People's Prayers

Monday, October 11, 2021

Prayers of the People: Drink Deeply ~ 22nd Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, October 17, 2021; Readings: Isaiah 53:4-12, Psalm 91:9-16, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45

By a perversion of justice he was taken away…Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [Isaiah 53:8 a, 11]

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your habitation…he shall give his angels charge over you…He shall call upon me and I will answer him; I am with him in trouble… [Psalm 91:9, 15a]

Every high priest is chosen from among mortals…Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son…” [Hebrews 5:1a, 5]

So Jesus called them and said...whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you but be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. [Mark 10:42a, 43b-45]

The reading from Isaiah, much of Isaiah in fact, and many of the prophetic writings of the Hebrew [Old] Testament are written in the style of poetry as it seems to have more impact than simple statements. Still, the precise meaning of it all was and is difficult to grasp, even by the prophets. There’s SO very much to unpack in the Book of Isaiah as the writing spans three centuries and three ancient empires and exiles of the Israelites. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking this is a pre-biography of Jesus, but let’s widen the lens. When this was written, the birth of Jesus was far in the future and so these writings were sacred texts in their own time and place, as they are today to the followers of Judaism. These are the Scriptures, the Bible, of Jesus, and it helps us to understand his teachings better if we listen more deeply and look for keys to his own understanding of them. Of course, these writings also influenced Paul, and other writers of the Christian [New] Testament as well as Christ’s disciples in their day. And we can see the parallels between the unknown Servant spoken of in Isaiah and the suffering of Jesus, perhaps the authorities of that time also drew on these passages for punishing him in hopes of derailing his movement. Let us take care in our reading of this and all we are given each week. Let us search for more information about context of time and culture and the interpretations of various translations. What is the lesson to be gleaned? Don’t worry if you are unsure! There are millions of words written by scholars attempting to understand it, too!

The Psalm is a favorite of many, especially in hymn form of On Eagles Wings. And although we only have a part of it, it is comforting and hopeful with the thought of angels bearing us safely in their hands, with the promise of God answering our call in our time of trouble and rescue us.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that high priests were chosen from among mortals to be in charge of things pertaining to God, among other duties. In no way a "high priest," I am nonetheless very mortal and especially subject to weakness in many ways. Therefore, created as a conscious being, I am called by God to actively discover in what ways I am to offer sacrifice for my own sins and on behalf of others. In the passage from Mark, Jesus explains to his ambitious disciples that the cost of being great is not so glamorous as it might seem. Coming back to the theme of the last shall be first and the first last, we are to be servants of Christ for one another, not seeking personal power or status, but rather to put the needs of others ahead of our own. That news may be disappointing for some on days when the temptations of earthly delight seem particularly appealing.

I am far from being a major change-agent for the entire world, but I can work to remember my place and responsibility as an active part of God's Creation. Through continuous prayer for renewal of my faith, and the willingness to listen, be present, and help the people of God however I am able, I can redirect my own desires of being the one served to the choice of being the servant. We are warned that the Cup of Christ will taste bitter at times, and I pray for the strength in my soul to be the blessing that God is calling me to be. May I discover each day the courage to drink deeply of the Cup that is prepared for me. And may I always know, through all the whirlwinds of this mortal life, that God is present wherever I am, and we are bound together in love.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God Most High, fill us with the comfort and peace to live in the knowledge of Your constant presence, that we can call on You in times of trouble and in times of calm, for rescue and for love, as we strive to honor and serve Christ our Savior for the length of our earthly time.

O Lord, our Refuge

RESPONSE: Hear our prayer

~ O God Most High, impart insight and prudence to the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, that their words and actions may be enlightened and merciful, knowledgeable and just, not darkened by willful personal or political power. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our Refuge

Hear our prayer

~ O God Most High, surround the hearts of all who live in the grip of chronic illness, or critical life circumstance, with Your peace and healing; and extend endurance for those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, our Refuge

Hear our prayer

~ O God Most High, keep us in the knowledge that love never dies and that those we have sent ahead, have new life in the resplendent and holy grandeur of Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, our Refuge

Hear our prayer

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

O Lord, our Refuge

Hear our prayer

~ O God Most High, renew and energize all who lead us in Your church, to guide us as we walk together in service and sacrifice, in prayer and supplication, willing to drink of the cup You have prepared for us. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            O Lord, our Refuge
                                                            Hear our prayer

The Celebrant adds: God of Glory and Majesty, re-fresh our hearts, our ears, and our minds, to receive, listen, and know again, the splendor of Your word and Your works. Kindle the desire within us to offer ourselves in reverent submission, serving all Creation in Your name. We ask through Jesus, our Great High Priest; and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Advocate; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

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Prayers of the People: Our Living Planet ~ 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation

For Sunday, October 17, 2021, Readings: Paradise Now*, Psalm 8**, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45

What do you want? To make the world glow with creation…to feed all the people…To remove the causes of violence…To get rid of material greed…To make the destination clear… [Paradise Now, The Living Theatre*]

