Prayers of the People: Light Lifting ~ 5th Sunday after the Epiphany '21 Yr B

For Sunday, February 7, 2021, Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147: 1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, 

Mark 1:29-39

    Lift up your eyes and see...Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth...those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles... [Isaiah 40:26a, 28, 31]

           [The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; there is no limit to his wisdom. The Lord lifts up the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground. [Psalm 147:3-6]

        I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. [1 Corinthians 9:22b-23]

     [Jesus] came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them...In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went to a deserted place, and there he prayed. [Mark 1:31, 35]

         The book of the prophet Isaiah introduces the readings for today ~ more specifically, in scholarly/theological terms ~ this piece is from Deutero-Isaiah [doo-ter-oh] or Second Isaiah. The book of this prophet is written in three distinct parts and most likely by three distinct authors. This piece is sometimes called the "Book of Consolation" as it speaks to an audience of those in a long exile out of Jerusalem which for some was not too bad and for others just terrible, not unlike our current state of pandemic. This piece is filled with non-judgmental, hope-filled language of restoration, rebuilding, and renewal. I like the parental tone of the opening: Have you not known? Have you not heard? [as if “Hello, I’ve said this before, remember?!”] God has always promised to remain with us and, as during the Exodus, God's power never fails, never grows faint or weary. The prophet calls us to lift our eyes to look at Creation and see. In a poetic turn not only are we protected by the wings of God, but God gives those in exile ~ and us ~ wings of our own to lift us out of our weakness and weariness, a profound gift that offers us renewal of strength.         

          The Psalmist reminds us of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the gathering of the exiles to return home, and how God recognizes and heals the wounds and broken hearts as God lifts up the lowly. We are all to sing praises, sing with thanksgiving, make music upon the harp for all that God has bestowed upon us. 

          Paul's letter, in his not always easy way, speaks of his meeting people where they are to offer the way of the Gospel. What Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians ~ and us ~ is that we are to welcome, listen, and not judge. That is a true balancing act and always difficult as we work on loving our neighbors as ourselves and attempt to be open and inviting about our faith. At first glance it may seem that Paul is being deceptive when he says I have become all things to all people, as if playing a false role to entice others. His intent is not only to show them the way to discover a saving relationship with God, he also wants to understand their lives and reveal his own weaknesses to them as imperfect as we all are in service to God. He offers the message of the Gospel to them free, without charge, no contributions or any financial support.

         And Jesus, lifted up Simon's mother-in-law and she was freed from the fever. Her response was to honor Jesus in the way she knew how, a ministry of hospitality. And then he and the disciples moved on to the neighboring towns to proclaim the message and show us the way to follow. Isn't that what we each must do?  

       Let us honor the gifts of God, the healings, words, and works of Jesus, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, by accepting our wings, soaring to new heights of commitment, and proclaiming the message. There are many directions in this life, but only One Way. 

        There's a lot of lifting going on in these readings but we only have the light work. Haven't you heard? Just lift up your eyes and see!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Everlasting Creator, You call us each and all by our names, and offer us spiritual wings like eagles to soar in this life and the next. Grant us the humility to lift our eyes to see, to meet others where and as they are, to share the blessings of the Gospel, and to understand the gracious favor of Your limitless wisdom and mighty power.

                                                     O Lord, Great and Mighty

                          RESPONSE:    Lift and renew us again

~ Everlasting Creator, guide us to be unwavering reminders, to those in Earth-bound political authority, of the limits and transience of human power, and their absolute duty to prosper all who are living lowly in this World, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift and renew us again

~ Everlasting Creator, bind the wounds and heal the hearts of those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and grant stamina to all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift and renew us again    

~ Everlasting Creator, we celebrate our memories and commend to You, all who have left the exile of this mortal life for Your infinite and eternal paradise. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift and renew us again

~ Everlasting Creator, 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, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift and renew us again

   

~ Everlasting Creator, continually renew the strength of Spirit in those who preside at the sacred feast of Christ’s table, as we share with them in the work for and the blessings of the Holy Gospel proclaimed. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, Great and Mighty

