People's Prayers

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Prayers of the People: All We Need (to do) is Love, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, October 29, 2017, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8,

Mt 22:34-46

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. [Leviticus 19:18]

Happy are they who have not...lingered in the way of sinners...Their delight is in the law of the LORD...they are like trees...with leaves that do not wither...For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. [Psalm 1:1, 2b, 3, 6]

But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. [1 Thessalonians 2:7b]

...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

We are truly all in "this" together in this life on this planet although you would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with others and just take care of us. Of course, one of the largest issues in the world today is eons old: a satisfactory definition of who us is. Another lawyer asked Jesus in Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan, Who is my neighbor? [Luke 10:25-37] We of the human variety are determined to answer this question correctly, that is, to suit our own needs and wants and keep within some construct of the rules we have devised. We build walls, fences, and tall gates that are all designed to keep out the uninvited, the unacceptable, the dangerous - in other words, those others.

What we are often blinded to is that we each are the other to someone, creating and receiving suspicion and fear when we step away from our sheltered space. And, of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are truly dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD - so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's people.

It's hard work to sift through our own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think because I know my group and will avoid the rest. It also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble loving myself? In the snippet from Leviticus, part of what is known as the Holiness Code, God is now opening up the instructions for everyone, not just the priests. Then Jesus gets directly to the point that all the Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

The obvious questions are: Who is my neighbor? Any human you meet. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's reading and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. I think that U.S. Senator Corey Booker said it best, and it applies to ALL of us: Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give.

Sounds so easy when God, Jesus, and Corey say: All we need to do is love. Let's keep working on it ~ together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life

RESPONSE: Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity for peace, planetary health, and for the well-being of all humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, embrace with Your tender care all who are burdened with serious illness, addiction, or emotional distress, and refresh all who provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to Your loving and eternal Kingdom, to live again in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

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

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, we praise You for the calling, anointing, and commitment of those who lead us in worship, prayer, and our pilgrimage toward eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, grant us humility to delight in Your Law, seek the way of the righteous in all that we do, and be as strong in our faith as trees whose leaves do not wither in adversity. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, every day, always, 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: Our Common Humanity, 3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation '17

For Sunday, October 29, 2017, 3^rd Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: On Care for our Common Home*, Psalm 133, Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**, Matthew 22:34-40

We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters...We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. [Laudato Si*]

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!...For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore. [Psalm 133:1, 3b]

The earth is at the same time other; she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all is human, she is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. [Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**]

...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. The overarching theme for 2017 is Environmental Justice inspired in part by the Youth Principles from the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC in 2002, the text of which and a fuller explanation of the Season can be found here: http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html

We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers.

Week Three's Theme is: Our Common Humanity

We are truly all in "this" together ~ this life, this planet. Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical Laudato Si, that We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth...and that we are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. In the first Creation Story [Genesis 1], God gave dominion, or sovereignty, over the earth and all its species to humans. That doesn't seem to be going very well, with arguments over whether there is or isn't climate change, loosening or tightening restrictions about the quality of the ground, air, and water, and who will materially benefit most from legislation. Abbess Hildegard reminds us that our earth is the mother of us all, containing the seeds of all.

It is, as the Psalmist says so good and pleasant when we are all working together in unity for a common purpose. Jesus reminds us that we are to first love God with all we have and second - concurrently - to love our neighbors as ourselves. You would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with the Earth and others and just take care of us and our part of the planet. But, as from the beginning of human sovereignty, we have fought wars seeking the destruction of others we don’t like or that we deem dangerous, especially to our self-interests. We blow up, ravage, and desecrate parts of this earth as if we had someplace else to go when this only home we all share becomes uninhabitable. And there are too many of us willing to decimate the resources of our planet for personal, privately held, material gain, oblivious - or uncaring - that this life is too short to exploit, wreck, and destroy the future of this Earth and humankind for the sake of the moment that is only now.

Of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD. Too often we rely on the blanket statements of those in "power" so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's Creation.

