Prayers of the People: In the Beginning ~ 1st Sunday in the Season of Creation '23

For Sunday, October 15, 2023; Readings: In the Beginning*, Psalm 100**, Hildegarde von Bingen***,

John 1:1-14

Creator God, open our eyes to see you reflected in every human face. In the beginning, God created, and it was good. [“In the Beginning Liturgy” by Mark Earey]*

Shout for joy to the Lord, all earth, Serve the Lord with gladness, Enter God’s presence with joy! [Psalm 100, “The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering”]**

 Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars…So all of creation is a song of praise to God.  [Hildegarde von Bingen]***

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. [John 1:1-3, 14a]

Welcome to the Season of Creation!

    The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa in 2008 and is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. We are to realize our place in the order of God’s creating and to see and act upon the need to care for our entire life-support system - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil in which we grow our crops - not merely humanity, but our total environment, as it pertains to ALL life. 

        From the early days of the Season of Creation at The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington, Delaware [www.SsAM.org], we established that “the primary aim of the events of the season is to enable adults and youth to celebrate and experience the inextricable link which binds together the destinies of all of God’s creatures.” It is a moment of pause to remind ourselves that God calls us to see “what great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions” and for us to renew our commitment to making real the biblical vision of the earth at unity with itself. It is a vision of human beings of all races, backgrounds and walks of life in local communities and among the nations of the earth, living together in love and peace with justice for all. "As disciples of Christ, we are called through our Baptismal Covenant, to be instruments for the healing of our broken world," and with a renewed commitment to personal and communal prayer and action.

      We will use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks. The alternate readings used will follow the prayers below.

        We begin this Season at the Beginning. Professor Wangari Maathai, [1940-2011], a Kenyan environmental and political activist, Member of Parliament as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, was educated in the United States and in Kenya. In 2004, she was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was honored for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace".  Professor Maathai described the Book of Genesis as "the book for environmentalists." "If we had been created on Tuesday," she said, "There would have been nowhere for us to stand! God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!"

Week I's Theme is: In the Beginning

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Creator and Eternal God, You are the Light that shines in the darkness, the Light of all people and all life everywhere. Guide us to know ourselves through Your infinite Word, Christ Jesus. Help us to know that our purpose in life is to love and serve You better by all that we do for each and every part of Your Creation. As You live within each of us clasp and enclose us in You always.                                        

                                                      Faithful, Loving God                                        

 RESPONSE:              We turn to You with thanks and praise                

~ Creator and Eternal God, encourage goodness in all who hold political authority across the vast expanse of Your Creation. Guide them to see You in themselves, in every human face, in every glance at the sun, and in the beauty of the earth, so as to govern justly, mercifully, and with humility. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Loving God

                                                       We turn to You in thanks and praise

~ Creator and Eternal God, grant healing to the spirits of those laid low by illness or life circumstance, and resilience for all who give care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Loving God

                                                       We turn to You in thanks and praise

~ Creator and Eternal God, may echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the souls of those who have left this life, now soar in the peace and glory of new life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Loving God

                                                       We turn to You in thanks and praise

~ Creator and Eternal God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Loving God
                                                       We turn to You in thanks and praise                

~ Creator and Eternal God, we give thanksgiving for Your loyal and anointed servants who lead us in Your Church, who re-awaken our wonder, and teach us the way to our true place with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Loving God
                                                       We return to You in thanks and praise                                  

The Celebrant adds:   Holy God, Divine Architect, release us from all selfish diversion and turn us to never-ending thanksgiving, selfless service, and praise of You, for giving us the breath of life. Remind us of our role in faithful action for the land, the sea, the air, all of humanity, every living creature, and all that is planted in this Earth, given to us by Your enduring love. We ask through Jesus, our Merciful Healer; and the Holy Spirit, the sacred Breath within us, who together with You are our One Almighty and Living God, now and forever. Amen.

