Prayers of the People: Simply Prove It ~ 2nd Sunday of Easter '22 Yr C

For Sunday, April 24, 2022, Readings: Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8, Psalm 150, John 20:19-31

The High Priest questioned [the Apostles] saying, “We gave your strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching…” But Peter answered, “We must obey God rather than human authority…” [Acts 5:27b-29]

 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah! [Psalm 150:6]

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.  [Revelation 1:8]

 Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said "...Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."  [John 20:28-29]

    The reading from Acts is perfect for this Sunday after Easter. A “what-happened-next” sequel to the drama of the Crucifixion and Resurrection narratives and a prequel to Pentecost. I would encourage everyone to read through to verse 42, as some may be surprised that the Apostles didn't just hide out until the day of Pentecost. What they were doing immediately after the Resurrection was quite courageous. But of course, a compelling piece always is the telling of the story of the Apostle Thomas. Widely known as Doubting Thomas, he is the one who simply didn’t/couldn’t/or wouldn’t accept what he was told: that Jesus had risen from the dead. He wanted proof.

      I can put myself in his place quite easily. It was a head-spinning week beginning with the glorious Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem with crowds even more jubilant at Jesus’ arrival than ever before. As the week progressed it was time for the Passover dinner in an evening that turned strangely mysterious as Jesus shockingly washed everyone’s feet, and again said things not easily understood, then later he was suddenly arrested. The next day Thomas watched as this man he loved and admired more than any other and had given up his normal life to follow, was brutalized, degraded, and then confusingly vilified by many of the same people  who had been singing Hosannas to him just a few days before! Then he was nailed to a cross, suffered an agonizing death and was buried in a tomb with a heavy stone rolled across the entrance. Thomas must have spent the following 24 hours trying to comprehend it all – the glory, the joy, the shock, the horror, and the shiveringly cold reality of the death of one so beloved. NOW Thomas is told that Jesus has come back from the dead?! He says, Prove it.

      Perhaps it wasn’t so much that he didn’t believe but more that he had chosen not to until he had seen for himself. The crucifixion and death of Jesus was so traumatic and so very final. How could he dare to believe in the hope of such a thing as resurrection without the concurrent fear of soul-crushing disappointment? Anyone who has experienced the searing grief of significant loss will understand.

     Today we’re in an age of instant communication, “viral” social media posts, never-ending “breaking news,” overwhelming us with data that is real, slightly real, not at all real, and frequently bizarre. Like Thomas, we just want to be given answers with a little explanation so we don't have to think through all the conflicting information. It's also easier when the people or organizations we like and trust tell us what we want to hear. Yet, how do we distinguish between oft-repeated gossip and rumor that begins to sound true after the eleventeenth forward on Facebook or Twitter and actual truth? In Thomas' case, he had the benefit of seeing and touching the Resurrected Christ wounds. For us, we must rely on our sometimes-faltering faith. In the ways of our current times, it’s fine to trust your source of information yet it is prudent to keep an open mind, accepting that sometimes checking other sources might yield better data. In the ways of Christ, our information comes from the legacy of the Apostles in the writings of the New Testament that stand 2,000+ years later: "[These] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." 

    For the skeptics and atheists and those who just aren’t sure, it is true that we cannot prove the fact of the Resurrection by solid evidentiary standards. Neither can we prove that it didn’t happen. And if you do believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit do not exist, I’m okay with that. If it is critically important to you that I believe in the way you do, I’d be open to a change of mind if you simply prove it.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, in Your grace and peace we see Your living Presence through the willing eyes of our souls. Grant us such fullness of faith, that even as seeds of doubt may sprout within us, we seek and strive to follow Your Word and Witness to everlasting life in Your Name.
 