It's hard work to sift through my own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think and just let others do all the work of preservation or destruction of people and places on my behalf. To love my neighbor and care for our common home also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me and what am I expected - and willing - to do?

Two obvious questions emerge: Who is my neighbor? Anyone who is human. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. We might actually enjoy the learning! We have common ground - pun intended. We must be intentional in our efforts to improve life for all – humans, the Earth, and every living creature and plant, for therein lies the future of Creation. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. Let's keep working on it ~ together ~ for the sake of our common humanity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

LORD of All Life

RESPONSE: Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity, for planetary health, and for the well-being of humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to Your loving and eternal Kingdom, to live again in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

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

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

Lord of All Life

Help us put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Supreme, Holy, Generous God, grant us humility in the awareness of our place in Creation, and through the nourishment we receive from Your bounty. Keep us mindful of our responsibility to restore and protect the health of our Earth and her people, in covenant with this holy, fruitful, and natural mother to our common humanity and beyond. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, every day, always, and forever. Amen.

*Reading #1: Quotes from Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Ecology, 2015, Laudato Si, On Care for our Common Home…on humanity’s relationship with the Earth

“[The earth] now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her.

We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.

Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it.

Today, the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals related to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to others and to the environment.”

**Reading #2: Abbess Hildegard of Bingen

The earth is at the same time mother; she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human, she is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. The earth of humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful; all creation came from it, yet in forms not only the basic raw materials for humankind, but also the substance of the incarnation of God’s son.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Prayers of the People: Your Mother Called, 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation '17

For Sunday, October 22, 2017, 2^nd Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Tell the World*, Psalm 104: 1-5, 14-15, 24-27, 31-33;
Job 12:7-10, Matthew 6:25-34

In the Lakota way, everything is connected. In days past you could see it in the rustling of the leaves or the swift rushing of a waterfall. Now you can see it in more obvious ways. The worms tunnel below the Earth, searching for food while at the same time helping the plants collect oxygen through their roots. This insight is fading from the general population, and because of this we are no longer taking care of the Earth....In our tradition, you respect everything. This idea was lost with the European colonization of the Americas and I’m trying to bring it back. [*Dorian Sage]

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment...how manifold are your works, in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. [Psalm 104:1-2, 24]

But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air...the plants of the earth...the fish of the sea...Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? [Job 12:7-9]

And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil not spin yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these...But strive first for the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you as well. [Matthew 22:27, 28b-29, 33]

Welcome to The Season of Creation, week two. This liturgical season originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. The overarching theme for 2017 is Environmental Justice inspired in part by the Youth Principles from the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC in 2002, the text of which and a fuller explanation of the Season can be found here: http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html

We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers on this page.

Week Two's Theme is: Our Planet Earth

We wake in the morning and we do whatever it is we do on any given day. Work, school, vacation, overload on electronics or broadcast, rush to do this or that, catch the news and gloat or swear, or just shake our heads and move along to the next appointed activity; repeat. Do many of us ever stop, think, and say to ourselves or to another, "Wow, can you believe we are just floating around in space on this planet?" Um, well, no, not really - at least, I'll admit, I haven't thought about it quite that way, until now. Take a breath and a moment and ponder:

C R E A T I O N, and for this week, specifically Earth. Here's a thought that I have enjoyed wondering about since reading some information on the late Kenyan Professor Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in sustainable development. She suggested that we all re-read the story of Creation in Genesis, paying particular attention to the order in which God created. After all, '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!'