*Reading #1: Genesis 1, In the Beginning Liturgy © Mark Earey

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the empty void and crushing darkness, God spoke light into being. Creator God, bring light into our darkness. In the beginning, God took eternity and formed time and space, seasons, days and years. Creator God, fill and shape the time you have given us. In the beginning, God took land and sea and filled them with life of every kind. Creator God, help us find our place within your diverse creation. In the beginning, God spoke his very image, and the returning echo formed humanity. Creator God, open our eyes to see you reflected in every human face. In the beginning, God created, and it was good.          

** Reading #2: Psalm 100

1. Shout for joy to the | Lord, all | earth, Serve the Lord with gladness,| Enter •God’s | presence • with | joy! 2. Know that the Lord is God, Our maker to | whom • we be|long, Our | shepherd, • and | we the | flock.  3. Enter the temple gates, The courtyard with | thanks and | praise; Give | thanks and | bless God’s | name. 4. Indeed the | Lord is | good! God’s love is for ever, | Faithful • from | age to | age. From “The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering”, Liturgy Training Publications (International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994 

*** Reading #3: Hildegarde von Bingen

Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earths's greenings. Now, think, What delight God gives to humankind with all these things. All nature is at the disposal of humankind. We are to work with it. For without it we cannot survive...The fire has its flame and praises God. The wind blows the flame and praises God. In the voice we hear the word which praises God. And the word, when heard, praises God. So all of creation is a song of praise to God.

         

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: Grape Expectations, 19th Sunday after Pentecost ’23 Yr A

Sunday, October 8, 2023; Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:7-14, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46

My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines…he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. [Isaiah 5:1b-2]

Restore us, O God of Hosts…you have brought a vine out of Egypt…You prepared the ground for it…look down from heaven; behold and tend this vine, preserve what your right hand has planted. [Psalm 80:7a, 9a, 14b]

…in order that I may gain Christ and be found it him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteous from God based on faith. [Philippians 3:8b-9]

Jesus said [to the Chief Priests and the Elders]…There was a landowner who planted a vineyard…Then he leased it to tenants…the harvest had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce…the tenants seized the slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another… When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do? They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death…” Jesus said to them…,“Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you…” …the Chief Priests and the Pharisees…realized that he was speaking about them… [Matthew 21:33a,b; 34-35, 40-41, 45] 

   The Gospel this week is back in the now infamous Vineyard. This time Jesus tells us a parable about the tenants who are running the place and trounce the owner's representatives who come to collect the owner's share of the produce. One was beaten, one was stoned, and another killed. Another group was sent and were treated the same way. Finally the owner sent his son, believing that, as things are meant to go, his son would be treated with all due respect. But even the son was killed so the tenants could "get his inheritance." [Mt 21:38b] At first glance, I can't help wondering if some of these tenants had been the disgruntled workers of the previous vineyard parable who worked longer hours for the same pay as those who worked fewer. 

   At second glance, I feel as if I'm reading a headline about a local, national, or even international situation. The violence of sudden flash-mobs tearing up urban and suburban shopping areas in this country. The epidemic of school shooting tragedies, murders based on racism, gender identity, sexual orientation, and politically fueled rage. Too many drivers act as if entitled to make the roads as perilous as sitting on a railroad track with an oncoming train, and so much more. The headlines on air, online, and in print tell us that “Life” is getting meaner by the moment, as we watch here and abroad to see that, not unlike in Jesus' own time, brutality is the tool of cowards who know no other way to express the fear of their own impotence.

   And then there's the third glance, Jesus is giving a local lesson to the disciples about what is happening then, what is to come, and the ever-watching Pharisees unhappily get the picture about who's who and what's what in this parable. And as they should ~ and do ~ know, God is pretty clear in The Law about how we are to behave ourselves and toward one another.    

   In the first reading, Isaiah opens with a love-song to his beloved and the vineyard with much of the same description of preparation Jesus is using, imagine! In this case, after all the work to dig, and clear, and plant, Isaiah says he expected it to yield grapes. Of course! However, it yielded wild grapes. After doing a little digging myself, there are many sites online telling which wild grapes are edible and which are not. Clearly, Beloved wasn’t happy with the results of his hard work. The vineyard is a reference to the House of Israel. The vine the Psalmist refers to has failed the Lord’s expectations and despite all the work and planning for it to flourish, it denied its roots. And just as clearly a parable as is the one from Jesus, the audience of Isaiah knew as well as the Chief Priests and Pharisees to whom Beloved was talking.

