People's Prayers

Monday, August 20, 2018

Prayers of the People: Armored Bread ~ 14th Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, August 26, 2018, 14^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11], 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84 [1-6],

Ephesians: 6:1-20, John 6:56-69

Hear the plea of your servant…O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive. [1 Kings 8:30a, c]

Happy are the people whose strength is in you! Whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way…No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk with integrity. O Lord of Hosts, happy are they who put their trust in you. [Ps 84:4, 11-12]

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. [Ephesians 6:18a]

Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them..." When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"...[But Jesus said to them] "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." [John 6:56, 60, 63]

Some weeks ago we read of David dancing happily through the streets leading the Ark of the Covenant to his own City. Last week we opened the story of Solomon ascending David's throne with God's continuing love. This week Solomon completes the journey his father began in seeing the Ark brought home to Jerusalem, proclaiming to all assembled that "there is no other God like you" who keeps the covenant and steadfast love for all.

The Psalmist, speaks over and over about the joy of dwelling in the House and Courts of the living God, the Lord of Hosts. A tiny phrase points us in a definite direction when it says hearts are happy when set on the pilgrim's way as those who travel through a desolate valley will find it a place of springs. Paul exhorts us to shield ourselves from all that could turn us away from God, and to Put on the whole armor of God for strength and to pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer.

This week we also come to the end of the seemingly endless discourses of Jesus telling his followers to "eat my body and drink my blood." This piece of the paschal mystery is so difficult to comprehend that many of those who were following Jesus in his time walked away because of it. Yet many stayed and struggled and today we each reconcile ourselves to this idea in various ways. Some Christians believe in Transubstantiation at the time of the consecration, that the bread and wine on the altar become, mysteriously and mystically, the True and Actual Body and Blood of Christ. Others accept the consecration as metaphor, or, symbolic representation. Some denominations have no "communion" service at all but rely solely on preaching the Word. But the question remains, why is there so very much about BREAD?

Bread is one of the oldest foods to be "made" from other ingredients - even just flour and water can render some form of it. Leavening, or yeast, is what gives us the bread that westerners are most familiar with. It is nutritious enough to sustain a diet of "bread and water" for quite a long time. It's been called the "Staff of Life" as a staple food for most of the people in the world and would have been understood in his time that it was basic to everyday life. The graphic language is what is most confounding but hearing it in plain and simple terms, when we consume the bread and the water, they are in us, feeding our bodies. When we consume the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ - however one accepts the form as actual or symbolic - it represents Christ within us as he tells us we are in him. It is our spiritual sustenance to nourish us on our earthly journey, our pilgrimage, that culminates in eternal life through salvation. Consuming the small piece of consecrated bread and wine in the Eucharist, is, for me, a literal physical connection to an abiding spiritual Presence.
And, finally in the Gospel of John, Jesus asks the Twelve if they wish to also turn away and Peter says, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." From those times to our times, we are still seeking to understand, to strengthen our faith, to travel the path to God in our own way and with each other. We struggle with questions and doubts and confidence in our faith. We are pilgrims.
The Oxford dictionary defines pilgrim as: a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons and offers the synonyms: worshiper, devotee, believer, traveler, wayfarer. It isn't important to physically travel, we can make progress as a pilgrim in our spiritual journeys wherever we are through prayer and contemplation, in worship and through Communion with fellow journeyers. But just as in travel, sometimes there are delays and detours, yet with determination, eventually the destination is reached. Prayer, perseverance, desire, and longing to be part of God's Household is all it takes ... but it is easier if we go together. As the old hymn from John Bunyan, author of the 1678 Pilgrim’s Progress, concludes:

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I'll fear not what men say,
I'll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

Let us put the on Armor of God, eat our Bread, and continue to our sacred destiny.

To listen to an unusual and beautiful rendering of Bunyan's hymn, click here: Steve Parsons: To Be A Pilgrim

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Living God, our Sun and our Shield, fill us with Your strength that we may reflect Your steadfast love and your grace and glory in all that we do. Help us on our pilgrim way to pray in the Spirit at all times, for all reasons, for all of Your people.

