Meditation Moments: This, That, AND The Other

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. 
~ Mystic/Trappist Monk/Author Thomas Merton
[1915-1968]

          Easy for you to say, Thomas, but difficult to do in the midst of life events. I know that all I have is now, but when now is fraught with worry and wonder about how much more or what's next... Yet, because of your words, I know that I can rest a bit, be calm-ish, and just do what needs to be done in this moment. The next moment will be revealed, and the one beyond that, and so will what needs doing.

          So here is my prayer for now:

Dear God of Present Moments, 
        Will this be a good news day, a bad news day, or just a nothing-in-particular news day? I guess it really doesn't matter, does it - whatever happens, happens, and so I ask only for the courage, faith, and hope to attend to the challenges, be open to the possibilities, and be thoroughly present to You in each moment, and to others when I'm needed, even if only through my prayers. With a deep calming breath and the spiritual sustenance of Your grace, I will walk through This, That, AND the Other - I might sometimes be afraid, but I'll know I'm never alone. 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.

Prayers of the People, The Planet Lives, 2nd Sunday in Season of Creation

for October 19, 2014, Our Living Planet, 2nd Sunday in Season of Creation*, Readings: Isaiah 65:17-25, Ps 8,
St. Francis of Assisi**, Mt 6:25-34

"We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland. "  ~ Nelson Mandela

There is plenty of bad news about the condition of our planet, of the dreadful and terrible kind, that needs our action, attention, and God-ordered stewardship.  But today, we celebrate. We come to learn more and to know this great gift of God, our Earth, more deeply. We examine its lushness, its highest peaks and deepest depths, the fragrances and the freshness. We see what has gone before, where we are, and, all of our world's potential and what we are called to do about it. This Earth feeds us and provides oxygen for our breath, its resources give us materials for our homes, fuels for heating, cooling, transportation, and so much more. How magnificent is Our Living Planet?! Let us behold our God's gracious hand and safeguard all of it for posterity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! The glory of the lilies and Your handiwork of the sea and sky pale in comparison to the gifts You bestow upon us, Your human creations. Strengthen our faith, trust, and hope as You weaken our worry, weeping, and striving for all but the righteousness of Your Kingdom.

                              Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

RESPONSE:    We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call       

                              with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

                                    

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! Grant us the necessary convincing words and actions that will enlighten and animate the leaders of the world and local community to care for and protect Your Creation, our sacred Earth. There is no greater gift for the support of all living beings than the healthy abundance of land, sea, and sky. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                         with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! Heal those who live with pain, fear, and hopelessness in everyday life and reinvigorate all those who care for them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  As we hold dear those who mourn and weep this day, we give thanks for the earthly lives of those You have called home with rejoicing for a new life in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  For all those who serve You in Your Church, who see to our pastoral and prayer needs, who preside at the Vestry and the Eucharist, who strive to bring You closer to us and walk with us toward You, we give special thanks. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

The Celebrant adds: Unwavering, Transcendent God, we Your sometimes wavering people, bow our heads and bend our knees in praise and thanksgiving for Your constancy.  Keep us close in Your holy heart and help us to be as conscious of You daily as You are of us.  We ask this through our Savior, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, our Companion in prayer who together with You, reign as One God now and forever.  Amen.

*For information on the Season of Creation, see blog post for October 12, 2014, New Beginnings, 1st Sunday in the Season of Creation

**2nd Reading A READING FROM ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing. To you alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, and first, my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day; and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars; in the heavens you have made them, bright And precious and fair. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and fair and stormy, all the weather's moods, by which you cherish all that you have made. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, so useful, lowly, precious and pure. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten up the night. How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother, who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs. All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, by you, Most High, they will be crowned. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, from whose embrace no mortal can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your will! The second death can do no harm to them. Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks, and serve him with great humility. [from Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis of Assisi, 1225 C.E.]

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, What's in Your Pocket? 19th Sunday after Pentecost?

for October 19, 2014, 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Exodus 33:12-23, Ps 99, 1 Thess 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22

         Moses has a lot to say to God this week.  He perseveres in an insistent tone requiring God to listen and respond - but, Moses also knows when to take a breath and listen for God's voice. We need to learn to speak to God in our own voices with our own words and say, ask, even demand and then, quietly, patiently, and, with an open heart, listen for how and when God chooses to answer.  

       Paul reminds us to live into our deep relationship with God with trust and faith, to feel the power of the Holy Spirit within us and begin to act upon it. When we experience the depth of faith, we will begin to be more of what God is asking of us. Instead of looking for excuses of time or other commitments, we will be readily available to give our attention to and reflect the Glory of God in all of our relationships and actions.

