Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 30, Give Up, Take On, Pray

[A] personal God can become a grave liability…a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our limited needs, fears and desires. We can assume that [God] loves what we love and hates what we hate, endorsing our prejudices instead of compelling us to transcend them.      ~ Karen Armstrong* 1944-


       In an us and them world, where do we place God as Creator of All in God's own image? Is it that there is only one side that God is on and is it always ours?

Dear God,
     Of course you're on our side ~ don't we always kneel on the field and pray to You before the game to help our team win? Aren't we the right color, political party, gender, sexual orientation, and citizen of the best country? 
     For today, I will give up trying to have You act on my will. I will take on looking more closely for ways to discern Your will. At the very least, I will think more deeply about the teachings of Jesus to love You with all we have and to love others as ourselves ~ to love them as if they were us. I will pray for the will and the courage to walk this walk and think differently about whose image I serve.  amen.


*Karen Armstrong is a British commentator and renowned author of a multitude of books on quite a breadth and depth of comparative religion studies. A former Roman Catholic nun, she has given us such books as A History of God: A 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Through the Narrow Gate; and Jerusalem:  One City, Three Faiths. Her work centers around the commonalities across major religions and, in particular, the importance of the Golden Rule and Compassion.  Her work, research, and authorship has garnered her - among many other awards - the $100,000 TED prize in 2008 with which she started the Charter for Compassion: "A document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. A cooperative effort to restore compassionate thinking and action to the center of life." Individuals, groups, and even countries can sign and participate in this most human quest to develop humanity to its highest ideal.  http://charterforcompassion.org/

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Prayers of the People: The Time For Hosannas ~ Palm and Passion Sunday '23 Yr A

For Sunday, April 2, 2023, Readings: The Liturgy of the Palms: Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; 

The Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mt 26:14-27:66

    The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  [Matthew 21:9]

    Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord… [Psalm 118:25-26a]

   The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher... Morning by morning he wakens...my ear...The Lord God helps me...and I know I shall not be put to shame. [Isaiah 50:4, 7b]

     But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. I have said, "You are my God. My times are in your hand...in your loving-kindness save me." [Psalm 31:14-15a, 16b]

    Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God...And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death... [Philippians 2:5-11]

      Then [Jesus] went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples. "Sit here while I go over there and pray"...Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."  [Matthew 26:36, 40-41]

      Hosanna! The perfect short prayer, for these and other times, that we didn’t know that we knew. Before some Christian denominations began to use the now Revised Common Lectionary, Palm Sunday was a singular day by itself as a celebration. The following Sunday, beginning Holy Week, was by itself as Passion Sunday. Now and for many decades, these two parts of the Life of Christ are inextricably interwoven and significantly more cohesive and substantive when taken together than when separated. It is human nature to only want the fun part, yet as we know all too well, in the span of mortal life we cannot overlook the difficult in favor of only the pleasurable. And, that is why the shout of HOSANNA! is more important than ever, on this and every day.

    Hosanna, pronounced “Hoshana” in the Hebrew [Old] Testament, comes to us today in Psalm 118 appointed for the “Liturgy of the Palms,” which opens this Sunday, in verses 25-26 (NRSV): Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord. In original Aramaic, the language Jesus would likely have spoken, the exclamation was “help, save, I pray.” The words of the Psalm become clearer with that in mind if we shift to “Help, Lord, Help! Lord, send us now success.” In the Jewish Study Bible (of the Jewish Publication Society and published by Oxford Press 1985/1999), verses 25-26 read as O Lord, deliver us! O Lord, let us prosper! May he who enters be blessed in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the House of the Lord.

   Christian usage in the Christian [New] Testament has become an exclamation of special respect for the one who saves us. Neither definition excludes the other and so to proclaim Hosanna! is to recognize, celebrate, and respect Jesus as our Lord and Savior even as we ask him to help us.

   The opening readings may be familiar but listen, and even better, read them to discover what you've forgotten or never thought about. For example, choosing the kind of animal for Jesus to ride is quite significant. Jesus was accused later in the week of proclaiming himself "King of the Jews," yet riding into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey symbolized that he was a peaceful Teacher. A warrior King would ride in on a horse bent on war and occupation. The procession with palm branches celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem just after his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead just two miles away in Bethany. The greetings of hosanna are a recognition that he is a Messiah who will remove and save them from the oppression of Rome.