O Lord of Hosts

RESPONSE: We put our trust in You

~ Living God, guide us to stand firm and proclaim the Gospel of peace and justice to all who hold authority over the governments of this World, of this Country, and of this Community. Let us take up Your Truth and walk with the integrity that we expect and require of our leaders. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Hosts

We put our trust in You

~ Living God, breathe fresh hope into the spirits of all who are weighed down by serious illness, desperation, or addiction, and lift the hearts of those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord of Hosts

We put our trust in You

~ Living God, ease our sorrows with the comfort of knowing that those we have sent on to You, now transcend all earthly woes, and live forever in the newness of life, holy and eternal. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Hosts

We put our trust in You

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

O Lord of Hosts

We put our trust in You

~ Living God, You have gifted us with disciples who do not turn away but give their lives in Your service, guiding us by Word and Sacrament. As Christ abides in us and we in Him, we join and journey together toward the threshold of Your Eternal House. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Hosts

We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Holy and Eternal God, hear our plea and draw us together to clothe ourselves in Your armor of faith, being nourished by the Holy Food and Drink of Christ. With Your helmet of salvation and belt of truth, we can resist all evil, as we seek to live forever in You, rejoicing beyond all time. We ask through Christ Jesus, the Holy One; and the Live-Giving Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

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Monday, August 13, 2018

Prayers of the People: Hungry for Wisdom ~ 13th Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, August 19, 2018, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14; Psalm 111, Ephesians 5:15-20;
John 6:51-58

...[T]he LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream...and God said, "Ask what I should give you." Solomon said..."Give your servant...an understanding mind...able to discern between good and evil..."

[1 Kings 3:5, 9-10]

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever. [Psalm 111:10]

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time...So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is... [Ephesians, 5:15-16a, 17]

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever...This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." [John 6:51a, 58]

In the Hebrew Testament readings thus far, the tumultuous life of David has ended and he has now gone to sleep with his ancestors. Solomon, second born of David and Bathsheba, succeeds as heir to his father’s throne. God loved David deeply and easily transferred that love to Solomon and, in a dream, God asked what Solomon wanted. Solomon’s response, perhaps surprising to us but very pleasing to God, was to ask for "an understanding mind" or, in other words, wisdom, rather than the expected great wealth or even the death of his enemies. Solomon wasn't always a paragon of virtue but he started out well.

Of course, being intelligent isn't the same as having wisdom. We are told that Solomon also asked specifically for "discernment between good and evil" and that is a key element of wisdom. Following the “good” is the way of the wise. Following the evil may seem an intelligent move to some as the way of the shrewd, but it isn’t wise, and more importantly, it’s only a short-term strategy. Evil ends in the death of one’s self, a mortal wound.

The psalmist tells us that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" but "fear" isn't meant as we use it today as "to be frightened of." Rather it meant to have respect for, reverence, or, to be in awe. It should be easy to reverence and be in awe of our God whose work is full of majesty and splendor with eternal righteousness, and who is gracious and full of compassion; and even more so because our God has sent redemption to his people. The redemption is Christ who is the new manna from heaven that revives and saves us from the mortal wounds we often inflict upon ourselves.

Paul urges caution in this life and is quite direct in telling us to live wisely. He reminds us to "make the most of the time" we have and not "be foolish” and caught up in mere earth-bound pleasure. Anyone who has watched a child grow, or sees how quickly the pages of the calendar turn, understands the increasing speed of years passing in this human time. As my grandmother used to say, "The days may be long, but the years are short."

Christ is not only the true food and true drink for eternal life, this Living Bread fills us with divine purpose NOW, in this life, as preparation for the next. It is time to remember to be in awe of God again, to discover our own beginning of wisdom. Once we wise up and follow on the path that Christ leads, then our renewable faith, especially in a community of believers, will help keep us on track. When we stop on the path or turn in a different direction, we can become lost and spiritually hungry. The best way to continually renew our faith and satisfy our soul’s hunger is to access the spiritual sustenance of the new manna, to eat of the Living Bread from Heaven that is Jesus. Wisdom arrives again and we will live forever and never go hungry.

The time to begin is now.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Holy and Living God, let our hearts sing with the constant melody of gratitude for Your gift of Jesus as our Bread of Eternal Life. Guide us that our every action is in service to Your Will and in the name of our Lord Christ, Son of Man.

