People's Prayers

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Prayers of the People: Pearls and Mustard, 7th Sunday after Pentecost

for July 27, 2014, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Gen 29: 15-28; Ps 105: 1-11, 44-45; Romans 8:26-39; Mt 13:31-52

When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?'
[Gen 29:25 NIV]

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...like yeast...like treasure hidden in a field...[and] like [a pearl] of great value... [Matthew 13:31, 33, 44, 45 NIV]

A Taste of Creation this week -
the deceiver is deceived, and there is more sibling rivalry and jealousy. In using imperfect people to show us to ourselves, we also see that we are still counted among all those that God loves, regardless of our flaws.
Jesus lets us know there is something for everyone in God's Kingdom whether we are planting the tiny mustard seeds to grow into large trees that birds will flock to, mixing yeast with flour to expand the dough, finding buried treasure in the field, or discovering a pearl so perfect that we sell all we own to buy it.
One message is that there is no perfection in humanity but our smallest efforts can grow and yield a large return. All we have to do is recognize that God is always here, we just have to look, and sometimes that requires a little digging. We have to work pretty hard to be separated from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our faults. So even when we start small, all that we do will expand, and we'll be able to achieve the greatest possible reward. After all, If God is for us, who can be against us? [Romans 8:31b] Only us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of Strength and Presence, the hidden gems in Your Creation: the smallest seeds yielding the largest trees, the yeast that expands the dough, the treasure for which we buy the field, are all markers of Your bountiful love that begins in small ways and fills our souls beyond measure. Catch us in Your net, keep us worthy, and gather us into the good basket of Your bountiful harvest.

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

RESPONSE: Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, enjoin the political leaders of this world, our country, and our community, to stop the wars, provide the basic necessities for Your neediest people, and live into the ethics of acting on what is best for all whom they govern, not merely some. We pray especially for Barack, our President; Jack, our Governor; Tom, our County Executive; and Dennis, our mayor.

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, ease the burden of illness, injury, or affliction for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who give them care. We pray especially for:

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, give shelter to those who are weary with grief, and let those we have lost, find themselves now shining in the sun of Your covenant, nesting in Your Tree of Eternal Life. We pray especially for:

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…..

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

~ O God of Strength and Presence, for those who You and we have called upon to lead us in Your church, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite and the reminder that, “We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God...” We pray especially for: Katharine, our Presiding Bishop; Wayne, our own Bishop; David, our rector; Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus; and Peter, our Associate Priest.

Spirit of God, search our hearts, know our minds

Help us, O Lord, in our weakness

The Celebrant adds: O God of Abraham and Sarah; Jacob, Rebekah and Leah; David, and Judas, to fulfill Your covenant, You use imperfect people who argue, are jealous, greedy, and disobey Your Law, so that we might see ourselves among those You love. Guide us to remember that You are always for us and nothing but our own selfishness will separate us from the love of Christ. We ask Your continued blessing through Jesus, our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier who fill the heavens with You as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Meditation Moments: Sure'n up

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh,” he whispered.

“Yes,” said Pooh.

“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw, “I just wanted to be sure of you.”*

Well, Dear God of all Hunny Bears and Other Sweet Creatures,

I’m having one of "those" days and weeks and even a month! It's been such a busy time, so very much stuff going on, some happiness here, a worry or two there, and a few other things. I might not have been paying as much attention to You lately as I could have, even missed church once or twice or...but here I am now, just sidling up to You. It seemed like it was past time for us to take a walk together and for me to check in. I just want You to be as sure of me as I am of You - ok, that might take some work on my part so here I am sure-ing things up with You. Thanks for being here even when I've wandered a little bit away. I'll try not to let it happen again but in case it does, I promise [again] to remember You quicker the next time and then I'll be sure to reach up. amen.

*Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet came from the fertile imagination of English-born playwright, author, and child's poet, A. A. Milne [1881-1956], who based the main character, Pooh, on the teddy bear of the same name belonging to Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Meditation Moments: Inside, Outside, or Circular?