Many of us, especially in western culture, take our planet for granted. We have much to learn about how to live here from the many indigenous cultures that inhabit this world with us. There is much to celebrate yet there is much to bemoan. Today, as we recognize the God-given bounty of Earth, our hearts are full and heavy. It isn't until our attention is wrenched from habit and routine, that we are faced with a true sense of "the real" reality. Untold millions of our fellow humans, other creatures, and living space that God has made, are suffering through the unfathomable environmental destruction of their lives through storms, floods, earthquakes, and fires, not to mention willful neglect of water systems, air quality, the crumbling infrastructure, wars, and too many other potential threats to name. There is a continuing stream of exceedingly bad news, of the dreadful and terrible kind, just about the condition of our planet that requires our attention, our action, and, our God-ordered stewardship. Why does this turn of cataclysmic events seem so sudden and unexpected to so many? Perhaps we've all just left things to others to care and fix - maybe the government, the scientists, those "environmentalist" types? And in the midst of all of this, Jesus tells us do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. Where is Alfred E. Neuman when you need him? Apologies if the reference is too obscure. He's a fictitious cartoon/comics character whose tag line is "What, me worry?" And then there's W. Clement Stone [1902-2002], a very successful American businessman, who once said, Thinking will not overcome fear but action will. Fear is definitely a big part of worry. So perhaps it can be said that the proverbial "wake-up" has arrived and it's time to act. Your Mother called, she wants to know what you’re doing to help.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ God of Honor and Majesty, deliver us from distraction and neglectful disrespect that we may again experience wonder and amazement at the beauty of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, the seas, and mountains, and sky. Strengthen our faith, our trust, and our hope to strive first for Your Kingdom to weaken our worry, and energize our will to do Your Work in this World.

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

RESPONSE: Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, grant us abundant and vigorously convincing words and actions that will enlighten and animate the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, to care for and protect Your glorious Creation, this fragile Earth, our island home. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, soothe and heal all who live in chronic pain, worry, and hopelessness, and rejuvenate those who give love and care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, our hearts are full of love and thanksgiving for all You have called home to glory and rejoicing in new life through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

Let Your breath within us create worthy action

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

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

Let Your breath within us create worthy action

~ God of Honor and Majesty, magnify Your presence in and through all who teach us Your Word, hear our needs, preside at the Eucharist, and whose life work is to walk with us toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator of Heaven and Mother Earth

Let Your breath within us create worthy action

The Celebrant adds: O Lord of Creation, fill us again with conscious awareness of Our Planet, Earth, our many living companions seen and unseen, the habitats, the resources, and the complex life systems without which we will all simply cease to exist. Enlighten, animate, and urge us to respect, repair, and re-connect with the Work of Your Hands. We ask this through our Jesus, our Savior Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Energy of our Souls, who together with You, reign as One God now, always, forever. Amen.

*Reading #1: Tell the World by Dorian Sage, 2015 Grand Prize Winner in the Middle School #WeAreHere Writing Challenge©, Lakota Children’s Enrichment

In the Lakota way, everything is connected. In days past you could see it in the rustling of the leaves or the swift rushing of a waterfall. Now you can see it in more obvious ways. The worms tunnel below the Earth, searching for food while at the same time helping the plants collect oxygen through their roots. This insight is fading from the general population, and because of this we are no longer taking care of the Earth. In the past, the Lakota people would migrate so that the Earth had a time for cleansing. The area that we lived in would never be forgotten so much that it would die. We relied on the Earth, but it did not rely on us.

Aspens are a unique kind of tree because they sprout from the roots of another Aspen, which is why you often see them growing in groves. If one of these trees gets sick, the rest of the trees usually get sick too because they rely on the same food supply. It is much the same with us. If one of our food sources had an unexpected shortage in production, the majority of human life would be affected. This is just one of the reasons it’s good to be self-reliant, and to have your own energy source if possible.

Everything is too connected in the modern world. There is no longer privacy, and your information is there for everybody to see. If something happened in the world, like an outbreak of some sort, our food supply could be cut off, and it could affect our water because we don’t focus on renewable sources of food and energy.

Human life is too destructive, and it is ruining the Earth’s natural cycle. Eventually humans are going to bring about their own downfall, and there will be nothing there to stop it. This is why I encourage our great people to start living off the grid, and to start relying on themselves for sustenance. In our traditional ways, we would always let the Earth replenish itself. We relied directly on the animals and on the signs from nature for survival.