                                                       Lift and renew us again

The Celebrant adds:  Gracious, All-Knowing God, free and restore us from the fever of sin, that we may accept Your call to serve You in faithfulness, gratitude, and constancy in prayer. We ask this through Jesus, our Healer; and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter; who live and reign with You as One God, now and beyond the ages of ages. 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: Awe-fully Amazing ~ 4th Sunday after the Epiphany '21 Yr B

For Sunday, January 31, 2021, Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 

Mark 1:21-28

       I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. [Deuteronomy 18:18b-19]

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

     ...we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up...anyone who loves God is known by him...for us there is one God...from whom are all things and for who we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. [1 Corinthians 8:1, 2b, 6]

        Jesus...entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching...Just then there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out...But Jesus rebuked him...and the unclean spirit came out...they were all amazed... [Mark 1:21b, 22b, 23, 24a, 26a, 27]

        When was the last time you were amazed or astounded by Jesus? Or, maybe you haven't been but might like to be? I've been very moved during a retreat, in Sunday worship, by hymns and readings, in my personal prayer, and in other ways  ~ yet, reading this account from Mark, I'm suddenly aware that, whether through unconscious assumptions, a mild case of apathy, perhaps even some complacency, my sense of amazement and wonder is seriously lacking. Jesus has been a part of my life for so very long I've been taking it all for granted, as if it's all easily understood, as if "I've got this." How is the awe recaptured or discovered?

       As for the "fear" that the Psalmist speaks of, I do remember that as a child I learned, by accident or design through my religious instruction, to be afraid of God, terrified at times that my misbehavior was grounds for eternal damnation. It's hard to distance oneself from that kind of image and language. So how can I begin to have wisdom if I am frightened of my Creator who loves me and who I am supposed to love?

      This fear "of the Lord" isn't meant to be the kind of fear we associate with being scared and worried, or afraid of being in trouble. Rather, the ancient sense of the word tells us that in being filled with love, respect, and awe, we will fervently desire to be faithful in our daily lives, offering ourselves to God through our thoughts and actions. It's the kind of "fear" or concern or care that we have when we don't want to upset, offend, or anger anyone we truly love.

       If we consciously engage with God through Scripture, worship, and prayer with more intention, if we sincerely want to know God the Creator, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, from whom all things are, and for whom we all exist [1 Cor 8:6], our wisdom will increase and our amazement will take hold. With faithfulness and awe of God as our life's primary work, our little forays into eating in the temple of an idol [1 Cor 8:10], that is, giving in to the earthly temptations and everyday distractions that surround and pull us away from God, will be easier to overcome.

      It is time, once again or for the first time, to discover that amazement, to be astounded at the life and work and words of Jesus, to open our daily life and frequent prayers with true wonder, love, and praise. What can happen? It's awe-fully amazing! Here's a way to begin, start well, and just sing out with gusto:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.  

[composed by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885, translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hein]

 LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, arouse and provoke us to rediscover amazement and awe in Your faithfulness, justice, and righteousness. Turn us away from the puffery of mere knowledge and the empty glamor in temples of idols, to full engagement and accountability in the work You have given us to do.

                                                    Gracious, Compassionate Lord                                         

 RESPONSE:                 You know us by our Love

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, embolden our resolve to demand of those in authority in this World, in this Country, and in this Community, the fulfillment of basic needs, economic justice, and mercy for all Your people, as the fundamental necessities for peace, human rights, and the moral and ethical survival of our souls.  add your own petitions

                                                       Gracious, Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, warm the spirits of all who are confined by serious illness, anxiety, or loneliness, and re-kindle the energy of all who give them care.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Gracious, Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love   

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, help our hearts rejoice as You clothe the newly departed with Your garments of heavenly splendor and abiding peace.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

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

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love                  

~ O God, Almighty and Everlasting, place Your Voice in the words of all who lead us in the Church, to speak to us as Your true prophets that we may hear and heed Your wisdom and commands.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Compassionate Lord