                                                    Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
       RESPONSE:                  You are our Strength and our Hope
 
~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, fill the rulers of our Earth, our Country, and our Community with the personal courage and humility to triumph over the temptations of unjust, authority to govern with equity, integrity, and reverence for all of Creation and its inhabitants. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
                                                       You are our Strength and our Hope
 
~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, restore wholeness to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and refresh the energy of those who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…add your own petitions
 
                                                       Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
                                                       You are our Strength and our Hope
 
~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, You have broken the power of earthly death, now bring light to the darkness of those who grieve, as all of heaven is alive with joy, receiving those we love into eternal bliss. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
                                                       You are our Strength and our Hope
 
~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
                                                       You are our Strength and our Hope
             
~ Holy Jesus, our Christ of Earth and Heaven, may Easter’s new fire burn brightly in the hearts of all those ordained in Your Church, to inspire and light our pathway to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Risen Christ, Divine Messiah
                                                       You are our Strength and our Hope
             
 
The Celebrant adds:  Lord God in Christ, Who is, Who was, and Who is to come, release us from the limits of our earth-bound minds freeing our souls to seek our life’s fulfillment only in You, our Alpha and Omega, our Source and our Completion. We ask through the immeasurable wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and the unwavering love of our Almighty Creator, who together with You reign as One God, in glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

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

Prayers of the People: The Rising Son Shines Forever ~ Easter Day '22 Yr C

For Sunday, April 17, 2022, Readings:  Isaiah 65:17-25, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43, Luke 24:1-12

I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. [Isaiah 65:17-18]

 

Peter began to speak to Cornelius and the other Gentiles: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him…” [Acts 10:34-35]

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have become my salvation. The same stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone…On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:21-22, 24]

…when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen…returning from the tomb, they…told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and [the apostles] did not believe them. [Luke 24:3a-5, 9a, 12]

 

                                         He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

      Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Easter Day is the most joyous day in the Christian year. While Christmas is lovely and inspiring in its own way, it would be no more than a pagan celebration of the winter solstice without the miracle of the Resurrection. Our Liturgical journey has taken us through the 40 somber days of Lent, and in this Holy Week, we re-enacted the Last Supper with the humility of foot-washing, walked the Stations of the Cross, and experienced the mournful desolation of Good Friday. And now we arrive at the most potent symbol of Christianity ~ the Resurrection of Christ, our Messiah. The bells and flowers, the alleluias, triumphal music, and soaring voices all proclaiming that Jesus, the Christ, IS Risen.

      Before we turn to brightly colored baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, hard-boiled eggs with shells dyed in multiple and vibrant hues, marshmallow chicks, and jelly beans, before the ham or turkey or roast has finished in the oven and all settle into the feast, let us take a moment to review the brief and shining life of the man for whom the face of the world was changed forever, Jesus of Nazareth. 

      The infant humbly born was celebrated instantly by angels and shepherds alike. A neighboring group of exotic Kings or Wise Men traveled far to honor and worship the One whose Star was a sign for them of a new King in Jerusalem. The current King, Herod, wasn't pleased and so Joseph, warned in a dream, took Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt and while we aren't specifically told, we are given to believe they returned sometime after Herod's death. We get a glimpse of him at Passover, lost and found in the Temple at about age 12 keeping the Rabbis on their theological toes. The timeline loses him until his cousin John, the Baptizer is prophesying his coming and ultimately baptizes Him. He is about 30 and from his 40 days in the wilderness preparing for his ministry, it is a swift and politically fraught period of about 3 years. His teachings upset the theocratic structure of the ruling Judaic leaders who had compromised their own souls to keep a semblance of power during the Roman occupation. Their devious plots to upend his miraculous healings, his preaching and teaching of compassion, peace, cooperation, justice, and mercy in the hearts of his followers ultimately resulted in their seeming success, a politically manipulated murder of a small-town, would-be prophet. But of course, 2000+ years later, Christ is in still our midst.

      We worship, study, and pray to follow the Christ who teaches us to this day that our salvation leads us to eternal life if we but follow him. And now, in our time as then, and in all times since, we must also be wary of the false prophets whose shiny exteriors denigrate the very essence of the message of Jesus. Take care to turn away from the sorcerer who can tantalize with completely anti-Gospel charm and lead us astray as quickly as those who cheered with waving palms and loud Hosannas for Jesus' arrival on Palm Sunday and shouted in cold blood "CRUCIFY HIM" only a few short days later. 

