Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 19, Give Up, Take On, Pray

      Few of us can claim personal experience with unconditional love either received or given. Perhaps a moment with a child, even a pet, but such a rarefied occasion is fleeting and fragile. Yet there are those times when even the strongest of us needs the all-encompassing embrace of one who requires nothing in return, has no expectations, and wants only to care for and comfort, nurture and love us.  Whisper in your heart to the One and know.

O Great Nurturer, Comforter, and Soother,     

    Some days I want too much from others while I think that they want too much from me. Although I'm often certain that, "of course" I try to meet the expectations they have, I more easily fall into an ego trap of but what about me? For today I will give up pouting about (seemingly) being ignored. I will take on a fresh breath and a deep dive into Your call to love my neighbors as myself, and I will pray to remember that You are always within me and knowing if I stop, breathe, and know You are here, You grant me continuing rebirth in faith, reassurance of Your love, and refreshment in my soul. amen.

   Julian of Norwich, 1342-ca 1416, was an English Anchoress which was, in her day, a hermit who lived in, and was sometimes permanently enclosed in, a small cell attached to a wall of the church whose life consisted of daily devotions, prayer, devotional reading, and writing. She is considered to be one of the most important mystics in all of Christianity. Her manuscript of Revelations of Divine Love ~ also known as the Short Text ~ is thought to be the oldest surviving book written in English by a woman.  She is probably best known for her words that with God, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 18, Give Up, Take On, Pray

 

   

   ~ Vida Dutton Scudder 1861-1954*

   A paradox of Creation is that it is complete but not yet finished. God in the Trinity, as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, calls us into a spiritual relationship and as earthly co-creators, acting in us to give us all we need to continue the work of salvation, mercy, social justice, and simple kindness ~ loving our neighbors as ourselves in this world, and caring for the Earth itself. So, do you feel more special now, or, more scared? A little of both?

Holy God of Mystery and Majesty,
       I feel overwhelmed at all You have entrusted to me to be and accomplish. I want to live up to all of Your expectations even while I'm not sure of the hows, the whats, and the wheres to begin. For today, I will give up the pursuit of material satisfaction as a principal goal of life. I'll take on trying to truly see Your Creation and consciously participate in it, creating relationships with the world around me and all who are in it, the street I live on, the people I know and those I don't, and by my everyday thoughts and especially my words and actions everywhere I go ~ as You have created me to do. I pray to always know that You are within me, I pray to remember to keep praying, and that I will move through this life with intention and purpose, caring and carrying Your love through all that I do. amen.


*Vida Dutton Scudder holds October 10 on the US Episcopal Liturgical Calendar as a Feast Day.  Professor of English Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, she was one of the first two American women admitted to the graduate program at Oxford University. In addition to teaching, she was an author and a welfare activist in the social gospel movement. She was a founder or organizer of many groups involved with Christian socialism, trade/labor unions, and Boston's Denison House, the third settlement house in the US. In 1888 she joined the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross, Episcopal women dedicated to intercessory prayer and social reconciliation. At her retirement from Wellesley she was given the title of Professor Emeritus and among other honors went on the become the first Dean of the Summer School of Christian Ethics at Wellesley and the first woman to be published in the Anglican Theological Review.

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Prayers of the People: Un-Blinded By His Light ~ 4th Sunday in Lent '23 Yr A

For Sunday, March 19, 2023 ~ Readings: Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41

  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance of on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." [1 Samuel 16:7] 

    Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. [Psalm 23:6]

    Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. [Ephesians 5:8-14]

  "...As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When [Jesus] said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the [blind] man's eyes saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. [John 9:5-6]

    Did you ever wonder why if Jesus knew he could make the blind man see, he didn’t just snap his fingers or simply say "you can see now"? But then, symbolism ~ when recognized or at least intuited ~ is important even if not always understood completely. Spittle in ancient times was deemed to have medicinal properties. The mud he made with his saliva became a healing agent, and in turn, Jesus became a known healer. (Have you also ever wondered if any of the Pharisees tried this mud idea later?) 

