Prayers of the People: Dear Thomas ~ Second Sunday of Easter '20 Yr A

For Sunday, April 19, 2020, Readings: Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31

    For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken, therefore my heart was glad...my heart will live in hope."

[Acts 2:25-26]

     O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot….You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. [Psalm 16:5, 11]

     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... 

[1 Peter:3] 

     [Jesus] said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."...Jesus said to [Thomas], "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." [John 20:22b-23, 29]

          Dear Thomas, what infamy you have achieved, quite unfairly. You are saddled with all the blame for your disbelief until your eyes beheld the Risen Lord and touched his wounds. You watched him die, being taken down from the Cross, placed in the tomb. Who of us would not be doubtful of the claim of the Resurrection in that moment? You have become a label - "a Doubting Thomas"- for those who don't believe something without concrete proof. And yet, you were far from alone in your skepticism. The other Gospel accounts all tell of your companion disciples doubting. Luke 23:11 tells of them dismissing the women's account as an idle tale, and in Mark 16:11, when Mary Magdalene tells them she had seen the risen Jesus, they would not believe. My personal favorite - in defense of you - is in Matthew 28:17 that says even when they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

          Whenever any of us are unsure or questioning of this preeminent event in the life of Christ, despite the Gospel accounts and the significance to the whole of Christian theology and practice, we are in good company! For me the story of Thomas and the other disciples' initial disbelief, humanizes these men and brings them into this current time, as did Peter's denial of Jesus, and Judas' betrayal, remorse, and suicide. We know these people in our own lives, we are some of them when we struggle to accept and understand all that we are told in the Christian/New Testament and by those who have taught us from the pulpit or in our families. It may seem unfaithful to those who think they must accept it all on "faith." Yet key elements of true faith for me are to constantly learn more, think more, wonder more, examine more, and discuss more with others. If we aren't questioning the tenets of our faith at various times, it seems to me that we haven’t really discovered what it is that we believe and why. These Gospel moments allow us to be who we are in this present time as well as relate to the people who were with Jesus and still wondered what this movement was all about even as they moved forward with him and later. Each time I read this and the other accounts, or any part of any of the Gospels and Epistles, I discover something new and often profound.

       Whatever I believe about the Resurrection and its significance to our Christian faith, in moments of human wavering or in absolute certainty, I try to remember the message of David in Peter's quote in Acts that is paired with the appointed Psalm for this day. It is the crux of the message of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah: I must keep the Lord before me, live in hope, and follow the path of life he has shown me, as well as I can, through all of this life's trials. There is no better time than this moment to ponder those thoughts. The Presence of Christ is within us, and our faith however shaky at times, is the vehicle that keeps us upright and guides our thoughts and actions through trial and triumph. The writer of 1 Peter reminds us quite specifically what we have been given by the resurrection: an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading... 

         Dear Thomas, I firmly believe that Jesus wasn’t scolding you, he was speaking to all present then and all of us now, in love, compassion, and the utmost understanding.

          Whether seen or unseen, the results of living in faith, as Christ teaches through the Greatest Commandment  [Matthew 22:36-40], will be a gift to others and ourselves, in our mortal time and in the time to come, by receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [1 Peter 1:9]. I’m reminded of a title of a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer, You’ll See It When You Believe It. And even if we struggle in our beliefs, our place is saved. For now, for always, Christ IS Risen! Alleluia! 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Christ Risen! How often have we simply walked through the penitence of Lent, the excitement of Palm Sunday, the passion of Holy Week, and the joyful celebration of Your miraculous Resurrection, taking it all for granted because it happens for us every year? In this time of trial, open our hearts to truly REJOICE as if for the first time. You have suffered, died, and Resurrected for each of us. Thomas saw and believed, let us simply believe in the gift of our salvation.