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

RESPONSE: Our wisdom begins with our faith

~ Holy and Living God, as Solomon requested, so do we ask of You to grant an understanding mind and the ability to discern and choose good over evil, for all who hold governing authority across this Planet, in our Nation, and in our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

Our wisdom begins with our faith

~ Holy and Living God, grant hopeful relief to all who suffer in body, in spirit, or in life circumstance, and respite to those entrusted with their care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

Our wisdom begins with our faith

~ Holy and Living God, as loved ones fall to sleep with their ancestors, by Your redemption they awaken in the joyful courts of heaven to new life forever after. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

Our wisdom begins with our faith

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

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

Our wisdom begins with our faith

~ Holy and Living God, we offer our whole-hearted thanksgiving for those You have chosen to inspire us by Your Word, consecrate the precious Body and Blood, and to guide us in the work You have given us to do. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious, Compassionate Lord

Our wisdom begins with our faith

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Righteous God, fill us with the Spirit to live wisely now and with Divine purpose, that in our brief time on this earth, we will continually prepare to be raised to eternal life. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Living Bread of Heaven, and the Holy Spirit, our unending Source of Wisdom, who together with You reign as One God, for all time, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Prayers of the People: Peaceful Sunset? ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost, '18 Yr B

For Sunday, August 12, 2018, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130, Ephesians 4:25-5:2,

John 6:35, 41-51

The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" [2 Sam 18:33]

If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you…I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope…for with the Lord, there is mercy; with him there is plenteous redemption...

[Psalm 130: 2-3a, 4, 6b-7a]

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. [Ephesians 4:26, 31-32]

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life.” Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in my will never be thirsty…Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life…This is the bread of life that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever... [John 6:35, 47-48, 50-51a]

Forgiveness and hope, for me, are the over-arching themes of this week's readings. Without filling in the many and nearly salacious details of earlier chapters, we begin with yet another small piece of David's tangled story that violently ends the lust, intrigue, and betrayal by his sons Amnon and Absalom. Although there is barely a taste of it over a few weeks of the Sunday lectionary, the life of David takes us from triumph to tragedy, with power and love amidst anger and hatred, revenge, and grief. As the sun sets on this dynamic and dramatic kingship, forgiveness is the repeating core element of God's relationship with David, and with us ~ God forgives David; David forgives Absalom; and God forgives us all. A key ingredient is, as with each of us, that while God saw all of David's deeds and misdeeds, God continued to love him and yet there was no escape from punishment and pain for this very human king.
The Psalmist gives voice to the anguish of the depths yet holds on to the hope of God's word, that for those who follow, there is plenteous redemption.

How about this news: not just a wedding shower plaque or a meme on Facebook, it was Paul who gave us that familiar phrase don't let the sun go down on your anger. Though he does give us permission to be angry ~ whew, because it's hard not to be at times ~ we are not given license to sin because of it, and we are strongly admonished to put away the by-products of anger ~ bitterness, wrath, and malice. It's not easy to be tenderhearted and
forgiving when someone has broken your trust and your heart. Yet again we see that God, through Christ, forgives them and us. And as someone else wisely said, if God forgives, who am I not to?
In our "real time" of now, it is easier than ever to be goaded into explosive anger by political, religious, and nearly any other subject when there are vicious, reactionary, or merely polarizing opinions voiced on any media outlet you can name. My God-given life is 'way too short to feed the frenzy and be frenzied by the feed. I want to change my anger into positive energy and direct it toward solutions to genuine problems rather than to just add more unproductive trash talk. Jesus tells us no fewer than six times in this Gospel reading, that he is our salvation, our bread of eternal life ~ do we hear it, do we know it, do we believe it yet? Through him, by God, we are forgiven everything, if we only just believe. Then faith will truly change our lives.
Forgiving is hard and may appear to be unrewarding work. But forgiveness does not mean that I or the other have to give up disagreement or even some true and righteous anger. Forgiveness doesn't mean that the issue has changed from wrong to right and no relevant punishment is due. Wanting justice is surely part of the act of forgiveness yet may not be apparent; however, in the act of forgiveness, mercy is paramount. As the Prayer of St. Francis says, "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned." Pastor Max Lucado said beautifully, "Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!" Forgiveness is a work in progress. My own satisfaction in forgiving will be in believing that I am also forgiven and thereby have tasted the Bread of Life and freed myself from the useless prison of an angry heart. And so let the sunset always be peaceful as a new day in Christ will soon dawn in this world and the next.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Lord of Mercy, grant us the patience to overturn our own bitterness, wrangling, and self-serving wrath, even if only in thought, and to know our own sin more quickly than another’s. Guide our hearts to be kind and forgiving, to live in love, and to believe in and feed on the Bread of Life.

