Prayers of the People: Fruit of the Divine ~ 5th Sunday of Easter '21 Yr B

For Sunday May 2, 2021; Readings: Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:24-30, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8

   Then the Spirit said to Phillip, "Go over to his chariot and join it." So Phillip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" [Acts 8:29-31a]

     The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: "May your heart live for ever!"...My soul shall live for him... [Psalm 22:25, 29a]

   God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in the world.  

[1 John 4:16b-17] 

      Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit...Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches."  [John 15:1-2, 4b-5a]

        Spring is in full bloom in this part of the globe. The weekend cacophony of lawn mowers, weed trimmers, ATVs, and skateboards rises with the temperature. Gardeners are happily filling their wheeled carts with soil, compost, and mulch, cleaning away the debris of winter, preparing the earthen beds for planting, and pruning shrubs, bushes, and trees. 

      Every gardener, even one with a single small plant, knows that good growth requires maintenance. Some plants, such as a grapevine or an apple tree, need pruning to make them stronger and able to produce more and better fruit. Along with water, sunshine, and good soil, a gardener must constantly tend the pots, rows, fields, or orchards with care. Knowledge of weather, season, and region or growing zones climate is essential.

      As a gardener watches for signs of growth as well as of decline, we must constantly tend our relationship with Christ, finding ways to be more intentional about the spiritual growth of our souls, and, awareness of our distractions that lead to neglect. The First Letter of John reminds us that when we believe the love God has for us through Jesus our Savior, God’s love is then perfected in us. It is with that perfected love within that we become the gardeners for growing God’s Kingdom on Earth.

      In the Gospel of John for this week, Jesus tells us that he is the true vine and that God is the vinegrower. Jesus calls us to abide in him as he abides in us, joined to him as branches on the vine. We will bear much fruit if we seek to prune our inner deadwood to clear the way for new spiritual sprouting. But the fruit we bear is not for our own care and feeding ~ it is to be shared with others for their nurture and growth. As we, the branches, grow stronger, we draw together as brothers and sisters in a community of faith, hope, and eternal love in and with Christ as our Vine, the Holy Spirit as our Guide to understanding, and God Almighty as our ultimate Gardener/Vinegrower. Even if Autumn is the new season where you are, there is always much to do to prepare your inner garden for the winter ahead. Whatever the season, we find our strength in Christ who keeps our souls rooted to produce the fruit of the Divine for us all.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, prepare our souls as the fertile soil that will bring forth the harvest of Your love and peace. Teach us to see, know, and nourish all people as our brothers and sisters, companion branches in God’s Holy Vineyard.

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

RESPONSE:                Guide us to perfect love

~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, transform our complacence into compassion and ignite desire and courage within us to stand in faith and act together, for all who are denied justice and basic humanity, across this world and at national and local levels.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

                                                       Guide us to perfect love

~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, comfort and heal all who are poor in health and spirit, and grant energy to all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

                                                       Guide us to perfect love

~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, fill us with praise and gladness and hope as the souls of those we love and sent ahead now live again, sheltered in eternity by Your forever Heart. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

                                                       Guide us to perfect love

~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

                                                       Guide us to perfect love                

~ Jesus, Abundant Vine of Life, bless all who give their lives in service to Your Church, and walk with us through sometimes fallow fields and barren orchards, as we seek the joy in knowing You are with us now in this brief life and forever in the next.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Infinite, Abiding Lord

                                                       Guide us to perfect love

The Celebrant adds: Living God, Eternal Vinegrower, prune detachment and sin from our hearts to cultivate strong, dynamic, and fruitful branches that flourish, not wither, as we abide always in You. We ask this through Jesus, our True and Perfect Vine; and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom Guide; who together with You, live and reign as 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: Catch Up! ~ 4th Sunday of Easter '21 Yr B

For Sunday, April 25, 2021; Readings: Acts 4:5-12, Psalm 23, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18

     Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders...This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you...it has become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else... 

[Acts 3:8, 11-12a]

    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want...Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me...Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 

[Psalm 23:1, 4, 6]

    How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 

[1 John 3:17-18]

 

      I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and the will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. [John 10:14-16]

        The poetry of Psalm 23 speaks to us in the simplest of terms that belie the intricacy of its depth. Jesus would, of course, have known the psalm and it is a perfect pairing to his continuing "discussion" with the religious authorities in this week's Gospel of John.

     The symbolism in this well-known Psalm is far more complex and fascinating than just the obvious image of a man walking down a country lane with a big staff and a dog, the shepherds of the arid regions of the middle east separating sheep from goats, or the pretty girl of nursery rhymes with a bow on her crook as the sheep dutifully follow. Along with the earlier verses in John 10 (which I encourage you to read), taken line by line we can see, feel, and almost hear Jesus, our Shepherd, with us, reviving, caring, comforting, and anointing. Watching over us, preparing our table, restoring us; nothing we need is withheld. 