                                                       You know us by our Love

The Celebrant adds: O God of Truth and Equity, from Whom all things are and for Whom we all exist, free our spirits from all that is unclean and build us up in love. Re-ignite our desire to be Your faithful and faith-filled servants, constantly astounded by the breadth and depth of Your Power and Glory. This we ask through Christ Jesus, our Messiah; and the Counsel of the Holy Spirit; who together with You live and reign as One God, infinite and eternal, 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

The Prayers of the People: Come as You Are ~ 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany '21 Yr B

For Sunday, January 24, 2021, Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:6-14, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20

      So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord...And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. [Jonah 3:3a, 4b-5]

   For God...alone is my rock and my salvation...my safety and my honor...and my refuge. [Psalm 62:7a, 8b]

       I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short...for the present form of this world is passing away. [1 Corinthians 7:29a, 31b]

  As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea...And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. [Mark 1:16-17]

         I love the Book of Jonah! In an early part, he tries to hide from God, running off to a ship in the opposite direction of where God is ordering him to go. Then, thrown overboard by the crew, he gets caught up in a whale of an experience [cheap shot, I know]. After praying to God and being granted his release from the fish, he finally, though still grudgingly, goes where he is told to go and tells the people what God wants them to hear, that God is preparing to destroy them in forty days. Nineveh has been steeped in nasty, ghastly, evil-doings but Jonah had previously told them that because God was close to them, God would continue to support them no matter what they did. Now, Jonah is the one ordered by God to deliver this message of impending doom. God’s sense of ironic humor?

         Suddenly, perhaps out of an “oh yeah watch this” attitude, Jonah is so convincing that the people hear, believe, and seriously repent. Later in this story, Jonah ~ who never wanted to be a prophet ~ is actually angry because God changes direction and decides not to destroy the city after the people overthrew their own evil ways because of Jonah's prophecy. Such a human response: wait, what, you're NOT going to kill them? But I said what you told me to say...  The book leaves us as it finds us with Jonah still a very grumpy man.  

         Paul, who thought that the Second Coming of Jesus was imminent, grimly and still accurately reminds us that our time in this life is short and we need to pay attention to how we are living. We will come as we are at the time we are called by God to the next life, as the Psalmist also says of our God of steadfast love, for you repay everyone according to his deeds.  

         And then there is Jesus who calls the next group of disciples ~ Simon, Andrew, James, and John ~ to leave their current lives NOW and follow Him. Can you even imagine walking away from your life as you know it, from family, and responsibilities, and all that you have worked for because someone like Jonah, Paul, or Jesus says you must? It certainly requires a high level of trust, that inner sense of I believe, a strength in faith I'm not sure I have, or maybe one I didn't want. 

        Realistically, I believe we are to change our spiritual path starting where we are ~ not abandoning our earthly responsibilities and loved ones ~ but remembering that we were created to be in this world, just not of it. It's time to examine my faith and begin to accept that I can do better, I can answer the call, I can live a life that calls others to see, respond, and join me in the net cast by God. And we are not alone in any of it. It does sound a little fishy to an un-faith-filled ear, but then, is there a better way to be caught? Just come as you are…Tick-tock...

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, You call us through Prophets, Gospels, and Teachers, and the Voice of the Holy Spirit within, to come as we are to follow the path of Christ’s Good News. Let us, in the fleeting breath of our human existence: hear again, trust, repent, and leave our nets to Your care, turning our hearts toward Yours to accept and thrive in Your steadfast love.

                                     Gracious, Merciful Lord          

RESPONSE:              We put our trust in You

~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, grant us continuing courage to walk the path of discipleship and call to account the leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community. As we strive to establish more justice, mercy, and peace, and other ways of enhancing the lives of all Your People, let us strive equally to eliminate all actions that diminish them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                         Gracious, Merciful Lord

                                         We put our trust in You

~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, sustain the hope for all laid low by chronic or terminal illness, homelessness, or despair; and encourage the hearts of all those who provide support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                         Gracious, Merciful Lord

                                         We put our trust in You   

~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, soothe the hearts of all who grieve as You receive our faithful departed with open arms, into Your everlasting love and light. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                         Gracious, Merciful Lord

