Prayers of the People: What HE Said ~ MLK/Primo Sunday, 2nd Sunday of Epiphany '19 Yr C

For Sunday, January 20, 2019, Sunday after the Epiphany, MLK/Primo Sunday, Year C, Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36: 5-10, 

The Making of a Black Bishop*/1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11

   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]

     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.  [Bishop Quintin Primo from The Making of a Black Bishop*]

          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] 

        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. They even sell really terrible wine on the streets of a town that might be Cana but no one really knows for certain. 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. He took the first step in his ministry. 
       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 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 we change and recognize the fullness of God's love within. The moment made believers of his disciples: Jesus, Son of God, Worker of Miracles! Let's follow him everywhere!

       Jesus 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, hide under a mask of artificial humility, mistaking confidence for conceit. We may not all have the greatness to save the entire world but each one of us has abilities, knowledge, and talent that make us unique, useful, even admirable ~ if we accept them. Perhaps it is easier to hide from them as if 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. 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 brings us all together, it does beg the question, "So, really, What Would Jesus Do?" Well, in faith be 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 the Spirit-charged words and voices of Your servants Martin and Quintin. Activate our own spiritual gifts, that we may change the substance of our lives from self-serving to full-service, 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 but give our voices loudly and often for those who are lost and forsaken, in danger and despair in this life. Let us not rest until all governments and authorities, locally and globally, make The Dream into truth with peace, justice, and mercy for ALL of Your people everywhere.  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 attend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… We now join our voices to pray aloud 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, aloud or silently…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 leaders in Your Church who strive to impart Your wisdom, keep us aware of Your eternal Presence, and guide us to discover our own. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                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, Your own vessels, with Your Light that we may see light, with Your loving-kindness and favor, and bind us together in our common loyalty to 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.

*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 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.'"

     These Prayers of the People are commissioned by the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) in Wilmington, Delaware, who in 2019 celebrates the 23rd 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 1845. 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 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 Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. The selection from Bishop Primo's biography (above) is SsAM's second reading on this Sunday in lieu of the lectionary's appointed reading from 1st Corinthians. To learn more about the historical significance and current mission of SsAM see: http://www.ssam.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/09/WelcomeToSsAM_2015.pdf 

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: With Fire and Burning! ~ 1st Sunday after Epiphany '19 Yr C

For Sunday, January 13, 2019, 1^st  Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C, Readings: Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

         Thus says the Lord, he who created you...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. [Isaiah 43:1]

         Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness…The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor. [Ps 29: 2, 4]

      [Peter and John] went down and prayed for them…laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. [Acts 8:15a, 17]

       "...one who is more powerful than I is coming...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand...to gather the wheat into his granary...and when Jesus had been baptized...a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'" [Luke 3:16b-17a, 21b, 22b]

       The word Baptism is derived from the Greek and Latin words for washing, dipping, or plunging. There are a variety of meanings, protocols, requirements, and reasons for such rituals, for example, initiation into a community of faith or spiritual regeneration. Whether by aspersion (sprinkling with water), immersion (plunging into water), or affusion (pouring water on), Baptism is a sacrament, ceremony, a rite, that hearkens back to the Jewish heritage of Jesus. Ancient and modern Jewish rituals of ablution (washing) for cleansing and/or purification were established millennia before John poured water over his cousin's head in the Jordan River. Some denominations believe that Baptism is necessary for Salvation, others do not. Not all schools of Judaism practice these rituals and neither do all Christians. But for many Christians, this Gospel moment marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, though after this he immediately went to the desert to prepare further.
       Even if you haven't been baptized, christened, or dedicated, just wanting to be is enough, some believe, and so you become baptized through desire. And while anyone of us can be a baptizer with water, only Jesus brings the fire of the Holy Spirit to set our faith ablaze. Willingly and gladly accepting the role and responsibility of faith ~ now there's the perfect way to make your Dad well pleased!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, You call us each by name and we are Your own. Gather us as wheat into Your granary and burn off the chaff within us that turns us from You. Baptize us in the fire of faith that we may discover the beauty of holiness in each day of our earthly lives.

