Prayers of the People: Stop, in the Name of Love ~ Proper 18, 15th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, September 10, 2023, Track 2 Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-11, Psalm 119:3, Romans 13:8-14, 

Matthew 18:15-20

You, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel…if…you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life. [Ezekiel 33:7-11]

  Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes…give me life in your ways. [Psalm 119:33a, 37b]

  “Owe no one anything, except to love one another… The commandments...are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’...love is the fulfilling of the law...now is the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers...Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light...” [Romans 13:8a, 9b, 11b, 12b]

      "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven...For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." [Matthew 18:18, 20]

  The passage this week from the priest of Israel turned prophet, Ezekiel, begins in several ways depending on the particular edition/translation you are reading.  I was immediately struck by the wording and the punctuation of verse 7 in the NRSV: …you, mortal,… which is repeated in verse 10…you, mortal,…because it felt as if I was being engaged ~ me, right now, today, this minute. In other translations instead of “mortal,” the phrase is son of man, which according to one source occurs 93 times in Ezekiel. In one Jewish translation it is ben adam, which is Hebrew for son of man; “adam” is, essentially, a Hebrew word for the humans, male and female, that God created.  While mortal leaves no misunderstanding or escape clause regarding we who are not “sons,” I, me, you, him, her, them are all inclusive as a sentinel for the house of Israel, that is, for the house, the city, the state, the country, indeed the entire planet that we, each, occupy now. And it was so for Ezekiel, as this was his personal call from God to warn the wicked to turn from their ways and if they don’t they only had themselves to blame. At least Ezekiel tried and took note that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Of course we know that in the  Christian/New Testament, Jesus self-described himself as son of man in the human as well as the divine sense. This passage to us, mortals, opens and prepares us to the hear the lessons learned and given to us by Jesus in today's Gospel.

  The psalmist asks to be taught the way of God’s statutes and to turn his eyes away from the worthless to give me life in your ways. This is the way of God’s statutes, to spread the Word by how we ourselves live, not by taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.

   And then, Paul reminds us, because we need to hear again and again, that Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." I used to hear that as "love your neighbor as you love yourself" and, of course, if one has difficulty loving oneself it would be apparent in the way they treat others. Yet in the fuller sense, I now read it as written ~ love your neighbor as your self. THAT person is YOU. Loving him, her, them is to love yourself, to seek and discover a mirror image in another and love that part of them, however miniscule, that is you. Jesus promises that in unity and community, when two or three or more gather in his name, we bring Him into our midst. It doesn't make it easier, yet it gives us a place to start. We are to Owe no one anything, except to love one another. "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." [Romans 13:10] [and also see Mt 22:35-40, Mk 12:28-34, Lk 10:25-28, Jn 13:31-35]

   Jesus lays out a plan for conflict resolution in the Church, which if followed without a clear sense of sincere discretion, care, and sacred responsibility, may have the opposite and a dire effect for many individuals and the community itself. He tells us again, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, which should have a chilling and sobering effect on how we decide to act in any moment of life with anyone.  Conflict resolution is tenuous in the best of times; a huge responsibility for all parties. Pointing out faults is always easier when we think we have none. I must admit that I have trouble liking some people let alone loving them, especially people who intentionally do serious harm physically, emotionally, and spiritually to others. Yet try as I might, the reality is that I cannot change what anyone else does; I can only stop, breathe, halt my reaction in time and in order to change my response to it. No easy task, no easy solution, but one certainty exists: Salvation is nearer to us now, and every passing moment brings it closer. The time is NOW to turn to Christ, to act for Christ, to love in, through, and as Christ would have us do ~ whew, hard work when there are no guarantees that our efforts will be successful or appreciated now or ever. If only I could just wait a little longer to do all that I should, to build my courage, to reduce my fear. But, time's a-wastin' and for those of us who believe in the word and teachings of Jesus, he tells us that what we do on Earth is directly applied to Heaven. There’s that whatever you bind you loose thing again. But the light of Christ is always with us especially when we stop, in the name of love, to weigh, pray, consider, and reconsider, our intentions for our neighbor and our self.