    The Passion narrative develops the details of his Last Supper, betrayal by Judas, and the machinations of the Chief Priests, whose local standing and power among the Jewish hierarchy and Rome, were clearly threatened by this acclaimed and unorthodox prophet and miracle-worker. All of 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. How easy, it seems, to go from enthusiastic cheers of the welcoming crowd to the strongly manipulated and equally enthusiastic and deathly jeers by the same people mere days later. Two thousand plus years on, it is still a story for our own time. How easily are we turned from waving palms to throwing rocks because of a few well-placed headlines or Facebook comments because we simply followed the crowd?

    Jesus enters the chaos of his times as he enters the chaos of our own. The people along the way misunderstood the significance of this man who was being accepted as Messiah. He wasn't coming for regime change but rather to teach love and peace, equality and humanity. The political and religious authorities knew he was a threat to their power and wealth and he still is. How divided still is our world over who is in and who is out even, or perhaps especially, among those who claim Jesus as their own and everyone who doesn't believe in the exact way that they do are definitely out and often persecuted.

    The message of Jesus was, is, and will always be: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. [Mark 12:30-31; Matthew 22:37-39] 

     When is the time for Hosannas? Always!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, the human winds of discontent change to the stillness of apathy and back as quickly as those who turned from Hosanna to Crucify Him. Grant us the willingness to walk consciously through this Holy Week with fresh eyes, and, the uncomfortable awareness of how often we, too, have slept in Your presence.

                                                      O Lord our GOD

         RESPONSE:                  Let Us Turn Again To You

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, lighten the hearts and enlighten the minds of all who govern in this Community, this Nation, and this World, that they may seek the paths of peace through global cooperation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Let Us Turn Again To You

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, cradle in Your benevolent arms all who are sick, desperate, or hopeless, and give peace of heart to those who care and worry. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Let Us Turn Again To You       

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, ease the burden of grief in all who are or have ever been bereaved, as those we mourn now live in the eternal radiance of everlasting resurrection in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Let Us Turn Again To You

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of 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 our GOD             

                                                       Let Us Turn Again To You

                 

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, embrace and enrich those You have called to lead us in Your Church through this sacred week and beyond. Inspire their words, their prayers, and their souls, that they and we together, may draw ever closer to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Let Us Turn Again To You                                                                                                 

The Celebrant adds: GOD Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, in Your loving-kindness sustain our hope and save us from a time of trial, that humbled in our human form, we may seek and serve Christ in ourselves, in each other, and in all of humankind. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our Souls, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

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Meditation Moment in Lent, Day 29: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Doubt is not the opposite of faith;

FEAR is.

- Verna J. Dozier

Back when I first started talking about ministry, it was seen as something the ordained did. Lay people had no ministry at all except as they participated in the work of the institution. If you taught in the Christian education program, you had a ministry. If you taught in the public schools, you 'did time' five days a week until you could get to your ministry. When I began my second career, people would say, 'You taught school for thirty-two years; then you began your ministry.' … In my unredeemed way, I would steel myself and reply through clenched teeth, 'No, I continued my ministry.'

~ Verna J. Dozier** 1917-2006

What is your definition of ministry?*

-From Webster: the body of ministers of religion: clergy

-From Dictionary.com: 1. the service, functions, or profession of a minister of 

    religion;  2.the body or class of ministers of religion; clergy.

-From TheFreeDictionary.com: a. The profession, duties, and services of a

     minister; b. The Christian clergy; c. The period of service of a minister

    Perhaps our American Constitutional concept of "Separation of Church and State" permeates our consciousness more than we realize. According to most definitions work is work and ministry is what certain officially ordained clergy do for work. But are we ordinary people not Christians every part of every day or does that only happen when we're in Church? How does our idea of ministry change if we are being Christ's ministers whenever and wherever we are? Maybe that seems easier if you're a teacher, a doctor, or a social worker. Is it possible to be a minister if you're a motorcycle mechanic, house painter, file clerk, or corporate CEO? If we truly are one body in Christ with many members each with our own gifts, what, in even shaky Faith, is there to Fear from accepting our roles as ministers of the Gospel whatever, whenever, wherever it is that we are doing? 

