Meditation Moments: Changing the Pray-er

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.
                         ― Søren Kierkegaard [1813-1855]

Dear God, Almighty, Everlasting, and Eternal ~
           Of course I want to influence You. Of course I want You to do what I want You to do. Of course I'm not happy when things don't go my way. Sometimes I get angry. I'm human; it's my nature. SO, if I walk away in anger and blame, am I just acting as a spoiled child who is never satisfied? 
           But eventually I stop and I remember. I have Free Will. I have choices. I can choose to use prayer to demand, require, and exert an ultimatum for a requested outcome and be frustrated and angry when it doesn't come to pass. Or I can exclaim "Thank God!" when something good happens as a cursory nod for the expected. 
           I can also choose to pray through conversation with You to express my wants, needs, and desires, as well as my hopes and fears. When I pray without expecting You to fix or give something in return, I feel less agitated, perhaps no less in need or want, but more comforted from merely knowing You are present, listening, aware. The nature of my prayer becomes a visit with a trusted and cherished Friend who embraces my heart, soothes my soul, and is simply present and available whatever the outcome. And within the visit, through the prayer, I am transformed. I am calmer, I am more composed, and I am ready to work through all that life brings. I, the Pray-er, am changed. amen.  
           



*Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and wrote extensively on Christian Ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of Religion.  He often focused on personal choice and commitment, and, the art of Christian love.


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: Decisions on the 8s

If the world were merely seductive, 

that would be easy. 

If it were merely challenging, 

that would be no problem. 

But I arise in the morning
torn between 

a desire to improve the world and 

a desire to enjoy the world. 

This makes it hard to plan the day.

                               ― E.B. White* [1899-1985]




SO:
Volunteer at the Shelter - or - beach day?
Art exhibit - or -  go meet with legislators?
Join Peace Corps - or - theater subscription?

         Well, things aren't quite that cut and dried, are they?  Surely, Creator of Humans and Nature, there is room for all things under the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. And I do recognize how fortunate I am in even having such choices in my life. The difficulty is that I really do want to make the world a better place but, to be honest, I'm not a willing candidate for martyrdom - should I feel guilty? I do participate with time, energy, and a bit of money in causes that are important to me and I do find time to enjoy the fruits of Your Creation - family, friends, and even solitude. 
         Guide me as I search for the insight to do as I am able where I am needed most, and, the ability to discover the balance between giving of myself and giving to myself. I'll work on beginning and ending each day in prayer - and a bit in the middle as well - and then, maybe, the timing of when to do what will be revealed, without having to shake the Magic 8 Ball for answers.  amen.


*E.B. White, was an American writer for the New Yorker magazine and co-author of The Elements of Style, also known as Strunk and White. He is most famous for a series of children's books and in particular, Charlotte's Web.





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: Getting Our Feet Wet, 9th Sunday after Pentecost

for August 10, 2014, 9th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Gen 37:1-4, 12-28; Ps 105: 1-6, 44-45b, 16; Romans 10: 5-15; Mt 14:22-33

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.  Romans 10:12

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Matthew 14:31-32

            Just as God is Lord of ALL, regardless of human categorization, Jesus calls - requires - us all to be out of the boat to get our feet wet in the realities of life's weather. Trust, faith, and heart will keep us from sinking as the beautiful feet of Jesus walk us toward the calm seas of the Good News.


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Everyone and All, You are the Constant who can calm our fears and guide us through the wind and storms of life. Remind us always to leave our boats and reach for You in seas both rough and calm.