  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader: ~ Lord GOD, Your Love, through Christ, will give us life in Your ways at the moment we seek to live into our life’s true calling. Guide us to forgive the unforgivable, to live honorably and honestly, and to continue Your work to love everyone we meet as if they are our selves.
 
                                                     Lord of Earth and Heaven
        RESPONSE:                 Bind us together in Love
 
~ Lord GOD, as we put on the armor of Light in Christ, we give witness of Your unending love to all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community, with the express expectations that they will act for the safety, wholeness, and health of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Lord of Earth and Heaven
                                                       Bind us together in Love
                                                      
~ Lord GOD, comfort and heal all who are chronically ill, live in the relentless demand of addiction, or have lost their sense of home, and refresh all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Lord of Earth and Heaven
                                                       Bind us together in Love
             
~ Lord GOD, grant us peace in knowing that our loved ones now bloom again in the eternal sunshine of Life everlasting with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Lord of Earth and Heaven
                                                       Bind us together in Love
 
~ Lord GOD, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Lord of Earth and Heaven
                                                       We You a new song by our lives
 
~ Lord GOD, prepare a special place in Your eternal Kingdom for those who lead us in Your Church, who pray with us and for us, preach Your word to us, and shepherd us to spiritual growth in this Community of Faith in ever growing ways. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Lord of Earth and Heaven
                                                       Bind us together in Love
                                                                                            
The Celebrant adds: God of All and Everything, awaken our hearts, in this short life, to see ourselves as You see us, with love, compassion, and understanding for ourselves and all others. Illuminate our path with the Light of Christ, that we may lay aside the works of darkness and gather together in the name of Christ our Lord. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer and Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, the Counselor of our Souls; who live and reign together with You, One God, Timeless, Immortal, and Infinite. 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: Left Behind ~ 14th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, September 3, 2023, Readings: Jeremiah 15:15-21, Psalm 26:1-8,  Romans 12:9-21, 

Matthew 16:21-28

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of Hosts, [Jeremiah 15:16]

 O Lord, that I may go in procession round your altar, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds. [Psalm 26:6-7]

  

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;...outdo one another in showing honor...never avenge yourselves...for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."...overcome evil with good. [Romans 12:9, 10b, 19, 21b]

  …[Jesus] turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things…For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who want to lose their life for my sake will find it. For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?" [Matthew 16:23, 25-26 ]

     The world of today is not so far away in attitude from the times of Jeremiah. Around the world and in each of our own countries, many of us go through our days just minding our earthly whines and gripes, and the pointing of our self-justified fingers toward the annoying peccadilloes of others. Meanwhile, there’s an explosion of intentional racial, ethnic, gender, and various forms of hatred of the “other” and the “them,” resulting in senseless mass killings, as well as unchecked, well-supported, and imposed power grabs. The social and political environment continues, from eons ago, creating old and new forms of enslavement through poverty, robust greed, oppression, suppression, and the lighting of the fuses of reactive violence ~ all elements that have never left the human realm. And, like Jeremiah, we sometimes brood over what God didn’t do for “us” until we realize God IS with all, the ones we wag our fingers at and our very own selves. 

    But God, through Jeremiah, Paul, and Jesus, reminds us that, however reluctant, we are each called to step up to find our individual ways to save nations, if only by one “them, other, or us” at a time.

     It is much easier to wander in the wilderness of apathy or cling to the false gods of power and profit as if to save us from ourselves and each other. This week, Paul, gives us a rapid-fire list of how to begin to be the Living Sacrifice that Jesus calls us to be:  Let love be genuine, hate evil, hold fast to good, love one another, outdo, don't lag, rejoice, be patient, persevere, contribute, extend, bless, rejoice, weep, live, associate, and don't claim to be wiser than you are, etc., etc., etc. 

