People's Prayers

Monday, May 11, 2020

Prayers of the People: Love IS the Answer ~ 6th Sunday of Easter '20 Yr A

For Sunday, May 17, Readings: Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:7-18, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21

The God who made the world and everything in it...gives to all mortals life and breath...From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth...so that they would search for God...though indeed he is not far from each one of us. [Acts 17:24a, 25b-26a, 27]

Bless our God...who holds our souls in life...who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his love from me. [Psalm 66:7a, 8b, 18b]

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear...And Baptism...now saves you - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ... [1 Peter 3:13-14a, 21]

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth...You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you." [John 14:15-18]

This week's readings begin with reminders of the work of God in Creation, who, in addition to making the world, gave us life and breath and holds our souls in life. God is known to us, if we open ourselves to discover God’s Presence within. While life is often difficult, God is with us throughout it all. Paul tells the Athenians – and now us – the obvious, God doesn't need anything as God is the Creator who made everything. Furthermore, part of God's plan, is for us to search for and discover God within and around us.

In the reading from 1^st Peter, the writer is comparing those whom God saved through Noah and the Ark as they were safe upon the water and Baptism, which this prefigured and now saves us as an appeal for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus.

The words Jesus speaks in John's Gospel this week are from the Last Supper after Jesus has washed the disciples' feet, tells the gathered of his coming betrayal, and Peter's denial. In last week's passage, Jesus says Do not let your hearts be troubled and this week he tells of asking God, on our behalf, for another Advocate who is within us, the Spirit of Truth. He reassures the disciples, who don't yet understand at this point - and we who do now know what was to come - that he will not leave us orphaned; we will see him again.
When we combine these passages, we find another powerful reminder - the constancy of our ever-present God in Three Persons, Creator, Savior, Advocate. And the truth is, when we actively work to build and keep a good conscience, recognize and call upon the Trinity within us, we are more and more able to relinquish the strong hold of earthly distractions along with its fears, and griefs.

The Gospel this week begins with Jesus saying If you love me, you will keep my commandments. It ends with They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

We are called to walk through our human existence with our Creator, Jesus our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit of Truth, our Advocate; all are within us on the Way. As we love we are loved in each and every moment. So, as the saying goes, Love IS the answer, especially in salvation.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ God of All Creation, we live, we move, and have our being in You, who gave us life and breath. You overlook our ignorance and never withhold Your love. Quicken our desire to turn toward You, repent for things done and left undone, and pledge our love and obedience to Your Commandments.

Blessed be our God

RESPONSE: Who hears our every prayer

~ God of All Creation, embolden and encourage us as we urge productive humanitarian and environmental actions from the political leaders of our Nation, our Community, and our Planet, in the service of safety, mercy, and health for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed be our God

Who hears our every prayer

~ God of All Creation, deliver comfort and hope to all who are sick, anxious, or fearful, and to those who worry and attend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Blessed be our God

Who hears our every prayer

~ God of All Creation, we commend to Your eternal embrace all who have left this mortal life, and are now received into everlasting joy and glory in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed be our God

Who hears our every prayer

~ God of All Creation, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions… add your own petitions

Blessed be our God

Who hears our every prayer

~ God of All Creation, lift and renew the spirits of all who lead us in Your church in these difficult days, that they may guide us all to a place of spiritual refreshment through Your Word and by Your Love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed be our God

Who hears our every prayer

The Celebrant adds: Living, Loving Creator, who holds our souls in life, free us from earthly fears and steady us on our journey to You, as we offer sacrifice and prayer for a good conscience and constant thanksgiving for the Resurrection of Christ. We ask through Jesus our Living Savior; and the Spirit of Truth, our Holy Advocate, who live and reign with You, as One God, forever and ever. Amen

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Monday, May 4, 2020

Prayers of the People: The Heart of the House ~ 5th Sunday of Easter '20 Yr A

For Sunday, May 10, 2020, 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, Readings: Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. [Acts 7:59-60]