 

                              Lord Jesus, our Refuge in Chaos and Peace

RESPONSE:   We seek Your strength and Your presence

~ O God of Everyone and All, let us not be complacent in this harsh world and allow our brothers, our sisters, and our children to languish in the slavery of war and poverty. We must prevail upon the leaders of our world, our country, and our community, to take the measures necessary to restore justice, mercy, and peace, to those who are suffering at home and elsewhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Lord Jesus, our Refuge in Chaos and Peace

                        We seek Your strength and Your presence

~ O God of Everyone and All, send Your tender mercies to those who are struggling with illness, pain, and anxiety, and renew the hope and stamina of those who provide them with care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Lord Jesus, our Refuge in Chaos and Peace

                        We seek Your strength and Your presence

~ O God of Everyone and All, shelter and lift those sinking in the waves of grief with the comfort of knowing their loved ones are in Your loving embrace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

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

                        Lord Jesus, our Refuge in Chaos and Peace

                        We seek Your strength and Your presence

~ O God of Everyone and All, we give You thanks for those choosing and chosen to live their lives in service to You, and bringing us Your word and wisdom. Grant them spiritual vitality and smooth sailing through all the waters ahead. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Lord Jesus, our Refuge in Chaos and Peace

                        We seek Your strength and Your presence

The Celebrant adds:  Holy God, Creator of Earth, Sea, and Sky, invigorate our faith that we may walk with You in every port, on every path, and within our own hearts. Let us eagerly answer Your call with courage and conviction, through tempest and tranquility, through this life and the next. We ask this through Jesus, our Teacher and the Holy Spirit, our Shield, who together with You, live as our One God forever and ever. 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.

Meditation Moments: Do I believe that?

I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer.
              ― Douglas Adams* [1952-2001]

Great Spirit of My Soul,

       I seem to ask that question quite a bit though I never seem to get a complete answer from myself. Other people seem very clear, even emphatic, about their beliefs and I often wish I could be. But the truth is, my answers keep changing, and, so, I often wonder why I wonder.

      One of the things about You of which I am certain is that there is You. Another is that You have many titles, many layers, and You are available to me in many, many ways.    

      But...there are the uncertain parts. Is there anything I'm required to believe? There sure are a lot of different ideas about You among people who get very upset, extremely angry, and even start wars if others disagree with them. If You are a Universal God, why do we have to fight about You? It's all in the details, I suppose - who made the rules and who shouts the rules out better. Are their rules all about loving You and each other, or control and manipulation by some earthly representative? 

       I learn more about who You are in my life through personal and communal prayer, by reading and talking about different faith traditions with others, and by looking at the lives of people I think are good models for my life. That helps me when those pesky questions arise. 

       Perhaps the God of those who fight, argue, and demand the most of others is smaller than You are and kept in a manageable box. Do I believe THAT? Why yes, yes I do.  amen.

*Douglas Adams, English born dramatist, humorist, and author, is best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a comedic science fiction series of books, tv, movies, computer games, and plays. 
     



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: The Principal Principle

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
       ― The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.* [1929-1968]


       Sure, sure - love is the answer...easy to say and easy to do when the people are lovable. But there are people - whole groups of them - that I'm expected to hate because of all the awful things they do; oh, and they really do awful things. But so do the people I'm supposed to support. In war, they take 1 of ours, so we take 2 of theirs, and they take 3 of ours.... And there are others that aren't fighting far away wars but are still doing terrible things in the name of religion, race, politics, gender, sexual orientation, and, just because it's all they know how to do... Oh, Jesus, Dr. King, Mahatma...all of you were murdered by those you were teaching us to love. How scary is that? 
           Ok, deep breaths. I'm not heading for a war zone. I'm not a risk-taker heading off deliberately to save the world in unsafe places. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of courage and drive, but the truth is, I do not. So, then, grant me peace and love within myself and grace to reflect it outwardly with those I meet each day. And still fully human, I am likely to take sides in a given conflict, but please, Lord of my Heart, help me to remember to show love to everyone, or at least patience and kindness even to those with whom I disagree. Remind me, too, that I don't have all the information, I don't know all the backstory, I may never understand why some feel and act as they do and all You ask is that I love them, even if they don't love me back. I'll try, at least in principle. amen.


 *Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African-American Christian pastor, social activist, and humanitarian leader of the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Known for his stance of nonviolent civil disobedience for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize, King was assassinated in 1968. His most famous speech is the 1963 "I Have A Dream" given from the Capitol steps in Washington, DC in 1963.   
          



