People's Prayers

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Meditation in Eastertide ~ Wednesday, Week 3 '23

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson*

Holy Creator of Dawn, Noonday, Sunset, and Night,
How I often go through each day with a particular agenda of things to do, places to go, and people to see without taking a moment to recognize the blessings of my life. I'm always quick to complain, whine, or moan to You and yet while I might remember an exclamation of "Thank God!" when something dramatic occurs (such as the birth of a child, an improvement in health, or a disaster averted), I'm less likely to remember to breathe a small prayer of thankfulness for waking, for the light of the day, and for the stars of the night.
Whatever the circumstances of my daily life, I always have small moments for which I can be thankful. All I have to do is remember. It's easy enough on Sundays to remember to be thankful for the Resurrection or the Nativity of Your Son, but please help me, Lord, to add thankfulness into my daily life even if only in small ways. While I'm not suggesting that You are the Do-er of everything, I do want to acknowledge the parts of Creation that impact me in positive ways as a thanksgiving for the miracle of life itself.

Lord of Heaven, Lord of Life, Lord of All, thank You for this moment, right now! amen.

*Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-1882] was a noted lecturer and leader of the Transcendentalist Movement of the mid-19th century. With a Unitarian background and Harvard Divinity School education, he came to champion the belief in the inherent goodness of people and nature, and, particularly, that only from truly self-reliant and independent people can genuine community be formed. A well-traveled and well-written life, Emerson forms the backdrop of American intellectual pursuits and long collegial relationships with contemporaries such as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Henry James and other literary luminaries such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and Thomas Carlyle. His work resonates to this day and speaks to much of our current experience and dilemmas.

Photo by Christina Brennan Lee, one Easter Sunday Morning in Rice, Virginia

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

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Meditation Moment in Eastertide: Tuesday, Week 3 '23

The Gospel of St. Mark

But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table...

~ Mark 16:11-13, 14a

O Jesus,
Some days I question everything. I can definitely understand why the disciples didn't believe the reports they heard that You had been seen alive. We can be a skeptical lot. Even though You told them, even though they loved and trusted You, still, it was beyond their experience and their realm of possibility. And now, today, more than 2000 years later I believe it when I read it - after all, these accounts have lasted for all this time. But I need help sometimes. While I can imagine You sitting at my table, when my heart hurts or my head isn't on straight, imagining doesn't always relieve me. Today, I'm fine, my faith is strong and so is my willingness to proclaim the Good News. Tomorrow or next week? Please, in those times, remind me to read again, to be with those so close to you who were also having trouble believing until they finally did. If they could so can I believe, and to proclaim that You are risen! Indeed! amen.

The Gospel of Mark is thought to be the earliest of the four canonical Gospels despite its second place in the New Testament. It has the flavor of a Reader's Digest Condensed/No Frills Book as it chronicles the highlights of the life of Jesus without much of the detail of the others. Biblical scholars disagree on a variety of aspects of this Gospel, especially the ending, and the identity and biography of the attributed author, Mark. Whoever and whatever, the words tell the story of the One we choose to follow. The details in and about the Gospel of Mark make for interesting reading and engaging conversations.

St. Mark is remembered on liturgical calendars of many Christian denominations on April 25.

Monday, April 24, 2023

Prayers of the People: Living Sheepishly ~ 4th Sunday of Easter '23 Yr A

For Sunday, April 30, 2023, Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10

Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [Acts 2:42]

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. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. [Psalm 23:1-2]

But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval...because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps...When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten...by his wounds you have been healed...For you were going astray like sheep but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. [1 Peter 2:20b-21, 23, 24b-25]

Jesus said, "...the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name...and the sheep follow him because they know his voice...Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep...Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. [John 10:2-3a, 4b, 7, 9]

Psalm 23 is, without doubt, the best-known piece of Scripture in the world among multiple religions, denominations, and sects, for the believers and for those who have no faith affiliation or belief. The origin is ascribed to King David, a shepherd in his youth, and even through various older and more modern translations, this psalm gives us the moving pastoral image, line-by-line, of the everyday activities of shepherds*, describing in detail how God cares for us.