THINK DIFFERENT. But don't believe everything you think.
~ Charlie Chaplin* [1899-1977]

I'm always certain that my thoughts are on track and correct, except when I stop to think about my thoughts. Then, I realize I might, possibly, perhaps, have a bias or two or, at the very least, an untested expectation that affects what I'm thinking. Often I think that you think that I should think one thing or another, but I've never asked you so maybe you don't think that at all but something else instead. But if I ask you, will you think I just don't know what I'm thinking? All this thinking stuff gives me a headache. Can't I just breeze through life thoughtlessly?
Dear Most Excellent Thinker of Thoughts, please help me to work more diligently on how to think critically, objectively, and constructively. Let me recognize and understand the biases and emotions that influence my thoughts and, after some analysis (which may include advice from several others), feel comfortable moving forward anyway or, to change direction entirely. I do know that my thoughts, human as they are, will always be flawed in one way or another. Grant me the ability to be open to changes in my opinions and positions based on new information. Let me work calmly through criticism - fair or not - and accept the outcomes of my actions while learning new lessons for the future. Whether my thinking is inside or outside of any given box, let me not recycle the same ways of understanding life in ever smaller circles with ever smaller thoughts, or, in other words, don't let me believe everything I think. amen.

*Charlie Chaplin, born in England, an actor, comedian, director, writer all of the first magnitude with a huge fan base on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere that helped him survive adoration and controversy. His brilliance in his early silent films is still being admired today. His most famous character, The Tramp, propelled him to icon status.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Meditation Moments: STOP THE WAR! a reprise of sorts...

Some will remember this medallion
from the Viet Nam protests in the 1970s
It still is true

The following is from an original post that has had over 120 hits in the last 10 days alone with the words prayers/Palestine being the most frequent search words used. The readers are from all over the world including the Middle East. I cannot tell who reads, only what country they represent. With all that is happening, especially this week, I thought it was time to reprise part of what I had written in April with a few little changes. The link to the original post is at the bottom.
           Let us join together in prayer for all the turmoil in the Middle East, the Sudan, the Ukraine, and everywhere that there is war - not for "sides," but for peace, especially for the sake of the children:

         After the discoveries and acknowledgement of the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, a homeland for the Jews was sympathetically promoted for Palestine as "A Land Without People for People Without A Land" except the flaw in the ointment of the great repatriation was that there were people already there, a few Jewish people and also non-Jewish people - Muslims, Christians, and non-believers. The debates, the wars, the persecutions, the walls, the guns, the bombs, the bloodshed continue and escalate on a daily basis....and yet, Who does any of the Earth really belong to? We cannot take the land with us when we die but so many are willing to die - or to kill - to prove it belongs to them.

God of Heaven and of Earth, and of all the Universes known and unknown:
           We grieve for the pain and suffering, the torment and anger on all sides of this and every other blood feud over who can, must, should, shouldn't, can't live here or there. Deep as the core of this earth, is the anguish that belongs to everyone. We are all Your people - please, we implore, we beseech, we beg You - show Your care for us, Your children, and help us learn to care for each other and to live together in peace, safety, and freedom. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our souls to see ourselves in each other's faces and especially in the faces of all of our children.
          For today I must give up worrying more about fixing blame and take on learning more about the history of all sides of a conflict whether in the Middle East, or in any country including my own, my city, or even my family. I pray for the courage to support those who abhor violence and who will encourage dialogue and other non-violent remedies to promote understanding among us all. I entreat You through the Saving Love of Jesus the Christ and the Wisdom of Your Holy Spirit who live and reign with You as One,The God of Abraham, for now, for tomorrow, for eternity. amen.

The original piece which includes maps showing the time changes in the maps of Palestinian holdings in Israel since 1917 and a quote from Dr. Naim Ateek, can be found at:
http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2014/04/prayers-for-lent-day-33-give-up-take-on.html

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Meditation Moments: The Trip of a Lifetime

It's good to have an end

to journey toward;

but it's the journey that matters in the end. ~ Ernest Hemingway*[1899-1961]

Dear Master Travel Agent ~
As You already know, I've come a good distance on this journey and sometimes I don't know how I've gotten this far let alone figured out where I'm headed. Oh I know I'm ultimately headed in Your direction and that how I get there matters, it's just that there have been so many twists and turns along the road so far and I'm sort of directionally challenged at times. Am I headed down or up the right road? I'm hoping that effort, spelling, and punctuation count toward my final grade (please, though, not neatness). In the meantime, I'm just here to ask for the usual travel stuff - please be my Guide and Companion along the Way and let me recognize You wherever I go and in whoever I encounter. I know that MapQuest won't help but I look forward to little hints here and there that I'm on the right track. Thanks for letting me get this far and, if it's not too much of a bother, I'd like to go on for quite awhile yet, whatever bumps and bites yet to come. amen.

