Prayers of the People: BE Attitudes ~ All Saints Sunday '20 Yr A

For Sunday, November 1, 2020, Readings: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

      They will hunger no more, and thirst no more, the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd...[Revelation 7:9-17]

      I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me out of all my terror...The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, and none will be punished who trusts in him. [Psalm 34:4, 22]

     See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are...And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. [1 John :1-3]

    [Jesus] taught them saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst...the merciful...the pure in heart...the peacemakers...those who are persecuted...Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven... [Matthew 5:1-12]

    All Saints Sunday is the actual All Saints Day this year, November 1st. Always a special day for us Catholic kids in Catholic School because, as a Holy Day of Obligation, we had off from school the day after Halloween! We loved rubbing that in the faces of our non-Catholic friends. Oh, well yeah, we were obligated to go to church…but maybe some of us just overslept?

    Of course, we often saw biographical films of the Holy Ones, read hagiographies (bios of Saints), discovered who our patron Saints were and generally recognized Saints as mostly long-ago-very-holy-people. While many of us had our favorites for one reason or another, for me the whole “Saint” thing seemed remote from everyday life. As an adult, I’ve read some accounts of some historically famous Saints, including a couple of fairly recent ones, whose activities didn’t always seem so, well, saintly.

    It seems that defining "Saint" in this day and age still conjures a mind-image of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable for us, and, if we're honest, undesirably difficult. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles. How did their lives become exemplary? There was something extra in their attitude of life and in what drew others to them.

    As an Episcopalian I have come to appreciate that there are many on our Liturgical Calendar who are not designated “Saints” but are remembered for particular gifts or positions that shone in ways that changed themselves and others in relating to God. The best discussion I have found of “sainthood” is from Sister Joan Chittister, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

      It seems to me that it matters not if one is an official Saint. Yet there are certainly exemplary qualities of those who are official as well as those who are not, but they stand out, as Sr. Joan says, because: they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. It is an attitude for us to acquire in our quest for eternal life. An attitude of being a child of God, and knowing that the full presence of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are within us always, ready to be shining through us, for our neighbors and for ourselves. In the Gospel for this week, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches those present that often those who might be considered the least of us are especially blessed. It opens up a way of living for us to contemplate, a pathway of living intentionally into the blessings of God. As we look into one or more of the ideals of the Beatitudes, we may just discover new prayerful habits, conscious acts in all we say and do, our own personal BE Attitudes to take us through each day accompanied by that ever-growing Communion of Saints and saints until we, too, join the Heavenly Chorus.  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, as we celebrate the Holy Saints of the Ages, we also commend to You the everyday saints still living among us. Grant us the wisdom to follow the examples set for us, to seek a saintly heart within our own flawed humanness, and to discover our blessed place in the Beatitudes of Christ.

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, in these especially critical times, infuse us with continuing courage and strength to impel the leaders of our Community, our Country, and our World to reverse injustice, renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor within themselves and in us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress and wipe away the tears of all whose spirits languish in serious illness, anxiety, and hopelessness, and endow those who give them care with energy, patience, and love. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, our hearts rejoice for those who have gone ahead, guided to the springs of the water of new life by and in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You                   

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Revive our hope in You

The Celebrant adds: Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You together with our mortal failings may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever. Amen

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Them are Us ~ 21st Sunday after Pentecost Yr A

For Sunday, October 25, 2020, Readings: Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Psalm 90:1-6, 

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46

       Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. [Deuteronomy 34:10]

            Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another...May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands... Psalm 90:1, 17a]

       We had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition...We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. [1 Thessalonians 2:2b,4b]

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

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

     But here’s a shocker, we each are the other, a member of “them” to someone else. We create and receive suspicion and fear when we step away from what we think is our special sheltered space to enter another’s. Of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are truly dangerous and who would do anyone true harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, hair styles, clothing, body art or lack of, another neighborhood, region, or country, etc. It's much easier to have a big chart of absolutes – this group BAD, this group GOOD – and that way we don't have to engage, learn more about, slip into liking, and are able to avoid knowing that skin, muscles, blood, and bones are the same in all of God's people. 

      It's difficult, uncomfortable, even distressing at times, to sift through our own prejudice, dislike, even hatred of an unknown person or group. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think for myself because I know my group and will avoid those outside of it. It also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble loving myself? Is it truly self-satisfying to dismiss or diminish another – or just an ego boost of a very false sense of superiority or, even inferiority?

