People's Prayers

Monday, October 4, 2021

Prayers of the People: What Owns You? ~ 20th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, October 10, 2021; Readings: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Psalm 90:12-17, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31

Seek the Lord and live…Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

[Amos 5:6a, 15]

May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands... [Psalm 90:17]

The word of God is living and active... able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart...Let us...approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:12 a,b; 16]

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God...[but] for God all things are possible...many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

[Mark 10:25, 27b, 31]

The Prophet Amos is warning Israel to Seek the Lord and live… because the time is coming when it will be too late. The rich and powerful weren’t re-writing God’s Law but they managed to appoint people to administer them in profitable ways for themselves. They hadn’t listened to prior warnings and now God tells them that that their transgressions and the greatness of their sins are known. They must work for justice and establish honest judgment if there is any hope of avoiding a terrible fate.

Psalm 90 is the only one we know that has been attributed to Moses. The piece we are using picks up from the warnings of Amos and gives clear ways to ask God for help in repairing the damage of their [and our] sins.

The writer of Hebrews also confirms what the Prophet Amos is warning in even more stark ways. God’s word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit…and more! Again, we hear that God does indeed know and judge our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. Thankfully we have help to hold fast to our confession of faith though Jesus, who was tested and remained without sin, and understands all that we face. With faith and Christ’s support, we are to call on God now, to approach the Throne of Grace boldly, as the writer of Hebrews says, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the Gospel from Mark, a man grieves as he walks away from Jesus because he follows the commandments but doesn't want to let go of his earthly possessions. Perhaps he expected Jesus to extol him for following the Law and confirm his own thoughts that there was nothing more he needed do. How many in recent years, months, and weeks, all over this world, have lost so much because of winds, floods, fires, war, and the everyday tragedies and tempests of life? How many of us say "Oh yes, I believe and follow the Commandments" and go about our every-day lives as if there was nothing we have to do differently, assured of our place in the front of the line at the gates of God’s Kingdom. Will we cry out "Where is God?" when the winds, floods, tragedies, and tempests hit our lives? Will our faith crumble; will we give in to despair?

The time to turn to God is always now. Our life’s clock is ticking. Whether or not Jesus meant literally that a camel would have to go through that needle’s eye, Jesus tells us plainly, with God all things are possible. With the eyes of our souls and the intentions of our hearts we can seek Christ’s path that is sometimes rocky, sometimes tempestuous, and sometimes even calm, and always with Him beside us. Take an inventory of what you own and discover instead, what owns you ~ all those things you say you cannot give up. Store up your greatest treasure in heaven for the age that will come, instead of at the bank or the closets, or the drawers, or the garage, or the basement, or...

By the way. there is a gate in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem that is very small and difficult for any human to crawl through. It was meant for access after the main, larger gate was closed. The name of the gate is Eye of the Needle and Jesus would have known it. Google it...

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Holy God, Living and Active, keep us mindful of our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts, that we may measure our spiritual wealth each day, by the ways we live into our love for You.

Gracious Lord of Hosts

RESPONSE: With You all things are possible

~ Holy God, Living and Active, speak boldly through our voices from Your Throne of Grace to reach all those who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. Let us implore them to hate evil and love good, to show mercy, provide life’s basic necessities, and establish safety and peace for all who are in great need. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious Lord of Hosts
With You all things are possible

~ Holy God, Living and Active, cast the light of Your presence into the shadows of those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, with comfort and rest to all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

Gracious Lord of Hosts

With You all things are possible

~ Holy God, Living and Active, may the echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the souls of those who’ve left this ground, now soar in the peace and glory of everlasting life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Gracious Lord of Hosts
With You all things are possible

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

Gracious Lord of Hosts
With You all things are possible

~ Holy God, Living and Active, refresh and excite the souls of those who lead us in Your Church, as they guide us by Word and Sacrament, on the path to Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Gracious Lord of Hosts

With You all things are possible

The Celebrant adds: O God, Creator of All, Seen and Unseen, as we are not hidden to Your eyes, encourage us to seek good and find grace in time of need. Propel us to faithful action and release us from the thrall of earth-bound possessions, for the greater inheritance of eternal life in the age to come. We ask through Jesus, the Son of God; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You, reign as One God through all time, forever and ever. Amen.