It is also true that sometimes the familiar is too comfortable and we don’t really hear the phrasing as we repeat syllables by rote. Are we contemplating the meaning and call to personal response and action behind the words, whether in this Psalm or any Scripture reading in the Liturgy/Service? We must listen again with fresh ears, minds, and hearts. The beauty and comfort of the Shepherd in Psalm 23 is easily zoned in on while the other readings are more easily left behind. But even this calming pastoral narrative comes with a price. We, who want to know ourselves as true and faithful Christians, must rouse ourselves from complacency, listen for the Voice that calls, and then follow in earnest and in confidence. All we "have" on this earthly plain is temporary, which was never clearer than in the recent and rampant pandemic.

For Episcopalians/Anglicans, the reading from Acts this week is infused with one of the promises made by us or for us in our Baptismal and/or Confirmation Covenants: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers..." The statements of belief and the promises of the Covenant are a quick refresher and guide to the basics of true Christian living, and always worth reviewing regularly, whether or not you are of this denominational heritage and practice. [for more information click here: BCPonline for the US version of the Book of Common Prayer - Holy Baptism - and scroll to pages 304-5 for the promises]

The rise of online Liturgy/Worship since COVID-19 lockdowns have made regular attendance available to many who are unable to participate in the breaking and receiving of sacred bread and in-person fellowship. Whether we attend in-person or online, or have simply fallen away from either, as we break bread for our meals each day, let us remember to say a simple “grace” as we sit down to eat, even if alone, even if only Thank You for this meal.

Personal prayer and the Apostles’ teachings are always readily available to us, and we can meet and greet each other in many ways. One way to pray is by using Psalm 23 aloud and inserting the name and specific pronouns of others, such as, “The Lord is Margaret’s shepherd, she shall not be in want…” Think about printing it out in that form, hand-writing a name throughout and sending it to someone in need; and re-read/pray it often for yourself.

In the lesson from 1st Peter, we are given the difficult and all-too-current reminder that although we are to suffer what we must, as Jesus in his Passion, we are not to return abuse in kind. We are to realize that by the wounds of Jesus we are healed as we were going astray like sheep, but...have now returned... Somedays are easier than others with political fervor and terrible violence at a daily high pitch. Yet the Gospel also carries the Shepherd theme and comforts us with another serene image, that of Christ as the divine Gate that opens for all of His sheep for salvation in a safe and abundant pasture.

Let us not go astray like sheep but flock together through the open Gate, living sheepishly by our hearts dwelling with the Lamb of God now and forever, in this life and the next.

*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, for an eye- and soul-opening look at the amazing connections between the Psalm's imagery and real-life sheep farming.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Shepherd of our Souls, our Holy Gate, Your calming pasture is always open for spiritual shelter and encouragement in this life each minute, each hour, each day. As You call us by name, kindle our desire to hear Your voice deep within us and follow Your call to salvation and abundant life, now and for ever.

                                                By Your blood we are reconciled
RESPONSE: By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, as you stood peaceably in front of the political authorities of Your mortal time, grant us courage and confidence to peacefully and persistently urge leaders of this Country, this Community, and this World, to legislate safety, economic compassion, and equity for all people.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                              By Your blood we are reconciled
                                             By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, anoint the hearts, restore the hope, and give rest from anxiety to all who are suffering in any physical or emotional way, and also to those who risk their lives to give protection, rescue, treatment, and all other forms of care. We pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                              By Your blood we are reconciled
                                             By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, we entrust the souls of all who have left this life to Your care, knowing that they now dwell in the light of Your House forever.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                              By Your blood we are reconciled
                                             By Your wounds we are healed

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

                              By Your blood we are reconciled
                                             By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, Your ordained representatives in our time lead us to Your Gate with glad and generous hearts. They strive by an increasing variety of ways to bring You to us, through the Apostles’ teaching and prayer, and continually evolving options for fellowship. Through Your goodness and mercy, grant them peace, comfort, and stamina to continue Your work among, with, and for us. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                              By Your blood we are reconciled
                                             By Your wounds we are healed

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, we are welcomed always into Your mystical pasture, to live and thrive on the Divine Bread of Life, Christ Jesus. Awaken us again, in these and all times, to follow You along the right paths and enter the Holy Gate to abundant and eternal life, in Your glorious and infinite kingdom. We ask this through Jesus the Christ, our Guardian and Shepherd; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our Souls; who together with You reign as One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Monday, Week 3 '23

Josephine Butler

"God and one woman
make a majority."