      Jesus, answering this lawyer in Matthew’s Gospel, who is also a Pharisee, gets directly to the point that all the Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. This concept is no surprise to the Pharasaic lawyer. Earlier in Deuteronomy, Dt 6:4-5 specifically, is the opening to the Shema (sheh-mah), which in Judaism is a part of morning and evening prayer: Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might. Earlier still, in Leviticus 19:18b, is …you shall love your neighbor as yourself. It is Jesus, however, who combines the two as the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it… and surprises them with what we now refer to as the summary of the Law when he says to those who would trap him: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. If you think about it, if you truly love God and love your neighbor as yourself, you will honor and you won’t covet, steal, or otherwise break any of the other commandments!

     Yet the obvious questions remain as we search for loopholes and escape from the hard work: Who is my neighbor? Answer: Any/Every human you meet. OK, I have to “love” my neighbor, but do I also have to like my neighbor? Answer: Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him, or them, might surprise you. Putting a face on a label challenges one’s pre-conceived notions and what one has been led to believe by a group-think. Loving your neighbor is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and discovering similarities. That instant judgement within ourselves is not easy to overcome, especially when those around us are sticking with the usual plan.

      Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's reading, and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the human-made-subject-to-change-rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. If we keep repeating to ourselves, as a mantra perhaps, Help me, Jesus, to Love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my might, and to love my neighbor as myself, and we are consciously and intentionally working to live and act within these two commandments, we will discover a stronger faith in God, and that on God’s Label, Them really are Us. Let’s all keep working on this, together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

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

                                                  Lord of All Life

                          Response:      Prosper our work in Your Name

~ Gracious Creator, guide those of us who have a choice for our political leaders, to responsibly choose as stewards of all humanity and of this entire planet, those who will lead, legislate, and personally act with sincerity and integrity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

           Lord of All Life                                        

           Prosper our work in Your Name   

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

           Lord of All Life                                        

           Prosper our work in Your Name 

~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to live again in Christ’s enduring love. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

           Lord of All Life                                        

           Prosper our work in Your Name 

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

           Lord of All Life                                        

           Prosper our work in Your Name 

~ Gracious Creator, we praise You and we thank you for those who answered the calling, anointing, and commitment to lead us in worship, in prayer, and companionship on our constant pilgrimage toward eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

           Lord of All Life                                        

           Prosper our work in Your Name 

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our Refuge, grant us the humility to delight in Your Law, to seek the way of the righteous in all that we do, and to be courageous in faith, sharing the Gospel in, for, and by the strength of Your Love. We ask through Jesus, our Savior Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom within; who together with You, live and reign as One God, every day, always, and forever. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Facial Recognition ~ 20th Sunday after Pentecost Yr A

For Sunday, October 18, 2020, Readings: Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22

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

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

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

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

    Is this the same Moses who pleaded with God not to send him to Pharaoh and said: …I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue…? [Exodus 4:10] As a model of trust and experience, Moses certainly has a lot to say to God again this week and even more intensely than last week. With an insistent tone, in a startling lesson in courage, he perseveres in his demands that require God to listen and respond ~ but, Moses also knows when to take a breath and wait for God's voice. Among other things, this is a reminder that each one of us can speak to God in our own voices with our own words and tell, ask, and even demand, and then quietly, patiently, and with an open heart, listen for ~ and accept ~ how and when God chooses to answer.
       We are shown by Moses and then Paul reminds us to recognize and live into our deep relationship with God as we build our trust and faith, to feel the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Each breath we take comes from God and that awareness gives us the willingness, however tentative at times, to begin to act upon it. The more we are conscious of living our faith, the more faith grows, and our prayer and action become a truer reflection of the image of God that we already are. 
       The subtle twist in the Gospel lesson of Jesus and Caesar's money is often lost, much like the obscurity of an inside joke that only works when everyone "gets it." Remembering that this is just after the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to cheers and high excitement, provides a heightened sense of tension in this week of weeks in Christ’s brief human experience. We know what is ahead in only a few short days.
       On the surface, this seemingly casual exchange appears as a teaching on the separation of Church and State but wait. As so very often happens, Jesus is turning the tables on those almost-smart-enough Pharisees. Instead of falling into their trap, he caught them in his. The coin with the Emperor Caesar's image also contained an inscription that proclaimed the divinity of Caesar. While the coin was the mandatory currency by the occupying Romans, for the Jews the image alone was clearly as blasphemous as the inscription regarding divinity. All Pharisees would know that from the prohibitions in both Genesis and Exodus against graven images and proclamations of divinity other than the God of Abraham. While the coins were required in everyday life, especially for paying Roman taxes, anyone on Temple grounds with such a coin in his pocket would be guilty of the very serious offense of blasphemy. That's why there were money changers at the Temple to exchange Roman money for an acceptable coin for Jewish offerings, coins that contained no human or animal images. The Pharisees' disciples were expecting Jesus to uphold the coin, perhaps even on Temple grounds, and then they could proclaim him as a blasphemer. No such luck. When Jesus tosses off the "Give therefore to the Emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's," the Pharisees' disciples were amazed because they suddenly knew the joke was on them. It has been suggested that perhaps, in his quietly subversive way, Jesus was hinting about a payback to Caesar as in "Give to Caesar what he deserves?"  
        We are created in the image of God and we are called to give the currency of ourselves to God's purpose. Although Moses was denied seeing the Face of God, seeking and finding God in Christ in one another is the only facial recognition we need. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