                                         We put our trust in You

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

                                         Gracious, Merciful Lord

                                         We put our trust in You

~ O God, our Rock and our Salvation, we ask Your special favor upon all You have chosen to lead us in Your Church. Fill them with the words and actions that will cause us to re-think, re-work, and re-direct our lives toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                         Gracious, Merciful Lord

                                         We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy and Loving God, You call us to go where we do not want to go, to do what we do not want to do, to be who we do not want to be. Grant us willingness to accept the hook of Your salvation and to become a humble, faith-filled lure as the fishers of people that Jesus asks us to be. We ask through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, live and reign in the bliss of eternal life, 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: God Knows ~ Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ' 21 Yr B

For Sunday, January 17, 2021, Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Ps 139:1-5, 12-17;  1 Cor 6:12-20, 

John 1:43-51 [A Reading from the Rt. Rev Quintin E. Primo, Jr.*]

  And Samuel said, "Speak for your servant is listening." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle..." As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him...And all Israel...knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. [1 Samuel 3:10b-11,19-a-20]

             Lord you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar...You trace my journeys and my resting- places and are acquainted with all my ways. Indeed there is now a word on my lips, but you O Lord, know it altogether...Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb... [Psalm 139:1-2, 15a]

        But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him...do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? [1 Corinthians 6:15a, 17, 19]

        Nathanael said to [Philip], "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see..." And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." [John 1:46, 51]

   “Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.]

        We're all invited, we've all been called ~ what is our RSVP? I think of young Samuel, confused and wondering, and then, following his instructions from Eli, he answered with Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Later he grew into a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. Would it be easier to be like young Samuel again, merely following instructions of an elder? Well, most of us were at one time, many still are in a way, and few of us have become a trustworthy prophet. Perhaps there’s more than merely following the directions to receive the tingle in our ears when God speaks to us. Perhaps we also need to remember that God knew Samuel, and Eli, and all that was going on. What does God know about me ~ everything!

        There are many Psalms that resonate within me and Psalm 139, particularly, always has a profound effect on me when I read it. There is my Creator, my Divine Parent, who knew me while my limbs were being knitted in the womb and still traces my journeys and my resting-places. Sometimes, admittedly when I’m not at my best (too often), my inner child tries to lie lower as if not to be seen or heard by that Parent, especially when those words on my lips are, well, frankly, quite far from God-like. And then Paul reminds us that our bodies are members of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s far easier to intend to live up to those holy standards than to actually do so, and then I remember that God knows me, more than I know about me or want to.

       Could I have been like Philip, readily follow Jesus and then invite the slightly snarky Nathanael to simply "Come and see?"

       I show up at church regularly, even now that it’s online. I give to charity, do occasional good deeds for others, I even pray often and not just for Divine intervention to get myself out of a jam. But, taking in the readings for this Sunday ~ have I really answered THE CALL? Have I turned my life over to God, truly followed Jesus, and listened to the Holy Spirit? Well, God knows. 

       It is time again to consider how I am to live my life. It is never too late to begin again ~ even Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to claim conversion to Christianity, declared Christianity as a state religion, built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jersualem, the Old St Peter's Basilica, convened the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 from which we still use the Nicene Creed ~ all that, yet, he wouldn’t be baptized until his death bed, and he cut it pretty close! Then there’s St. Augustine of Hippo who said in his Confessions [written between 397-400] that in the early days of his conversion he asked God to make him chaste and continent (self-controlled) but not yet.  SO, when does YET arrive? Or, how many times have I waved it away? God knows.

       What will it mean for my life, how will I have to change, what will others think, am I ready? Yes, God knows all about where I am. And as I form the words in my heart: Speak, Lord, for I, that is, - um, er - your (slightly frightened) servant, is listening. I think that maybe, possibly, I'm more or less ready to come and see.

       And then, when I read these words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., suddenly I feel a slight tingle, perhaps “yet” has arrived: Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself. Oh my…Ok, Samuel, and Philip, Nathanael, and Martin, will you walk with me, too? And, just maybe I'll even be able to pass along the invitation to someone else to come and see, someday, soon. Well, God knows.  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 Leader:  ~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, You have searched us and known us from before we were in the womb and throughout our earthly lives. Tingle our ears and awaken our hearts to remember that we are not our own but members of Christ’s Body and temples of the Holy Spirit. Open us to hear again, to listen deeply, and follow Your call.