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Prayers of the People: In the Beginning ~ 1st Sunday in the Season of Creation '21

For Sunday, October 10, 2021, Readings: In the Beginning by Mark Earey*, Psalm 100 adapted**, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…Creator God, fill and shape the time you have given us... open our eyes to see you reflected in every human face. [Mark Earey: In the Beginning*]

Enter God’s presence with joy...Enter…The courtyard with thanks and praise… [Psalm 100:1b, 3a**]

Welcome to the Season of Creation!

This liturgical Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa in 2008 and is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. We are to realize our place in the order of God’s creating and to see and act upon the need to care for our entire life-support system ~ the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil in which we grow our crops ~ not merely humanity, but our total environment, as it pertains to ALL life.

From the early days of the Season of Creation at the US Episcopal Parish of Sts. Andrew and Matthew [SsAM] in Wilmington, Delaware, it was established that “the primary aim of the events of the season is to enable adults and youth to celebrate and experience the inextricable link which binds together the destinies of all of God’s creatures.” It is a moment of pause to remind ourselves that God calls us to see “what great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions” and for us to renew our commitment to making real the biblical vision of the earth at unity with itself. It is a vision of human beings of all races, backgrounds and walks of life in local communities and among the nations of the earth, living together in love and peace with justice for all. "As disciples of Christ, we are called through our Baptismal Covenant, to be instruments for the healing of our broken world," and with a renewed commitment to personal and communal prayer and action.

We will use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks. Alternate readings used will be noted with asterisks.

This Week's Theme is: In the Beginning

We begin this Season at the Beginning. Professor Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, describes the Book of Genesis as "the book for environmentalists." "If we had been created on Tuesday," she said, "there would have been nowhere for us to stand! God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!"

* In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the empty void and crushing darkness, God spoke light into being. Creator God, bring light into our darkness. In the beginning, God took eternity and formed time and space, seasons, days and years. Creator God, fill and shape the time you have given us. In the beginning, God took land and sea and filled them with life of every kind. Creator God, help us find our place within your diverse creation. In the beginning, God spoke his very image, and the returning echo formed humanity. Creator God, open our eyes to see you reflected in every human face. In the beginning, God created, and it was good. © Mark Earey, Co-Director of The Centre for Ministerial Formation and Tutor for Worship and Liturgy at the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical and Theological Education on Birmingham, England.

**Psalm 100: 1. Shout for joy to the Lord, all earth, Serve the Lord with gladness, Enter God’s presence with joy! 2. Know that the Lord is God, Our maker to whom we be long, Our shepherd, and we the flock. 3. Enter the temple gates, The courtyard with thanks and praise; Give thanks and bless God’s name. 4. Indeed the Lord is good! God’s love is for ever, Faithful from age to age. From “The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering”, Liturgy Training Publications (International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994

In our appointed Epistle and Gospel for today, the writer of Hebrews tells us that the word of God is living and active and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, as before him no creature is hidden. Mark tells us about Jesus and a rich man who is looking for the path to inherit eternal life and goes away shocked and grieving when Jesus said for him to sell all that he owned to give his money to the poor. It is in this passage that we hear the famous it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. We’re also reminded that for God all things are possible as we examine our earthly possessions to see what we truly need in this life as we look ahead to the age to come for eternal life.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Creator God, draw back the veil of darkness we pull over ourselves, as You speak light into being within us. Quiet the incessant distractions of everyday life, that we may open ourselves and invite You to fill and shape the time You have given us in this place.

Lord God, our Maker

RESPONSE: Let us turn to You in joy and praise

~ Creator God, open the eyes of all who hold political authority on land and sea and in the air across Your diverse Creation, that they may see You reflected in themselves, in every human face, in every grain of sand, and govern in all good faith. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord God, our Maker

Let us turn to You in joy and praise

~ Creator God, as You raise up strength for all Your people, grant healing to the spirits of those laid low by earthly illness or infirmity, and energy to all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

Lord God, our Maker

Let us turn to You in joy and praise

~ Creator God, may the echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the souls of those who’ve left this ground, now soar in the peace and glory of everlasting life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Lord God, our Maker
Let us turn to You in joy and praise

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

Lord God, our Maker

Let us turn to You in joy and praise

~ Creator God, we give thanksgiving for Your loyal servants anointed to awaken us to the wonders of all Your works, and who guide us to find our true place in You forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord God, our Maker

