:1-6a, 

John 11:32-44 

 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love... [Wisdom of Solomon 3:9]

   They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of Salvation. [Ps 24:5]

  [The] home of God is among mortals…God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more; for the first things have passed away. [Revelation 21:3b-4]

       The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." [John 11:44]

     Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. What comes to mind when you think of a Saint? For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable for us mere mortals, and, if we're honest, living a life undesirably difficult for us to accomplish. The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles, even, shockingly, a few sins along the way. When and how then did their lives become so exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister*, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world."

          Sr. Joan has not painted an easy picture of a lifestyle for our time-limited journey in earthly existence. There are choices to be made and sooner rather than later though there’s always an opportunity for us to seek God first above all else, to receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of our Salvation. It requires some dedication, some intention, and some transformation. Jesus calls us to come out from our self-imposed tombs and unbind ourselves from the temptations that lock us away from our divine endowment. In that release we can change not only ourselves but the culture we live in. Author Parker Palmer** says it best, [We] can transform our culture only as we are inwardly transformed. So, let us begin, again, together.

*Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God, Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

**Parker J. Palmer is an author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord of Hosts, O King of Glory, in these times of trial and travail, strengthen us to arise each day with inner peace, purity of heart, and complete trust in You. Fill us with humility, humanity, and hope following the example of the Saints who have gone before, and the saints who live among us now.

                                                      O God of Blessing                                                  

RESPONSE:               Help us unbind our faith  

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, fill us with trust as You make all things new again, here in Your home among us. Endow us, who abide with You in love, with the perseverance to guide Local, National, and Global Leaders away from falsehoods and fraud toward the just reward of all who seek Your face. We pray especially for: Joseph, our President; Kamala, our Vice-President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, deliver from distress all in anguish from illness of body, mind, or spirit, and infuse those who give them care with gentle and peaceful hearts. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith    

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, as You wipe the tears of all who mourn, keep us all in the knowledge that death will be no more in the joy and gladness of all who live again in Your Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We pray especially for…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith                   

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, inspire the hearts and minds of all who lead us in Your church, who encourage and remind us, through Word and Sacrament, how to lead faithful lives by Your grace and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

               Help us unbind our faith

The Celebrant adds: God of us all, Saints and Sinners together, set our hearts free from the prison of hate, the emptiness of self-importance, and the mindlessness of earthly privilege. May we each claim our divine endowment of hope, grace, and mercy as we strive to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand always in Your Holy Place. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; in the Unity of the Holy Spirit; who together with You are One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever 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: The Saints Among Us ~ All Saints' Sunday, 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation '21 [Yr B]

For Sunday, November 7, 2021; Readings: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9, Psalm 24, Revelation 21:1-6a, 

John 11:32-44

 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love... [Wisdom of Solomon 3:9]

   They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of Salvation. [Ps 24:5]

  [The] home of God is among mortals…God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more; for the first things have passed away. [Revelation 21:3b-4]

       The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." [John 11:44]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see: https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2018/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html. We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisk.

Week III's Theme is: 
The Saints Among Us

     Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. What comes to mind when you think of a Saint? For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable for us mere mortals, and, if we're honest, living a life undesirably difficult for us to accomplish. The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles, even, shockingly, a few sins along the way. When and how then did their lives become so exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister*, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world."

          Sr. Joan has not painted an easy picture of a lifestyle for our time-limited journey in earthly existence. There are choices to be made and sooner rather than later though there’s always an opportunity for us to seek God first above all else, to receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of our Salvation. It requires some dedication, some intention, and some transformation. Jesus calls us to come out from our self-imposed tombs and unbind ourselves from the temptations that lock us away from our divine endowment. In that release we can change not only ourselves but the culture we live in. Author Parker Palmer** says it best, [We] can transform our culture only as we are inwardly transformed. So, let us begin, again, together.

*Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God, Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

**Parker J. Palmer is an author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord of Hosts, O King of Glory, in these times of trial and travail, strengthen us to arise each day with inner peace, purity of heart, and complete trust in You. Fill us with humility, humanity, and hope following the example of the Saints who have gone before, and the saints who live among us now.