     I'm nearly exhausted at the thought of it all yet Jesus reminds us that all that has been done will be repaid in kind by God. If we only Follow, Jesus says, not setting our minds on human things but on the divine, we will gain the life we were created to live. We must take care to suspend our natural impulse to argue with Jesus out of doubt, fear, or unwillingness that turns us into stumbling blocks obstructing the path of others. We must come back from the lock-step and hiding behind columns of others, attracted to and distracted by the addictive and devilish desires for ridding ourselves of “them” in pursuit of human treasure. It’s time we move to the front of the line, as did Peter, seeking to overcome evil with good. Let us individually, on the path to collectively, ignore the bluster of the wealthy and the powerful, who are seeking only more wealth and more power at the expense of life and soul. One small act, one prayer at a time leading to another and another and another...opens the Way forward. It is the best of our heart’s intention that moves us toward a life with Christ. As Jesus reminded us last week, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Whatever wealth and power that is gained on Earth, not used for the benefit of God’s People and Creation, is left behind in the ashes of ego.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord God of Hosts, Your Love will redeem us in the moment we lose our earthly longings and live into our true calling through Christ. Guide us to forgive the unforgivable in everyone including in us, to live honorably and honestly, and to continue the work to love everyone we meet as if they are ourselves.

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord                         

RESPONSE:                We sing thanksgivings by our lives

 

~ O Lord God of Hosts, guide us to rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer to turn the hearts and minds of all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community. Ardent in spirit, may we directly express our expectations that they will act for the safety, wholeness, and health of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord

                                                       We sing thanksgivings by our lives                                             

~ O Lord God of Hosts, comfort and heal all who are chronically ill, live in the relentless demand of addiction, or have lost their sense of home, and refresh all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord

                                                       We sing thanksgivings by our lives    

~ O Lord God of Hosts, grant us peace in knowing that our loved ones now blossom in the eternal sunshine of Life everlasting with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord

                                                       We sing thanksgivings by our lives

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

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord

                                                       We sing thanksgivings by our lives

 ~ O Lord God of Hosts, prepare a special place in Your house of eternal glory, for those who lead us in Your Church, who pray with us and for us, preach Your word to us, and shepherd us to spiritual growth in this Community of Faith in ever changing ways. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Saving, Loving Lord

                                                       We sing You thanksgivings by our lives                                                                                            

The Celebrant adds:  O God of Glory, awaken us again and now to serve You well in this short life, that You will see each and all of us with love, compassion, and understanding. Illumine our path with the Light of Christ, the armor that binds us against the darkness of sinful action and evil intent, our own and others. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of Wisdom; who live and reign together with You, 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

Meditation Moment: The Dream Continues 60 Years On ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 2023

An Excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I have a Dream speech

from August 28, 1963, Washington, D.C.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

August 28, 2023: And again we pray, Lord of All There Is, Seen and Unseen, bring them and us together, to know, to see, to understand, to accept and honor that we are ALL of Your Creation, that we are better for one another together than fighting against our common interests apart, rewarding false prophets and power mongers and damaging the lives of Your Own from where we each are to across this country and the entire planet:

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [from The Book of Common Prayer, page 823, Prayers for the Social Order, 27. For Social Justice]

Full text:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/i-have-a-dream-speech-text_n_809993.html

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 Keys to Bind and to Loose ~ 13th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, August 27, 2023, Readings: Isaiah 51:1-6, Psalm 138, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20

…but my salvation will be for ever, and my deliverance will never be ended. [Isaiah 51:6b]

 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart…your love endures for ever… [Psalm 138: 1a, 9b]

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God ~ what is good, acceptable, and perfect. [Romans 12:2]

And Jesus answered [Peter] "...I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." [Matthew 16:17a, 19]

    This reading from the Second part of Isaiah, reminds the People of God’s Covenant with Israel of their heritage, their origin in the call of Abraham and Sarah that flourished as a nation through their offspring. They are also reminded of the coming comfort in wasted areas, a renewing act of God that would make their past sufferings in defeat and exile seem insignificant. Isaiah says to "Listen to me" so they would hear of the justice and enlightenment coming from God to all in darkness. However, he also promised that deliverance would come swiftly and that until that time the Law was to be the pattern for their life. 
    This Psalm came at a time when the community had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and the new temple had been dedicated. It is an outpouring of worshipful praise and gratitude with a whole heart, filled with the faith and trust in God with whom we can all walk through the deepest troubles and be continuously protected.
    Then Paul reminds us that we are one body in Christ with God-given, grace-filled gifts that we are to learn to identify ~ and accept ~ within ourselves and offer in service to God and to each other. In his words, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God…” he both admonishes and encourages us to look beyond ourselves to work together for God's purpose; to be the welcoming all-inclusive community of the many members, with the many gifts, by the many mercies of God in Christ. 
    When Jesus asks who others think he is, perhaps the disciples were wondering themselves if Jesus was some sort of re-incarnation of the prophets. It is Simon Peter who gets the prize for getting the answer correct. Peter ~ a name meaning the stone or rock in Greek ~ is then awarded the keys of the kingdom of heaven to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Did Peter, in that moment, feel the enormous weight of the responsibility? 