     Jesus explains that this man had not sinned as the Pharisees who, by tradition and their interpretation of The Law, attributed all misfortune to sin. The man’s eyes were opened to sight after he washed clean ~ perhaps as in the waters of Baptism washing us spiritually clean? We are told in the passage that the name Siloam translates as sent, as Jesus was and is sent by God to open our eyes to see the light, to believe and follow the life to which God calls us. None of us is perfect but we are forgiven ~ as is David who, as we know from his later story, was far from perfect (and in that there is hope for us all!).

     The choosing of David by God, in the passage from 1 Samuel, is merely the beginning of the compelling story of this man. The "blind man" is unnamed and his story is brief, yet important, but David begins his reign fresh from his pastures as a young shepherd and has a long and chaotic life.

     The Psalm appointed for this week is attributed by some traditions to David himself, and surely, he or whoever authored it, thoroughly understood the nature of sheep and shepherding. The symbolism comes through the depth of each line that refers back to how to work with real-life sheep.* For example, sheep are inherently nervous creatures and are frightened to stampede by an apple simply dropping from a tree. The shepherd massages ~ anoints ~ each and every sheep with oil to keep burrowing insects from infecting their eyes and to comfort them. They are terrified by fast flowing water and can only drink from water that appears to be still. The psalmist asks the Lord to lead him beside still waters and the lectionary’s timing for this could not be any better given the turbulent times in which we live.

    Paul speaks to the Ephesians, and ultimately to us, exhorting us to awaken from the sleep of the darkness of sin to live as children of light, and to discover what is pleasing to the Lord. Things are always easier to see in the light though not necessarily more clearly. The Pharisees used a different lens to "see" what Jesus what trying to tell them ~ they didn't seem to get, or want to get the whole picture. God tells Samuel that the Lord does not see as mortals see...the Lord looks on each heart. 

    This is a good week to try to see what is in my heart, what blinders are on my eyes, and what darkness I invite into my life. I can use this Psalm as a personal prayer and plea as I speak the "my, and the I, and the me" for myself, and then I can take those personal pronouns and replace them with the name of someone else as a prayer for her or him or them any time and particularly for those currently in fear, desperately ill, or grieving: The Lord is their shepherd; they shall not be in want. He makes her lie down in green pastures and leads him beside still waters…

    I know that I have often been figuratively blinded to the true Light of Christ by the temptations and distractions in this mortal existence. I still am, at times, when it is easier to turn to the sleep of the dark than to wake and answer Christ’s call. O Jesus, massage the blindness from my eyes. It is past time for this Sleeper to awake again! I will sit at the table You set before me, be anointed by Your Presence within me, and be un-blinded by Your Radiant Light. 

*I commend to you a little book titled, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23  by W. Phillip Keller who once was a true contemporary shepherd. He unpacks all that the psalm speaks of in relation to how a shepherd cares for sheep as God cares and (tries to) lead us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, You chose David in his youth and us from the womb, knowing our full potential. As You look into our hearts, lead us from the blindness of pride and earthly temptation, to the clarity of eyes opened to the fullness of life in You.               

                                              O God of Truth and Light

         RESPONSE:           Let us awake!                             

~  Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, arouse and kindle the inner vision of those who lead us in this World, this Country, and this Community, so they will see themselves as You see them, and begin to shepherd their own flocks with integrity, principle, and compassion. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, comfort all who suffer with physical illness, fear of sickness, or economic anxiety, and impart Your calming Spirit to those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!          

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, soothe the hearts of all who grieve, as our loved ones now live again in the delight of endless green pastures, dwelling in Your House forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, 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 of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!                    

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, amplify Your Spirit already within those who are anointed to guide Your Church along right pathways, as we walk together seeking the fruit of the light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord our God, still the turbulent waters of our times and release us from the darkness we make for ourselves. Draw us to the table that You spread before us, where the cup of Your goodness and mercy overflows in this life and anoints us for the next. We ask this through Jesus our Christ, True Light from True Light; and the Guiding Spirit of all that is Holy; who live and reign with You, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 17, Give Up, Take On, Pray

Prayer is a nonlocative, nongeographic space that one enters at one's own peril,

for it houses God during those few moments of one's presence there, and what is there will most surely change everything that comes into it....Ever traveling as we travel, moving as we move, prayer grips like home, until the heart belongs nowhere else and the body can scarcely function apart from them both.

Prayer is dangerous and the entrance way to wholeness.

