Prayers of the People: Confusing the Wolves ~ 3rd Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

 For Sunday, June 18, 2023, 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 [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 news, in the 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, 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 crucial as now. Then and as much or more now, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. 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, comfort, and guide one another around the wolves that would devour us, harass us, or tempt 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 out of 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. Perhaps we can confuse a few wolves along the way into tagging along as friends.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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Meditation Moment in Pentecost: WWNMD? '23

   I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death. 

~ Nelson Mandela

Well, God, 
        If I'm planning a self-indulgent pity party of the poor me variety and the world news isn't enough to divert me, then it's time to read Mandela. All the usual descriptors apply - inspiring, heroic, determined, etc., ~ and, he ascended to heights well above anything that seemed remotely possible. So, Creator of Excessively Amazing People, could I have just a touch of what You gave Madiba**? His own words certainly say more than mine can and I need to read them often. His life story is the very definition of hope. Will You please nudge me when I'm slowly sinking into my own stuff? (admittedly, a nudge might not be enough ~ You may have to shove me into the next street.) 
       I need to be more optimistic, even if I have to work hard to achieve it. Nelson is a tremendous role model ~ he was flawed, brilliant, and tenacious. It's comforting to know that even he had his dark and doubtful moments ~ he was not what old ideas would consider saintly but rather a real flesh and blood human person. We all have our trials in life but rare is the example of such perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. And because of his story, I can walk a bit more briskly into the face of whatever comes. I can change my address to Hope Street and, in addition to wondering What Jesus Would Do to decide my next course, I can add What Would Nelson Mandela Do to the equation. I don't pretend to have any real idea what either one would actually do, but at least with the inspiration of both, I have a head start into moving forward with my "head pointed toward the sun."  amen.

*Nelson Mandela [1918-2013], revolutionary, politician, philanthropist, duly democratically elected first black President of South Africa after 27 years of imprisonment for sedition, treason, and sabotage. If you do not know his story - why not? Look it up!

**Madiba is a South African title of respect for South Africa's most famous icon and first black President Nelson Mandela. While alive, Nelson Mandela was affectionately called Madiba by South Africans and people outside his country.

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Meditation Moment in Pentecost: Borrowing Trouble? '23

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; 

it empties today of its strength.

~ Corrie ten Boom*

    I am slowly learning, as I wander through the experience of living, that when worry rears its anxious specter I must forcibly and deliberately push it away. It's so very easy for me to conjure mind maps of fear that fill my head, travel through the rest of me, and render me uselessly pacing or slumped in mindless paralysis. 
    There are many conditions in the world at large and in my own community that are cause for concern, even alarm, and call for immediate action or intervention. But worry enervates, creating problems rather than providing solutions. Worry is selfish and demanding of the attention of one's self and others to the exclusion of more important endeavors. When I get bogged down in my own head about my own stuff, I lose the momentum that should be put to better use. And while I'm getting better at it, I often need help to pull myself away from the edge of the sinkhole, and back into the present for the work at hand.
     

 SO, help me, Lord of Inner Strength,

   Grant me continuing improvement in my ability to set aside the borrowing of some potential trouble, and lend myself to the beauty in the moment  and in the ordinary of life, and, more so the opportunities to be of service to others. And, if it's not too much to ask,  a little pocket of joy now and then will help keep me going forward.  amen.  

*Corrie ten Boom [1892-1982] was the author of many books including her best known Hiding Places which told the harrowing story of her family helping to house Jews escaping from the Nazis during World War II. She and her family were subsequently imprisoned in Ravensbruck, a Nazi death camp where several of her family died. Her work for the mentally disabled before the war, and after she was released from prison, setting up refuge centers and shelters for death camp survivors and even for the jobless Dutch who collaborated with the Germans, earned her international recognition and accolades. She moved to California in 1977 where she died on her 91st birthday.

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