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge...lead me and guide me...for you are my tower of strength...Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. [Psalm 31:1a, 3b, 5b]

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation...Come to him, a living stone...and like living stones, let yourself be built into a spiritual house...you are a chosen race...God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [1Peter 2:2 4a, 5a, 9a,b]

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe in me also...Jesus said to [Thomas], "I am the way, and the truth, and the life...If you know me, you will know my father also...Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these..." [John 14:1, 6a,b; 12a]

We hear very little about Stephen in the lectionary even as he has the distinction of being Christianity's First Martyr. His story - there isn't a whole lot - is in the prior chapter and verses, with a few more words beyond his death. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles is Luke's summary account of the activities of the original 12, and the newer Apostles, from the Ascension of Jesus through Paul's final imprisonment in Rome. Stephen's story begins briefly in chapter 6:5 and carries through from 6:8 until 8:3 where we find Saul, who becomes Paul, ravaging the church because people lamented Stephen's death. The more success the Apostles - Stephen among them - became at attracting disciples to join them, even some of the priests, the angrier the High Priest and Council grew. These Jesus-followers were a threat to their established order, and, especially their political power. They thought they had ended their woes when they fomented the political crucifixion of Jesus. And then those pesky followers kept growing in number. Another political murder was essential. It has never really ended; we just don't want to recognize it in our own time.

Stephen's commitment to Jesus mirrors Jesus' commitment on the cross, and, Stephen asks for those who have stoned him to be absolved, as Jesus did. The recurring theme in all these readings for this Sunday, for me, is commitment. What is the state of my commitment to Christ? Should I be, need I be willing to be a martyr for Christ? Yes, no, maybe, sort of? Is death the only form of martyrdom? It’s not something we western Christians generally want to ponder. Aren’t the current quarantine protests, for and against, enough to worry about? Isn’t going to church (if only online) and/or praying regularly (mostly), and sending some money, enough of a commitment? We’re not 1^st century Israel after all and I liked the Good Shepherd story better.

Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled yet, especially in this unsettling time of pandemic, it is troubling to wonder how I am supposed to be as a Christian. The messages from various denominations, not to mention some political factions, seem entirely contradictory to the message of Christ as I believe it. But it was the same in Jesus' time, and in many more times since, and this is where we hit the stones on The Way. We cannot be certain that we believe as fully and completely and as well as we want to or know as much as we think we’re supposed to but Jesus is that strong rock, that precious cornerstone that holds our spiritual house in place. When we truly turn our hearts and commit our spirits to him, when we speak our belief in him through our words and actions, it will definitely be a very rocky road on more than a few occasions. It is by walking together in and as a community of faith, by continually exploring our own understanding of what we believe and why, that our foundation is strengthened, and our hearts are un-troubled a little more each day. We will trip and fall, be ignored or outright rejected, we'll get a lot wrong, but if we got this far on faith, it is because in our hearts we are becoming the living stones. Together we find the courage and the strength to proclaim the mighty acts of him who called each of us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let us drink deeply of the pure, spiritual milk that will nourish us all the way into salvation as we turn to Christ as the Heart of our House.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, our Stronghold, You are the Cornerstone of our spiritual house, the purest Milk for our spirits; our Way, our Truth, and our Life. Lead us into the fullness of God’s marvelous light, away from the deep darkness of sin.

O Lord, O God of Truth

RESPONSE: Oh Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, embolden us, and arouse the courage of Stephen within us, to urge the political powers across this Nation, this Community, and this Planet, to employ compassion and quell inhumanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth

O Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, un-trouble the hearts of all who are fearfully ill, and, reinvigorate all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth

O Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, we give You praise and thanksgiving for receiving the spirits of those we love, who now dwell with You in the everlasting peace of God. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth

O Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth

O Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

~ Jesus, our Stronghold, grant our anointed leaders ever-increasing fortitude, patience, and desire, to help us flourish as Living Stones, obedient to Your Word, with a firm foundation in faith. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, O God of Truth