One tribe in Africa even relies directly on a certain species of bird to help them find beehives. The bird helps the tribe so that in return they will give them part of the honey store that the bee hive holds. The bird will fly in the direction of the hive, showing the humans where to get it, and then will whistle when nearby. The bird will then wait on a tree somewhere near until the people leave a piece of the honeycomb somewhere within the bird’s line of sight.

If the idea of these short paragraphs is not yet obvious, what I am trying to get at is everything is connected, even us. We need to start relying more on ourselves for our food, and taking better care of the environment which takes such good care of us. In our tradition, you respect everything. This idea was lost with the European colonization of the Americas and I’m trying to bring it back.

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: The Other Side of the Coin, 20th Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

for Sunday, October 22, 20th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22

The LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.
[Exodus 33:17]

O LORD our God, you answered them indeed; you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds. [Psalm 99:8]

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you...in every place your faith in God has become known...how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God... [1 Thess 1:8a, 9b]

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said...But Jesus, aware of their malice said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." ...Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." [Matthew 22:15,18-21]

Moses certainly has a lot to say to God this week. With an insistent tone, in a startling lesson in courage, he perseveres in his demands that require God to listen and respond - but, Moses also knows when to take a breath and wait for God's voice. We need to learn to speak to God in our own voices with our own words and say, ask, and even demand, and then, quietly, patiently, and, with an open heart, listen for how and when God chooses to answer.

We are shown by Moses and then Paul reminds us to recognize and live into our deep relationship with God with trust and faith, to feel the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Each breath we take comes from God and that awareness gives us the willingness, however tentative at times, to begin to act upon it. The more we are conscious of living our faith, the more faith grows and our prayer and action become a truer reflection of the image of God that we already are.

The subtle twist in the lesson from Jesus and Caesar's money is often lost much like the obscurity of an inside joke that only works when everyone "gets it". On the surface it seems like a teaching on the separation of Church and State but wait for it...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 with the Emperor Caesar's image also contained an inscription that proclaimed the divinity of Caesar. While the coin was the mandatory currency by the occupying Romans, for the Jews the image alone was clearly as blasphemous as the inscription regarding divinity. Any good Pharisee would know that from the prohibitions in both Genesis and Exodus against graven images and divinity other than God's. While the coins were required in everyday life, anyone on Temple grounds with such a coin in his pocket would be guilty of the very serious offense of blasphemy. That's why there were money changers at the Temple to exchange Roman money for an acceptable coin for Jewish offerings. So the Pharisees' disciples were expecting Jesus to uphold the coin, perhaps even on Temple grounds, and then they could proclaim him as a blasphemer. No such luck. When Jesus tosses off the "Give therefore to the Emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's," the Pharisees' disciples were amazed because they suddenly knew the joke was on them. It has been suggested that perhaps, in his quietly subversive way, Jesus was hinting about a payback to Caesar - "Give Caesar what he deserves?" We are called to give the currency of ourselves to God's purpose. We are the other side of the coin in God's pocket.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord, our God, because Moses asked, You gave Your presence and favor through him to us. We ask that You awaken our faith through each breath You give us, that we may serve You with joy, in the hope of Christ, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Holy God, Living and True

RESPONSE: Renew our strength and courage

~ O Lord, our God, No matter what coin we render to political power, our greatest currency is we, ourselves, who are made in Your image. Let our actions, voices, and words in the houses of government in this World, in this Nation, and on the local streets and roads of our lives, always reflect Your graciousness and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy God, Living and True

Renew our strength and courage

~ O Lord, our God, soothe and heal all who live in chronic pain, worry, and hopelessness, and rejuvenate those who give love and care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Holy God, Living and True

Renew our strength and courage

~ O Lord, our God, our hearts are full of love and thanksgiving for all You have called home to glory and rejoicing in new life through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Holy God, Living and True

Renew our strength and courage

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

Holy God, Living and True

Renew our strength and courage

~ O Lord, our God, magnify Your presence in and through all who teach us Your Word, hear our needs, preside at the Eucharist, and whose life work is to walk with us toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