      We find the fullness of our souls in the empty tomb. Christ is within us and we are marked as his own forever. Let us shout ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN! And let us stay the course, in our own brief sojourns in this life, of the truth and love of his Gospel.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Living Christ, Risen in Glory! By rising from human death, You have brought us to the dawn of a new Creation to be made alive in You. Fill us with the willingness to seek Your strength of humility for ourselves, to die to sin each day, and to mindfully choose You as the cornerstone of our earthly life.  

                                            Radiant Lord of Life                 

RESPONSE:      Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!             

~ Living Christ, Risen in Glory! Resurrect Your Truth and Your Love in all of us who claim faith in You, especially those who govern in all places across this Earth, this Country, and this Community. Inspire us and our leaders to provide mercy, justice, and respect for the least of our companions in this brief mortal journey. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                         Radiant Lord of Life

                                         Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!

~ Living Christ, Risen in Glory! Restore hope to the hopeless and faith to the fearful, soothe the suffering and grant stamina to all who serve You in others.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                         Radiant Lord of Life

                                         Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!

~ Living Christ, Risen in Glory! Lift the veil of grief from all who mourn as our loved ones now dance in the limitless joy of eternal life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                         Radiant Lord of Life

                                         Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!

~  Living Christ, Risen in Glory! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                         Radiant Lord of Life

                                         Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!          

~ Living Christ, Risen in Glory! May Your Resurrection be the source of unbounded elation that overflows in all who are anointed to guide our spiritual paths and enliven our desire to be renewed as Your own forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                         Radiant Lord of Life
                                         Alleluia! You ARE Risen, indeed!

The Celebrant adds: Alleluia! Our Lord is Risen! Holy Jesus, excite our hearts and minds, and transform our souls with the miracle of Your return from the dead. Infuse our consciousness with Your Immortal Presence that our thoughts, words, and actions begin and end in You. We ask through You, our Savior Glorified; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith; who together with our Luminous Creator, are One God, now and forever.

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: Palm Sunday/The Sunday of the Passion ~ 6th Sunday in Lent '22 Yr C

For Sunday, April 10, 2022, Readings: Luke 19:28-40, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:39-23:49-56

      [Jesus said] "Go into the village...and as you enter you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden... 

[Luke 19:29a]

         Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself...humbled himself... [Philippians 2:5-7a,8a]

        Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed [the people] again, but they kept shouting, Crucify, crucify him. A third time he said to them, "Why,  what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death...But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed."  [Luke 23:20-23]

      Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, "Surely this man was also with him...But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!"…At that moment…the cocked crowed…Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord…”Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 

[Luke 22:59-62]

      Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday are at once separate and also one commemoration. The recounting of the procession with palm branches celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Passion narrative develops the details of his Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, and the machinations of the Chief Priests whose local standing and power among the Jews and Rome were clearly threatened by this acclaimed and unorthodox prophet and miracle-worker.

       His arrival created quite a stir. To this day in the Palm Sunday processions our hymns and shouts with "Hosanna" ["Hoshana" in Hebrew], praise to God with great elation, are as exuberant as when Jesus was greeted by the throngs that lined the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. They sang and shouted Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps 118: 26].  Cloaks and branches on the pathway for Jesus were a sign of the highest honor. The palm was the symbol of triumph and victory in the Greco-Roman culture of the times. The donkey or colt was itself a deliberate choice of Jesus sending the disciples to specifically retrieve it. The prophet Zechariah says in the Old/Hebrew Testament: Rejoice greatly, O daughter, Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter, Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey [Zechariah 9:9]. Jesus was accused later in the week of proclaiming himself "King of the Jews," yet riding into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey would have been a known and understood symbol that he was coming in peace, as one would do to show a peaceful arrival rather than a warrior King riding in on a grand horse, bent on war.