   Binding and loosing is a rabbinical concept that, as Jews, the disciples ~ and Matthew ~ understood. In very simplistic terms it means a communal judgment to bind as in obligation or to loosen that requirement to a matter of one’s individual judgment.     

    Many of us feel either a strong binding obligation, or at least a personal commitment, to present ourselves for worship each Sunday ~ in person in the Church or by watching online ~ but of course we are free to not attend or view. So what does a true obligation to the work of Christ actually mean? That's where discernment applies. Discovering what are and how to use our particular gifts, as well as offering them in the sincere attempt to follow God's will, is the work of a lifetime, as Paul says, our spiritual worship, our living sacrifice. Our human gifts are the keys to unlocking our spiritual gifts for our life that is now, the living and breathing and acting and working through each and every day of the life we have been given to live here on Earth. All that was, is now, and, all that is now, will come again. It is up to us, individually and collectively, to recognize the connections we share with the past and the future that help us to decipher the signs that we are on the right path or diverging from it. To paraphrase mystic/monk Thomas Merton's helpful and hopeful prayer that begins, "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going...”^*
    Among the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, sincerity of purpose is one key to the binding of trust and the loosening of apprehension. Connecting the lessons of the past and the present is another key. And, the most important key is in the form of a question and it comes directly to us from Jesus himself. The key to what we each bind or loose in this life in this time and the one we must reflect upon, pray about, and ponder regularly, even as we assume and presume to simply “know.” It is how to answer when we come face-to-face with Jesus and he asks: Who do you think that I am?

* Thomas Merton's Prayer: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 
 
Leader:  ~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, our whole hearts now give You praise for our spiritual heritage in the roots of Abraham and Sarah, for Your strength given us when we called, for Your care for the lowly, and for all Your holy ways. Grant us each the continuing awareness of Your ever-enduring love, and gratefulness for the works of Your hands.
 
                                                O Lord, our God                                                  
RESPONSE:                     Transform and Renew us 
 
~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, empower us to be vigorous in the pursuit of re-forming the attitudes, agendas, and actions from callous to compassionate on the part of the political leaders in the small and large areas of this World, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions
 
                                                O Lord, our God 
                                              Transform and Renew us 
 
~  O God of Love and Faithfulness, infuse hope, healing, and comfort in all who are lost in the grip of serious or life-threatening illness, in body, mind, or spirit, and to all who give of their strength in support.  We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
  
                                                O Lord, our God 
                                              Transform and Renew us 
        
~  O God of Love and Faithfulness, open wide the gates of heaven as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord, our God 
                                              Transform and Renew us 
 
~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord, our God 
                                              Transform and Renew us 
                      
~ O God of Love and Faithfulness, we offer our special thanksgivings for those who guide us by their teaching, preaching,  and prayers, to discern our own gifts and discover our path to all that is good and acceptable to You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                O Lord, our God 
                                              Transform and Renew us 
                                                                                                        
The Celebrant adds: Lord of All That Is, awaken us each morning with eagerness to offer ourselves in service to Your Holy Will, to escape the snares of conforming to what is of this world, to transform our thoughts and actions through continuous renewal, and bind ourselves only to Your Kingdom in each and every day. We ask through Jesus, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Advocate; who together with You are one God, loving, eternal, and everlasting.   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: Connecting the Crumbs ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, August 20, 2023, Readings: Isaiah 56:1-8, Psalm 67, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15: 21-28

  And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord…will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel: I will gather others to them besides those already gathered. [Isaiah 56:6-8]

   May God be merciful to us and bless us…Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations…Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth. [from Psalm 67]

 