God of Plenteous Redemption

RESPONSE: Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, fill us with Your Truth to speak peace-filled words that give grace to those who hear. Let us join together to turn righteous anger into positive energy for the work of Christ across this Planet, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

God of Plenteous Redemption

Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, whisper Your word of hope to all who wait and struggle in body, mind, or soul, and calm the hearts of all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

God of Plenteous Redemption

Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, instill in all who grieve, deep peace of heart, in knowing that their loved ones now joyfully feast at the glorious banquet of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

God of Plenteous Redemption

Let us forgive as we are forgiven

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

God of Plenteous Redemption

Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, enrich the souls of those entrusted with our spiritual growth through our worship, study, and prayer, that brings us unity in Christ as members of one another. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

God of Plenteous Redemption

Let us forgive as we are forgiven

The Celebrant adds: Eternal God of Hope, energize our faith and excite our souls that whenever this life brings anger, grief, or distraction from You, we do not fall into sin but seek to live and act as the living legacy of salvation through Christ. We ask through Jesus, our sacred Bread of Life, and the Holy Spirit by whom we are Sealed for Redemption, who together with You are One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Prayers of the People: Fresh Bread ~ 11th Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, August 5, 2018, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-13, Ephesians 4: 1-16,

John 6:24-35

Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity"...Nathan said to David, "You are the man!

[2 Samuel 12:5-7a]

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful spirit.

[Psalm 51:1a, 11, 13]

I [Paul]...beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called...But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift...The gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ... [Ephesians 4:1a, 7, 11-12]

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you....Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." [John 6:27, 35]

David, oh David, God and everyone around you saw how you intentionally sent a man to his death so you could have his wife as your own. God told Nathan to tell you only a few of the ways you are to be punished for your terrible transgressions. There will be many more tragedies visited upon your house because of your greed and actions of abusive power.

How easy it is to read this ancient drama/morality tale and feel smugly comfortable that this a fascinating episode in a longer narrative. And David's momentous life from first we know it until the end is the stuff of legend, novels, and films. But David reacts to Nathan's story as I might ~ and have done ~ when confronted with an anecdote or a behavior of someone else that causes a sudden and righteously angry reaction within me. Then, just as suddenly, moments of my own sin roar into my consciousness and require immediate, honest self-reflection, and sincere penitence.

Create in me a clean heart, O God [Ps 51:10] is a prayer that comes swiftly to my regretful mind and heart in those times. (Some translations use pure in place of clean.) Yet the saving grace and hope ~ for me and all of us ~ is knowing that although God punished David, God never abandoned him, always loved him, and was with David as he finally saw his sin with woeful clarity. And so it is for each of us today.
Paul begs us to lead a life worthy of the calling and it is Jesus who brings earthly appetites into focus for us now, in our own time, in our own lives. I remind myself again that the Bible is more than stories of "then" it is also "now." All that happened then is happening now, the dreadful things, the lovely things, the boring things, and the long lists of things ~ look at headlines any day of the week. Jesus has given us the directive of what to take with us and what to leave behind on our Journey to Eternal Life. By him we are fed and led. Through him we are redeemed; we are forgiven. All we need to do is believe it and then live into our belief by our words and actions, by following Jesus. Christ, our Savior, will never abandon us. Jesus is our manna from Heaven, our Bread of Life. His are truly nourishing words, and always, always Fresh.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, give us the joy of Your saving help again. Awaken us to humility, gentleness, and patience, to bear one another in love and build up the Body of Christ.