      Our Good Shepherd's job is never done. The demands on real living shepherds are constant and endless. Sheep are peculiarly needy and helpless creatures, quite restive, and even self-destructive at times. They can stand still for hours or bolt into stampede because an apple drops unexpectedly from a tree. The shepherd must keep continuous vigil against disease, insect infestations, predators, pecking-order fights, escape artists, water, and food supplies. Sheep will NOT lie down unless they are completely contented and secure. A special oil mixture that the shepherd prepares and swabs (anoints)  around each sheep's head and nose keeps deadly insects from burrowing and causing panic, disease, and injury, and the sheep is calmed for at least a little while. Then there are shearing and lambing seasons...*

      The sheep know their shepherd's voice and it comforts them. Do we know the voice of our Shepherd? Do we stand by as those in our own or other flocks are in need and refuse ~ or neglect ~ to give help? Jesus, as Peter told those in religious and political authority after the Crucifixion, was the Cornerstone of our Salvation rejected and executed by them. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd stood firmly, and peacefully, in the midst of their persecution, and laid down his life for us, his sheep.

       Some days I feel pretty sheepish and need that still small voice of God as reminder to get back into the flock, to follow and, in confidence, abide in the one who abides in us. Time for this sheep to answer the Shepherd's call, again, and catch up with the flock. C'mon along!

      
*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, himself a modern-day shepherd, for a closer look at the connections between the Psalm's imagery and real-life sheep farming, line by line.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, lead our souls to Your verdant pasture to lay aside our earthly wants for your eternal shelter. May our hearts and minds be nourished by Your Word and Sacrifice, learn to know Your voice as You know ours, and answer Your call.

                                         Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

    RESPONSE:          Let us love in truth and action

~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, in the violence, hatred, and desperation of Your times, You stood peaceably as those in authority maligned and executed You. Grant us courage and fortitude in our own desperate times to stand up, peacefully yet persistently, to urge the political leaders of our Planet, our Country, and our Community, to legislate and participate in peace, equity, and mercy, as well as economic and environmental justice for all. We pray especially for: Joseph, our President; Kamala, our Vice-President; add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

                                                       Let us love in truth and action

~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, comfort the hearts, restore the hope, and give rest from anxiety, for all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and for all who provide love and support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

                                                       Let us love in truth and action     

~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, we give great thanks, through our mortal tears, for those who have gone through the darkest valley to now live again and dwell forever in the brightest light of Your Holy House. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

                                                       Let us love in truth and action

~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

                                                       Let us love in truth and action      

~ Holy Christ, Loving Shepherd, with glad and generous hearts our Earthly Pastoral Shepherds break and sanctify the Bread of Life to bring You to us in prayer and teaching. Bless them in their work with and for us, that together we may feed all Your sheep with goodness and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

                                                       Let us love in truth and action

The Celebrant adds: Almighty God, Master of Creation, as You have anointed us for all the days of our lives, infuse us with the desire to walk the right pathways, gather all Your sheep into one flock, and to love, serve, and abide in and through the Risen Christ. We ask this though Jesus, our Shepherd and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of our souls; who together with You, reign as 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

UPDATE - Document Link Added ~ A Resource for Now: Entering the Same Door, Differently

As we edge ever closer to more and more Faith Communities and other organizations slowly opening ever wider as the COVID-19 Pandemic slowly subsides, many of us have wondered: how do we prepare ourselves and our communities? So much has changed and even as we may hunger for what was, there are also new options in gathering we might want to keep.

If you are looking for resources for small group reflection on life during the pandemic and re-imagining our individual and collective futures, I hope you will consider Entering the Same Door, Differently, a set of three designs/formats and supporting materials, developed by six veteran adult theological educator colleagues, of which I'm pleased to say I am one.

The design packet of these Guided Conversational/Retreat/Reflection Sessions is available at no charge, and you are encouraged to adapt and modify the content to suit your needs, including for non-Christian and secular groups such as nonprofits, NGOs, civic groups, etc. Also, they can be used for in-person, online/virtual, and hybrid gatherings. Choose a design for your group, or, pick elements from all three to custom design yet another. The materials also provide conversation prompts for one-on-one pastoral conversations as well as personal reflection.

Click Here to Download Materials:

Entering the Same Door, Differently

The resource described above is offered at no charge. For more information and/or to receive the materials,  please contact me at: Leeosophy@gmail.com