    But Paul tells us in Philippians:  ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14] We may not be able to make the world less mean, but we can each add more Christ-meaning to the world. And, we now have easier ways to meet our grape expectations!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, we, Your humble tenants, often lose sight of our temporal presence on this fragile Earth, our island home. As we strive to accumulate more, our actions seem to show that we value the gifts of Your hands ever less. Grant us the care and consciousness to recognize our call to produce the good fruits of  Your kingdom and give to others as You have given to us.

                                   O God of Hosts

   RESPONSE:      Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith                                           

~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, climate issues, war, violence in our streets, and severe poverty all surround us. Let us raise our voices to be heard in the halls of the political leaders in our world, our country, and our community, for significant action on and for this planet and for all of Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

        O God of Hosts

                               Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith

~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, in Your mercy, enfold those wracked with pain of disease, the anxiety of mental illness, and the throes of addiction. Grant extra energy and compassion to all of their care-givers. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

      O God of Hosts

                             Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith

~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, lighten the burden of those whose hearts are heavy with grief. Give us the peace to replace dirges with comfort in knowing that those we love are welcomed into the glory of You, our Living, Loving God. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

      O God of Hosts

                             Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith

~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

      O God of Hosts

                             Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith

~ Beloved God, our Master Planter, our prayers ascend especially for those ordained and steadfast in their life mission to help us find our way to You. With Your grace and their prayer-filled guidance, we share this hope-filled journey together. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

      O God of Hosts

                             Restore us, Receive us, and Confirm our Faith

The Celebrant adds: O God in Christ Jesus, You are the Cornerstone of our life and faith. Grant us the courage to live the life You have given us to live, by working consciously and continuously in whatever ways we have, toward the abundance in health and spirit for all. We make our humble supplication to the Son who was slain yet lives again, and the Spirit who breathes holy life into our souls, together with You, as one God, in the timelessness of Your Eternal Kingdom. 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: To DO or Not To DO ~ Proper 21, 18th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, October 1, 2023; Readings: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-8, Philippians 2:1-13, 

Matthew 21:23-32

As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel... For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live. [Ezekiel 18:3, 32]

  Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your path. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. [Psalm 25:3-4]

  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... [Philippians 2:3-5]

   Jesus said to [the Pharisees]: "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going to the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed in him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. [Matthew 21:31b-32]

   As we journey through this life, in times such as these, do you, like me and the ancient Israelites, wonder from time to time – “Is the Lord really here, among us?” How much more difficult for us to know God's presence in our own times without being certain if the message we are trying to understand is from an ancient self-proclaimed prophet, whom we can only assume is truly “of God,” or, if it is in the way Jesus bested those righteous, letter-of-the-law chief priests and elders, until they seemed to best him by execution. Yet what do we really know of God? So much of our “knowledge” has been about teaching us the austerity of rules and regulations on avoiding evil and wickedness. Yet, Ezekiel tells us in this passage for today, as he did just a few weeks ago in chapter 33:11, that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone.

   Many of us would say, with a doubt or two creeping in, that we believe God is with us, even without concrete visual sightings of God's presence. But the days are busy and fraught with stress in ordinary routine, the toll of personal trials, and all the current craziness in the world at large. It's likely that we rarely stop and question the location of God in the midst of a Monday afternoon or Thursday night before bed, in an angry or frustrating conversation in person or social media, or even and perhaps especially, in the happiest of occasions. Some weeks it's all some of us can do to find God on Sunday morning in Church as we attend in person or online. But for me, this week's readings say God is here with me, with us, so then, where am I with God? How am I following? In other words, do I just plod along in life without conscious attention to how I express the faith I claim? 