O Christ, our Rock and our Refuge

The Celebrant adds: Creator God, our Tower of Strength, shine Your face upon us, that through our spiritual sacrifices, we may fully commit ourselves into the hands of Christ. As did Your servant Stephen, may we proclaim His mighty acts unashamed, hold no sins against others, and be acceptable in Your sight. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of our souls, who live and reign with You, as One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Prayers of the People: Through the Open Gate ~ 4th Sunday of Easter '20 Yr A

For Sunday, May 3, 2020, Readings: Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10

Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [Acts 2:42]

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

[Psalm 23:1-2]

But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps...When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten...by his wounds you have been healed...For you were going astray like sheep but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. [1 Peter 2:20b-21, 23, 24b-25]

Jesus said, "...the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name...and the sheep follow him because they know his voice...Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep...Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. [John 10:2-3a, 4b, 7, 9]

Psalm 23 is, without doubt, the best-known piece of Scripture in the world among multiple religions, denominations, and sects, for the believers, and for those who have no faith affiliation or belief. The poetic language ascribed to King David, a shepherd in his youth, gives us the most pastoral image available as it draws us line-by-line to how the everyday activities of actual shepherds* describe in detail how God cares for us.

It is also true that sometimes the familiar is too comfortable and we don’t really hear the phrasing as we repeat syllables by rote. We aren't always contemplating the meaning and call to personal response and action behind them. We must listen again with fresh ears, minds, and hearts. The beauty and comfort of the Shepherd in Psalm 23 is easily zoned in on while the other readings are more easily left behind. But even this calming pastoral narrative comes with a price. We who want to know ourselves as true and faithful Christians must rouse ourselves from complacency, listen for the Voice that calls, and then follow, in earnest and in confidence. All we "have" on this earthly plain is temporary, which has never been clearer than in this current time of rampant pandemic.

For Episcopalians/Anglicans, the reading from Acts this week is infused with one of the promises made by us or for us in our Baptismal or Confirmation Covenants: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers..." The statements of belief and the promises of the Covenant are a quick refresher and guide to the basics of true Christian living, and always worth reviewing regularly, whether or not you are of this denominational heritage and practice. [for more information click here: BCPonline for the US version of the Book of Common Prayer - Holy Baptism - and scroll to pages 304-5 for the promises]

Of course, these times make the actions of in-person fellowship and the breaking and receiving of sacred bread beyond our reach for the moment. Yet there are still ways to be together-in-distance. As we break bread for our meals each day, let us remember to say a simple “grace” as we sit down to eat. Prayer and the Apostles’ teachings are always readily available to us, and most of us can meet and greet each other in many other ways by mail, phone, a quick email, or online chat. One way to pray is by using Psalm 23 aloud and inserting the name and specific pronouns of others, especially those who are the most isolated and afraid, such as, “The Lord is Margaret’s shepherd, she shall not be in want…” Think about printing it out in that form and mailing it to someone in great need to connect, and re-read/pray it often for yourself.

In the lesson from 1st Peter, we are given the difficult and all-too-current reminder that although we are to suffer what we must, as Jesus in his Passion, we are not to return abuse in kind. We are to realize that by the wounds of Jesus we are healed as we were going astray like sheep, but...have now returned... Somedays are easier than others with political fervor at high pitch. Yet the Gospel also carries the Shepherd theme and comforts us with another serene image, that of Christ as the divine Gate that opens for all of His sheep to have salvation in a safe, and abundant pasture.
Let us not go astray like sheep but flock together through the open Gate, to dwell with the Lamb of God now and forever.

*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, for an eye- and soul-opening look at the amazing connections between the Psalm's imagery and real-life sheep farming.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Shepherd of our Souls, our Holy Gate, Your calm pasture is always open to us for spiritual shelter and encouragement. As You know us each by our names, kindle our desire to hear Your voice deep within us and follow Your call to salvation and abundant life.