      Jesus and Caesar's money is used in a variety of ways - separation of Church and State is one example. And as so very often happens, Jesus is turning the tables on those almost smart enough Pharisees - instead of falling into their trap, he caught them in his.  The coin in question with Caesar's image also contained an inscription that referred to the divinity of Caesar. So here's a Pharisee, on Temple grounds, with a blasphemous coin in his pocket - the image is clearly a blaspheme as is the inscription regarding divinity - as any good Pharisee would know from the prohibitions against graven images and divinity other than our God's in both Genesis and Exodus. Jesus is more cryptic than we realize when he tosses off the "Give therefore to the Emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."  It has been suggested that perhaps, in his quietly subversive way, Jesus was hinting about a payback to Caesar - "Give Caesar what he deserves"? Clearly, we owe all to our Emperor, God.  God knows what's in your pocket and to whom it is owed.  Do you? 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Glory and Goodness, Moses asked and You gave Your presence and favor through him to us. You forgave the Israelites their transgressions as they journeyed from Egypt; forgive us our own as we also turn again today, tomorrow, and beyond, toward Your graciousness and mercy.

                                   Holy LORD, Living and True

RESPONSE:      Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

                                    

~ God of Glory and Goodness, No matter what coin we render to the political powers of the world, our country and our community, our greatest currency bears the likeness of us, who are made in Your image. Let us always give first and most to You, O Lord, and let our actions, voices, and words in the houses of government and on the streets and roads of our lives, always reflect Your perfect truth and justice.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, Heal those who live with pain, fear, and hopelessness in everyday life and reinvigorate all those who care for them We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, As we hold dear those who mourn and weep this day, we give thanks for the earthly lives of those You have called home with rejoicing for a new life in Christ.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

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

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, For all those who serve You in Your Church, who see to our pastoral and prayer needs, who preside at the Vestry and the Eucharist, who strive to bring You closer to us and walk with us toward You, we give special thanks. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

The Celebrant adds: Unwavering, Transcendent God, we Your sometimes wavering people, bow our heads and bend our knees in praise and thanksgiving for Your constancy. Keep us close in Your holy heart and help us to be as conscious of You in our daily lives as You are always of us. We ask this through our Savior, Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God now and forever.  Amen.

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

Prayers of the People, New Beginnings, 1st Sunday of Season of Creation

October 12, 2014, Readings: Gen 1:1-31, Ps 100, Hildegarde of Bingen*, John 1: 1-18

Welcome to the 

Season of Creation!

Our inspiration this week comes from the work of Professor Wangari Maathai,** 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who implores us to re-read Genesis, 'the book for environmentalists...If we had been created on Tuesday,' she said, 'There would have been nowhere for us to stand! God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!' 

 

         The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa in 2008 and is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. We are to realize our place in the order of God’s creating and to see and act upon the need to care for our entire life-support system - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil in which we grow our crops - not merely humanity, but our total environment, as it pertains to ALL life. 

         From the early days of the Season of Creation at SsAM [www.ssam.org], we established that “the primary aim of the events of the season is to enable adults and youth to celebrate and experience the inextricable link which binds together the destinies of all of God’s creatures.” It is a moment of pause to remind ourselves that God calls us to see “what great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions” and for us to renew our commitment to making real the biblical vision of the earth at unity with itself. It is a vision of human beings of all races, backgrounds and walks of life in local communities and among the nations of the earth, living together in love and peace with justice for all. "As disciples of Christ, we are called through our Baptismal Covenant, to be instruments for the healing of our broken world," and with a renewed commitment to personal and communal prayer and action.

         We will use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 6 weeks. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers on this page.



Week One's Theme is:  New Beginnings



LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, we, Your not-always-humble creatures, often need reminding of the wisdom of Your order of creating. Help us to be more consciously aware of our place as stewards, not only of all forms of life, but also of the environment that supports us all.

                               Holy and Almighty LORD, You are the Ground of our Being

RESPONSE:    Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

                                             

~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, we must proclaim the Good of all Creation to those who make our political decisions for this Earth, for our country, and for all villages, towns, and cities. Let our stewardship require protections and ethical standards for the safety and health of eco-systems and livestock, wild birds and tigers, water sources and humanity, for current and future generations. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         Holy and Almighty LORD, You are the Ground of our Being

                        Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, shine Your light into the shadows of those suffering through illness, emotional trials, and uncertain times. Let the Word of comfort they hear bring them, and those who love them, peace and rest. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Holy and Almighty LORD, You are the Ground of our Being

                        Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, please bring those who mourn, from the long night of grief, into the daylight of Your grace upon grace.  Receive those we love into the fullness of Christ who is the very expression of Your love for us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Holy and Almighty LORD, You are the Ground of our Being