   Faith is as faith does, actions always tell the tale – just think of the parable of two sons in this week's Gospel. I need to be mindfully awake and present in a given moment, to think through how what I am doing or what I have done, expresses how close to or far from God I am. Is it my personal and unconscious wilderness that allows me to keep God absent while I’m in pursuit of my selfish ambitions and agenda, while I am judging others as less worthy than me, and while not contemplating how to take on the mind of Christ?

   Humility in the face of all that God has done is part of Paul's message. Jesus reminds us that it isn’t always the high and mighty legal eagles that have all the answers. It isn’t always the lowly and those we choose to see as less worthy that are less actively faithful. How often do I say I’ll do something and then don’t, or, change my mind and do? Stop, Breathe, Hear, Listen… The message – the Word – is simple enough for everyone to understand. We aren’t likely, in this life, to see in order to believe and we, like the disciples at the beginning, are called to let faith be our guide. Let us each remember, when we're on that road paved with good intentions, to pay attention to God’s presence, in and through Christ and the Holy Spirit, within and around us. Who we think we are might surprise us. When is our yes or our no really maybe? We are not what we say we’ll do. We ARE what we DO. Self-sufficiency is more hindrance than help in discovering Who is among and within us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ O God of our Salvation, fill us with the knowing of Your loving presence each day of this life as we strive, in humility, to take on the mind of Christ.

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways

~ O God of our Salvation, guide us in our determination to press our political leaders for solutions and actions for the critical humanitarian and ecological issues of our Community, our Nation, and our Planet. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways

 ~ O God of our Salvation, cradle and comfort all who suffer in body, soul, or life circumstance, and ease the burdens of those who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways 

~ O God of our Salvation, we give thanksgiving for all those newly released from earthly woes and trials, and welcomed into new life with Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways 

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

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways 

~ O God of our Salvation, embrace and uplift all whose priestly vocations nourish our spiritual development and care for our pastoral needs, as they walk with us on the pathway to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Gracious and Upright Lord
                                                Lead us and Teach us Your Truth and Your Ways 

The Celebrant adds: Lord within us, Lord among us, fill our hearts with the humility to seek and reflect on Your Word, engage in prayer-filled action, and hold faith-filled regard for all of Your People, and all of Your Creation. Let us turn to You to live and trust for this life and the next. We ask through our Savior Christ who, with the Holy Spirit, live and reign with You as One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

 

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

Prayers of the People: Self-Righteous Sulk ~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, September 24, 2023, Readings: Jonah 3:10-4:11, Psalm 145:1-8, Philippians 1:21-30, 

Matthew 20:1-16

  God saw…the people of Nineveh…how they turned from their evil ways [and] God changed his mind…Jonah…became angry. [Jonah 3:10-4:1]

  The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness. [Psalm 145:8]

     Only, live your life in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ...standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. [Philippians 1:27-28]

     When the first came, they thought they'd receive more...they grumbled against the landowner. But he replied to one of them..."Take what belongs to you. I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you..." So the last will be first, and the first will be last. [Matthew 20:10a, 11b, 13a, 14, 16]

       Jonah, could be my patron saint. He has gone off in a serious sulk, even while acknowledging to God that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now that God has seen that, after Jonah’s warnings to Nineveh earlier in this chapter, Nineveh has changed its ways so God chooses not to bring the promised calamity on them, you know, like, God is relenting from punishment! And still, Jonah is angry because God didn’t punish them even though they did repent and stopped doing what they were doing. I love Jonah. He’s cranky, irritable, eventually does what he’s told to do after trying hard to get out of it, gets the result he’s been talking about but drat and dagnabbit those people escaped Your wrath, God, so I’ll just sit here and sulk in the heat and hope to die! Gee, I never felt like that ever, no never, mostly, ok ~ rarely-ish.

       Paul is writing to the Philippians expressing his own personal reality. He wants to die to be united with Christ as that is his ultimate goal, yet living is how he can make Christ known to more people. It’s hard work and he has to keep at it as human people will lapse in their faith and commitments unless their leaders keep them on track. Paul wants to be that leader for them. He expresses a human truth that he understands their struggles with living a life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ for he has struggled, too, and it continues. He pledges to be with them through it in person or in absence.