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: The Blindness I See

Dear God of Everyone, 
      I have no original or useful thoughts, no plan of action, no idea how to move beyond the anger, hatred, and power grabs in this world. The death, destruction, and devastation in too many parts of the Earth are gut-wrenching and heart-ripping. And even in the quieter parts of the planet there are deep and hateful political divides from which there seems to be no willingness to step back and work for the common good. HELP! 
       I've written, called, signed petitions, demonstrated...and, mostly prayed. How do those of us who care intensely about those who are injured and dying, but don't live with the bombs and terror, get us all beyond the ain't it awful to significant action?  
       Please let us all work together to find the path to stability, give us the tools to bring about peace, or, at the very least, restore hope to those who are in midst of the horror. Oh, and most especially, please, let those who are blind with rage finally see that everyone loses in war and other living conflicts.  amen.



*Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi [1869-1948] led the movement of Indian Nationalism in British-ruled India utilizing the principles of non-violent civil disobedience. Trained as a lawyer, he ultimately became the catalyst for Indian independence and attained the title, Mahatma, meaning venerable/high-souled and offered a model that influenced Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others.



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: Lighten up

It was only a smile, and 

little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.

                        ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald* [1896-1940]

Lord of the Dark and Deep, 

           As I walk alone and quickly through the streets of the city with eyes downcast or, stroll in a solitary evening ponder on the beach looking out at the sea, lost in my own if only thoughts, suddenly a stranger says, Hello, smiles, and moves on. The bigger surprise is that this small action expects no response. The place I'm in becomes immediately brighter and I feel enveloped in a circle of warmth and light; my return smile is automatic and sincere, if unseen. 

          In receiving a smile unexpectedly and from an equally unexpected source, I am thankful for the one who smiled. In offering a smile to another that is unexpected, I return the gift to Creation. Let me remember to receive and give a moment of warmth that will lighten up all around, and always in Your name. amen.

 

*F. Scott Fitzgerald, considered one of the greatest authors of the 20th century, Fitzgerald is remembered for many short stories and novels, many of which have been made into films such as The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.






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: Living it up and down

Life is what happens 
when you're busy making other plans.
              ~ John Lennon* [1940-1980]





Dear God of Twisting Paths and Uneven Roads,

             Funny how plans change suddenly - sometimes things come right outta left field with no warning. Do I thank You if it's a good thing or do I blame You if it's a bad thing? I try to remember the thanking part because I was raised to, but as for blame, no, I don't. But then, I've never believed that You run a chess board moving me here or there by whim, giving or taking away. I also don't believe that I have more grace than someone else who has had a bad turn. And then there is that Free Will thing. 
             Stuff happens in the course of a life and there are ups, downs, ins, outs, and choices to be made. There are moments of incredible joy, moments in the depths of despair, and moments that run the gamut from one to the other. What is important to me, is just knowing that I can call to You when there is no one else, and even when there is someone. Sometimes I just need to tell You all that is happening so I can spare others, or, even practice with You so I can tell others. For that, I will always remember to thank You. 

            Life is good, real, indifferent, joyful, short, lovely, sad, scary, lonely, quiet, loud, shared, full, busy, and, mine, to choose how to live it. Thank You, for life - up and down. amen. 

 

*John Lennon, British born, singer, song writer, activist, founding member of The Beatles...and so very much more.

          




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: The Philadelphia Eleven, 49 Years On

A reprise of the original post in 2014:

Church of the Advocate - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 29, 1974
The First Eleven WOMEN Ordained as PRIESTS

Forty NINE Years Later...