Dear Chief Minister:
       I really don't want to stand on the street corner and handout leaflets, or knock on doors to proclaim You to the world. Even so, I would like to believe that I can be one of Your ministers without having to be so formal about it. Maybe I'm just being presumptuous to think so if I have no special training or credentials. So, how do I get to have a ministry?  Maybe if for today I give up the notion that only specially educated, formally trained, ordained people can be ministers, I can take on looking at the most mundane, or more important task as a ministry. If it is something that needs to be done, wherever it is, I can complete it or at least contribute time and energy to it without grumbling and resentment. I can smile at someone I pass on the street. I can listen to someone without interrupting. I can just be a comfortable presence and accept people for who and where in life they are. I can serve soup, or read at the Sunday service, serve on a church vestry or council; I can learn how to do other kinds of ministry in and out of “Church.”  I can seek some training in an area of Church life that interests me. I can pray to know You are with me always and allow that to guide my thoughts, my actions, and my sense of being an integral part Your One Body.  If everything I do is in the spirit of and as a minister of Christ's Gospel, then perhaps I will more easily be conscious of what I will NOT do, and, act accordingly. amen.

*From the 1979 Episcopal Book of Common Prayer Catechism, pg 855:

 

Q. Who are the ministers of the Church?

A. The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.

Q. What is the ministry of the laity?

A. The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church, to bear witness to him wherever they

     may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world;

     and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.

**Verna Dozier was a diminutive African-American woman in physical stature only. A trail-blazer in the movement of the "authority of the laity," a foremost Christian educator as a second career, author of books such as The Dream of God, The Calling of the Laity, The Authority of the Laity, and her self-directed Bible study process for lay groups: Equipping the Saints. One of her greatest gifts was making the Bible accessible to everyone by her down-to-earth discussions, sermons, lectures, articles, retreats, and her mere presence.  A master storyteller, educator, and leader, Ms. Dozier spoke with a prophetic voice. To those who knew her well she was funny and she could be quite blunt, but, she was always a minister.  She graced this world, the Church, and anyone who was fortunate enough to have met her and listened to her. But if you never met her, you can still read her.

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 28, Give Up, Take On, Pray '24

    Racism, prejudice and discrimination still exist in the world, and the Jews have endured the longest continuous manifestation of this racism. I have written that we, as Palestinians, should face Israel candidly and say that we are appalled by the Holocaust, that we should open our hearts "and with a new, magnanimous attitude we should say to the Jews, 'We will accept you and share the land with you. You have suffered for so long. Come share our land. This is God's land. We will live in it together as brothers and sisters.'"    

~ Naim Stifan Ateek* 1937-

    After the discoveries and acknowledgement of the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, a homeland for the Jews was understandably and sympathetically promoted for Palestine as "A Land Without People for People Without A Land," except the flaw in the ointment of the great repatriation was there were many people already there, a few Jewish people and also many non-Jewish people ~ Muslims, Christians, and non-believers. The debates, the wars, the persecutions, the walls, the barbed wire fences, the guns, the bombs, the bloodshed continue and escalate on a daily basis...and yet, a question always remains: to whom does the Earth really belong? We cannot take the land with us when we die but so many are willing to die ~ or to kill ~ to prove it. While this is one example, think Ukraine, Crimea, "Yugoslavia," Turkey/Greece, Russia/China/Mongolia, Asia, the South Pacific and Caribbean Islands, North/Central and South America, and everywhere the suppression of Indigenous Peoples occurs, etc. Religion isn’t the reason, like race, ethnicity, gender identity, extension of "ownership," and intentionally false propaganda, etc., it may only be a useful ruse to exercise power, domination, reap money, and, all-too-often ethnic/other cleansing aka: murder.