                                                    O Lord of Glory

RESPONSE:                 Bless us with Your strength and peace

~ Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, fill us with the splendor of Your powerful voice to proclaim Your boundless love, eternal presence, redemption and honor for all faithful people, to all who govern or hold authority in every corner of the Earth, nearby and far away. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Glory

                                                       Bless us with your strength and peace

~ Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, cradle the hearts of the sick, the poor, and the lonely, and fortify the spirits of all who give of themselves to help. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Glory

                                                       Bless us with your strength and peace

~ Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, carry the sorrowful through the waters of grief, as those You have called Home now live again, forever joyful, in Your infinite love and grace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Glory

                                                       Bless us with your strength and peace

~  Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Glory

                                                       Bless us with your strength and peace

             

~ Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, enlighten and excite Your anointed disciples of our own day, who pray with and for us, baptize and confirm us, and instruct, encourage, and travel with us through our earthly sojourn. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Glory

                                                       Bless us with your strength and peace

             

The Celebrant adds:  Eternal and Almighty King, enflame us with the joy of freedom from fear and with confidence in Your enduring presence. Grant us the courage to give the glory due Your name by our every thought, word, and deed, striving to be among those with whom You are well pleased. We ask through Jesus, Your Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit, the fire of our faith, who together live and reign with You as One God, now and forever. Amen.

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Arise and Shine! ~ Sunday of the Epiphany '19 Yr C

For Sunday, January 6, 2019, Sunday of the Epiphany, Year C, Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

     Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you…Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [Isaiah 60:1, 3]

     For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper. [Psalm 72:12]

     Of this gospel I have become a servant accord to the gift of God’s grace…This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. [Ephesians 3:7a,11-12]

     “Go and search diligently for the child…” When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [Matthew 2:8b, 10]

       EPIPHANY IS BIG! It brings us a bright shiny and HOLY revelation. Yet, unless on Sunday as this year, the Epiphany seems to be somewhat ignored in these times. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and his importance to us all, but perhaps we are worn down. We have come through the four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the hustle and bustle of preparation for gifts and food and gatherings, the familiar rush of the time of year, followed by the pageantry and the glorious music, and then the usual “let down.” Perhaps Epiphany, the 12^th Day of Christmas, has become an anti-climax, the end of the story, the time to take down the decorations. Yet it is in truth a beginning. We open new chapters of the Story that will take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer. While we celebrate the birthday with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into the reason for which this Child was born of a woman, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose is upon us. A theophany then ~ the manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery now.

      At the Nativity of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never mentions the Magi. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the birth itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a son; and he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the East..." They saw a great star revealing to them the need for a journey to pay homage to a new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and we begin to see the ominous cloud moving in to shadow the glorious star. But having heard this story so very many times are we listening as it is read again? Have we tuned out rather than engaging with the experience? Or, have we re-awakened to the wonder and pondered what it could possibly mean for each of us in our own time?   
       These three “Kings” have trekked long distances to tell Herod, and us all, of the power and majesty this Child brings. It is a new dawn, another chance to listen and to hear deep within. In the compression of time given in the Gospels and the Church calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin the unfolding of the ministry, miracles, teaching, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true adoration in this event.

       Hear the story as if for the very first time – know that we have been given an extraordinary gift, Christ, Our Lord, has been born to us! Let us be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search diligently for the child within us and around us. Epiphany is the time to seek the Magi-cal gifts in my own life that call me to pay homage, follow and live into the light and life of Christ in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Arise, shine; for your light has come!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, as we arise in the shining Light of Your glory, help us to come together as Your people, to seek the joy that You bring to us again and again, and to share in Your eternal promise.