       The vineyard laborers in the parable of Jesus aren't happy that the Landowner is simply using his prerogative to be generous. Same pay for one hour's work as for a full day ~ who wouldn't get upset about that? Don't those who worked longer and did more work deserve more? How many of us Good Christian People would grumble and self-righteously sulk about that Landowner in the parking lot? If only we could feel ~ and stop ~ the creeping envy, greed, and judgment filling us. If only we could freely accept someone’s simple generosity to another without feeling as if we were somehow betrayed. Do we ever learn?

       It's a difficult balance to fight for equity and fairness for ourselves and others in our temporal life, while relinquishing jealousy and anger at not getting what we perceive is deserved.  God isn't leading us by clouds and pillars of fire these days, but by the Word of Christ. Am I seeking it first? Am I hearing? Am I listening? Am I following? Am I trusting?  Or am I self-righteously sulking in the heat of my perceived-as-unfair-mistreatment. My prayer is to try to find that balance, to not leave the releasing of envy and grumbling to my last conscious thought; and, oh yes: Dear Lord, if only You will save me from all that I justly deserve...you know, like, that relenting from punishment thing…  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Generous God, if only we could remember that Your love for us is limitless as we grumble and complain about fairness in this brief life. Relieve us of envy and guide us to stand firm with one spirit, to strive together with one mind, and to live in and for our faith in Christ’s Gospel now, with every conscious breath and every waking thought.
 
                                                    Gracious Lord                                         
                       RESPONSE:   Help us Live Your Gospel
 
~ Most Generous God, grant us the voice to move the hearts and minds of political leaders locally, nationally, and globally to act justly and always on behalf of humanity, with mercy, compassion, and kindness. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Gracious Lord                                         
                                                       Help us Live Your Gospel                                                      
 
~  Most Generous God, enfold all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit into Your loving embrace, and lift the spirits of those who give them care.  We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Gracious Lord                                         
                                                       Help us Live Your Gospel 
          
~  Most Generous God, we commend to Your eternal Heart all still loved in this life, who now live again and forever with Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Gracious Lord                                         
                                                       Help us Live Your Gospel
 
~ Most Generous God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Gracious Lord                                         
                                                       Help us Live Your Gospel
                       
~ Most Generous God, grant renewable supplies of wisdom, vitality, and pizazz to all who have been chosen to elevate Your Church into a vibrant community of faith in every circumstance of human living. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 
 
                                                       Gracious Lord                                         
                                                       Help us Live Your Gospel
 
The Celebrant adds: Eternal God, compel our souls to desire life with Christ first in every decision and action, and to release us from carrying judgment, greed, and envy within us to the last. We ask this grace through Jesus, our Hope and our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Sanctifier; who live and reign together with You, One God, now and forever.  Amen. 

 

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

Prayers of the People: Imprisoned Hearts ~ Proper 19, 16th Sunday after Pentecost '23 Yr A

For Sunday, September 17, 2023, Readings: Genesis 50:15-21, Psalm 103 (1-7), 8-13; Romans 14:1-12, 

Matthew 18:21-35

   What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full…Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept… [Genesis 50:15, 17b-18a] 

   The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger forever. [Psalm 103:8-9]    

       Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions...Who are you to pass judgment on...[another]? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. [Romans 14:1, 4]

         Peter came and said to Jesus, "...how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times...'[The lord of the slave said] Should you not have mercy of your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'...So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." [Matthew 18:21-22, 33, 35]

     We’re in our 4^th week of thinking about our roles in Forgiveness. We begin with one of the epic Hebrew Testament stories, in which, to call this “sibling rivalry” is quite an extraordinary understatement. As is always a good practice, look beyond the basic chapter and verses of the current readings and take a look at Genesis 37, especially verses 3-4 and then 12-36. Joseph’s time before and later in Egypt is not unlike his dream interpretations of feast and famine to Pharoah. But if you want to know Joseph’s full story, read from Chapters 39-50 to refresh your full memory of all that he went through and all that he became. Today’s reading opens with the fear of Joseph’s older brothers that Joseph may bear a grudge given what they had done to him years before. They felt safer, perhaps, until the death of their father whom they didn’t want to upset. Now they were worried. How would you feel if your siblings tried to kill you and then decided to sell you into slavery? Are they truly repentant or are they using their dead father as a means to save themselves from Joseph ~ and, does it matter? Joseph’s behavior toward them gives one answer. The psalm also seems to be an answer for these questions, especially in verse 9, as the psalmist tells us that God will not always accuse us. But for me, the most relief-giving statement of all time is the second half of verse 9: nor will he keep his anger forever. The human in us may have great difficulty unbinding our anger but God gets over it!   