Jesus, Bread of Life

RESPONSE: Our Food for Life’s Journey

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, grant us the conviction to speak the truth in love to all who hold authority in this Community, in this Nation, and on this Earth. May our words arouse benevolence and compassion and stem the tide of greed, racism, and division. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Bread of Life

Our Food for Life’s Journey

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, release from suffering all who live in the throes of chronic illness, depression, or addiction, and give strength to those who love them. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

Jesus, Bread of Life

Our Food for Life’s Journey

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, release us from earth-bound grief to know that the joy of Heaven is unceasing for all who have received new life in Your bountiful Spirit. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Bread of Life

Our Food for Life’s Journey

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

Jesus, Bread of Life

Our Food for Life’s Journey

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, refresh and energize all who are blessed with gifts as evangelists, teachers, and pastors. Guide them as they strive to equip us to find our own gifts for the the work of ministry, and grow in Christ through the bond of peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Bread of Life

Our Food for Life’s Journey

The Celebrant adds: Eternal LORD, cleanse our hearts and renew Your right spirit within us, that we may be willing and worthy to lead the lives to which You have called us. Kindle our desire to turn to You each day, to nourish our souls for the work of heaven, that gives life to the world and endures for eternity. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Sustenance, and the Holy Spirit, our Bountiful Counselor, who together with You are One God, for all infinite, imperishable time. Amen.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Prayers of the People: 2 + 5 = Satisfaction ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost Yr B '18

For Sunday, July 29, 2018, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21

…[David]…saw from the roof a woman bathing…Bathsheba…wife of Uriah…David sent messengers to get her and she came to him…David wrote a letter [to] “set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting…that he may be struck down and die.” [2 Samuel 11:2b, 3b, 4a, 15a,c]

All are corrupt and commit abominable acts...The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God...those evildoers...[who] do not call upon the LORD...will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.[Psalm 14:1b, 2, 4b-c, 5]

I pray that...you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...that you may have the power to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth...[of] the love of Christ...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians 3:16-18]

A large crowd kept following [Jesus]...they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted...When evening came, his disciples got into a boat, and started across the sea...It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough...[and] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [John 6:2, 10b ,16-20]

How, when one is the adored [or feared] King with unlimited power and significant appetites, possessing or immediately acquiring everything desired, even the life or death of another within finger-snapping distance, does one keep that power in check, the appetites moderated, and the ego from attempting to control the world? If you're King David, apparently not very well. But God was watching...and every human reign ends.

Reckless and wanton disregard for the lives of others, as the psalmist describes corrupt and abominable acts, may ultimately be forgiven by God, though not without consequences and only IF the self-serving seek after God’s love and mercy. Otherwise they will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.

Paul's prayer from prison reminds us, that God has the power to grant us inner strength when we seek God and are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ through faith. Although the faith exhibited by the disciples who followed Jesus wasn't always perfect, as ours is also far from perfection, the people knew by the signs of his actions who Jesus was. The available 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread were all Jesus needed to satisfy the hunger of a large crowd. Imagine how faith in Christ, as the Bread of Life, could satisfy our spiritual hunger and deepest soul needs. And, after all that had happened on that day alone, as Jesus walked across the water to the boat - he still had to tell the disciples not to be afraid. How many of us are fearful, anxious, and worried even as we proclaim our faith?
All of us falter or fail in how we live our faith, some fail with ego-moderating, and others with the suppression of various appetites, others just fall away. Even Jesus got angry - righteously so, perhaps, but still...And God is watching, knowing our hearts even more than we do at times, and loving us anyway. Stop, breathe, and pray, every now and then, to be rooted and grounded in love, to try and understand in some small way what is the breadth and length and height and depth of our Creator's gift of this life and the next. Whether feeding the 5,000 on the mountainside or strolling across the Sea of Galilee on foot, God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, by the power of the work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine from the heavens to the universe, on land and at sea. Let us be fed by faith, even if weak, for spiritual and eternal satisfaction, for courage and comfort in the rough seas of life. When we step out together no matter how fearful, we find courage, support, and complete satisfaction in the wealth of Christ’s bounty.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, as You look down upon us and know us deep in our hearts, fortify our inner beings that we may be rooted in faith, fed by Your limitless love, and express the eternal fullness of You in our everyday lives.

Faithful, Merciful God

RESPONSE: Turn our fear into courage

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, equip us to transform the minds and hearts of all who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. Grant us the energy and determination to release all of Your people from bigotry, poverty, and dread. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Faithful, Merciful God