       All these elements were carefully noticed and recorded by the Roman occupiers and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council, who had its own police force and trial court and who set the deadly wheels of what is to come in motion. How easy, it seems, to go from enthusiastic cheers of the crowd to the politically manipulated yet equally enthusiastic and malevolent jeers by the same people mere days later. 

        The tone is set for this new journey through Holy Week in our own times of political machinations, violence, crowd wrangling, and manipulation. It is time for me to acknowledge to my innermost self the moments of my own betrayal of Jesus through denial in thought, word, action, or plain inaction. Turning away from the unpleasant, the insincere, and especially the dangerous is safer and less stressful in the short run, but, going with the flow by participation or neglect reaps far more tyranny and destruction than standing up to oppression. 

        Dr. Martin Luther King said it best, "A time comes when silence is betrayal." That time came for Peter, that time is now for us. We, together, are the voice and power of Christ’s love in times of Palms and in the ensuing Storms. Let us always sing HOSANNA in the name of Jesus, our Redeemer Lord.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Jesus, our Lord, arouse us out of a mere re-reading to know now the sudden joy of Your arrival in our midst, and to feel the shudder in a few short days as beguiled minds turn to riotous, politically-manipulated, and deadly betrayal. Inspire us in this day, and every day, to experience the breadth, the depth, and the power of Your love, and to never deny You within ourselves or to another.
 
                                                        Jesus, our Christ             
         RESPONSE:                   We commend ourselves to You
 
~ O Jesus, our Lord, we turn to You for the courage to require that all who hold or seek office in the governments of this Earth, this Country, and this Community be exemplars of principled justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                     Jesus, our Christ
                                                       We commend ourselves to You
 
~ O Jesus, our Lord, in Your loving-kindness make Your face to shine upon those who suffer through chronic pain, distress in spirit or in life, and refresh all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions
 
                                                     Jesus, our Christ
                                                       We commend ourselves to You
 
~ O Jesus, our Lord, fill the hearts of all who mourn with the comfort of the joyful and jubilant welcome those we love have received in their new and eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                     Jesus, our Christ
                                                       We commend ourselves to You
 
~  O Jesus, our Lord, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
 
                                                     Jesus, our Christ
                                                       We commend ourselves to You
             
~ O Jesus, our Lord, may each of those who lead us in Your Church be granted the tongue of a teacher and the humility of Your human likeness, as they guide us all to stand up together with faith and trust in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                     Jesus, our Christ
                                                       We commend ourselves to You
             
The Celebrant adds: Lord God in Christ, agitate our spirits and provoke our desire to seek Your mind in all that we do. Urge us to empty ourselves of all that draws us away that we may find our true and everlasting life in You. We ask this of You, our Hope and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of our Souls; who together with the Almighty Creator is 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: Remember to Forget ~ 5th Sunday in Lent '22 Yr C

For Sunday, April 3, 2022; Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126, Philippians 3:4b-15, John 12:1-8

    Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters...Do not remember the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth... [Isaiah 43:16, 18-19a]

   The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad indeed. [Psalm 126:4]

   For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things...in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own...but one that comes through faith in Christ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on... [Philippians 3:8b-9, 13b-14a]

  Six days before the Passover...Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume...Judas Iscariot...was a thief. [John 12: 1a,3, 4a, 6b]

     In the readings for this Sunday, Isaiah and Paul don’t so much remind us that we are to forget the old ways as things are being made new, but rather they tell us directly that we must look and move – straining forward as Paul says – to what lies ahead. We are given a way and a path with our faith that guides us to the eternal life we are promised if we keep our eyes on the prize.

     We are nearing the end of our journey through Lent but much awaits us in the approach to Easter. While we know what is coming, obviously those reclining and serving at the home of Lazarus that night did not. A seemingly small moment at a gathering of friends was quite enough to kick off the deadly series of events that changed the world forever. The tension is building as if in a novel. Every thought and phrase expressed reveals a clue to what is coming – as if we didn't already know. Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany ~ a scant two miles' walk to Jerusalem. Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, anoints his feet with an expensive perfume made of nard, the cost of which sets Judas off and the Gospel writer is very clear about the thieving Iscariot's character and coming betrayal.

