People's Prayers

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Prayers of the People: Net-Working ~ 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany '20 Yr A

For Sunday, January 26, 2020, Readings: Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 5-13; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness ~ on them light has shined. [Isaiah 9:2]

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then should I fear...Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me. [Psalm 27:1a, 10]

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. [1 Corinthians 1:10]

As [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers...casting a net into the sea ~ for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ...Jesus went throughout Galilee...proclaiming the good news of the kingdom... [Matthew 4:18-19, 23]

We all know those times in this life when even the smallest amount of good news feels like a tiny ray of light in the darkness bringing a glimmer of hope that things will get better. Isaiah and the Psalmist remind us that the Light is always there even when we feel lost and sinking in the shadows. The Psalmist asks if the Lord is our light and our salvation whom shall we fear? In our everyday reality, of course, we do have fears and worry and anxiety about many things in our lives and it is in such times that we are to summon even a vague intention to seek God’s face. Looking for that wee beam of light with a fragment of faith and a bit of faint hope we are able to begin to take a shaky step forward into the always unknown.

Paul speaks to us in our own time through his letter to the Church in Corinth: be in agreement...no divisions among us...be united in the same mind and the same purpose and even more appropriate to now, he warns us not to divide Christ. How many Christian denominations out shout one another as the only source for the "true" message of Jesus? How incredibly difficult is it to heal divisions in political opinion let alone in religious? Yet it is in these often dark and scary times, in a world seemingly gone mad with violence in action and in words, that we are called to put aside our ideological differences and follow the simple message of Christ's Gospel: love God, love our neighbors as ourselves, proclaim the Gospel ~ his good news of the kingdom ~ in all we think, do, and say. The frills, bells, and whistles, or lack of, for worship are earth-bound and human-made. We must be wary of creeping idolatry around individuals, the spaces, and worship itself if it excludes the very elements of our calling.

Jesus called the soon-to-be disciples away from their fishing boats and nets to follow him and become fishers of people. Yet there is an important piece of the story that is often overlooked – Zebedee, father of James and John, stays behind mending the nets. It doesn’t mean that he and the others on the fishing crew didn’t believe or want to follow but rather that each of us is called to use the gifts we have been given in different ways. Some are called to teach and preach, some are called to stay behind mending the nets to catch the fish to feed and support those who are in the fields or the kitchens or elsewhere.

Some days and weeks and months are better than others. The nets can be full or nearly empty. The fields can be brimming for harvest or drowned or dry. The car runs well or breaks down on a busy day. In the darkest moments of life, even weak faith can let us search for the Light within ourselves however faint and distant it seems. When we allow ourselves to be reeled into the net that Jesus has cast for us, the Word can inhabit us and begin to attract others to the splendid shore of Salvation. We'll catch more, or lose more, by our ways and attitudes; we don’t have to be eloquent, just sincere in our faith. Whether in the grocery line, on Facebook, or driving on the highway, it is always better to bring the light and respond in love than to bait the hook for a snark attack. We trip, we fall, we get up, and then we start over. As Paul says, the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Let’s begin net-working, today.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Oh Lord of Light and Joy, with You as our strength whom shall we fear? As You have caught us up in the safety of Your nets, energize us to beckon the world to Your shore, proclaiming the Good News of Salvation in our every thought, word, and action.

Lord Jesus Christ

RESPONSE: Unite us to You in mind and purpose

~ Oh Lord of Light and Joy, inspire and transform all who govern the peoples of this World, this Country, and this Community, to legislate with integrity not the rod of oppression, ensuring peace, equality, and sustenance for the well-being of all humanity and the protection of our planet. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord Jesus Christ

Unite us to You in mind and purpose

~ Oh Lord of Light and Joy, heal the hearts, minds, and bodies of all who are ill, weary, or in anguish, and give comfort to all who offer care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Lord Jesus Christ

Unite us to You in mind and purpose

~ Oh Lord of Light and Joy, the gloom of grief is lifted when our hearts know that You joyfully embrace all who live again in Your glorious and eternal Paradise. We pray especially for…add your own petitions

Lord Jesus Christ

Unite us to You in mind and purpose

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

Lord Jesus Christ

Unite us to You in mind and purpose

~ Oh Lord of Light and Joy, constantly refresh and renew the spirits of all who lead us in Your Church, as they encourage us always to seek Your Face, and carry the power of the Cross in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord Jesus Christ

Unite us to You in mind and purpose

The Celebrant adds: Oh Lord, our Strength and our Salvation, endow us with the faith and fortitude to find Your constant Light within us in the darkest of times. Empower us to repent and return to follow You, whenever we go off course, in the highest and lowest tides of this mortal experience. We ask through Jesus, the Captain of our ship, and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Navigator, who with You are our One God, now and forever. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Prayers of the People: What Are You Looking For? ~ 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany/Martin Luther King Yr A

For Sunday, January 19, 2020, Readings: Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42
(see excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.* below the prayers)

The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me.