*Ernest Hemingway, American journalist and author, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, his writings are considered classics in American literature. Multiple marriages and a colorful life led Hemingway down many roads in his fairly short but completely filled journey that culminated in suicide in 1961 but left a legacy of words that will never die.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Meditation Moments: Don't Judge a Fish by its Scales

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
~ Albert Einstein* [1879-1955]

Lord of all Intelligent, and not so, Life,
I cannot count the times I have felt diminished by being told I wasn't capable of x or that I couldn't possibly achieve y. I've also been elevated by the encouragement of or compliment by someone I respect and admire, or even by a stranger. How easy it can be to shake or make self-confidence, to thwart or inspire development. How fragile we, who-pretend-even-to-ourselves-we-are-not, often are.
SO, here's a twist on some familiar refrains - Let me NOT do or say unto others the insensitive and hurtful things as have been done or said unto me (even if unaware and unintended). And grant me the serenity to let go of that same stuff and just get on with myself. Help me to always be an encourager and a listener even if I'm pretty sure that the fish can't climb the tree - sometimes we may all be surprised at the outcome. amen.

*Albert Einstein, German-born, is an icon of theoretical physics, a Nobel Prize winner, with so many intellectual and scientific achievements to his credit his name has become the synonym for genius. He was visiting in the US in 1933 when Hitler came to power and he never returned to Germany. He became a US citizen in 1940 and warned President Roosevelt of the possible weapon development in Germany that would become the Manhattan Project in the US leading to the atomic bomb. Einstein later denounced the use of nuclear fission for weapons but had been worried that Germany would develop it first. His career in the US was with the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University in New Jersey which lasted until his death.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Bloomin' Weeds, 6th Sunday after Pentecost

For July 20, 2014, 6th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Gen 28: 10-19; Ps 139: 1-12, 21-23; Romans 8:12-25; Mt 13:24-30, 36-43

...for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. [Mt 13: 29-30]

As a sometimes gardener, I often don't know the weed from the desired seedling until there's been significant growth and by then it is a losing game trying to keep up with them. And sometimes, the weed is prettier than the plant I wanted, that is, until it takes over the rest of the yard. There are multiple exceptions of course, many weeds are clearly a menace to the order and beauty of the garden, can wreak serious havoc with the crop, and really try my patience.

But it isn't at all unlike moving with groups of people. I'm still learning that very often those who appear to be less attractive on the outside have an interior beauty that blooms through into their lives, cultivating and spreading the seeds of goodness and joy all around them. Others who seem to blossom profusely on the outside fade pretty quickly in the scheme of things after attempts to spread their charms are unwelcome. Thankfully, I'm very glad that I'm not in charge of what gets to the barn and what gets burned. I need to pay attention to what within me needs some pruning.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, we are led by You as the children of God and made joint heirs with Jesus to eternal life in glory. Let us take the wings of each morning to labor in the fields of our Lord, where every place we stop is Beth-El, the House of God.

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

RESPONSE: Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, grant those who serve the governments of the world, our country, and our community, the courage and honesty to clear the choking vines of injustice, greed, and war from the lives of all God’s people. Kindle the light of mercy and generosity in their hearts and souls. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, relieve the pain and despair from those who suffer illness, injury, or addiction, and sustain the strength of those who support them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, please lift the veil of sorrow from those of us who grieve as we release those we love from this life into Your joyous welcome and eternal glory. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

~ Spirit of Hope and Patience, we commend to You, with gratitude, those who have committed their lives to us in Your service. Continue to inspire and uphold them as they work with us in Your Creation and lead us always toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Sow in us good seeds, O Christ

Help us clear the weeds from our hearts and minds

The Celebrant adds: O God who knows us from the womb, teach us to search our own hearts to find our way to You, as we climb through the weeds and bracken in the hills and valleys of this life. We ask for Your mercy through Jesus, our Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You, One God, in all Glory and through Eternity. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Meditation Moments: Superior Intoxication

It is most comfortable

to be invisible, to observe life from a distance, at one with our own intoxicating superior thoughts.