                                                      O God of Blessing                                                  

RESPONSE:               Help us unbind our faith  

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, fill us with trust as You make all things new again, here in Your home among us. Endow us, who abide with You in love, with the perseverance to guide Local, National, and Global Leaders away from falsehoods and fraud toward the just reward of all who seek Your face. We pray especially for: Joseph, our President; Kamala, our Vice-President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, deliver from distress all in anguish from illness of body, mind, or spirit, and infuse those who give them care with gentle and peaceful hearts. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith    

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, as You wipe the tears of all who mourn, keep us all in the knowledge that death will be no more in the joy and gladness of all who live again in Your Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We pray especially for…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

                Help us unbind our faith                   

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, inspire the hearts and minds of all who lead us in Your church, who encourage and remind us, through Word and Sacrament, how to lead faithful lives by Your grace and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O God of Blessing                                            

               Help us unbind our faith

The Celebrant adds: God of us all, Saints and Sinners together, set our hearts free from the prison of hate, the emptiness of self-importance, and the mindlessness of earthly privilege. May we each claim our divine endowment of hope, grace, and mercy as we strive to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand always in Your Holy Place. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; in the Unity of the Holy Spirit; who together with You are One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever 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: Whole Hearted And Beyond... ~ 23rd Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, October 31, 2021; Readings: Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Psalm 119:1-8, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. [Deuteronomy 6:4-6]

Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord…Oh, that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes. [Psalm 119:1, 5]

 When Christ came as a high priest…he entered once for all into the Holy Place…obtaining eternal redemption…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! [Hebrews 9:11a, 12a,c; 14]

 One of the scribes…asked [Jesus], “Which commandment is first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:28-31]

     We have interesting parallels between the first reading from Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Mark. Jewish scholars have always debated which is the greatest of the 613 commandments that were given by God. Just as the Sadducees were questioning Jesus. In both instances the Shema [shuh-mah] wins although Jesus adds an extra piece.

     The Shema is Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Shema comes from the Hebrew verb for hear. It is one of only two prayers that are required to be said morning and evening, and it is used at times of crisis or the hour of death by observant Jews. It is not unlike our Christian use of the Lord's Prayer, though we are not, strictly speaking, required to pray it. But the Shema specifically states the Lord alone. One God. We children of Abraham are to acknowledge no other God. The next part of the Shema given in this text says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

      Jesus, being questioned, offers the same Shema and adds in the way to love God is with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The addition of all your mind is to fully impress upon them and us that we are to love God with our entire being. For the Hebrew Bible, the heart is the center of thought rather than emotion. And then he says that there is a second that is also right up there with the first. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. That comes out of Leviticus 19:18. Taken together this is truly the whole heart of all Divine instruction.

       Of course there is much debate about who is my neighbor? The answer is inconvenient. Jesus responds to that in Luke with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Another piece is loving another as you love yourself ~ it's not meant as emotional love and clearly if I'm having difficulty with self-respect or low self-esteem, that isn't going to work with another. We are to consider ourselves and all others as who we all are, that is, Children of God, and in that way we won't cheat or kill or steal or take unfair advantage. Yes, that means those we don't like, think are bad, or otherwise unworthy. We are to live by the law of God's love, whole hearted, and with everything else we have. 

       A little girl named Nikka sums ALL of this up quite neatly. At 6, she was part of a survey of children who were asked to define love. Nikka said: If you want to learn to love better, start with a friend you hate. Amen.

      

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our Only God, direct our ways to walk in Yours, to love and serve You with all our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our strength. Lead us toward our purification through the selflessness of Christ, to share this great love with everyone, especially with those we deem difficult or unworthy. Guide us to live as You intended and learn to pray with more fervor for others than for ourselves.

                                                                           Living Eternal God

                                             RESPONSE:       We give ourselves to You            

~ O Lord, our Only God, search the faithfulness of us all, especially those who lead in Governments, globally and locally. Keep us from the shame of ego-, greed-, and power- needs that obstruct the tranquility of all the Earth, and guide us to follow Your Will through Your Commandments. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                           Living Eternal God
                                                                           We give ourselves to You

~ O Lord, our Only God, lay Your healing hand upon those weary of the pain, anguish, or fears of this life, and hold fast to those who offer caring help. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                                           Living Eternal God

                                                                           We give ourselves to You      

~ O Lord, our Only God, lighten the darkness for those who grieve, as our loved ones enter into the Holy Place, to the splendor and glory of new life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                                           Living Eternal God

                                                                           We give ourselves to You

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

                                                                           Living Eternal God

                                                                           We give ourselves to You                   

~ O Lord, our Only God, bestow courage and confidence, in these trying times, upon those anointed to call us to Your Holy Table, for the renewal of our faith and the continuing commitment to Your service, for all the days of our life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                           Living Eternal God

                                                                           We give ourselves to You

The Celebrant adds: Creator and Lord of All that Is, teach us to keep Your Words in our hearts and recite them each day to embody Your Presence within us. Grant us the grace to be as the instruments of Your great love for all we meet, walking together toward eternal redemption by our inheritance from Christ. We ask through Jesus, our great High Priest; and the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Your 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