     Romans 14:1-12 gives a stark lesson in our individual accountability. If this passage isn’t perfectly relevant to our current time, nothing is. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or your sister? …For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Read these 12 verses again, re-read, read yet again and, as we say, “inwardly digest.” It is quite a prelude to this week’s Gospel.

     Jesus tells Peter that seventy-seven times we are to forgive, or, as in an older perhaps more familiar translation to some, seventy times seven.  Sometimes forgiving once feels beyond my capacity but I sure can snap to judgment in a nano-second. I do know that my instant judgment of another sometimes has to do with a projection of what I don't like about myself, specifically the uncomfortable awareness of my own transgressions. When I push myself to move beyond denial and engage in thoughtful, prayerful reflection of how I react, I remember a saying, but not where I heard it, If God forgives you, who are you not to forgive yourself?!  Of course, in these tumultuous times, anger and judgment seem to permeate the very air that we breathe. Forgiving is a challenge when the stakes feel so highly charged. Plus, when I dig deeper, I discover that forgiveness received and given isn't a mere slap-dash-high-five-good-to-go. It requires a significant, deliberate, conscious change in me without requiring the same of others.

    When I feel forgiven, it is easier to extend forgiveness, understanding, and compassion to others. When judgment and cynicism wane and I feel forgiving, the work of faith, hope, and love becomes more instinctual though not less difficult. It is a continuous process filled with detours, back-tracking, failure, and persistence in that starting over thing. Paul reminds us that we are each accountable to God. Perhaps a sticky note that says accountable, on the dashboard of my car or on my computer screen when I log into social media will help me to remember. I also need frequent reminders that it is my own responsibility to consciously live as a disciple of Christ.

     Jesus is uncomfortably clear that God will forgive us AS, in the way that, we forgive others. How simply difficult it is. Yet there are a couple of other quotes that help me remember to awaken my consciousness. One has been attributed to so many people including The Buddha, Nelson Mandela, and Carrie Fisher. Regardless, it speaks volumes to the physical and emotional self-destructive properties of clinging to anger. Essentially the message is: Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. The other is by the late theologian Lewis B. Smedes who said: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner is yourself. Let us work constantly to forgive even those unforgiveable in our sight, including ourselves, so that we may un-imprison our own hearts.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of Compassion and Kindness, liberate us from the slavery of judgment and anger, keep us mindful of our accountability to You, and always aware that You forgive us as sincerely and grace-fully as we forgive all others.

                                                       Most Merciful Lord                                                

RESPONSE:                I am accountable to You

~  Lord of Compassion and Kindness, in these perilous times, energize us to press for the urgency of informed decision-making and rational response to crises not only for ourselves but especially for the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Local Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

~  Lord of Compassion and Kindness, calm the waves of illness, pain, and despair for all whose hope is sinking; and lift the spirits of those who provide support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You        

~ Lord of Compassion and Kindness, our souls are comforted by the heavenly embrace and infinite peace of our loved ones who now live again in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

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

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You                    

~ Lord of Compassion and Kindness, bestow an unlimited capacity for energy and spiritual joy to all who are anointed and entrusted to guide us by Your Word and Wisdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

The Celebrant adds: Most High God, quicken our faith in Your constant Presence, and impose the character and courage to forgive as we are forgiven upon our hearts and souls,. Guide us to seek Your Ways, not our own, to walk through each moment of Your precious gift of our human living. We ask through the blessings of Your Son Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and Your most Holy Spirit, our Counselor; who are, together with You, One God, now and forever.  Amen.

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