~ Anne Lamott* [1954- ]

Dear Most Superior Invisible One,
I'm not sure it's invisibility that I would find comfortable, I'd like to be aloof and observe from that pedestal. I rather like the concept of being close enough but far enough away to command a certain attention while keeping everyone at arm's length. Then I can dish in my own head with clever if less than kind judgments, point my finger (the invisible one) at those who are merely common in their small lives, while I in my brilliance could solve all personal and global issues if I allowed them close enough to impart my wisdom.
And then my head breaks out into:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

[Isaiah 55:8-9 NRSV]

And then I realize that my superior intelligence isn't worth very much at all if all I'm doing is using it to feel superior and not to impart the love and grace You are providing. Bring me up close and personal rather than as an observer from a distance. Help me, Lord, remember, that I'm not You and the life You have given us is to be lived as You have instructed ~ together, with You, and within ourselves with love. What a far better way to experience intoxication. amen.

*Anne Lamott, an American political activist and author of non-fiction and novels all largely autobiographical and with her signature wit, humor, and self-deprecation. Tackling alchoholism, single-motherhood, and depression, Lamott brings us in to everyday American situations with down-to-earth, sometimes irreverent, vocabulary and structure that cuts directly to the center of life.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Meditation Moments: Mind a Beginning?

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities,

but in the expert's mind

there are few.

― Shunryu Suzuki* [1904-1971]

Dear Most Enlightened Teacher, please help me to recapture my beginner's mind, the one that was insatiably curious, hungry for spiritual experience, searching for enlightenment, eager to sit at Your feet and be filled with the pearls and diamonds of Your wisdom and teaching. I want to recapture the energy and the mystery and set aside much of what I now "know" through academic and intellectual study. I want to learn in new ways with a fresh unfinished mind that is wide with wonder like those who have only just begun their first encounters with You. Take me out of my self, encourage me through monkey-mind, and teach me to work inside and reach deeply for the silent illumination that calls me back time and again, to practice and to practice and to practice, now and forever, until I apprehend the beginning. amen.

*Shunyru Suzuki, a Sōtō Zen monk, born and trained in Japan, opened the first Buddhist monastery outside of Asia. He is widely known for his book, Zen Mind, Beginniner's Mind which was the onset of the popularization of Zen Buddhism in the West. He founded the San Francisco Zen Center and affiliate temples.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: Benedict and this Rule thing

All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ...

Listen and attend with

the ear of your heart.
From The Rule of St. Benedict

~ St. Benedict of Nursia, Abbot* [c480-543-7]
Celebrated by the Church on July 11

Definition of RULE (Merriam-Webster)

a : a prescribed guide for conduct or action

b : the laws or regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for observance by its members

c : an accepted procedure, custom, or habit
d (1) : a usually written order or direction made by a court regulating court practice or the action of parties (2) : a legal precept or doctrine
e : a regulation or bylaw governing procedure or controlling conduct

Dear Supreme Abbot,

I can listen to people deeply and I can work a bit harder at finding Jesus in them, but this Rule thing...it's that word...I'm seriously resistant to the word Rule. I know about Commandments but isn't that a different kind of God thing? There are so many laws, ordinances, and statutes telling me what I may and may not do in life, most of which I take for granted and obey without any specific awareness. I had rules as a child, in school, at work, but to think of following a Rule for my spiritual life sounds like a lot of effort. Isn't it enough that I go to Sunday church more often than not, give money, and try to remember to pray at various times? I'm a reasonably nice person, oh, and I'm faithful, too, at least I'm pretty sure that I am.

Okay, so maybe the word Guide works better for me, a plan of things to do to build up my spiritual side. Perhaps it will help me feel a bit more like having that relationship with You that I hear about but haven't really connected with for myself. And You want me to follow this ~~Rule~~ Guide as part of a community? This is getting bigger again, just when I thought I was getting a handle on it. So then, what if I take a look at this Guide and see if I know anyone else who wants to look at it with me. We could meet as a ~~community~~ small group and walk through it to learn more about it together. It can't hurt - maybe try a prayer service of some kind outside of Sunday morning and see what that's like. Oh, I'm just so busy with work and the family and the household....but, am I really too busy to spend a little time with You? How can that be, if I'm as faithful as I like to think I am? I'm willing to try - maybe there are others who would like to try along with me. Will You help me take that first step, please? I think I could just be ready to know You better. You do listen with the ear of Your heart - could it be that I'll be welcomed as Christ? amen.