                                                         Jesus, Messiah

RESPONSE:                    Our Living and Eternal Hope

~ O Christ Risen! Grant us new courage to refresh our faith in the eternal life ahead, and the energy to strive in this life to challenge the leaders of this planet, this nation, and this community, to provide a just, safe, and merciful life for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Messiah

                                                       Our Living and Eternal Hope                                            

~ O Christ Risen! Ease the hearts of those who are sick or fearful, and grant energy, strength, and resilience to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Messiah

                                                       Our Living and Eternal Hope

          

~ O Christ Risen! Our joy at Your resurrection is tempered with our grief at the loss of those we love. Yet in faith we rejoice knowing they are with You in the miracle of their own resurrections into Your eternal promise. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Messiah

                                                       Our Living and Eternal Hope

~ O Christ Risen! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

  

                                                       Jesus, Messiah

                                                       Our Living and Eternal Hope

                     

~ O Christ Risen! Refresh and renew those who guide us in Your Church as they seek and find ever more creative ways to reach us with the Good News of the miracle of our salvation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Messiah

                                                       Our Living and Eternal Hope

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: Creator of All, Seen and Unseen, shelter us when we retreat into doubt, remind us to seek Your Path through this life, to set You always before ourselves, and to forgive as we are forgiven by faith in the imperishable inheritance of our salvation to come. We ask this through Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life; and the Holy Spirit, Wisdom of our Souls; who together with You, reign as One God, forever and beyond.  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

Meditations in Lent: Second, Shock and Grief ~ Holy Saturday '20

Meditations in Lent: Second, Shock and Grief  ~ Holy Saturday '20 

Readings: Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; Matthew 27:57-66

        When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. [Matthew 27:57-61]

        Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are just there, sitting opposite the tomb ~ in the silence, in the shock, in the grief that hasn't yet fully formed, the wide-eyed wonder of disbelief colliding with a reality that is still ungraspable. They are doing what must be done according to religious law and custom but they are hollow forms, empty of thought, consciously unsconscious, and dazed. They are waiting without comprehending why and what it is they are to do next.
        We are learning in our own time to wait for the unknown, the unpredictable, and the unimaginable. Some will busy themselves and be willingly oblivious to all that is around us as the changes and chances of life reveal themselves. Some are fearful of anything that is different from their usual routines. On this day, although we know what is coming from the tomb tomorrow, we also wait. What better moment is there than this day to sit quietly and consider the mysteries of our faith? 
        For a time today, I sit with the Marys in their vigil...waiting...in the silence...knowing it all again for myself, yet I am filled with the hope that is always available in every moment and every circumstance, the Hope that will rise again tomorrow.

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

Meditations in Lent: First, Torture and Death ~ Good Friday '20

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and he gave up his spirit.  [John 19:30]

      There is no rising without death. And the death of some, designed by and for the powerbrokers, is often particularly gruesome. A political act spurred on by the religious authorities who, not unlike in our own times, were threatened by a man who spoke the truth, defied their rigid interpretation of God's Law, contradicted their teachings using their own tools, upended their control over those who had known nothing else until he arrived, who had committed no crimes except by capturing the attention of so many who began to look at God very differently. He had to be stopped, and so he was by the State- and Religiously- sanctioned murder of an innocent man whose supporters turned away in fear of obstructing the accusers. None of them knew what was coming next, but we do. And that often shortcuts our willingness to think more deeply about this day.

      Because we know there's a "happy ending," Good Friday, in normal times, is a "maybe go to church" day and then, in places where it is a day off from work it becomes more of a preparation day for the egg hunts and family gatherings over this weekend. This year is obviously different as we are watchful and wary of COVID-19 and its aggressively mounting toll. It is time to take a fresh and different look at the Passion of Christ, his suffering on the way to his monstrous death on the cross.

       Listening to the words of the haunting spiritual Were You There When They Crucified My Lord* awakens me to new questions: would I have been there, am I there today? Do I tremble at the recounting of his suffering - do I tremble at today's torture, suffering, and death all over the globe for those who cling to their faith? Do I tremble with the fear of having my own faith tested in such a way? Or am I secure in my surroundings wrapped in the privilege of a culturally acceptable religious expression? Am I a Christ-follower or merely the bearer of a comfortable label?

       Today is all about being decidedly uncomfortable with the details of this long ago execution in the midst of all that is happening in our midst and far beyond. What we do with it and about it will be the true-telling of our faith, to ourselves first.