Let us turn to You in joy and praise

The Celebrant adds: Holy God, Living and Active, as we are not hidden to Your eyes, encourage us to boldly approach Your Throne of Grace seeking good and finding mercy in time of need. Propel us to faithful action and release us from the thrall of earth-bound possessions, knowing all things are possible with You. We ask through Jesus, the Son of God; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You, reign as One God through all time, forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, September 27, 2021

Prayers of the People: Between the Daylight and the Dark ~ 19th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, October 3, 2021; Readings: Genesis 2:18-24, Psalm 8, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner…the rib that he had taken from the man he made into a woman…Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…” [Genesis 2:18, 22a, 23a)

O Lord our Governor, how exalted is your name in all the world! Out of the mouths of infants and children your majesty is praised above the heavens. [Psalm 8:1-2]

[Jesus] is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. [Hebrews 1:3a]

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” [Mark 10:14-15]

This week’s readings begin with part of the second story of Creation in book of Genesis. Here, God is seeking to create a fitting partner for the original human. There is an interesting piece of interpretation that happens here that has a tremendous effect on how “we” understand. Without a Ph.D program’s worth of work, the basics are that in the Hebrew Bible, the word adam is often gender-inclusive and in the case of referring to a particular person, scholars still debate whether the word is androgynous or male. Context plays an important part in how the stories are told. Modern Hebrew has about 30,000-35,000 words. Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek have far fewer. Modern English, however, has over a million words by many estimates so it’s much easier for translators, interpreters, and editors to choose what words fit their sense of very ancient oral traditions written into only slightly less ancient written languages and translated into modern languages millennia later. The first Genesis story of Creation speaks of God creating male and female at the same time [Genesis 1:27], while this passage is about God creating the man first and then bringing the woman from the man’s rib as a helper and partner and essentially in both stories, God entrusted all of Creation to them. As we read from a more modern perspective, it’s easy to see how male dominance has been interpreted and used and yet, it is interesting to note that the very end of this passage in a man leaves his father and his mother to cling to his wife is not the norm of the ancient world, nor indeed of many cultures in our current world. Perhaps we’re invited to read something differently here than we thought we understood.

This Psalm is a thanksgiving for our own place in Creation and gives some of the first expressions of gratitude to infants and children. We humans are but a little lower than angels and are given mastery of the works of God’s hands. What faith God has in us! What are we doing with it?

There’s a lot to be said about the Letter to the Hebrews, firstly it is more sermon than letter and is unlikely to have been written by Paul. Stylistically alone it doesn’t fit. We are given the instruction to pay more attention to what God is telling us through all God has done and especially through Jesus ~ who is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being. And secondly, we’re missing an important part, that is Hebrews 2:1-4, so I invite you to read the appointed pieces and add in those verses. This passage in Hebrews picks quite a bit from this week’s Psalm giving us more information about Jesus who, earlier in the passage is a Son, the heir of all things and through whom the world was created and later described as the pioneer of their salvation. It was written for early Christians who were facing shaming, hostility, and perhaps persecution from their neighbors which is still happening in many places around this world. It would do well for us to realize that the Jewish people of that time were having difficulty understanding those who would turn to Jesus, just as today, there are Christians turning against Christians who are interpreting the teachings of the Hebrew Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles differently from one another.

And we come to Mark with a heavy lesson about divorce, known in some circles today as a clobber passage, given the modern state of marriage and the frequency of divorce. As with all tests of Jesus by the Pharisees, it is intended as a trap. There is much to discover about procedure versus criteria for divorce in ancient times as well as moving forward into Greco-Roman times and later. This small passage may be better considered as descriptive rather than prescriptive. The Church today admonishes that Marriage must not be undertaken unadvisedly or lightly. And yet marriages fail for many reasons. Suddenly, we move into Jesus being indignant, perhaps grumpy from another round with the Pharisees, because the children being brought to him are being held back. He tells the disciples to let the children come forward and be welcomed fully and completely to be blessed. He is telling us to feel the peace and security of a child beloved of a parent, whether or not that is our lived experience, so that we may receive the kingdom of God as a little child.

And for me, this is the primary lesson of this Gospel passage: Let us seek to find and hold the ability to love unconditionally as does a child. When we actively and consciously pursue the love and presence of God, through Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will more easily accept and work through all that life provides. Whatever the tests may be, the difficult and the easy, whatever the twists and turns in the trials of faith, God is as faithful to us as the Parent in The Children’s Hour. Let us be as faithful, loving children to our God, and pause often in the day’s occupations, not only between the dark and the daylight, but especially often between the daylight and the dark in each and every day, until we enter into the eternal Light of new life in Christ, and are kept forever and a day.