A feminist from an early age, Josephine Butler [1828-1906] became more involved in serious social issues about women after being devastated by the death of her 6 year old daughter. Early on she was co-founder of the North of England Council for Promoting the Higher Education of Women and, as a dedicated and committed Christian married to a Church of England clergyman, she also became a resolute advocate for the welfare of prostitutes. She believed that the double standard of sexual morality led to the exploitation of women and girls with no consequences for men.
Josephine was tireless in her efforts to have the Contagious Disease Acts repealed and was further helped in this effort by Florence Soper Booth, daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, and the influential editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, William Thomas Stead. The latter revealed the appalling ease of purchasing girls as young as 13 for sex and trafficking. The Acts were intended to thwart the spread of venereal diseases yet only women were being victimized by the requirements which often led to their imprisonment if infected, but men were not. In a public meeting she referred to some of the practices authorized by the Acts as "surgical rape" ~ a shocking remark that resulted in her desired outcome when the Acts were repealed in England, Ireland, and British Raj India. Josephine also successfully undertook the effort to have the age of sexual consent raised from 13 to 16 to reduce child prostitution.
At a time when women didn't have the vote, Mrs. Butler's efforts were compelling and considerable. Honored on the Church of England Calendar of Lesser Festivals, she is also portrayed in a window in the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool with Queen Victoria and other notable women of the time. A College at the University of Durham is named for her and she has been remembered and honored in many other ways and places in England.

Mrs. Butler wrote more than 90 books and pamphlets relating to her various causes and also biographies of her father, her husband, and, St. Catherine of Siena. It is well past time for her to be known much farther afield as her influence continues to this day.

God of All Women and All Men and All of Our Children, God of Earth and God of Heaven, God of all that is ~ Seen and Unseen,
Your Servant Josephine led the way in her own time to courageously and relentlessly advocate on behalf of women and girls as fully human persons. From campaigning for higher education, pushing legislation to increase the age of sexual consent, and to succeed in having laws repealed that diminished and exploited women, especially those engaging in prostitution, Mrs. Butler was a force beyond our comprehension for her time. Help us realize that we must continue her valiant efforts. Let us not avert our eyes to the very real, very prevalent issues of sexual violence and exploitation of human beings in our own times ~ in the worst parts of the world and in the nicest parts of our comfortable lives. Rape as a political weapon, human trafficking for greed and lust, domestic violence, child pornography and prostitution ~ all are symptoms of a dissolving social ethic that only benefits the few who have power, and all thrive when we, the "good people," look away. Help us, Lord, to do the work You have given us to do and actively see to it that all Your children are safe and genuinely loved. 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

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Saturday Week 2 '23

Banyan Tree

Earth Day in Earth Month ~ April 2023

Do you know that even when you look at a tree and say,`That is an oak tree', or `that is a banyan tree', the naming of the tree, which is botanical knowledge, has so conditioned your mind that the word comes between you and actually seeing the tree? To come in contact with the tree you have to put your hand on it and the word will not help you to touch it...[and] if you have no relationship with the living things on this earth, you may lose whatever relationship you have with humanity.