O Christ our Passover, Sacrificed for us ~

     How quickly this week has turned from exultation to murderous rebuke. You are no more truly human than at this moment, dragging a massive piece of rough-hewn timber laid across Your body, through the mean streets, amidst the jeers and tears of bystanders. A once living tree now makes the beams of a horrible death. With Your own agony and the torment, You show us how to give our lives to God. And as Your life ebbs with excruciating slowness, Your compassion for the one who hangs next to You, and for us all, is overwhelming. 

      Let us hear the slanders and endure the anger as You have, of those who, so selfishly flush with power, are quick to condemn a human life to death for any and no good reason.

     Give us strength to pray for those who truly do not understand, and those who choose not to, all the physical and emotional turmoil they inflict upon others in the name of faith.

      Infuse us with such compassion that we might not return injury for insult but rather reflect Your love and peace in all the actions of our lives.

      Grant us the courage and humility, to take this long walk in our current time with You and for You, no matter what comes.  

      Help us to look beyond ourselves and into the faces of others with love rather than self-assured pity, with hope rather than despair, with justice tempered with mercy, and with true contrition for our own sins of commission and omission. 

       Guide us to the realization and understanding that You ask no more of us than You have done for us. 

        Let us keep and strengthen our faith in You. Amen.

   
*click here for: Three Mo' Tenors: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord 




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: He IS Risen! ~ Easter Day '20 Yr A

For Sunday, Easter Day, Readings: Acts 10:34-43; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; Mt 28-1-10

    ...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [Acts 10:38]

     On this day the LORD has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:24]

     Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is...Set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth... [Colossians 3:1a, 2a]

     But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. [Matthew 28:5-6a]

         EASTER is here! Hallelujah!! Christ is Risen!!! Wherever you are on this planet whether bursting into Spring, slipping into Autumn, or somewhere in between, today our Salvation is assured, again and still, through our faith in this Risen Lord of All. Yet it will likely be the quietest Easter in living memory for many of us.

        Daily life in the time of pandemic upends the usual, the regular, and even the irregular. Now that we are to experience a holiday/Holy Day apart from each other and our usual expressions of extra-glorious festival worship services, it will be unusual to say the least. There will likely be fewer colorful baskets of treats, Easter egg hunts will be more singular than communal, and what about Easter dinner? Even for those for whom Easter isn’t “all that” spiritually, it will seem less celebratory than before.

       This year draws me again to the words of Thomas Merton in his book The Sign of Jonas, "The grace of Easter is a great silence, an immense tranquility and a clean taste in your soul. It is the taste of heaven...a discovery of order above all order...a wine without intoxication, a joy that has no poison in it. Life without death..." What will you miss this Easter? What might you discover about Easter and the gifts it holds if we decide to accept. 

        There are four Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This year we hear from Matthew who tells us there was an angel whose appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. He spoke to the women who then left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy... and Jesus met them along their way.

        If you were asked, what does Easter mean to you, how would you describe it? If you were asked to tell the Gospel story, which of the four is closest to your memory? Listening to or reading different accounts of the same event can give us a fresh perspective and a new experience of the moment.

       Take some time this Easter season and read the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Reflect on what surprises you and what questions arise. Notice the similarities and differences. Wonder, and try to decide, if one account speaks to you more than another and why? Or perhaps you'll mix and match the Gospel writers' accounts to arrive at your own version, visualizing yourself in the time and place. Whatever you do, ask yourself: So what? What does it all mean for my life today, tomorrow, and beyond? What will I do - or stop doing - as a result of reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection? 

      Merton also says, in He is Risen, “Christ is the Lord of a history that moves. He not only holds the beginning and the end in his hands, but he is in history with us, walking ahead of us to where we are going…True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power that we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation.” How important are these words in these days?