     The fragrant nard itself is symbolic. It was customary for the household to prepare for the feet of the guests to be washed as a practical and hospitable welcome. This particular perfume, however, was worth a fortune, as much as or more than a year's wages for an average worker and this gesture might have seemed quite excessive to anyone by normal standards. This anointing is to us, if not to them, also a symbol of the Kingship of the not yet Resurrected Christ. Jesus was clear that Mary's act of love meant more than mere hospitality; it was a foreshadowing of his soon to come death and burial. The ritual of burial involved precious spices and oils and the anointing of the body always began with the feet.  

     Pay close attention to the readings ahead. God is about to do a new thing again and there is much to hear differently and to learn anew.

     Yes, in our day and time we know what is coming, yet let us remember to forget what we think we know about these readings and go forward into all that lies ahead, through Easter and beyond, as if it were new and now, to rediscover the path of our faith yet again.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Lord, our Way and our Path, restore the fortunes of our souls as we renew our faith, and press on in this life toward the goal of answering Your heavenly call.
 
                                                      O God in Christ Jesus                                                       
        RESPONSE:                  You have made us Your own
 
~ O Lord, our Way and our Path, guide the hearts and minds of all who govern across this world, this nation, and this community, toward principled, ethical, and humane action and legislation to revitalize every aspect of Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God in Christ Jesus
                                                       You have made us Your own
 
~ O Lord, our Way and our Path, kindle hope in all who are poor in body, mind, or spirit, and to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God in Christ Jesus
                                                       You have made us Your own
 
~ O Lord, our Way and our Path, may those who are grieving be consoled in knowing that all now returned to the prize of life in You, are celebrated with heavenly shouts of joy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God in Christ Jesus
                                                       You have made us Your own
 
~  O Lord, our Way and our Path, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God in Christ Jesus
                                                       You have made us Your own
             
~ O Lord, our Way and our Path, enliven the spirits of those chosen to lead and accompany us on this mortal journey, sharing the joy of Christ, even in the darkest of times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God in Christ Jesus
                                                       You have made us Your own
             
 
The Celebrant adds:  Almighty and Eternal God, release us from the false piety of righteousness, and pride in mere earthly achievement. Awaken us to the freedom of knowing and living each day in Christ, and the power of His Resurrection. We ask through Jesus, our Anointed Christ; and the Holy Spirit, Your Fragrant Breath; who together with You are One God, forever and ever. Amen.

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

Prayers of the People: Ever Feel L ST? ~ 4th Sunday in Lent '22 Yr C

For Sunday, March 27, 2022; Readings:  Joshua 5:9-12, Psalm 32, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32

   The Manna ceased on the day [the Israelites] ate the produce of the land… [Joshua 5:12a]

  Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away...Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD. [Psalm 32:1, 11]

   If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away...All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ...So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ be, reconciled to God. [2 Cor 5:17a, 18a, 20]

   But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found. [Luke 15:32]

    In this reading from Joshua, the Israelites have finally found home. After wandering through the trials and uncertainties of the desert, where they were provided with the daily arrival of manna for sustenance, God brought them through. Even after the significant transgressions of their ancestors, they found themselves in the land of Canaan where the old manna was no more as they now ate of the new produce of the land.
    Paul tells us that when we find our way to Christ, who is gifting us with the ministry of reconciliation  from God, we become a new creation: everything old has passed away. Further, we are now ambassadors for Christ. In returning to the joy of forgiveness, we are now the vessels God uses to appeal to the lost in spirit, the displaced in faith, and those who have become complacent in their faith, to return and be reconciled with God.
    Luke's Gospel gives us the grumbling Pharisees and Scribes complaining of Jesus' dinners with sinners, and so he told them about the Father, Lost Son, and Angry Brother, also known as the parable of The Prodigal Son. Of course, everyone everywhere knows this one very well. 