God of Heaven and of Earth, and of all the Universes known and unknown:

          We grieve for the pain and suffering, the torment and anger on all sides of this and every other feud over who can, must, should, shouldn't, can't live here or there. Deep as the core of this earth, the anguish belongs to everyone. We are all Your people Jews, Christians, and Muslims in particular are ALL Children of Abraham, but You created EVERY ONE ~ please, we implore, we beseech, we beg You ~ show Your care for Your children everywhere and help us learn to care for each other and to live together in peace, safety, and freedom. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our souls to see ourselves in each other's faces and especially in the faces of all of our children. 
     For today I must give up thinking more about fixing blame and take on learning more about the history of all sides of a conflict whether in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, and the entire world which, of course, includes my own country, my city, and even my family. I pray for the courage to support and participate with those who abhor violence in all forms and who will encourage dialogue to promote understanding among us all. Help us especially with the eternal question: Who really are my neighbors as Jesus specifically says we are to love as our selves? I entreat You through the Saving Love of Jesus the Christ, and the Wisdom of Your Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as one, the God of Abraham, the Creator of ALL, for now, for tomorrow, for eternity. amen.


*The Rev Dr Naim Ateek is a Palestinian priest in the Anglican Church and founder of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. A former Canon of St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem, Dr. Ateek is a much sought after lecturer at home and abroad and receives support across all denominations and faith traditions including those of the Jewish faith.  Educated at Hardin-Simmons University, Baptist University in Abilene, Texas; and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, a seminary in the US Episcopal Church in Berkeley, California, Dr. Ateek is a very well-respected author of a number of books and articles on Palestinian Liberation Theology, Dr. Ateek has been the recipient of many honors and awards for his work.

Naim Stifan Ateek is a Palestinian priest in the Anglican Communion and founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. He has been an active leader in the shaping of the Palestinian liberation theology

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 27, Give Up, Take On, Pray

― Anthony de Mello* 1931-1987

    If you knew that this would be the very last time we would speak to each other, would our conversation be different?  We have those moments every day with store clerks, shoppers, people on elevators, those we sit next to in church, at a concert, or sporting event. And then there are our families and friends. What feelings, thoughts, awareness arise if you realize we are all dying. A shocking thought! But it’s true. Some sooner, some later. Some at length and painfully, and some quite suddenly. Some will have a comfortably long life and quietly and peacefully go. Most of us take daily living for granted and yet none of us know the time or the hour [Matthew 25:13]. So let us all LIVE while we can with all that life brings and even all it takes away. Let us turn our eyes to the Creation that our Creator surrounds us with and look for joy in all the life within it, accepting those moments when joy must await our return, as return to it we will and we must. Let us live for those who can no longer and who want us to go on as they walk with us in heart and memory. Embrace LIFE!

Dear Lord of Life:
     You have given each of us this precious gift of the breath of life; what are we doing with it? Is it wasted on the young, regretted by the old, dismissed by those in-between who are too busy to recognize it for what it is?  For today, I will give up taking breathing and life for granted and take on the understanding and compassion that even if the next breath isn't my last it will be for someone. I'll pray for the fullness of breath that inhales Your love, patience, and understanding and with each exhale to disperse anger, frustration, and bitterness. Today may be the last chance we'll have in this life and any days beyond it will truly be a gift. Help us to not waste it by being oblivious to all the gifts we have, thoughtless about the needs of others, chronically cranky, and especially not forgetting to remember You.  amen.   


*Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest from India and a psychotherapist who wrote a number of books and made videos on spirituality with an eastern flavor. His first published book Sadhana: A Way to God contained spiritual exercises influenced by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Long after his sudden death, then Cardinal-Prefect Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, convened a commission to study de Mello's work and seemed to find some of his writings and lectures theologically problematic.  There was a temporary ban on them for Roman Catholics which has since been lifted. Millions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, however, have found great wisdom and transformational thought in de Mello's writings, many more of which were published posthumously. 

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Meditation Moment in Lent, Day 26: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison 

and expecting the other person to die. 

 

Holding on to anger is like holding hot coals you intend to throw at someone

but you're the one who gets burned.

 

Anger is an acid that does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored 

than to anything on which it is poured.

     All of the above quotes, in a variety of similar iterations, have variously been attributed to The Buddha, Mark Twain, Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca, 12-Step programming, and any number of contemporary authors. It is often difficult to pin down the actual origin of almost epigrammatic expressions especially when widely quoted. Nonetheless, whoever said them first, the consensus of the above is that anger is more dangerous to oneself than to others. Anger that escalates to rage and/or combines with desperation, however, can certainly be dangerous for everyone around.