Between the dark and the daylight,

When the night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

That is known as the Children's Hour.

And there will I keep you forever,

Yes, forever and a day,

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

And moulder in dust away!*

*~ The Children’s Hour, 1st and last stanzas, from the poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882, published in the September 1860 Edition of The Atlantic magazine. To read the rest of this poem click on: The Children's Hour

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Creator of Heaven and Earth, as from out of the ground You formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, so also You created humankind, that each of us might partner with one another for caring, sharing, and helping all to thrive. Grant us the fresh sight and new spirit of children, to re-awaken us to the wonder of every mortal being, every species, and this precious Earth, our temporal home.

O Lord, our God

RESPONSE: We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

~ Creator of Heaven and Earth, release all who govern on this Earth, in this Nation, and in this Community, from any hardness of heart or evil intent, that through actions of integrity, equity, and generosity, they may find their own moral substance in the well-being of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord our God

We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

~ Creator of Heaven and Earth, give rest and hope to those wearied by coping with persistent illness, homelessness, hunger, or addiction, and reinvigorate those who provide them with care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord our God
We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

~ Creator of Heaven and Earth, as Jesus tasted suffering and death for everyone, our loved ones are now crowned with honor and glory in Your eternal kingdom. We pray especially for…add your own petitions

O Lord our God

We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

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

O Lord our God
We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

~ Creator of Heaven and Earth, bestow extra grace upon our anointed leaders in this congregation and everywhere in Your Church, as they proclaim Your powerful Word, and walk with us on our journey to redemption through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord our God
We exalt Your Name by our every thought and act

The Celebrant adds: O God for Whom and through Whom all things exist, kindle and strengthen us to accept all tests and trials of temporal life, remaining faith-filled, thankful, and purified of sin. We ask with a child-like heart through Christ Jesus, the Imprint of Your Being; and the Holy Spirit, as Sanctifier; who together with You, are One God, eternal, infinite, limitless. Amen.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Prayers of the People: Well Seasoned ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, September 26, 2021; Readings: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29; Psalm 19:7-14, James 5:13-20,

Mark 9:38-50

The rabble among them had a strong craving…”Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp”…And Joshua…said, “My Lord Moses, stop them!”…But Moses said…”Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would put his spirit on them!” [Numbers 11:4a, 27b, 28b, 29]

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:14]

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has sins will be forgiven...pray for one another so that you may be healed…if anyone…wanders from the truth and is brought back by another…whoever brings back a sinner…will save the sinner’s soul from death… [James 5:13-15, 19-20]

But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able…to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us…For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. [Mark 9:39, 49-50]

This week, our reading from the Hebrew Testament is from the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the 5 Books of Moses in the Jewish Torah. The name of the Book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites. In Numbers, the Israelites have reached Sinai and been given the Law and the Covenant of God. God has come to dwell among them in the Tent of Meeting, a portable residence for the Ark of the Covenant where access was strictly limited. The Israelites are grumbling with their earthly cravings, again, remembering NOT the hardships of Egyptian slavery, but If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish…the cucumbers, the melons…but now…there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. Of course, we know down the road this nothing/manna will be remembered as the Bread of Angels. But Moses is frustrated and takes his complaint to God who in turn invites the 70 Elders of Israel to the Tent of Meeting, which is a pretty big deal. Off went Moses with 68 of the Elders. It seems Eldad and Medad weren’t interested. However, God took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders…and they prophesied, but only that time. Yet the Spirit rested on Eldad and Medad, too, and even though they had remained behind, both began to prophesy in the camp. A young man and Joshua told Moses. Joshua wanted Moses to stop them but Moses, knowing it was God’s doing, asked if Joshua was jealous for the sake of Moses and followed on saying Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets…

The Psalm brings multiple examples of "parallelisms", which essentially is a poetic form that repeats by a variety of parallel phrases. For example, The law of the Lord is perfect, …the testimony…is sure, …the statutes…are just, …and so on, reinforcing the reward in keeping them. The end of this Psalm is a familiar opening for a sermon by preachers of a variety of denominations, Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord…and there are a variety of endings, and the form we’re using this week says, my strength and my redeemer.