     For a fresh perspective try a role-play experience with it by choosing one of the three characters to inhabit. Read it aloud as if you are the lowly son and discover his feelings of hunger, fear, regret, and other emotions that may surface before and after he humbles himself and returns home. Then read aloud again as the welcoming father; know his tears of joy and relief at seeing his lost son appear in the distance and then discover the father’s feelings about his elder son’s frustrations. Once more, as the elder brother. Who of us cannot appreciate his feelings of betrayal, anger, jealousy? He's been steadfast and true and who gets the glory ~ little spoiled brother! How might the father’s love and compassion for both of his sons create a new and reconciled home? Turn your refreshed understanding into a new prayer.
     As with the Israelites and the Prodigal we, too, are new, again and again, when we return again and again to Christ and repent of our sins and whatever earthly idols take our attention from the call of Jesus ~ not in despair but in the joy of finding cleansing and wholeness, feeling true of heart. God always welcomes us home and always celebrates our return, no matter how many times we wander off thinking we can manage everything on our own.
     In the happiest times let us take care to remember that God in Christ is still and always walking with us. In the darkest times of life amid loss, regret, or hopelessness, God knows us, comforts us, and forgives us. God is never the one who turns away. Even when we can't forgive ourselves, we are forgiven and redeemed by God ~ so, if God forgives me, who am I not to forgive myself? 

     Ever feel L ST? We cannot find what we do not seek. Turn toward the Lord and you will soon feel FOUND, and everything old [will have] passed away. God in Christ will celebrate and rejoice when we who are lost re-turn ourselves to be reconciled, forgiven, and still and always loved. Our forever Home is always ready for our finding.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, Most Faithful, when we seek Your mercy in faith and trust, we are found, forgiven, and reconciled by You and through Christ. Help us to truly embrace our calling as Ambassadors for Christ, encouraging all who feel lost to find themselves in You.  

                                            Loving, Patient God                                                         
               RESPONSE:                 We make our prayers to You 

~ O Lord, Most Faithful, infuse the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, with the wisdom and understanding to govern all Your people with integrity, justice, and compassion. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Loving, Patient God

                                                       We make our prayers to You

~ O Lord, Most Faithful, restore hope and wholeness to all who are seriously ill, addicted, or victims of violence, and renewed energy for all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Loving, Patient God
                                                       We make our prayers to You

~ O Lord, Most Faithful, soothe the hearts of those who mourn, as all of Heaven rejoices that those lost to mortal existence, are now found with new and eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Loving, Patient God
                                                       We make our prayers to You 

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

                                                       Loving, Patient God
                                                       We make our prayers to You           

~ O Lord, Most Faithful, may all who are called and anointed in Your service, seek continual refreshment in Your unwavering Presence, as they persevere in guiding us always to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Loving, Patient God

                                                       We make our prayers to You

The Celebrant adds:  God of the Lost and of the Found, release us from earth-bound snares, bits and bridles, to be reconciled in Christ as a New Creation. Spare us from all that we think we deserve, to discover our selves, our hearts, and our souls freely at home again with You. We ask through Jesus, our Compassionate Savior; and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of our Souls; who together with You, are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

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

Prayers of the People: Persistent Gardener ~ 3rd Sunday in Lent, '22 Year C

For Sunday, March 20, 2022; Readings: Exodus 3:1-15, Psalm 63:1-8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9

   There the angel appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of a bush...the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed...When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush..."...Remove your sandals...for the place you are standing on is holy ground." [Exodus 3:2, 4b, 5b]

  My soul clings to you, your right hand holds me fast. 

[Psalm 63:8]

  [O]ur ancestors...all ate the same spiritual food and all drank...from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ...Do not become idolaters as some of them did... [1 Corinthians 10:1b, 3b, 4b, 7a]

     "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did"..."A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener...Cut it down!" [The gardener] replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down."  [Luke 13:2-3, 6-7b, 8]

       What possibilities does life hold today? Limited or Endless? Have I simply decided that I can’t or is it merely that I won’t? That is, has my finite mind has decided what I can and cannot do and so no extra thought is required? I can comfortably go through the day, the week, the month with the same old mindset of poor tragic me or even YAY, Fabulous ME, and everything in between. I can sigh away in the desert of my sameness or boast of my successes and post either and all on Facebook. And isn’t it always just a bit of a shock when someone challenges my personal and most-knowledgeable perspectives? Who knows better than me, especially about me? The lessons for this week remind us that even the most sincerely humble of us need to have our consciousness raised.