       Move on from mourning the loss of a glorious church service with all the literal bells and whistles and choirs reaching the heights of musical expression. Let’s seek that clean taste in our souls, that fresh joy, that creative transformation. I want to discover a bit of the great silence within, dust off and resurrect my faith, and meet and be liberated by Christ beyond the tomb. While I remember that the resurrection of Easter requires the Cross of Good Friday, with Christ moving with us and before us, our path, though not easy, will surely lead us into the eternal Easter of Salvation and life everlasting. Choirs of angels await…   And while you’re at it, don’t forget to be in touch with those for whom Church is always distant and unattainable, who are more isolated than ever. A phone call, a note, a mail-ordered Easter basket will go a long way to keeping Christ present in our absence…a little taste of heaven goes a long way. He IS Risen! Hallelujah!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Christ, Risen! On this Day the Lord has acted! We will rejoice and be glad in it. In the midst of the darkness and fear in this world, let us revel in the Divine Light of Your Glorious Resurrection.

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                       Response:      Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Especially in these uncertain times, grant ever increasing amounts of prudence, integrity of purpose, compassion, and mercy, to the political leaders of this Earth, this Nation, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Lavish Your healing grace and hope upon all who are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and all who give them daily care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

           

~ O Christ, Risen! Our grateful hearts commend those we love, who have risen with You into the heavenly peace and splendor of life everlasting. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

                      

~ O Christ, Risen! Infuse the leaders of Your Church with limitless energy and interior peace, as they strive in ever more creative ways, to guide our prayer and encourage us to follow Your Truth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

                                                                                                       

The Celebrant adds: Holy Redeemer Christ, Resurrected in Glory, in dying You destroyed our mortal death; in rising You claimed salvation for our souls. Release us from temporal distractions that entomb us in this earthly life, and set us again on the path to our True and Eternal Life in You. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the Divine Breath of New Life; and our Merciful Impartial Creator, who together with You are One God in Glory, Boundless, and Everlasting. 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: Hosanna! Always and Especially in the Time of Covid 19 ~ Passion/Palm Sunday '20 Yr A

For Sunday, April 5, 2020, Readings: The Liturgy of the Palms: Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; The Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 50:4-9a, 
Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mt 26:14-27:66

        The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  [Matthew 21:9]

               Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord… [Psalm 118:25-26a]

             The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher... Morning by morning he wakens...my ear...The Lord God helps me...and I know I shall not be put to shame. [Isaiah 50:4, 7b]

                But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. I have said, "You are my God. My times are in your hand...in your loving-kindness save me." [Psalm 31:14-15a, 16b]

                     Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God...And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death...[Philippians 2:5-11]

      Then [Jesus] went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples. "Sit here while I go over there and pray"...Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."  [Matthew 26:36, 40-41]

Hosanna! The perfect short prayer, for these and other times, that we didn’t know that we knew.

      How strange “Palm Sunday” is this year as I write in the midst of the Coronavirus/ Covid-19 Pandemic. With churches closed, the festival-like processions with waving palms and joyful hymns don’t lend themselves to online liturgies with no congregants. For those of us in Christian denominations that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, it almost seems more appropriate, just now, to move directly into the second part of this particular Sunday’s usual worship practice, the Passion narratives. However, these two parts are inextricably interwoven and significantly more cohesive and substantive when taken together than when separated. It is human nature to only want the fun part, yet as we know all too well, in the span of mortal life we cannot overlook the difficult in favor of only the pleasurable. And, that is why the shout of HOSANNA! is more important than ever, on this day and on every day.

           Hosanna, pronounced “Hoshana” in the Hebrew [Old] Testament, comes to us today in Psalm 118 appointed for the “Liturgy of the Palms,” in verse 25-26 (NRSV):  Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord. In original Aramaic, the language Jesus would likely have spoken, the exclamation was “help, save, I pray.” The words of the Psalm become clearer with that in mind if we shift to “Help, Lord, Help! Lord, send us now success.” In the Jewish Study Bible (of the Jewish Publication Society and published by Oxford Press 1985/1999), verses 25-26 read as O Lord, deliver us! O Lord, let us prosper! May he who enters be blessed in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the House of the Lord.

            Christian usage in the Christian [New] Testament has become an exclamation of special respect for the one who saves us. Neither definition excludes the other and so to proclaim Hosanna! is to recognize, celebrate, and respect Jesus as our Lord and Savior even as we ask him to help us.