    But not all anger is bad or dangerous ~ it's quite appropriate and justified, when it's directed at or a result of personal loss, instances of gross injustice, discrimination, economic hardship, and so on. It is how we use our anger, how we respond that makes the difference between poisoning ourselves and resolving an issue. Thoughtful response rather than impulsive reaction? Some days are better than others. How can I pull back when pushed over an edge? Counting to 10? Deep breathing? 

   So much depends on when and how the anger surfaces and who is pushing my buttons and what else is going on within me that may be completely unrelated. For one who is constantly seething over things small and large, “itching for a fight” consciously or otherwise, or keeping it all inside unexpressed with an all-gracious exterior, seeking outside help, pastoral and/or professional is a useful step in self-care.

  We all know that Jesus says to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. If I’m spending much of my brief life raging at others, even just inside, it says more about how I feel about me than how I actually feel about her, him, and them.   

 Dear God,
      There are days when I want You to be Your Old Testament Self ~ smiting and plaguing, wrathful and condemning, thundering, destructive, and vengeful, oh my! That gives me permission, sort of, to impose the eye for eye/tooth for tooth thing as I plot my revenge against a perceived enemy.  But mostly, I want ~ and need ~ Your New Testament Self in the form of Jesus who relieves my angst and anger and shows me a quieter yet equally satisfying path. For today, I'll give up attempting to bend my part of the world to my will by shouted recrimination or internal rage. I'll take on seeking more positive outlets to right injustice, overcome discrimination, promote understanding, or get involved with organizations that work to resolve large issues that affect us all. I'll also work toward calming my inner upsets, examining the why and how of what bothers me, and continuing my quest for the inner peace that will reflect outwardly. I'll pray for the guidance and blessing of the Holy Spirit, the support and friendship of a loving community of faith, and the collective wisdom and love of family and close friends. Oh, and I'll keep working on what I'm thinking about those other drivers when I’m in the car. amen. 

 

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Meditation Moment in Lent, Day 25: Give Up, Take On, Pray

 

The way to misuse our possessions is to use them as an insurance against the morrow. Anxiety is always directed to the morrow, whereas goods are in the strictest sense meant to be used only for to-day...time is the most valuable thing that we have, because it is the most irrevocable.

                                                                   ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer*  1906-1945

    Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s date on the U.S. Episcopal Calendar is April 9 but this year that is Easter Day. So here he is now as he rises again in my consciousness with the desire to re-read his writings. Bonhoeffer has long inspired me through his writing and especially through a biography by American Charles Marsh entitled Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, that showed the young and privileged arrogance of a brilliant mind grow into a passionate and compassionate theologian for all of humanity; and, the spiritual torture of deciding to join the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Another quote of his: We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. As he said, time is the most valuable thing we have, and we only have NOW.

What will I do with it....what will you?

Holy God of Yesterday, Today, and (maybe) Tomorrow,
       The manna You give me today will not last until tomorrow so cajole me not to waste it, fritter it away, or misuse it.  For today I will give up the worry about what might come tomorrow.  I will take on seeing to the necessary business of the day, but more importantly, letting those I care about KNOW, specifically, deliberately, intentionally, definitively, that I care. I will pray that we will each be part of each other's lives for much longer and for the gift of grace to let God interrupt my plans and help me to understand, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said also, “There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler.”  amen.

*Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, Lutheran pastor, dissident anti-Nazi.  His book The Cost of Discipleship is considered a modern classic.  Polish by birth, he studied at the University of Tubingen and received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and his Doctor of Theology at the University of Berlin.  He completed a second doctorate - all before the age of 25. He did post graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York and was introduced to and was profoundly inspired by the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.  His teachings and writings continue to inspire generations after his death.  With great angst but complete abhorrence of the Nazi dictatorship and violence, he was involved with the German Military Intelligence Office's plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 and executed on April 9, 1945, 23 days before the German surrender. His "time is the most valuable thing we have..." comes from his Letters and Papers from Prison.  He never justified or excused his action but accepted that he was taking guilt upon himself as he wrote "when a man takes guilt upon himself in responsibility, he imputes his guilt to himself and no one else. He answers for it...Before other men he is justified by dire necessity; before himself he is acquitted by his conscience, but before God he hopes only for grace." There is so much more that can be said about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and all in his own words.

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