Whether suffering or cheerful or sinning, James reminds us of the power of the prayer of faith for ourselves and for others. If someone we know wanders from the truth and is brought back by another then the other has saved the wanderer’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Let’s work on that together ~ if you or I are wandering off, let’s pledge to bring each other back!

Jesus, like Moses, tells the disciples not to worry about someone “else” doing good things in Jesus’ name ~ for Whoever is not against us is for us. Nor are we to worry about stumbling. We’re better off entering God’s Kingdom with the wounds we acquire in this earthly life, by shedding what causes us to stumble into sin, than to enter the unquenchable fire whole and sin-filled. This piece is quite shocking in some ways in its gruesome details but sometimes we need to be startled to listen closely again. We are all the little ones of Jesus, and we are to remember each other in that way and treat ourselves and one another accordingly. Jesus tells them and us that we are ready for the work we are called to do in his name for we are salted with fire. But as with literal salt, its essence can slip away, become stale, no longer enhancing the flavor of the food. We have Christ’s salt within us, in as many sizes, shapes, colors and flavors as we are, and we are to be at peace with one another to feed the flock of Christ. Let us be generous and fired up, well seasoned with constant and unending prayer, in and of faith, for ourselves and for others as in Christ we are called to Serve, Act, Love, and Teach.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God, our Strength, remove strong earthly cravings from our desires and keep us mindful of our how we use our mouths and meditations in ways great, small, indifferent, hurtful, and irreverent. Open us to feel the depth and energy of Your Presence always, and especially when we pray in faith for others and ourselves.

O Lord, our Redeemer

RESPONSE: Guide our words and hearts

~ O God, our Strength, as our world seethes with devastating natural disasters, disease, anger, violence, and fear, guide those who lead with integrity and compassion on this Earth, in our Nation, and in our Community, to exert strong influence for the most positive actions in the ways of justice, health, and peace everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our Redeemer

Guide our words and hearts

~ O God, our Strength, infuse all hope into those longing for release from sickness, injury, or the struggles of life, and give comfort from the prayers we lift together. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, our Redeemer
Guide our words and hearts

~ O God, our Strength, grant the sweetness of memory for all who mourn as the endless days of rejoicing begin for those who now live again in Your Eternal Life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, our Redeemer
Guide our words and hearts

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

O Lord, our Redeemer

Guide our words and hearts

~ O God, our Strength, we give You great thanks for those who have been chosen for the challenge of leading us in Your Church. Bless them for praying with us and for us, and for guiding our spiritual journey in Your service. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our Redeemer

Guide our words and hearts

The Celebrant adds: O God of Justice and Joy, salt our souls with the fire of Christ’s love, that we may live and act through the power of Your Name, bringing each other back from wandering afar of our faith into sin. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and Redeemer; and through the Holy Spirit, the Channel of Your Grace; who together with You, are One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, September 13, 2021

Prayers of the People: You Go First ~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, September 19, 2021, Readings: Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22; Psalm 54,

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37

The ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death…[they] lie in wait for the righteous…for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for the blameless souls. [Wisdom of Solomon 1:16a, 12a, 21b-22]

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth…Behold, God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains my life. [Psalm 54:2, 4]

But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth...But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy...And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. [James 3:14, 17-18]

...for [Jesus] was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him...Then they came to Capernaum; and...on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. [Jesus]...said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he...said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." [Mark 9:31-32, 33a, 34b, 35b, 37]

The first reading comes from The Wisdom of Solomon, considered an apocryphal book, that is not part of the “official” Christian Canon of the Bible. The word canon basically means the body of work that cannot be changed ~ not that it can’t be re-interpreted through new information and translation, just that the substance of it is set in stone ~ so to speak. The apocryphal writings for biblical purposes are those thought to have been written between 200 BC and 400 AD [or in the language of scholars BCE, Before the Common Era, and CE, Common Era, when dates became more or less standardized globally.] You can go to Wikipedia for a beginning look at Biblical Apocrypha. I offer this explanation only because if some of you are interested in reading more of this Book and discovering others in this “hidden” collection, you may not have it in your printed Bible. Many modern Bibles do include these writings in between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and they become known as "intertestamental writings." But many do not, such as the NIV and KJV (though the KJV did have them for almost 300 years). Online Biblical search sites such as Bible Gateway do not include these writings. Where they are included as non-canonical, they are, for the most part, considered to be useful for instruction without necessarily carrying the full weight of either Testament. One could spend a semester at least on discovering the levels and possible origins of non-canonical writings but, while I find this all very interesting, I believe that such effort brings no extra credit towards salvation.