           As we continue to stay at home to prevent further spreading and/or incurring this new plague, we are given a fresh opportunity, perhaps never undertaken before, namely, to read the full texts of today’s readings without at once listening to the recitation by another. We begin with the acquiring of the animal for Jesus to ride, the choice of which has significance. As Jesus was accused later in the week of proclaiming himself "King of the Jews," riding into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey symbolized that he was coming in peace, as a ruler would do to show a peaceful arrival rather than a warrior King riding in on a horse bent on war. Then the procession with palm branches celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem just on the heels of his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead just two miles away. The greetings of hosanna are a recognition that he is a Messiah who will remove and save them from the oppression of Rome.

           The Passion narrative develops the details of his Last Supper, betrayal by Judas, and the machinations of the Chief Priests whose local standing and power among the Jewish hierarchy and Rome were clearly threatened by this acclaimed and unorthodox prophet and miracle-worker. All of these elements were carefully noticed and recorded by the Roman occupiers and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council who had its own police force and trial court. How easy, it seems, to go from enthusiastic cheers of the crowd to the strongly manipulated and equally enthusiastic and deathly jeers by the same people mere days later. 

        Two thousand plus years on, it is still a story for our own time. How easily are we turned from waving palms to throwing punishing stones by a few well-placed headlines or Facebook comments because we simply followed the crowd?

        Jesus enters the chaos of his times as he enters the chaos of our own. As Lutheran Pastor David Lose has noted:

               “The tragedy of the day is that the people are half right. He did come as God’s Messiah. But they misunderstood what that meant – not “regime change” by violence, but rather the love of God poured out upon the world in a way that dissolved all the things we use to differentiate ourselves from others and the formation of a single humanity that knows itself – and all those around them! – as God’s beloved people. The other tragedy of the day is that the religious and political authorities are also half right. Jesus was a threat. For that matter, he still is. He threatens our penchant to define ourselves over and against others. He threatens the way in which we seek to establish our future by hoarding wealth and power. He threatens our habit of drawing lines and making rules about who is acceptable and who is not. He threatens all of these things and more…Jesus’ resurrection…affirms that God’s love is stronger than hate and God’s life is stronger than death…[Still, in this day,] he continues to threaten our reliance on anything – our wealth, position, political identity, good works, relationships or, for that matter, our limitations or life tragedies – anything other than God’s mercy. What’s hard about this message is that we all have come at times to seek our identity and secure our future on things other than God. The blessing of this message is that none of these other things are up to the job. No matter what we trust in, we will be disappointed, as only God’s Word can declare us as not just acceptable but as blessed and beloved. Jesus’ journey to the cross shows us just how far he was willing to go to demonstrate to us God’s unconditional love and acceptance. And once you hear that message of grace, mercy, and love, then whether you name it Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, or just the Sixth Sunday in Lent, there is suddenly good reason to shout our hosanna with all the joy and hope we can muster.”*

           Let us pray in distance and together, this day and always: Hosanna!

*Click here for the full text: [http://www.davidlose.net/2017/04/palmpassion-sunday-a/]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, in this year of years, our usual way of living has changed as quickly as those who turned from Hosanna to Crucify Him. Grant us the willingness to walk consciously through this Holy Week with fresh eyes, and, the uncomfortable awareness of how often we, too, have slept in Your presence.

                                                     O Lord our GOD,

RESPONSE:                  Our times are in Your Hands

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, lighten the hearts and enlighten the minds of all who govern in this Community, this Nation, and this World, that they may seek the cause of healing humanity through global cooperation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD,             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, cradle in Your benevolent arms all who are sick, desperate, or hopeless, and give peace of heart to those who care and worry. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

           

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, ease the burden of grief in these dark times, as those we mourn now live in the eternal radiance of everlasting resurrection in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of 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 our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

                      

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, embrace and enrich those You have called to lead us in Your Church through this sacred week and beyond. Inspire their words, their prayers, and their souls, that they and we together, may draw ever closer to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: GOD Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, in Your loving-kindness sustain our hope and save us from this time of trial, that humbled in our human form, we may seek and serve Christ in ourselves, in each other, and in all of humankind. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our Souls, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

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