                                                                O Lord Who Calls                                                

RESPONSE:                 Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, guide our path to truth, integrity, and justice in a world filled with alienation among people and nations. Grant each of us, and the leaders of this Country, this World, and our local Communities, the wisdom and selflessness to choose the well-being of us all, over destructive actions of temporal and temporary power. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                     O Lord Who Calls

                                                                     Help us to Listen and Answer                                                

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, strengthen the faith of all who suffer from debilitating sickness, especially COVID19; addiction, or depression, and of all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                                     O Lord Who Calls

                                                                     Help us to Listen and Answer     

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, whisper hope to the grieving of the joy for those now released from the trials of this life, into unbounded Glory to live again with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                                     O Lord Who Calls

                                                                     Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                                     O Lord Who Calls

                                                                     Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, we give You special thanks for those lead us in Your church and guide us on our journey to You. Grant them wisdom, insight, and hope, and guide them to embolden us to follow and reflect You with our thoughts, words, and actions in each and every day. We pray especially for: add your own petitions and in memory of the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bishop Quintin Primo.

                                                                     O Lord Who Calls

                                                                     Help us to Listen and Answer

The Celebrant adds: O God of Power and Might, fill us with the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bishop Quintin Primo in seeking the path of Christ in our lives, believing that by our individual and collective actions, we shall overcome violence, oppression, and intolerance, to establish unity and equality for all. We ask through Your Son, Jesus our Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; who together with You reign as One God, One Lord of All, now and forever. Amen

*The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington, Delaware was formed 25 years ago this year from two separate parishes, one traditionally white, and one traditionally African-American and with a significant joint history from a century before. We chose to join together as one intentionally diverse congregation. We celebrate the legacy of Dr. King on this Sunday, and also that of Episcopal African-American Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr, who had served in our Parish and in our Diocese and who many of us were privileged to know. Following is a reading from his autobiography. For more information on this unusual faith community, see: www.ssam.org

A reading from “The Making of a Black Bishop” by the Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr. [1913-1998]:

       “Thinking of novel ways to serve the diocese (Rochester, NY) ...on behalf of St. Simon’s Young People’s Fellowship, we sponsored an annual diocesan-wide choral evensong service for Episcopal young people. The attendance grew from less than 100 the first year to more than 500. The event was designed to accomplish two purposes: to revive the beautiful and once popular sung evening prayer worship service held in many Episcopal churches during the 30’s and 40-s...; and, to provide safe, congenial, and non-threatening surroundings for black and white urban and suburban, small town and rural, middle-class and underclass, and sometimes ‘no class’ young people to socialize, discuss racial and social problems, and proffer practical solutions. Participating clergy persons, youth advisers, parents and the young people themselves benefited enormously from their open discussions and shared experiences.

       “For example, one morning in Chicago, a young white priest came to my office and asked my secretary to see me “for two minutes. The thought-to-be- stranger identified himself by saying, ‘Bishop Primo, as a high schooler and teenager, I participated in your yearly choral evensong services for young people at Simon’s in Rochester, New York. I was so inspired by them and you, that I with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, decided to become a priest and professional counselor. I want to thank you again, and let you know that I am available to serve as a weekend supply priest should you need me….’

       “A few weeks later, the incident was repeated. This time it was a U.S. Marine Chaplain form Virginia, who was in Chicago on business. Entering my office, he said, “I have little time as a taxi is outside waiting to take me to O’Hare Airport. However, I felt could not leave Chicago without seeing you and telling you that I was a teenager when you were at St. Simon’s…..Father Dan Bennett brought me up twice to your annual choral evensong service for young people. I learned a lot about racial understanding and tolerance, and now I am a champion of human rights for all.” I was deeply touched by the Chaplain’s surprise visit and testimony of what those evening prayer services, discussions and socializing had meant to him. I knew there were others who had had similar experiences that I would never know about; it supported the fact that if you reach diverse people in their attitude and behavioral formative years and bring them together for positive and enlightening interaction, the seeds of racial tolerance, unity and understanding can be models and references that impact the remainder of their lives and those with whom they come in contact.”