                        Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

                        Holy and Almighty Lord, You are the Ground of our Being

                        Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

~ God of The Beginning, the Now, and the Always, refresh and excite those who are called as Stewards of Your Church so that they may bring the Word that is Christ, and the words that are of Christ, to inspire us to live in Christ through our every word and every action. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Holy and Almighty Lord, You are the Ground of our Being

                        Let us enter Your presence with joy and serve You always with gladness of heart

The Celebrant adds: Holy God, Divine Architect of All Life, You proclaimed all of Your work to be Good, In the Beginning. Let our work in Your Creation be as songs of praise with delight and thanksgiving. We give glory to Jesus, the incarnate Word, and to the Holy Spirit, the vital Spark, who together with You, reign as One God throughout all time and the unknown expanse of the Heavens, the Earth and the Universe.  Amen.


* Second Reading, Hildegarde of Bingen:

Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earths’s greenings. Now, think, What delight God gives to humankind with all these things. All nature is at the disposal of humankind. We are to work with it. For without it we cannot survive...The fire has its flame and praises God. The wind blows the flame and praises God. In the voice we hear the word which praises God. And the word, when heard, praises God. So all of creation is a song of praise to God. 

**Professor Wangari Maathai [1940-2011], a Kenyan environmental and political activist, Member of Parliament as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, was educated in the United States and in Kenya. In 2004, she was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was honored for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace".

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, Not-So-Holy Cow, 18th Sunday after Pentecost

for October 12, 2014, 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Exodus 32:1-14, Ps 106:1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14

 

       In this week's readings, there are a couple of parties mentioned and one seems definitely like more fun than the other - at least up front. Just like any group of spoiled children, as soon as the Parent, in this case Moses, has left for awhile, the kids who usually just  grumble and complain, decide to go all in and have a blast.  Luckily, Moses is a quick thinker and saves the situation from a huge other kind of Blast.
     As for the wedding banquet of Jesus' parable, it doesn't quite meet my criteria for a good time, at least initially. But the message in this strange tale may well be that we are admonished to always show up when invited, well turned out, and ready to be festive. God invites us, so let us dress up, show up, and be very festive.  As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice. 
      

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy and Almighty God, we are all called to Your heavenly banquet, yet along the route of our journey to You, we can be quickly distracted by the glint of something shiny and tempting in the moment. Help us to see more clearly what by Tuesday has turned us from our God of Sunday. Give us the fortitude to stand firm in You, and remember that Your love and favor are always with us.

                               LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever
RESPONSE:    We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

                                             

~ Holy and Almighty God, visit Your saving help upon us, that we may prevail upon our elected leaders to act with justice and mercy, for the prosperity of Your people in our world, our country, and all the villages, towns, and cities in Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

            

                        LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever

                        We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

                                             

~ Holy and Almighty God, rest Your gentleness upon those who are in pain or distress from illness, uncertainty, or fear. Shelter them, and those who love them, with peace, comfort, and ease.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever

                        We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

~ Holy and Almighty God, please bring those who mourn, from the long night of grief, into the daylight of Your peace that passes all understanding.  Receive those we love into the fullness of Christ who is the very expression of Your love for us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever

                        We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

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

                        LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever

                        We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

~ Holy and Almighty God, refresh and excite those who are called as Stewards of Your Church so that they may bring the Word that is Christ, and the words that are of Christ, to inspire us to live in Christ through our every word and every action. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        LORD of Heaven and Earth, Your mercy endures forever

                        We humbly make our prayers and supplication with thanksgiving

The Celebrant adds: God of the Most High, Divine Architect of All Life, guide us to follow all that is true, honorable, and just, in excellence and purity, as You would have us do to be among those chosen. We ask for Your continuing patience as we pledge ourselves again to Jesus, our Christ, and the Holy Spirit, our Companion, who together with You, live and reign as One God, now and for eternity.  Amen.

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

Meditation Moments: Blessing Animals is the Easy Part

           October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi [ca 1181-1226] and many parishes of various Christian denominations around the world will celebrate by offering a service of "The Blessing of the Animals" in remembrance of the man who loved and was loved by animals. Yet, there was so much more to this holy man whose life and legacy is all about living simply.
         Well-born into a life of wealth and privilege, Francis was inspired to literally live his life by the admonition of Christ to the disciples in Matthew 10:9: Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff ... His quiet, peaceful charism - extraordinary gift - drew followers, even from the animal kingdom, the creatures he called his brothers and sisters. He is said to have preached to the birds and tamed a vicious wolf that had been terrorizing the Italian city of Gubbio. The wolf-taming was a reciprocal deal - the wolf was hungry and devouring the townsfolk so the townsfolk had to agree to feed him regularly and the wolf, apparently, agreed. Francis is credited with establishing the first Nativity Scene and used living animals, and for having an intrinsic love of nature believing it to be a mirror of God.
         Francis lives on in myth, legend, and the Orders that he established, and in the words that give us a simple recipe for living life that we, today, find more than difficult to follow.