~ Phyllis Tickle* 1934-2015

    How do you pray?  There are many ways ~ some use formally constructed prayers written by others, some pray spontaneously in a group.  Some pray in silence and alone. What are the reasons for your prayers: intercessory (on behalf of others), thanksgiving (for blessings in life), petition (request for yourself), penitence (you're sorry for something), to give praise to God without asking or expecting a return? What about what I say in traffic (okay, I admit, sometimes using your name rudely)? How do you want to pray? Step one: Dear God...

Dear God,
       Sometimes I find it difficult to know what to say to You even though I don't seem to have a problem talking to anyone else. What words are best? What should I be saying? Do the words matter? 
       For today, I will give up trying to pray the way I think is correct and take on speaking to You from my heart.  I will pray to share sacred space with You, more often. Is it true that I can be transformed by engaging with You regularly? That does feel a little dangerous but, You are God, what better danger can there be?  amen.

*An Episcopal lay woman, Phyllis Tickle was an accomplished author and lecturer whose focus was primarily religion and spirituality. She served as a teacher, professor, an academic dean, and as an editor for St. Luke's Press, Peachtree Publishers, and Publishers Weekly. Her best known works are The Great Emergence - How Christianity is Changing and Why and her series on The Divine Hours. The opening quote is from Phyllis Tickle: Essential Spiritual Writings (Jon Sweeney, ed., Church Publishing, 2018)

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 16, Give Up, Take On, Pray

Psalm 23 speaks to us in the simplest of terms

that belie the intricacy of its depth.

      The symbolism in this well-known Psalm is far more complex and fascinating than just the obvious image of a guy walking down a lane with a big staff and a dog, or the pretty girl of nursery rhymes with a bow on her crook as the sheep dutifully follow.  
      The demands on real living shepherds are constant and endless.  Sheep are peculiarly needy and helpless creatures, quite restive, timid, and even self-destructive at times. They can stand still for hours or bolt into stampede because an apple drops unexpectedly from a tree. If they are heavy with lambs, they will likely lose them in the running and panic. The shepherd must keep continuous vigil against disease, insect infestations, pecking order fights, escape artists, water and food supplies, and especially predators. Two untrained dogs can slaughter nearly 300 sheep overnight if the sheep are untended. Sheep will NOT lie down unless they are completely contented and secure. A special oil mixture that the shepherd prepares and swabs (anoints) around the sheep's head and nose keeps deadly insects from burrowing and causing panic and disease, and the sheep is calmed for a bit. Then there are shearing and lambing seasons...
      Taken line by line in this Psalm we can see, feel, and almost hear Jesus, our Shepherd, here with us, reviving, caring, comforting, and anointing. Watching over us, preparing our table, restoring us.  Nothing we need is withheld.  A Good Shepherd's job is never done.


Most Gracious and Vigilant Shepherd,
      How much of my life I have known the words of this lovely little Psalm ~ but have I paid attention to them?  Have I understood what they really mean in my life?  They're so familiar that when it comes time I recite them with a matter-of-fact monotone voice without even listening to myself.  But for today, I will give up taking for granted that You ARE the Shepherd who restores my soul and anoints my heart when I call on You. I will take on reading this Psalm carefully and slowly at least twice.  I will pray these words with conscious intention and attention, recognizing the important message that Christ Jesus IS my shepherd. I will read it one time as a prayer for myself, emphasizing the parts that do refer to me: The Lord is MY Shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes ME lie down in green pastures and leads ME beside still waters......
    And then, I will read it once more (at least). Only this time I'll add the name and appropriate pronouns of someone I know as an intercessory prayer. And I will carry the image of Jesus leading us, comforting us, anointing us as we walk toward dwelling in the House of the Lord forever. I think I will call this, Psalm 23.1.  amen.


Psalm 23  (format from the Book of Common Prayer)

The Lord is Margaret's shepherd;
She shall not be in want.

He makes Margaret lie down in green pastures
and leads her beside still waters.

He revives Margaret's soul

and guides her along right pathways for his Name's sake.

Though Margaret walks through the valley of the shadow of death,
She shall fear no evil; for you are with her;
your rod and your staff, they comfort her.

You spread a table before Margaret in the presence of 

those who trouble her; You anoint her head with oil,

and her cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow her all the days
of her life, and Margaret will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Amen.