The Celebrant adds: O God Most High, keep us close in Your holy heart, let us always be reminded of Your constancy, to ask often for Your favor, and to be conscious of how to serve You in every moment of this brief and mortal life. 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.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Prayers of the People: RSVP, 19th Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

For Sunday, October 15, 2017, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106: 1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4:1-9,

Matthew 22:1-14

But Moses implored the LORD his God...And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he had planned to bring on his people. [Exodus 32:11a, 14]

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. [Psalm 106:1]

...stand firm in the Lord...The Lord is near. Do not worry...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[Philippians 4:1b, 6-7]

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited...but they would not come...they made light of it and went away...Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready but those invited were not worthy'...those slaves...gathered all whom they found...But when the king came in...he noticed a man...not wearing a wedding robe...the king said...'bind him...and throw him into the outer darkness...' For many are called but few are chosen.
[Matthew 22:1-14]

Back in the desert, the Israelites are restless. Moses hasn't come back from God's mountain soon enough to suit them. Just like any group of unruly children left with a not-so-responsible babysitter, or petulant adults who can be as bad or worse, there is a lot of the familiar grumbling and complaining but it quickly escalates into a huge party centered around a golden calf built by Aaron (the unhelpful babysitter) with their melted gold jewelry. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt [Psalm 106: 21]. God is, to put it mildly, not pleased. Moses is able to implore God to calm God's wrath and prevent a disaster. But humans are humans and there is no doubt in my mind that some of the grumbling continued even if there was no more overt defiance on their journey.

Matthew tells a Jesus parable of a king's wedding banquet where the guests declined and even made light of the invitation. Even after a second invitation was issued, the invitees refused and killed the king's own messengers. The king destroyed them and their city as retaliation but was still determined to fill the banquet hall and people out on the streets were all invited. The perplexing part is that one guest wasn't dressed properly infuriating the king who had him bound and thrown where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus then tells us that many are called but few are chosen. I realize that trying to understand this allegory through the lens of my everyday life, I'm surely missing the point. Others who are more learned and wiser than me will likely have a clearer and more theological explanation but what comes to me hearkens back to the Exodus story. We can be chastened or even frightened into submission and obedience even if that "obedience" is half-hearted and insincere. But if I dress my heart and soul with the proper attire of prayer and supplication with thanksgiving as Paul tells us, the peace of God that passes all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. The more I pray and attend to an honorable, just, and pure mindset, the more of God's peace I will receive, through both the most difficult and the most delightful days of my short temporal existence.

Upon self-reflection I re-discover too many golden calves in my life that call me away from the ultimate invitation, making light of the purpose for which I was created, dismissing the gift of being called and chosen. Avoiding the temptations of the something shiny syndrome is no easy task for this imperfect mortal but a quote I read somewhere sums it up for me: "When I hear people say, 'Life is hard', I ask, 'Compared to what?'" Time for me to RSVP ~ Dear God, I accept! Please send directions, again.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Good and Merciful Lord, we are all invited to Your heavenly banquet, yet along the way we are easily tempted to worship something shiny instead of You. Grant us strength to stand firm in Your always present love through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let us remember that if we experience Your absence, it is we who have turned away from You.

O God of Peace

RESPONSE: Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

~ O Good and Merciful Lord, visit Your saving help upon us, to prevail upon our elected leaders to act with justice and mercy for the health and safety of all Your people and our planet, our country, and all the villages, towns, and cities in Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Peace

Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

~ O Good and Merciful Lord, shine Your light and whisper Your comfort into the shadows of those suffering through illness, emotional trials, and natural and human-made disasters. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O God of Peace

Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

~ O Good and Merciful Lord, joyfully receive those we love into the sunshine of Your grace upon grace, into the fullness of Christ, the very expression of Your love for us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Peace

Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

~ O Good and Merciful Lord, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

O God of Peace

Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

~ O Good and Merciful Lord, refresh and excite those who are called to lead us in Your Church and inspire us to learn, grow, and live in and through Christ by thought, word, and action. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Peace

Guard our hearts and minds in Christ

The Celebrant adds: O God, 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 Your 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.

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