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

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

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

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

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

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

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

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

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

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

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

                              

                                                       Holy God, Living and True
                                                       Strengthen our faith and conviction

The Celebrant adds: O God Most High, keep us close in Your holy heart that we are reminded often of Your constancy, to ask often for Your favor, and to be conscious of how to serve You in every moment of this brief and mortal life. We ask this through our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God now and forever.  Amen.

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

Prayers of the People: The Calf, The Wrath, and The Wardrobe ~ 19th Sunday after Pentecost, ' 20 Year A

For Sunday, October 11, 2020, Readings: Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106: 1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14

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

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

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

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

        Party Planners have their hands full with the readings for this week. Back in the desert, the Israelites are restless. Moses hasn't come back from God's mountain soon enough to suit them. Just like any group of unruly children left with a not-so-responsible babysitter, or petulant adults who can be as bad or worse, there is a lot of the familiar grumbling and complaining from our favorite wanderers. It quickly escalates into a huge party centered around a golden calf crafted by Aaron (the unhelpful care-taker) with their melted gold jewelry. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt [Psalm 106: 21]. God is, to put it mildly, not pleased telling Moses I have seen...how stiff necked they are...Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them... Moses implored God to calm down and turn away from wrath and prevent a disaster. God took a breath and changed the plan. But humans are humans and there is no doubt in my mind that some of the grumbling continued even if there was no more overt defiance on their journey.

       The Psalmist sings out a huge sigh of relief and Hallelujah for the saving help and intervention by Moses for the Israelites, who nearly exchanged their Glory for the image of an ox...  

       Matthew tells a Jesus parable of a king's wedding banquet where the guests declined and made light of the invitation. Even after a second invitation was issued, the invitees refused and killed the king's own messengers. The king destroyed them and their city as retaliation, but was still determined to fill the banquet hall and people out on the streets were all invited. 

       The perplexing part is that one guest wasn't dressed properly infuriating the king who had him bound and thrown where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus then tells us that many are called but few are chosen. I realize that trying to understand this allegory through the lens of my everyday life, I'm surely missing the point. Others who are more learned and wiser than me will likely have a clearer and more theological explanation, but what comes to me hearkens back to the Exodus story. We can be chastened or even frightened into submission and obedience even if that "obedience" is half-hearted and insincere. But if I dress my heart and soul with the proper attire of prayer and supplication with thanksgiving as Paul tells us, the peace of God that passes all understanding, will guard  my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. The more I pray and attend to an honorable, just, and pure mindset, the more of God's peace I will receive, through both the most difficult and the most delightful days of my short temporal existence.

         Upon self-reflection, I re-discover too many golden calves in my life that call me away from the ultimate invitation. By my own lack of attention, willfulness, or laziness, I am making light of the purpose for which I was created, dismissing the gift of being called and chosen. Avoiding the temptations of the something shiny syndrome is no easy task for this imperfect mortal. As I ponder these readings about a gleaming calf, God's wrath, and what is an appropriate wardrobe to meet the Divine, I realize how now is always a good time for me to RSVP ~ Dear God, I accept! I have the directions, and THANKS for inviting me. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Merciful Lord, grant us the courage to disavow worship of shiny distractions to stand firm in Your always present love. May we humbly accept Your continuing invitation to be joined with You through our prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

                                       O God, our Peace                            
          RESPONSE:                    Guard our hearts

~ Most Merciful Lord, visit Your saving help upon us that we may successfully prevail upon political leaders, to act with justice and do what is right for the health and safety of all, on our Planet, in our Country, and throughout every village, town, and city in Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God, our Peace
                                                       Guard our hearts

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

                                                       O God, our Peace
                                                       Guard our hearts

~ Most Merciful Lord, joyfully receive our beloved into the sunshine of Your grace upon grace, in the fullness of Christ, the very expression of Your love for us all. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God, our Peace
                                                       Guard our hearts

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

                                                       O God, our Peace
                                                       Guard our hearts