Lord, our God…Your glory reaches beyond the stars…What is humankind that you remember them…You give them charge of the earth, laying all at their feet… [Psalm 8**]

Every high priest is chosen from among mortals…Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son…” [Hebrews 5:1a, 5]

...but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant...For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. [Mark 10:43b-44]

*1st Reading, from Paradise Now: "What do you want?" To make the world glow with creation. To make life irresistible. To feed all the people. To change the demonic forces into the celestial. To remove the causes of violence. To do useful work. To work for the love of it and not for the money. To live without the police. To change myself. To get rid of the class system. To re-invent love. To make each moment creative. To be free of the force of the State. To be free to create. To get rid of a life of material greed. To free all the energy wasted in financial transaction. To cut all the bureaucratic wasted time out of life. To free humanity from armies. To stop distorting the mind of the people. To stop crippling the human body with frustration. To learn how to breath. To live longer than we do. To be free of the system. To get rid of central control. To supply what we need. To seek what we desire. To stop wasting the planet. To stop dying of competition. To break down the walls that alienate. To get to know God. To make the destination clear. [From The Living Theatre, Judith Malina and Julian Beck]

** Psalm 8

-Lord, our God, the whole world tells the greatness of your name. Your glory reaches beyond the stars.

-Even the babble of infants declares your strength, your power to halt the enemy and avenger.
-I see your handiwork in the heavens: The moon and the stars you set in place.

-What is humankind that you remember them, the human race that you care for them?
-You treat them like gods, dressing them in glory and splendor. You give them charge of the earth,

laying all at their feet: cattle and sheep, wild beasts, birds of the sky, fish of the sea, every

swimming creature.

-Lord our God, the whole world tells the greatness of your name. [From The Psalter: A faithful

and inclusive rendering, Liturgy Training Publications (International Committee on English in the

Liturgy, Inc.), 1994]

Every day we read, hear, and see the terrible news about the condition of our planet from disastrous environmental events such as poisoned water systems and food supplies, climate disasters of hurricanes, tsunamis, enormous wildfires, and earthquakes that devastate huge areas and millions of people, to the effects of war and disease on human existence, and so much more. All of this requires our continuous attention and purposeful action as our obedience to God-ordered stewardship of the Creation we inhabit.

Today we are to re-awaken our consciousness to our earthly surroundings close by and well beyond our mere location to learn and more deeply know this great gift of our Creator ~ planet Earth. We re-examine its lushness, its highest peaks and deepest depths, the fragrances and the freshness; re-discover our companion creatures and the extraordinary interconnections of life among the plants and organisms that support us. We marvel at the vastness of the oceans, the rhythm of the tides, the flow of rivers. We must look and see what has gone before, where we are now, and discover again our world's potential. Most importantly, we are discover ways to maintain and expand protections against industrial waste, general pollution, the loss of precious water resources, and especially the vast impact of our own everyday thoughtless actions individually, collectively, and globally. This Earth and her resources feed our bodies and provides oxygen for our breath, and breath-taking beauty in which we know the wonder of God.

We are called to be a servant to humanity as in Christ’s teaching and example, and God has given us charge over all Creation. Let us protect and prosper the gift we have been given.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Living, Loving Creator of all that is, seen and unseen, grant us the humility to understand our true place in, and responsibilities for Your Creation, to learn from every living creature and life form, and to be voice and champion for the protection and preservation of this Earth that you lay at our feet.

O Lord, Breath of our Being

RESPONSE: We bless You by our faith and action

~ Living, Loving Creator, instill within us and all who lead the governments of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, the urgency to feed all people, remove causes of violence, be rid of material greed, and to stop wasting this planet, through assuring the well-being of eco-systems and environments that sustain the life and existence of Your whole world. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, Breath of our Being

We bless You by our faith and action

~ Living, Loving Creator, surround the hearts of all who live with chronic illness, or critical need, with Your peace and healing; and endurance for those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, Breath of our Being

We bless You by our faith and action

~ Living, Loving Creator, keep us in the knowledge that love never dies and that those we have sent ahead, have new life in the holy grandeur of Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, Breath of our Being

We bless You by our faith and action

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

O Lord, Breath of our Being

We bless You by our faith and action

~ Living, Loving Creator, set alight the spirits of those called by You to lead us in Your Church, who guide us to make our destination clear, and join us to love, honor, and serve as Christ has taught and shown us by His example. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, Breath of our Being
We bless You by our faith and action

The Celebrant adds: O God of Glory, awaken us each day with the renewed desire to restore and cherish Your precious gift of this living, breathing planet, the literal ground that supports our earthly being. Kindle our fervor to actively engage in and assure its health and wholeness for all who live and breathe on this planet, now and always. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Divine and Limitless Energy of our souls; who together with You are One God, forever and ever. Amen.

** Click here for more information about: Season of Creation ~ In The Beginning

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.

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.