     ...It seems incongruous to some who don't remember before, that women being ordained is such a big deal. And it is still heretical to many others for reasons I will NEVER understand, that on that July 29 in 1974, the Feast of Mary and Martha, 11 women became Priests for the Church and for all of us. The rest of the world, Anglican and otherwise, is still catching up, wrestling with the issue, or completely denying Holy Orders to women.
       I don't have any profound statements or pronouncements to add to what has been said in many places elsewhere including two articles below, but I am posting the names of each of these courageous women. The hardships, the triumphs, the travesties, and travails they endured are beyond imagining, yet each one felt the strong call and forged the seemingly impossible path for those who have followed. How many of us will ever be faced with such challenges?  Here are those women, some of whom have now left this earthly plane. Please pause at each name and pray a thanksgiving and let us also pray for those in this world still denied their opportunity simply because of their gender. Let us remember and thank: 

~ Merrill Bittner

~ Alla Renée Bozarth (Bozarth-Campbell)

~ Alison Mary Cheek  

~ Emily Clark Hewitt

~ Isabel Carter Heyward

~ Suzanne Radley Hiatt

~ Marie Moorefield Fleischer

~ Jeannette Ridlon Piccard

~ Betty Bone Schiess

~ Katrina Martha van Alstyne Welles Swanson

~ Nancy Constantine Hatch Wittig

   
God of ALL Genders, Races, Colors, Ethnicities, Heights, Weights, Sexual Orientation, Ages, and all Other Categories, 
            Please grant a special place in heaven for all of these women, who struggled to answer your call, and for all of those who supported them in their quest. Also bless the Bishops who defied the status quo and helped make this ordination day possible. Sanctify all those with the courage to push the barriers knowing many obstacles will not yield easily if at all, and that their own suffering for the cause will make the road easier for those that come after. Open the eyes, hearts, and minds, of those who continue on a path of needless discrimination without justification that prevents others from fulfilling their own destinies. We have all been blessed by these women, and their legacy will last as long as faith in You continues.  amen.             



Here are the links to 2 articles and the entire celebration service in Philadelphia:

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/women/celebrating_the_philadelphia_e.html

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/07/23/philadelphia-11-shattered-stained-glass-ceiling-40-years-later-now/

Here is the Liturgy as it was recorded live on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where The Eleven were ordained 49 years ago:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/live-demand-worship



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: With Last Week's Yeast, 8th Sunday after Pentecost

for August 3, 2014, 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Gen 32: 22-31; Ps 17: 1-7, 16; Romans 9:1-5; Mt 14:13-21

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and all the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled...               ~ Matthew 14:19b-20a

            In last week's Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus used several parables to explain the Kingdom of Heaven to the disciples. In one he likened the Kingdom to "...yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." [Mt 13:33] Is it too much to presume that the bread broken and blessed by Jesus and served by the disciples was made by one or more women? The Gospel this week tells us that "those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children."  [Mt: 14:21, emphasis added]

           On July 29, 2014, the Episcopal Church in the USA remembered and celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the ordination of the first 11 courageous and barrier-shattering women. Besides all the men who have gone before and come after, let us also remember and celebrate the overlooked women in this Gospel, in the Church, in everyday life, who are the bread-makers, the child-bearers, the mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, aunts, grandmothers, and, priests to us all. Let us use the yeast we are given to leaven the world, especially the children, and raise everyone to new heights of health, education, prosperity, and, love. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Abundance, when we wrestle with all the issues, ideas, and dilemmas of everyday life, You feed our souls through the words and actions of Jesus. If only we will listen, learn, and let our actions reflect Your message.

                               Jesus, Bread of Life

RESPONSE:   Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

~ O God of Abundance, on this Earth with ample prosperity to feed, heal, and care for its people, why are so many without so much? Help us find ways to reach the conscience of the political and corporate leaders of the world, of our country, and our community, so they fix their eyes on justice, and turn from the menace of war to the humanity of peace. Let us work most particularly for the health and safety of all of the world’s children. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, Bread of Life

                        Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

~ O God of Abundance, sustain the hope for all among us who suffer from chronic illness, injury, and anxiety, and bolster the energy of their care providers. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, Bread of Life

                        Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

~ O God of Abundance, soften the pain of those who, in sorrow, commend their loved ones to Your eternal care. We are soothed by knowing that You receive with joy and open arms those we have newly sent ahead. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, Bread of Life