From our Brother, Francis of Assisi come these thoughts, only a fragment of so many more:

Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.  
 

We should seek not so much to pray but to become prayer.

  

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, 

be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
 

We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, 

and to bring home those who have lost their way.

Lord of Creation ~ 

        It seems unthinkable for us in these times and privileged places to contemplate living as Francis lived and taught by example. Please help us to seek simplicity in our own lives, however complicated we have designed them to be. Let us take to our hearts his words as they reflect the words of Christ.  Guide us to take the time to admire, appreciate, and respect our Earth and all of the life that teems upon and within it. And mostly, let us be consciously aware of our own actions, words, and prayers and take care to begin and end all that we are and do with peace. 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.

Prayers of the People: The Mean-ing of Life, 17th Sunday after Pentecost

for October 5, 2014, 17th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Exodus 20:1-20, Ps 19, Philippians 3:4-14, Matthew 21:33-46

         The Gospel this week is back in the now infamous Vineyard. This time Jesus tells us a parable about the tenants who are running the place and trounce the owner's representatives who come to collect the owner's share of the produce. One was beaten, one was stoned, and another killed. Another group was sent and were treated the same way. Finally the owner sent his son, believing that, as things are meant to go, his son would be treated with all due respect. But, even the son was killed so the tenants could "get his inheritance." [Mt 21:38b] 

            At first glance, I can't help wondering if some of these tenants had been the disgruntled workers of the previous vineyard parable who worked longer hours for the same pay as those who worked fewer. 

            At second glance, I feel as if I'm reading a headline about a local, national, or even international situation. Three otherwise attractive 20-somethings, one female and two males, randomly accosting and savagely beating a gay couple because, well, they just could. The rapaciousness of corporate greed, racial profiling resulting in tragedy and rage, posters on utility poles portraying children saying "Please don't shoot me" and, have you driven on a highway lately or just down a suburban street? Too many drivers act as if entitled to make the roads as perilous as sitting on a railroad track. In the world at large, the use of crude and foul language is common, violence from the fields of athletics increases, there seems to be a dearth of what once was common courtesy (just read a few comments on any social media or "news" article online), and those are just the highlights. The headlines on air and in print tell us that Life is getting meaner by the moment, as we watch in current locales here and abroad to see that, not unlike in Jesus' own time, brutality, beheading, and butchery are the tools of cowards who know no other way to express their own fear of impotence.

          And then there's the third glance, Jesus is giving a local lesson to the disciples about what is happening then, what is to come, and the ever-watching Pharisees unhappily get the picture about who's who and what's what in this parable. And as they should know, God is pretty clear in Exodus about The Law ~ how we are to behave ourselves and toward one another. But Paul tells us in Philipians:  ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philipians 3:13b-14]  We may not be able to make the world less mean, but we can add a little more Christ-meaning to the world.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, we, Your humble tenants, often lose sight of our temporal presence on this fragile Earth, our island home. As we strive to accumulate more, our actions seem to show that we value the gift of Your hands ever less. Grant us the care and consciousness to recognize our call to produce the fruits of Your kingdom and give in turn to others as You have given to us.

                                O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer

RESPONSE:     May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

                                             

~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, climate issues, terrorism, war, violence in our streets, and poverty all surround us. Let us raise our voices to be heard, seeking rational solutions, in the halls of the political leaders in our world, our country, and our community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer

                             May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, in Your mercy, enfold those wracked with pain of disease, the anxiety of mental illness, and the throes of addiction. Grant extra energy and compassion to all of their care-givers. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer

                             May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, lighten the burden of those whose hearts are heavy with grief. But let us lay aside the dirges with the comforting knowledge that those we love are welcomed into the glory of You, our Living God. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer,

                             May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer

                             May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

~ God of Creation, Master of the Universe, our prayers ascend for those who are steadfast in their mission in life to help us find our way to You. Imperfect as we all are, we share this journey together, with Your grace and their prayer-filled guidance. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer

                             May our words and actions always be acceptable to You

The Celebrant adds: God of all that is seen and unseen, You are the Cornerstone of our life and faith. Please renew the Psalmist’s promise to revive our souls as we struggle to live into Your perfect Law. We make our humble supplication to the heart of Jesus, the Son who was slain yet lives again, and the Spirit who breathes holy life into our hearts, together with You, as one God, in the forever timelessness of Your Kingdom.  Amen.

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