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