*St. Benedict of Nursia founded 12 monastic communities in Italy and developed The Rule to foster spiritual growth in personal and communal life as well as giving specifics on administration of the monastery, and the role its Abbot. It has resonated through the ages with lay and ordained alike, in monastic and secular communities, anywhere people are seeking God through a way of life that fits where they are without being merely a set of religious prescriptions. Benedict and his Rule are celebrated by Catholics and Anglicans alike in our own day through Benedictine Communities of various sizes, shapes, and locations around the world.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Meditation Moments: Still a-MAZE-ing

I have not failed.

I have just found

10,000 ways

that won't work.

~ Thomas Edison* [1847-1931]

Spirit of the Maze that is Life, there are days when I get lost in trying to find my direction. I go one way and hit a wall, turn around and go in the opposite direction, turn left, turn right, and I have lost my way, again. I turn around and start over, and, repeat.
Okay so I've been through this track 'way too many times but here I am again asking You for a map to find my way. I know I've made promises I haven't kept very well, but I really mean it this time - I wholeheartedly promise to keep trying. Maybe just feeling Your presence will give me the perseverance to keep moving. One of these paths will be the Good one and with You on my side, I'll know it's right when the light bulb goes on. amen.

*Thomas Edison, American inventor best known for the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and, of course, a practical light bulb and there is so much more. Holding almost 1200 patents, his inventions and business acumen still informs many of the designs and methods of today's technology. He has an extensive biography that is well worth investigating.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: Tacking or Jibing?

photo by Christina Brennan Lee
at Broad Bay, NZ

She stood in the storm

and when the wind

did not blow her way,

she adjusted her sails.

Elizabeth Edwards* [1949-2010]

It's so easy and comfortably trite to say "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." It's a kindly thought and there's a limited amount of folksy wisdom in it. But, Lord of the Wind and Sea of Life, sometimes life hands out orchards of difficulty, grief, and anguish. Yet even in the midst of all of that there are happy moments, satisfying times, there is ordinary.
It's no use comparing my stuff with anyone else's, mine is always more important to me even though I recognize and empathize with the trials and tragedies of others. And I'm certain that I'm entitled to my fair share of wails, whines, and whimpers, for a time. But when it is time to move forward, please do not let me stall, becalmed by procrastination or inertia. Point me in the right direction, Lord, the one that leads to You; and, if I cannot sail through my life without stormy seas or the occasional eddy throwing me off course, help me then to adjust my sails for the right wind to carry me through. amen.

*Elizabeth Edwards, an American Attorney, Health Care Activist, and best-selling author was married to John Edwards, a US Senator with unsuccessful campaigns for US Vice-President and later President. Ms. Edwards dealt well publicly with her husband's rise to prominence and notoriety after a much publicized affair that resulted in an illegitimate child at the time Elizabeth was also coping with breast cancer that ultimately ended her life.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Prayers of the People: Going to Seed, 5th Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

For Sunday, July 13, 2014, Readings: Gen 25: 19-34; Ps 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Mt 13:1-9, 18-23

Van Gogh's The Sower

You are in the Spirit,

since the Spirit of God

dwells in you.

[Romans 8:9]

This week we have twins who fight, parents who play favorites, and the Master Gardener at work.

Not much new these days in the dynamics of family but in terms of our spiritual growth, it's all Good News. The seeds are already planted within us, all we need to do is till, tend, water, feed, and weed, though it's not always quite so simple. Farming is tough work, a 24/7 job on and in the ground. Good weather and hard work yields a good crop. Bad weather and harder work and a failed crop. Try, try again to clear the rocks, cut back the thorns and clean up the path... if we want it, we've got it. And so it grows.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, Sower of Life, You call us each and together to walk in the ways of the Spirit, and to receive, understand, and live into the Word of God. Let the seeds You have given us find good soil in our hearts and take deep root within us.