In the case of this reading, it is considered by some to be representative of the Jewish religious instruction in which Jesus grew up. This lesson reminds us that there is more to this human life than a comfortable existence. There are those who will mock and try to upend our intentions, but we are to live in God’s ways and choose eternal life as God’s child for our destiny.

The writer of James brings being righteous into our instruction. It is one of those words we hear often in Bible readings ~ we can guess by its sound that it means to be "right" with God and in truth it does mean that, to lead a life that is pleasing to God, someone whose actions God [who knows us] would find to be justified and ethical. We are told very specifically what happens to those who sit in the seats of the scornful [Ps 1:1] and are boastful and false to the truth [James 3:14b]. James charts the course of attitudes and behaviors reflecting earthly and inwardly unmet cravings against those who find their path in the wisdom, peace, and gentleness from above. Jesus is working to prepare the disciples, again, for all that is to come, and, again, they do not understand.

As the writer of Mark tells us, the chosen disciples were those closest and most committed to Jesus. Yet, close as they were, they were still afraid to ask Jesus to explain what he meant about being betrayed and killed and rising from the dead. Yet, on the way to Capernaum, they were arguing with each other about which one of themselves was the greatest of all. Perhaps they were confused about and so ignored the hard truth Jesus was giving because it was too difficult to digest and discuss.

In a culture, such as ours in the west, that teaches that one must strive to thrive through success, achievement, wealth, power, and position, it is exceedingly difficult to avoid the traps of envy, ambition, conflict, distrust, and so on. Fear of asking questions is also prevalent ~ one learns early to be fearful of being labeled stupid if one asks a “dumb” question. Perhaps each of the disciples were worried that they would ask the wrong question and fail a test of sorts. Or perhaps they were unable to determine the right question. James references that as well by telling us that if we didn’t get what we asked for, it was because we asked wrongly.

Jesus gives the disciples, and us, the terms of a righteous life: Be last not first, a servant of all, and those who welcome all as children in his name will be welcoming God into their midst. As followers of Jesus, we are to commit to selfless service, especially among those who make no return; humility in shedding all trace of inward and outward aspiration to greatness; and we must submit ourselves to God. The height and breadth and depth of all that is required can feel daunting. But the disciples were together in the best and worst of times as we are in our communities of faith, working together, learning to understand, committing, and submitting ourselves to Christ for the eternal life of our souls. As we draw near to God, God will draw nearer to thee and me. Ok, let's begin, you go first.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Wisdom and Mercy, refresh our souls to keep us from envy and selfish ambition, able to resist earthly, unspiritual temptation, willing to yield and submit our hearts and minds to You.

   Knowing Lord
        RESPONSE: Draw us near to You

~ God of Wisdom and Mercy, embolden us to stand together in Christ’s name as we strive to ensure ethical, principled, just, and peaceable governing by the leaders of our World, our Nation, and our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Knowing Lord
                                                       Draw us near to You

~ God of Wisdom and Mercy, grant hope and comfort to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and renewed energy to all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Knowing Lord
                                                       Draw us near to You

~ God of Wisdom and Mercy, shine Your perfect light into the darkness of grief, as You gather those newly departed from this life, into the gleaming expanse of eternal life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Knowing Lord
                                                       Draw us near to You

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

                                                       Knowing Lord
                                                       Draw us near to You

~ God of Wisdom and Mercy, quicken the minds and hearts of those anointed to share Your Word and Sacraments with us, and free us from the fear of asking questions about our faith. Guide them to lead us in the building of a diverse worshiping community, dedicated to sowing the best seeds for a harvest of righteousness and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Knowing Lord
                                                       Draw us near to You

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, release us from the grip of mortal pride and temporal lures to be Christ’s selfless, humble, and welcoming servants of all. Let us seek to do the work You have given us to do, not for our own greatness, but the greatness of Your Eternal Kingdom. We ask through the glory and sacrifice of our Savior Christ; and the wise counsel of the Spirit Most Holy; who together with You, are One, boundless, and eternal God, forever and ever. Amen.