                        Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

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

                        Jesus, Bread of Life

                        Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

~ O God of Abundance, we ask Your special blessings upon those who are chosen to feed our souls through Your Word and Sacraments. Let them experience Your loving embrace and support as they lead us ever closer to knowing You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, Bread of Life

                        Help us to incline our ears to You and heed Your words

The Celebrant adds: Lord of Compassion and Sustenance, we come together in this community seeking our spiritual fill from the broken pieces of the Eucharist. As we receive this sacred Gift, grant us wisdom, courage, and fortitude to carry You with us into our lives and the lives of all we meet. We ask for these blessings through Jesus, Bread of Life; the Holy Spirit, Breath of Souls; who together with You, Creator of Life and Souls, are the One God, forever and eternally.  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.

Meditation Moments: Differently Me

I can't go back to yesterday, 

because 

I was a different person then.

~ Lewis Carroll* [1832-1898]

          




         Was I a better or a worse person yesterday?   What I know for sure is that today I have new experiences to reflect upon and a fresh perspective about now. Today might be a "normal" day filled with the routine and the ordinary but then one never knows what the world's news will be, what wonderful surprises will occur, or what difficulties great and small will arise. 
           So, Dear God of All Possibilities, grant me the energy, curiosity, and persistence to explore all that this day offers. Let me accept all the busy-ness, relationships, moments of boredom, the stresses, the quiet, the noise, the laughter, the tears that this day may bring. I want to be aware of all the colors, the art, the music, and the characters that usually fade into the background in an everyday day. If it becomes an extraordinary day, I hope to have the reflexes to go with whatever comes. As I lay my head down on the pillow at the end of it, help me sift through the moments where I found You most present. And, might there be a refreshing and peaceful sleep to follow? I'll need all that will empower and motivate the different person I will be tomorrow. amen.
          

*Lewis Carroll was the pen name of British born author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, best known for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and a host of other children's stories and poems. A mathematics lecturer, he was also an avid photographer, wrote political pamphlets, and essays.




Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a 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: Auto-matic Christian

Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.   
                ― Garrison Keillor*  [1942- ]



          
Dear God, 
      I have faithfully attended church on most Sundays of the year except for vacations, most holiday weekends and when I'm tired (I DO show up on Christmas and Easter, though). I give money, I go to coffee hour.  That's about all I have time for in a busy week. I know there are other things going on in the building at different times - I see all the posters for a study of this or that, a prayer service of some kind or another - but I never bother with all that, it's for holier people than me anyway. At least you know I'm trying, more or less, to do my duty as a Christian. So, when You have a moment, I think I'd like to be a Mercedes, or maybe a Lexus, hmmm, no how about a Jaguar, no wait...a Maserati, YES! - I've always wanted to learn to speak Italian.   amen.



*Garrison Keillor is an American author, humorist, storyteller, and radio host of Minnesota Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion." A commentator on life through his Lake Wobegon stories and other novels and writing, he is well known for his sharp wit disguised in a quiet unassuming manner.




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: X marks the spot

If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.  
                 ~ Malcolm X * [1925-1965 ]




           I don't want to read a newspaper, magazine, or social media, listen to a radio station, or watch a tv program that will make me crazy angry because of its extremes in political or religious or whatever viewpoint. But I also realize that if I only accept what I want to hear, I may miss something important that may alter my thoughts by opening my mind. And besides, if I already know my mind, why would I be afraid to hear another idea? 
          OH, the dilemma! Dear Lord of all Critical Thinking, grant me the patience to hear other voices and not be quick to reject them without thinking through the points they make. Push me, also, not to blindly follow the directives of the voices I like better. Your Gospel gives me the criteria for listening to the opinions of others who set themselves up as authorities of all information. To Love your neighbor as [if s/he is] yourself [Mark 12:31] is, for me, the standard by which I try to look at my own thoughts and actions and, those engaged in the public information business attempting to sway my opinions.
             Sometimes, no matter how difficult the message or the messenger is at the time, there may still be truth, wisdom, and a new perspective to be gained when my mind is open. I don't have to change my opinions - but I'm free to. I don't have to listen to the disagreeable stuff all the time, either - right?
          Malcolm was a child of You, God of Abraham, and spoke a truth we don't always want to hear even now. But in this case, as with searching for truth as a treasure, X marks this spot very clearly. Please help me to stop, think, and reflect, and, to remember that I must re-evaluate regularly how I accept, reject, and act on an uncomfortable truth. amen.                   