[Isaiah 49:1b]

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. [Psalm 40:3a]

  ...just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you -- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift...He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[1 Corinthians 1:6-7a, 8]

  "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"...The two disciples heard [John] say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following he said to them, "What are you looking for?"
[John 1:29b, 37-38a]

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’"… Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr]

Fresh from his Baptism, Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God by John the Baptizer to two of John’s own disciples. Jesus is then followed by these men and he turns and asks, What are you looking for? They, calling him Rabbi, ask where he is staying. Jesus answers, come and see and they then spend the day listening to him. Later, Andrew, one of those men, tells his brother, We have found the Messiah. He takes his brother Simon to Jesus who knows him immediately and tells him he’ll now be known as Peter.

We know that Peter often struggled with the message of Jesus, yet even in the face of enormous obstacles, defeats, trials, and tribulations, he carried on and carried the message forward along with his brother Andrew and the others who joined them. It’s easy to think the original disciples, chosen in person by Jesus, were holy and able to move through life with ease and absolute certainty of their mission. But they, as all we humans, including Dr. King, had doubts, moments of uncertainty – and fear. A huge obstacle to living faithfully in today’s world is that there is simply TOO MUCH of everything that gets in the way of attending to our faith and faith development. Even as I read or listen to the Scripture passages, I must admit that two thousand+ year old events don't always have much of an impact on my everyday thoughts and actions. However this question, What are you looking for?, caught my attention as we are now at the beginning of a new year in a new decade, in a volatile national and worldwide political climate, and as we prepare to celebrate – some more than others – the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To the question from Jesus I would add, What is your dream – not for material things but rather for humanity itself.
While the significance of the impact of Dr. King's work and words is undisputed, the echoes of his voice are slowly fading more than 50 years after his death, a reason to be grateful to a Congress of the past that designated the anniversary of his birth as a Federal Holiday. And, it must be said, various groups were not, and still are not, fans of this particular recognition, but it holds. The racism seemingly went underground for a time among those of us who are not targets – though people of color know differently – but it is resurfacing with a vengeance along with other hate-filled discriminations. As with Christmas and Easter, we are more likely to pay attention to a date on a calendar to be reawakened, to listen again and hear anew, to take a step forward. This date is no exception. In many places, this "holiday" is advertised as a day of community service with opportunities to give of oneself in a variety of ways, that is, a Day On rather than merely a day off.

In times such as these when certainty is upended and the status quo is now status unknown, it is as critical as ever that we carry Christ's and Dr. King's messages forward to uphold people of all colors, creeds, national origin, sexual orientation, and for any reason that any one is targeted for oppression, brutality, bullying, and discrimination. We are all equal in the Eyes and Heart of God. And, as Dr. King said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Mark [12:29-31], "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." We don't have to like everyone and we can learn to discard the selfishness that requires appreciation and reward for our "goodness." But no good action is ever wasted, and with consciousness and intent good actions of heart, mind, and soul can become as routine as checking for "likes" on Facebook throughout the day and night or responding in anger to an unliked post. As Dr. King has said, Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
What is your dream for this still New Year and new decade – will you hide from whatever discomforting challenges may be ahead, or look for ways learn more about how to be and live in faith? How can we shine in and radiate Christ’s light? How can we muster up the love to neutralize the hate we all encounter? Maybe, if we can step up and step out in uncertainty, we will discover that what we are actually looking for is the place within ourselves where Jesus is staying and loves us as we are. Come and see, and spend some time listening to Him. And spend some time with Martin, too.

Here’s a Collect I wrote a few years ago for an MLK/Epiphany II Sunday: Almighty God, we see and hear again the example of Your Servant, Martin Luther King, Jr, in his powerful vision and compelling certainty that together we can all live in freedom from fear, oppression, intolerance, and hatred. You have called us to carry this vision, to stop our own thoughts and acts that disrespect and bring harm, and to make certain that Your People will know the peace and freedom of Your Salvation. We ask Your grace to do Your Will through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who with the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, today and always. Amen.

See below prayers for an excerpt and click here for a short video of the I Have A Dream speech excerpt - Martin Luther King, Jr 1963

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord our God, in Your compassion, love, and faithfulness, teach us the way of patience and trust. Keep us mindful of the spiritual gifts we each have within us by Your grace, that we may come, see, and radiate the light of fellowship in Christ to all we meet.

Jesus, Lamb of God

RESPONSE: Our Strength and our Salvation

~ O Lord our God, in these uncertain times, renew our willingness to continually exhort the ruling authorities on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community, to ensure the dignity and well-being of every person on this planet. Fill us with the courage to work as Your Servant Martin before us to reveal and reverse the false strength and power spent for vanity only. We pray especially for: Donald, our President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

Jesus, Lamb of God