~ Jiddu Krishnamurti*

Dear Creator God ~
Your precious Creation in all of its bounty is as equally important in the scheme of life as we humans are. You have given us plant life, sea life, creatures of the land and all that our life requires to be sustained. Help me stop and look, touch, hear, breathe in all that this Earth, our island home, has to offer. Help me know a tree, a flower, a bird beyond its classification and name. Help me to know this Earth as more than just land, air, and bodies of water to support me. Help me know it as a partner in life, mutually beneficial, living and breathing as I do and requiring as much of my participation and care in its health as I need from its participation in mine. Help me pay more attention to the destruction of our Earth and its air and water by the convenience of the packaging we use, the trash islands in our Oceans, and heat and fumes generated by our rabid consumption of fossil fuels.
Maybe, if we all learn to know that the dirt under our feet is as necessary to our life as are all the pretty creatures and lakes and oceans, we will not only take action for its better care, it will take better care of us. Perhaps in that way, more of us will see all of creation as necessary, whether wild, tame, cultivated, animal, mineral, and vegetable. And in those ways we will finally understand that every human on this Earth is also a partner in life, mutually beneficial, living and breathing as we do and requiring as much of us as we need from each of them. Maybe then, we'll all have a true relationship with humanity and our planet beyond just the names of a few people and a few trees. amen.

*Jiddu Krishnamurti, [1895-1986] a speaker and writer on matters philosophical and spiritual was born in British India and was influenced as a child by the Theosophical Society in Aydar. Sickly and sensitive as a child, considered vague and dreamy, he was deemed to be mentally backward and was regularly beaten at home and at school. His subsequent development as a writer and speaker is exceedingly remarkable. He disavowed allegiance to any caste or religion, mastered several languages and traveled the world lecturing and writing. He died in Ojai, California leaving a tremendously interesting legacy of writings and a fascinating biography.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Friday in Week 2 '23

Frederick Buechner*

The time is ripe...not all the time, surely, but from time to time...to enter that still room within us all where the past lives on as a part of the present, where the dead are alive again, where we are most alive ourselves to turnings and to where our journeys have brought us. The name of the room is Remember — the room where with patience, with charity, with quietness of heart, we remember consciously to remember the lives we have lived.

O Holy Comforter ~
The calendar highlights the dates that are burned deeply into my heart with a mix of sweetness, sadness, and even a smile. And on each of those days I open the door to my inner room of memories and sit with them as if in a familiar attic. I sift through the virtual folders and boxes that hold remnants of the most meaningful people and times of my life now past. And on each of those days I need Your presence to surround me while winnowing through the highs and the lows of all that has been. Most importantly, please be here while I caress the remembrances of the all-too-brief moments with those now gone who I have loved and who have loved me. Give me Your peace when I go from this room until it is time again to remember. Strengthen my resolve to walk more fully into today, into all that is now, and all that is yet to be. amen.

*Carl Frederick Buechner [1926-2022] was an American theologian, Presbyterian pastor, and author of more than 30 books in several genres such as fiction, autobiography, and sermons, and is well-known among readers of Christian meditation. He received the O. Henry Award and been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award among many other honors.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Thursday, Week 2 '23

Here's a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished:

if you're alive, it isn't.

~ Richard Bach*

Lord of Now, Lord of Forever,

I'm alive. Now what?

Some days it's hard work just to be alive. Other days go by so fast I hardly realize it. And then, someone you care about is suddenly gone and life takes on new meaning, again. And just as suddenly it hits me: his mission is finished, whether he was ready for it to be or we who care about him were, it just is. And even if we can’t understand or figure out what someone’s life mission was, especially someone very young, even in our deepest grief we can seek a way to live in earnest, and in honest and loving purpose, because of their importance in our lives.

Again I’m here, as I begin once more to re-evaluate and re-discover how I can live as if You, Lord, were with me every moment [as You are]. When I do come to You, I remember that I can worry less about doing stuff and think more about just being, especially with You, and then my honest and loving purpose ~ my mission ~ will become clearer. Of course I'll keep doing but I'm seeing again that if I spend more of life working to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and my neighbors as myself ~ per Your instructions ~ that mission thing will take care of itself. Through that I will re-center my self, focus on being conscious in thought and action, movement and stillness, then perhaps more of what I do will then, simply, reflect the who I am continually becoming. Thanks for listening, as always. amen.

*Richard Bach [1937- ] is an author best known for classic 1970s bestsellers Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, and later, There’s No Such Place as Far Away, and more. His books carry a philosophical theme that our physical limits and mortality are merely appearance. An avid pilot and love of flying nearly cut his mission short in 2012 as his small plane landed upside down in a field and he was badly injured but recovered and continues to write.