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Prayers of the People: Another New First Day ~ First Sunday after the Epiphany '21 Yr B

For Sunday, January 10, 2021, Readings: Genesis: 1-5, Ps 29, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11

   

 

    In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light...And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day. [Genesis 1:1-3, 5b]

            Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness...The LORD shall give strength to his people; the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace. [Psalm 29:2, 11]

           Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them... [Acts 19:4-5, 6a]

            In those days Jesus came from Nazareth...and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." [Mark 1:9-11]

        How fitting it seems in our still New Year with the reading from Genesis 1 about Creation's First Day, with light overcoming darkness and wind across the waters. Then the Gospel of Mark detailing the baptism of Jesus which is considered the First Day for his official ministry, with the Holy Spirit arriving as a Dove and the Voice of God proclaiming Jesus as God's Son. 

        Given all that the Scripture of Advent gave us of John's instructions to prepare the way, and now John baptizing the one who is more powerful than himself, I find it curious that Baptism has such varied practices across the breadth of Christianity. For some denominations it is an obligating sacrament, for others a rite of initiation and adoption into the Christian faith, some require it to participate in certain rituals of worship, or reception into a specific sect. Baptism is required by some and deemed unimportant by others. Many believe that infant Baptism is necessary whenever possible, many others do not. Some may offer it to older children or teens and adults for admission into a particular congregation whether or not one has been baptized elsewhere. And as many reasons for it, opposed to it, or neutral, there are many ways to achieve it. 

         With water considered a channel for holiness baptism can be accomplished in the following ways: aspersion (sprinkling), affusion (pouring), or immersion (total or partial, standing or kneeling, or complete submersion). And for those who find themselves wishing they had been baptized but were not for whatever reason, there is the Baptism of Desire ~ that is, if you want it, you have it. John, in Mark's Gospel and Paul, in the reading from Acts, are clear that through Jesus we will also be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 

        We are called by Jesus to follow Him, officially baptized or not, and so we start again at the beginning of this new year with the symbolic beginning of the ministry of Jesus. The words of an old Negro Spiritual say it best. God will trouble the water - stir it up - so we can see the right place to enter the path: 

Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children,
Wade in the water
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see?
God's a-goin' to trouble the water
The Holy Ghost a-coming on me
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

       From the waters of Creation, to the waters of Birth and Baptism, Christ is our bridge over waters troubled and calm and it is He who comes to set our souls ablaze with the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Whether baptized by water, desire, or faith, before now or not, it is time to be refreshed and renewed as we begin our own ministry again. Come on in, this "water" is fine! Let us bathe in the Light of Christ and the Fire of the Holy Spirit! Welcome to our own new First Day.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Almighty Creator, in the Beginning, You brought forth light from the formless void and darkness on the First Day. From the waters of Birth and Baptism, Jesus came as our new Beginning, a radiant light to dispel the shadows in our souls. Let this be a new First Day, as we accept Baptism in the power of the Holy Spirit, by answering the call to seek and serve Christ in others and ourselves.

                                                   Spirit of the Living God                                                      

RESPONSE:              Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, strengthen us to carry Your voice over the troubled waters of political oppression, injustice, and greed. Give us the words to speak of compassion, and humanity, to be heard and cause positive action in the halls of government throughout this Earth, in our Country, and in our Cities and Towns. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     Spirit of the Living God

                                                     Fall afresh on us all                        

~ Almighty Creator, calm the hearts and minds of all who are unsettled by illness, physical challenge, or addiction, and bring rest to those who provide for their comfort. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, we treasure and celebrate all who have gone ahead and are now risen in the beauty of holiness in Your eternal life. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

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

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, refresh and grant special blessings to all who lead us in Your church, as we journey together seeking Your holy will. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Spirit of the Living God

                                                       Fall afresh on us all

The Celebrant adds:  Holy Lord of Power and Glory, release us from the turbulence of the doubt and fear we allow within us, and guide us to a new dawn of faith and hope, quenching our spiritual thirst in the living waters of Christ’s Baptism. We ask this through Jesus, Your Beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of Wisdom; 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