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

                                                       O God, our Peace
                                                       Guard our hearts

The Celebrant adds: O God, Mighty and Good, guide us to follow all that is true, honorable, and just, in excellence and purity, as You would have us do, to be among Your chosen. We ask for Your continuing patience as we pledge ourselves again to Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Constant Companion; who together with You, live and reign as One God, now and for eternity. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Tenants, Anyone? ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, October 4, 2020; Readings: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46

    Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon up so that you do not sin." [Exodus 20:20]

    The Law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul...Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:7, 14] 

    ...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

   Jesus said [to the Pharisees], "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'...Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. [Matthew 21:42-43]

     This week we are given a personal reading by God in a passage we know as The Ten Commandments, or The Decalogue ~ from the Greek for “the ten words.” The Israelites are frightened by the power and enormity of God’s voice, the thunder and lightning and sound of an otherworldly trumpet. Well, who wouldn’t be? They turn to Moses to request that he, only, act as God’s spokesman. Moses tries to reassure them but explains that it is God’s test to put the fear in them so that they don’t sin. How soon they and we all forget…

    Paul is writing to his most loyal congregation. He wants them – and us – to understand that in strength of faith, even during hardship, we can press on…because Christ Jesus has made me/us his own. Our power comes from our Lord through our faith. Some days are easier than others.

    And then with Matthew we are into an infamous Vineyard scenario. This time Jesus tells us a parable about the tenants who are running the place and when the owner's representatives came to collect the owner's share of the produce, the evil and rebellious tenants beat one, stoned one, and killed another. The owner sends a second group who received the same treatment. Finally, the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be treated with all due respect. But even the son was killed so the conspiring tenants could "get his inheritance." [Mt 21:38b] 

   At first glance, I can't help wondering if some of these tenants had been the disgruntled workers of the previous vineyard parable, those who worked longer hours and received the same pay as those who worked fewer.

   At second glance, I feel as if I'm reading a headline about a local, national, or even international situation. Hateful rhetoric, tragedy, and rage seem to be so commonplace, as to almost desensitize us from shock. Violence, even in mere language, has become frighteningly normalized as otherwise “nice” people make vicious and disturbing comments on social media. The headlines on air and in print show us that every-day life is getting meaner by the moment. Not unlike in Jesus' own time, brutality in word and deed is the tool of vengeful cowards who know no other way to express their own fear and impotence.

    And then there's the third glance, Jesus is giving a lesson to the disciples about what is happening then, what is to come, and the ever-watching Pharisees unhappily get the picture about who's who and what's what in this parable. And as they should know, God is pretty clear in Exodus about The Law ~ how we are to behave ourselves and toward one another. Legal scholars often argue about interpretating the differences between the spirit of the law – the intent of the framer – and the letter of the law – defining its literal understanding. Paul cuts through to the heart of it and tells us in Philippians:  ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

      We are the tenants in this parable as the vineyard is all of Creation and God is the owner. Our travel along this temporary road of earthly life is filled with bumps, potholes, sunshine, rain, disasters and rewards, and everything else. While we often despair of the mean-ness in today’s world, we are to take heart and even rejoice in the Presence of Christ, the Cornerstone of our spiritual foundation. The Summary of the Law that Jesus gives us in Mark 12:29-31 is our simple map to guide us forward. As we work for the good of this vineyard in faith, hope, and love, let us seek in Christ the sustenance, renewal, and the revival of our souls that readies and steadies us for all that is to come. So, who wants to join this group of good tenants, anyone? Let’s gather and press on toward the Cornerstone that is the Living Christ.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O LORD, our God, grant us the humility to desire and accept the call as tenants in Your earthly vineyard. Turn us from the idols of temptation and fill us with acceptable words and meditations to nurture, produce, and share the fruits of Your perfect Law.   

                                    O God of Glory
RESPONSE:                           Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, strengthen and empower our voices in the governing halls across our Community, our Nation, and our World, to urge generosity of spirit, compassion, and ethical judgment in every facet of policy and legislation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, heal the pain of all who are chronically ill in body, mind, or spirit, and embrace the hearts of those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, deepen the joy of our loved ones who now live again in the peace and glory of Your eternal sunshine. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

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

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults        

~ O LORD, our God, renew and increase the energy and excite the hearts of all who are chosen to lead and enlighten us on our mutual path to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our Strength and Redeemer, impel our wills to press on toward the goal for the prize of our Savior Christ. Keep us whole and sound and innocent of great offence, reviving our souls on our journey to You. We ask through Jesus our Christ, the Cornerstone of our life and faith; and the Holy Spirit who breathes the holy into our hearts; who together with You, are one God, now and forever. Amen

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