       When he realizes that God is speaking directly to him, Moses is overwhelmed before the burning bush. Raised as a prince of Egypt yet knowing and clinging to his Hebrew roots, keeping sheep was the job he knew how to do quite comfortably, no extra thought required. Now God was giving him a task beyond his self-imagined abilities ~ Who am I to go to Pharoah? We can imagine the reluctance of Moses, with a speech impediment among other seeming limitations, to go back to face Pharaoh with outrageous demands. But God knew Moses better than Moses. And God assured him over and over and over that God was always present.

      Paul tells us that God gave those brought out of Egypt by Moses all the spiritual food and drink they needed and yet, though filled with God's grace and goodness, many failed God through intentional sin and were struck down. By those being struck down in putting God to the test, we are given one example of discounting God’s instruction. Christ is the rock, says Paul, the Messiah that guides us all IF, we are open to the possibilities that not everything will be comfortable in this life. What are the oppressive pharaohs we have created for ourselves, the idolatry of gain or limit that we use to stunt our own spiritual growth? The key is: God through Christ is always present to help if we choose to seek him.

      Jesus says that just because some Galileans suffered doesn't mean they were worse people than others and reminds the listeners ~ and us ~ to repent, to turn to God. Will we be spared hardship and suffering in this life? No, but intentional contrition and penitence, consciously walking towards God in what we say and do is what we are called to in this human existence. Even when we slip off the track, there is limitless forgiveness and patience in Christ once we awaken to and acknowledge our turn off the right path and then return to it.

     The owner of the vineyard reprieves the fig tree and the gardener will work hard to save it from destruction. The tree will have to respond to the nutrients, the food and drink in order to be saved. Christ is our persistent gardener, always tilling and toiling to give us endless possibilities for eternal life. How will I respond? What am I willing to nurture and prune in my life to give my mind and heart to Christ? I have all the spiritual food and drink that I need.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our God, our souls were seeded with Your gift of Free Will before our birth, and Christ provided us with the spiritual food and drink to bring us to full flower. Fill us with the saving joy of ongoing repentance, making choices to prune our unhealthy branches, so as to bear the ripe fruit of Your love.

                                         O Lord of Loving-Kindness  

  RESPONSE:            Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, root us so deeply in Your Holy Ground that we may not add to or be consumed by the violence and hatred of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and anything more that damages any of Your children. We pray for all who govern in this World, in this Nation, and in this Community to lead us out of inhumanity and injustice, especially: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Loving-Kindness

                                                    Our Constant, Eternal Helper  

~ O God, our God, nurture the hope of all who suffer with chronic pain, debilitating anxiety, or a frightening diagnosis, and revive the spirits of their caregivers. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…  add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Loving-Kindness

                                                       Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, gather the grieving under the shadow of Your wings, as our faithful departed live again with contented souls, joy on their lips, and life everlasting in You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Loving-Kindness

                                                       Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~  O God, our God, 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 of Loving-Kindness

                                                       Our Constant, Eternal Helper           

~ O God, our God, we give You thanks for all those anointed as the gardeners of our spiritual formation. Grant them the tools to cultivate our hunger and thirst to reach for and cling to You, allowing Your work within us to sprout and thrive. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord of Loving-Kindness

                                                      Our Constant, Eternal Helper  

The Celebrant adds: Lord God of the Past, the Present, and Forever, release us from the idolatry of the oppressive pharaohs we create for ourselves, that turn our souls away from Your constant Presence. Renew our eagerness to seek and follow Your instructions, that we may flourish in Your faithfulness as Your right hand always holds us fast. We ask through Jesus, the Rock of our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, the Blazing Flame of our Faith; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

 

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