For Zion's sake I will not
keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication
shines out like the dawn... [Isaiah 62:1]
For
with you is the well of life. and in your light we see light, Continue your
loving-kindness to those who know you, and favor for those who are true of
heart. [Psalm 36:9-10]
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and
sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed... there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all
of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good. [1 Corinthians 12:1,4-7]
When
the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no
wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you or
me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do
whatever he tells you"… Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And
they filled them up to the brim.
[John 2: 3-5, 7]
These Prayers of the People were originally commissioned by The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) in Wilmington, Delaware, in 2013. They continue to be used by that Parish who in 2021 celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the blending of a traditionally white parish ~ St. Andrew's, founded in 1829, and a traditionally African-American parish ~ St. Matthew's that began in 1846. St. Matthew’s was founded in the lower level of St. Andrew's as the Robert Smith Sunday School until it became St Matthew's Parish in its own location in 1891. Much later, in the racially fraught 1968, Bishop Quintin Primo, then an African-American Episcopal Vicar, guided St. Matthew's from mission status to full parish status and lived to see the joyous union of these two parishes into one. As many of us were privileged to know him personally, we are pleased to celebrate his life and prophetic voice this day along with the vibrant legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. The selection from Bishop Primo's autobiography (below) is SsAM's additional reading on this Sunday. To learn more about the historical significance and current mission of SsAM see: www.ssam.org
As with so many Biblical anecdotes and parables, the story
of the wedding feast of Cana is so well known that people of many beliefs and
cultures have heard it. Vendors even sell really terrible wine on the streets
of a town that might be Cana but no one really knows for certain where the Cana of this story is. As
we’re told in John's Gospel, Jesus turned water into wine ~ his first miracle ~
and he didn't think he was ready. While quite an accomplishment, the setting
for this first sign may not appear to be auspicious enough for
such a pivotal event or serve humanity in any important way. Yet his mother
asked and he complied, if slightly less than willing, and therefore took the
first step in his public ministry. Clearly his mother knew her son was
ready for bigger things.
The volume of the wine changed from the water is significant; it is an
abundant amount given how late in the celebration. It is a metaphor for the way
the love and the Presence of God fills us all, God's own created vessels, up to
the brim, just as the new wine fills the stone jars. And it matters not
how late in our lives that we change and recognize the fullness of God's love
within. The moment made believers of his chosen disciples: Jesus, Son of God,
Worker of Miracles! Let's follow him everywhere!
Jesus incarnated was the
embodiment of God's gifts as we each are, in our own individual ways. For us
mere mortals, discerning our gifts is not easy and many of us ignore or disclaim
them, hiding from ourselves under a mask of artificial humility. We may not all
have the greatness to save the entire world but each one of us
has abilities, knowledge, and talents that make us unique, useful, even
admirable ~ if we accept them. Perhaps it is easier to hide
from them if it seems that the acceptance and claiming requires some
responsibility for using them. Jesus accepted his gifts and used them for
teaching, preaching, and healing. Dr. King and Bishop Primo used their gifts
and did change the world and, often, especially as with Dr. King, at their own
peril.
But of course Jesus, Dr. King, and
Bishop Primo were special people, called by God to do great and memorable
things that are written down and remembered. "For Zion's sake I will not
keep silent..." says Isaiah, and Dr. King, and Bishop Primo. What is Zion
for me? What will call me from just dreaming about what I might do someday
to pushing myself to action now? Dr. King said, "Faith is taking the first
step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." Our first step begins
with the Gospels. Today’s Epistle reminds us that we are each endowed by the
Holy Spirit with gifts to be used for the common good. Bishop Primo was very
clear when he said, "What binds us together now is our common loyalty to
Jesus Christ..." But not everyone agrees on how and what to believe. If
the Gospel message is so clear why are so many Christians arguing with and
disparaging each other? How can there be so many divisions, denominations,
theological, and ideological differences determining who's in and who's out and
who's right and who's wrong, who should be condemned (or worse) and who
should be accepted? If being fully loved by God, as we learn from the
Gospels, doesn't bring us all together, it does beg the question, "So,
really, What Would Jesus Do?" Well, being filled to the brim with gifts of the Spirit and faith, being true of
heart, and as Mary directed, do everything He tells us. (And listen to your
mother)
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God Most Loving, give us ears to hear, hearts to
feel, and souls to know and deeply experience Your Spirit-charged words, and
listen to the voice[s] of Your servant[s] Martin [and Quintin*]. Activate our own
spiritual gifts, that we may change the substance of our lives from
self-serving to full-service, and to be true of heart and strong in faith, now
more than ever.
O Righteous,
Faithful Lord
RESPONSE:
In You our
souls are free at last
~
O God Most Loving, let us not keep silent as
we raise our voices loudly and often for those who are lost and forsaken, and
in danger and despair in this life. Let us not rest as we continually urge all Governments
and Authorities, locally and globally, to make Martin’s Dream into
truth and action, with peace, justice, and mercy for ALL. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O Righteous, Faithful Lord
In
You our souls are free at last
~
O God Most Loving, calm the hearts and minds
of those with physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges, and lighten the
load for all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in
need … add your own petitions
O Righteous, Faithful Lord
In
You our souls are free at last
~ O God Most Loving, console all who mourn as Your
steadfast and priceless love gathers our faithful departed into the joy and
abundance of Your House forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O Righteous, Faithful Lord
In
You our souls are free at last
~
O God Most Loving, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings,
intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
O Righteous, Faithful Lord
In
You our souls are free at last
~
O God Most Loving, nurture and enhance the gifts of
our anointed leaders in Your Church who strive to impart Your wisdom and keep
us aware of Your eternal Presence. Guide us to discover and offer the endowment
of Your gifts and strengths within ourselves. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions [and the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.]
O Righteous, Faithful Lord
In
You our souls are free at last
The Celebrant adds: Holy
God, Our Well of Life, as the vessels were filled at Cana, fill us with Your
Light that we may see light; and with Your loving-kindness and favor, grant us
courage to follow the path of our Redeemer Christ with refuge under the shadow
of Your wings. We ask through Jesus, Your Son and our Salvation; and the Holy
Spirit, Your Infinite Wisdom; who together with You, reign as One God forever
and forever. Amen.
-----------------------------
*Optional Readings ~ as always, feel
free to edit these prayers and reflections to suit your local needs and a small
attribution is much appreciated.
A reading from the I Have a Dream speech by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [1929-1968], delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963:
"When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village
and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up
that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and
Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the
words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! thank God
Almighty, we are free at last!"
A reading from The Making of
a Black Bishop by the Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr. [1913-1998]:
"The day of the yearly (Diocesan) Convention arrived. Presenting to the
assemblage our (St. Matthew's) formal application to become a self-supporting
unit of the diocese, the Rev. Canon James Birney, program developer/director
for the diocese, spoke most eloquently, ''What we are doing at this moment
is a symbol of what black and white people must continue to do as we offer our
lives to be instruments for bringing the Kingdom of God to reality on earth. For
the past 122 years, the white congregations have patronizingly supported
the black mission of St. Matthew's. Today, when black men everywhere are
breaking the bonds of patronage which we hope are the last remnants of slavery
and inequality, the people of St. Matthew's now both black and white, are
freeing themselves and this Diocese from bondage to each other. Subservience
and patronage are both gone. The congregation is free and the Diocese is free.
And being free, we are both free to be One. What binds us together now is
our common loyalty to Jesus Christ and to this branch of His Church. In this
Christian context, you are demonstrating the meaning of Black Power.'"