*Sheep herding information from "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23," by W. Phillip Keller, with a closer look at the fascinating connections between the Psalm's descriptions and real life sheep farming.

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Meditation Moment in Lent, Day 15, Give Up, Take On, Pray '23

What exactly IS The Christian Ideal? 

     If you Google the phrase you'll get directed to the Chesterton^* quote and untold numbers of sermons about "it." One Biblical reference that showed up was 1 Peter 2:18-25. If that is the only part of the Bible I ever got to read, I don't think it would draw me in to a Christian life! Granted it was for its time but I’m glad I wasn’t living then and there. Although, we must remember that millions are living in similar conditions today. How confident are you of defining The Christian Ideal to others? Something as in, "Well, of course it is...." How would you define it as a way of life? Why does Chesterton say it's difficult? What happens if (when?) you stray from the Ideal?

Jesus, Beloved of God,
     You are the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the Son of Man. We are the Christians who have signed on to follow You, to live our lives as You have taught us. You did give us all we need to know in Matthew 22:33-40** which is pretty clear:  Love God with everything we have and love everyone ~ friend, not friend, and stranger ~ as if they are ourselves. Sounds easy ~ I guess if we can really do that, we've pretty well covered the original 1-10 list. Well, I quietly admit there are days when I'm not loving anyone very much especially myself and many other days when I watch to see how I measure up with the ways other Christians appear to be following You. That can be discouraging on a variety of levels. For today, I'll give up looking around to see what everyone else is doing and take on the "trying" part a little more diligently. I'll pray to find my path through The Christian Ideal and when I hit a bump or two or have a cranky day, I'll leave a message for myself to work on remembering to pray again and more often. 

      Oh, and I'll also remember that believers and non-believers alike can love others as if they were themselves. What a better world that would bring!  amen.


^*G.K. Chesterton [1874-1936] born in London and baptized as an Anglican, studied art and literature harboring a desire to be an artist. He fell into journalism and then began to write in earnest penning more than 80 books, hundreds of short stories, and more hundreds of poems.  He's widely known for his Priest-Detective Father Brown character, which, dramatized for television, still plays on PBS in the US. A lay theologian and philosopher, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922. Poet, playwright, political commentator, literary and art critic, he was known for his wit and humor and use of paradox. His faith was deep and his practice devout enough to warrant a telegram of condolence from the Pope "To the English People" at his death. Just one more of his innumerable quotable quotes that feels quite contemporary: The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.  

^{**Matthew 22:34-40 [NRSV]
34} When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 14, Give Up, Take On, Pray

I hear and behold God in every object, 

yet understand God not in the least.  

    ~ Walt Whitman* 1819-1892

   Where do you discover God in your life ~ in the woods, on a river, in the mountains, in the living room, on the highway, in church? Have you ever experienced a moment when you were certain you understood God? Have you ever worried that you haven’t had a moment where you understood God, or that you don’t know where to find God?  Or, perhaps you don't want to find God. But for those of us who do...

Almighty, Mystical, Divinity,

     When I was a child, You were in every room, every sunrise, every blade of grass, inside, outside, and all over; and, I understood You, or at least the wonder of You and, who I was to You. And then I grew up - sort of. Where did You go?  Some days it's a struggle to find You anywhere and I'm more uncertain of You than ever. Oh, wait, maybe I'm the one who went...hmmm...SO...for today I'll give up trying to find You anywhere else but here because everywhere I am is here. I'll take on accepting that You are a mystery that doesn't need to be deciphered or comprehended. Lent is good time for me to remember which one of us wandered away and to return, again. I'll pray little thanksgivings as I move through the day and the world around me because You are always here and I truly don't need to know why. amen.

Stop. Sit. Breathe.

On an inhale:   Be Still and Know that I am God 

On an exhale:  Be still and know that I am

Inhale:               Be still and know

Exhale:              Be still 

Inhale:              Be

Stop, sit, breathe, and be…          (above phrasing is from Psalm 46:10)

 

*Walt Whitman is an icon of American poetry, especially for his Leaves of Grass written and revised over nearly 40 years. Also an essayist, journalist, and humanist, Whitman believed that all religions were equal and although he remained a religious skeptic, he did believe that the human soul is immortal and always in a state of progression. A fascinating person, his biography is too extensive for this space but well worth the exploration. He continues to be one of the most influential American poets.  

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