   God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew…For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. [Romans 11:2a, 29-32]

    Just then a Canaanite woman from that region…shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord”… He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs”… She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” [from Matthew 15:21-28]

   The Readings for this week are wonderfully and marvelously connected. In Isaiah, some backstory will help. This is a time when the people of Israel are returning from the exile of generations in Babylon. Are they still the same? Presumably most of those who were originally exiled are dead and so come the descendants who have likely assimilated to some degree by custom and culture and are wondering if they are welcome in the homeland of their ancestors and of their religion. Some will have told them that they must dissolve their foreign marriages and send the wives (and children?) away. Moving to a whole new place far away from where you have been for many years or even your entire life is never easy and those who are there may well be suspicious and perhaps feel threatened. Those returning will be wary and worried. Yet God says the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord…will be accepted on my altar…says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them… and then we move to Psalm 67 which reminds us God’s ways are the saving health among the nations and that God judges people with equity.

   Paul continues this almost theme of people wondering if they’re being rejected or, if they should reject those “others” who come into their midst with strange habits or language or food or cultural practices that go against the local norms. It’s strange phrasing when Paul says that God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. But the clear message comes before that: For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Who of us haven’t been disobedient? Whether we are imprisoned in order for God to be merciful requires greater thought and many extra words but for me, I’ll stick with the God Who is Merciful to ALL.

    And then the classic encounter with THE OTHER! Ok, so Jesus set himself up for this one whether deliberately or not, but by Jesus and his disciples traveling out of Galilee, of course they would come in contact with foreigners. But a Canaanite and a woman, tsk tsk tsk, not good! All the prejudices and religious practices of the Jewish community would clearly see her as not only an unclean outsider but an enemy. When she calls out to Jesus, even with her best recognition of his status, begging for him to cure her daughter, Jesus and the disciples are more than dismissive, they’re rude. Jesus actually insults her by comparing his potential interaction with her as throwing the food of children to a dog. Then she kneels before him, and while risking everything with her feisty remark she tells him, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables. He then commends the greatness of her faith and heals her daughter. 

    Was it another test for the disciples, was it planned in advance, was it a simple human response to an "other" on his part? We don’t know, we can’t know. But what we can know is that all these crumbs gathered together in these readings are an enormous opportunity for us all to look at all those around us to see the them and the us and who is them to us and who is us to us and most importantly why. And then, we are to remember that God gathers us, the outcasts, and the foreigners and judges all people with equity and mercy. If God doesn’t reject outcasts, and Jesus heals them, who am I to reject an other that doesn’t seem to fit in my “normal” environment. And remember further, that we each are an other to someone, somewhere, even if only a block away.  Let us connect all those crumbs and make a whole community of all peoples.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 

Leader:  ~ O God of Equity and Mercy, show us the light of Your Countenance as we share Your ways across this Earth. Gather us together as foreigner and outcast and other, to bless and guide us, to praise you and be joyful in Your house of prayer as One People in our One God.

                                                  O Lord of All Peoples

            RESPONSE:           You are our Saving Health

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, empower us to be vigorous in the pursuit of justice and all that is right. Guide us to reform our own attitudes and actions from callous to compassionate and especially those on the part of political leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples

 You are our Saving Health

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, infuse hope, healing, and comfort in all who are lost in the grip of serious or life-threatening illness or addiction, and all who give of their strength in support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples

 You are our Saving Health     

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, open wide the gates of heaven as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples

 You are our Saving Health

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

 O Lord of All Peoples

 You are our Saving Health               

~ O God of Equity and Mercy, we offer our special thanksgivings for those who guide, us by their teaching, preaching, and prayers, to discern our own irrevocable gifts and calling to discover our path to all that is good and acceptable to You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

 O Lord of All Peoples

 You are our Saving Health

                                                                                             

The Celebrant adds:  O God, Our Own God, awaken us each morning with the eagerness to offer ourselves in service to Your Supreme Will. Grant us the grace to respect as Your Own, each one we meet, letting go of our prejudice and fear of the other in our midst, recognizing we each are an other to someone. We ask through Jesus, Son of David, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Advocate; who together with You are one God, eternal and everlasting.  Amen.

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