*Malcom X was born as Malcolm Little and after a more than difficult childhood and later imprisonment, he converted to The Nation of Islam becoming a minister and a very outspoken, radical, and controversial human rights activist. After traveling in the Middle East and Africa and changing affiliations from The Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam, he repudiated many of his early beliefs and teachings. He said, "I did many things as a [Nation of Islam] Muslim that I'm sorry for now. I was a zombie then ... pointed in a certain direction and told to march." He was assassinated by three members of The Nation of Islam in 1965.




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 Interruption for TEN THOUSAND THANK YOUs!

           Eight months ago I was asked by the rector of my Episcopal parish to try my hand at writing the Prayers of the People for two Sundays, Advent 1 and 2. And then 3, 4, and...I'm still doing them. My first surprise was learning that they're being used in several places regularly besides my own parish, and in other places now and then or in bits and pieces. 
          Having circulated a few of the pieces early on among a trusted few, I was strongly encouraged to post them on Facebook and then in this space that was created for me by a very pushy (and much appreciated) friend. And so it grows.  The blog was established on December 10, 2013, I began writing every day in Lent, and today I reached an unbelievable (to me) milestone of more than 10,000 page views!!
           Thanks to all who have read a page or two, a big Thank You to those who show up regularly, Great Thanks to those who read and share on Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere, and Especially to those who have chosen to "follow" me.  I am continually amazed. This has turned into a prayer discipline for myself and the day is never complete for me now unless I've been writing. Writing regularly is something I've long wanted to do but have never allowed myself the time until just one more prompting (at the top of a long list over many years) finally pushed me over an edge. 
           If you have liked something I've written or not, (some pieces are better than others, for sure!) please drop me a line and let me know.  Any requests? I've done a few, not all are published here. I'd love to hear from some of you - email address is at the bottom.
          Meanwhile, again, THANK YOU!  Tell your friends, and, please stay tuned!  Many blessings to all of you who have blessed me by your presence.

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: Que sera is now and again

for everything there is a season ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...in short, the period was so far like the present period... 
                     
                                                                                                                                  ~ Charles Dickens* [1812-1870]       

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.    ~ Ecclesiastes 1:9 


O God of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow ~       

               Just about the time I get very discouraged about the world - which is pretty much every day at the moment - I remember the piece from Ecclesiastes 1:9 which leads me to the piece that opens Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities from 1859 - sigh, not much does change does it? Wars, poverty, diseases that should be gone are coming back, squabbles and bitter debates in governmental corridors over basic human needs and decent wages vs. corporate greed and excessive profit...us vs them at home and everywhere else and, O Dear God - the children - the terrible things happening to the world's children. If I go on with those thoughts I could lose hope.

              But then I remember there is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...and I can breathe again, while the storms of the world rage around me, even if only briefly. I will step my foot in wherever I can to rage back as productively as possible, to help if only in meager ways but always striving to move past what I think I can manage. And in the midst of all the terror, injustice, anguish, and despair, there still is beauty, joy, goodness, and love. Help me keep my jar of hope cleansed with faith and filled with the essence of wonder. Grant me the strength of heart to love well, care deeply, live in gratitude, and act with positive purpose, and, always in Your name. Que sera sera. amen.

*Charles Dickens, English born Victorian author is still known for many of his 15 novels but most popular today, among them, is A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol. Many of his short stories, novels, and articles chronicled the class distinctions and severe poverty and hardships of his day.







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.