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven                              

RESPONSE:                 Our Strength and our Redeemer

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, guide all nations to come to Your light, and all leaders of governments to the brightness of Your dawn. Let us model the very compassion and peace needed in the world to reverse the damage of violence, oppression, and injustice in our own time. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, deliver from distress all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and comfort all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lift the hearts of those lost in grief as those we love are now receiving the boundless treasures of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer

~  Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer

             

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lavish special blessings upon the wise women and men who lead us in Your Church, as they prayerfully bring us Your words, works, and wonders on our life’s path toward Redemption. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer

             

The Celebrant adds:  Most Holy Christ, God’s Eternal Purpose, grant us the willingness to become a servant to You, our guiding star in the dark moments of life, and our rising and sustaining sun in each and every day. We ask with deep humility and hope through our Almighty Creator of all that is, and in the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Begin at the Beginning ~ 1st Sunday After Christmas Day '18 Yr C

For Sunday, December 30, 2018, 1st Sunday after Christmas Day, Year C, Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Ps 147, Galatians, 3:23-25, 4:4-7; 

John 1:1-18

       For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what it sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations…I will not keep silent…I will not rest…until the nations see Your vindication. [Isaiah 61:11, 62:1a, 2a]

     Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!...He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds…The Lord lifts the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground. [Psalm 147:1a, 3, 6]

     God sent his Son, born of a woman…so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying, "Abba, Father!"  So you are no longer a slave but a child…then also an heir through God. [Galatians 4:4b-7]

     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...What has come into being was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...And the Word became flesh and lived among us...From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.  [John 1:1-2, 3b-5,14a, 16]

       Still in the thrall of Christmas, we are on the cusp of the end of one year and beginning of another. The music, lights, and now unwrapped presents are all still claiming our senses though perhaps our attention is slightly on the wane. We’re not quite out of the holiday mood even if all the necessities of action in daily life are creeping in. Yet there is time enough to breathe deeply and inhale the air still electric with excitement for the sacred and Holy Infant's birth and the high expectations for the coming of a New Year. We fill our lungs and it disperses throughout our own life blood. We exhale the doubts and fears of uncertain faith, and inhale deeply again to set our course for a new start, a new birth in ourselves, an awakening, a fresh awareness of the presence Christ within us and all around us.

       For some it is an important moment to breathe in the hope for those who are no longer in this life, and with whom our mutual love will live forever, that their journey is fulfilled as promised, living again in a joy-filled eternity.

        John tells us in today’s Gospel that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. As the Spirit of Jesus lives in our hearts by God's gift, let us radiate that light from within, be the change we want to find in others, live as though we believe in the grace upon grace received from the Incarnation of Jesus, our Christ, the Word made flesh who lived among us. Let the first Resolution be: Begin at the Beginning and follow the Light. As John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus, let us begin again with You. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Abba! Lord! You have revealed all life through Christ who was born of a woman to redeem us as Your children, Your heirs. Grant us the faith and courage to live every day in wisdom and in strength, through the Spirit of Christ that You have sent into each of our hearts.

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word             

RESPONSE:                    Center our hearts and minds on You

~ Abba! Lord! Let us not rest or keep silent in seeking Your righteousness and peace among all nations and all leaders, everywhere. Cause the changes we seek in others to spring up in ourselves in our daily thoughts and actions.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word

                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You

~ Abba! Lord! Lift the lowly from their distress and bind up the wounds of all hurting bodies and souls.  Renew the love and energy of all who give care and support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word

                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You

~ Abba! Lord! Heal the hearts broken by grief as those we love now live again, swathed in the glory and rejoicing of the exquisite bliss of Eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word

                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You

~ Abba! Lord! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word

                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You

             

~ Abba! Lord! May Your Holy Spark forever blaze through the souls of those anointed to lead us on our journey toward everlasting redemption through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word

                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You

             

The Celebrant adds: Jesus, God’s Ever-Present Glory and Truth, You came as God’s flesh and blood among us in Your humanity; in Your divinity, You are our grace upon grace. As You have clothed us in the garments of Salvation, guide us to be Your Light in our world that the darkness of evil cannot overcome. We ask through God, our Creator, who together with You, our Redeemer Christ, in the unity of Holy Spirit, are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Between Almost and Finally! ~ Christmas '18 Yr C

For December 24/25, 2018, Year C, Readings: Christmas Eve ~ Luke 2:1-20 at Creche, Isaiah 9:2-7, Ps 96, Titus 2:11-14, John 1:1-14; 

Christmas Day ~ Isaiah 9:2-7, Ps 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20

       The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light...For a child has been born for us, a son given to us...and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:2a, 6]

       Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. [Psalm 96:1-2]

        

       The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce…worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [Titus 2:11-12]

       In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy...to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah...and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God... [Luke 2:8-11, 13]

        In the beginning was the Word…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…And the Word became flesh and lived among us… [John 1:1a, 3b-5, 9, 14a]  

          There is something almost magical, perhaps mystical is a better word, that occurs within me when I hear the words from Luke 2, especially when we get to:  In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night... I become expectant. I become my 6 year old self, hearing the resonant voice of a familiar narrator. I am hope-filled. All is right in the world...for this moment. 

          Every year someone asks, "If only we could stay this way all year." The spell cast by the words and the music, the glitter of ornaments and lights, and the chatter of little ones and bigger ones ripping paper to reap the reward, breaks all too soon. Our precious Infant has a far and difficult road to travel in only the few months between now and Easter. What part of it will we travel with him as the moment spins into what we call reality? What part of the reality of others in our community and in the world at large ~ poverty, violence, war, greed, and disasters natural or human made ~ do we shun, dismiss, ignore or, throw money to, all while decrying the lack of Christ in Christmas?

          Most of the readings for this sacred season are so familiar that even non-Christians will know them. Yet what stood out for me this time was the short lesson from the Letter of Paul to Titus that often gets lost in the sparkle of the others. In particular, I was engaged by a phrase in the first of this only two-sentence reading: The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [emphasis added]. Jesus, our personal trainer, in our own time! We are so often ~ in our own time ~ bedazzled by the glamor of this season, in stark contrast to the humble surroundings of the birth of our Redeemer, that I am drawn to the concept of Jesus training us. The Gospels give us more than just advice, more than just reminders, more than just checklists of nice things to do, even more than teaching. Jesus is our trainer, the one that will keep us on track, pushing us to go beyond the comfortable, to reach a potential of faith in action that we didn’t ever consider or because we fear the risks in renouncing all that is earthbound. No easy path, but with Christ as my trainer, my faith will begin to shape up, become toned, and strengthen. For me, now, the question isn’t “what is Christmas all about” but rather “what does Christmas begin in my life?”

         Christ is always in CHRISTmas...let's remember to keep Christ in Mondays, Thursdays, in February, and August. Let us truly Sing to the Lord and bless his name and proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day to ourselves first! Let us live out what we believe in. Feel the JOY! The Light shines again and always. Suit up, the training begins now! 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, our joy, at long last, is unbounded by the arrival of You, our Messiah, come to redeem our sins and mark us as Your own forever. Hallelujah! Christ our Savior is born!

                                                             Glory to God in the Highest
                                      RESPONSE: And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, infuse our souls with Your pure light that we may stand in Your grace before the earthly powers of our world, our nation, and our community, to radiate and model Your peace, love, and mercy for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Glory to God in the Highest

And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, send healing and hope to all who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit, and  comfort those who give them support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…  add your own petitions

                                                      

Glory to God in the Highest

And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, especially now, encircle all grieving hearts with the solace that brightens the darkness, as the vaults of heaven explode in jubilance and glory for our loved ones entering the gates of eternity. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                                    

Glory to God in the Highest

And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~  Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…  add your own petitions

                                                      

Glory to God in the Highest

And Peace to God’s People on Earth

             

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, for our own Shepherds in this sacred field we give great thanks as they keep watch and guide us toward the ultimate pasture of Your redemption. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                      

Glory to God in the Highest

And Peace to God’s People on Earth

The Celebrant adds: O Lord of Hosts, God’s Word Made Flesh, so activate our wills, so engage our very beings, that we will consciously and intentionally live into Your saving grace each and every day of our lives. On bended knees, and with worshipful hearts, we ask this of You as our Prince of Peace, and of the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, who together with the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, reign in glory as One God, now until the end of forever. Hallelujah! Christ our Savior is Born! Amen.

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