People's Prayers

Monday, January 8, 2024

Prayers of the People: Are Your Ears Tingling? ~ Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. '24 Yr B

For Sunday, January 14, 2024, Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Ps 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Cor 6:12-20, John 1:43-51

[SsAM Parish4 readings, see below: The Rt. Rev Quintin E. Primo, Jr.*, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. **]

And Samuel said, "Speak for your servant is listening." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle..." As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him...And all Israel...knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. [1 Samuel 3:10b-11,19-a-20]

Lord you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar...You trace my journeys and my resting- places and are acquainted with all my ways. Indeed there is now a word on my lips, but you O Lord, know it altogether...Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb... [Psalm 139:1-2, 15a]

But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him...do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? [1 Corinthians 6:15a, 17, 19]

Nathanael said to [Philip], "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see..." And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." [John 1:46, 51]

[What we are doing at this moment is a symbol of what black and white people must continue to do as we offer our lives to be instruments for bringing the Kingdom of God reality on earth. ~The Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr.]

[Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. For more than two centuries our foreparents labored here without wages; they made cotton king; and they built the homes of their masters in the midst of brutal injustice and shameful humiliation -- and yet out of a bottomless vitality our people continue to thrive and develop. ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.]

4These Prayers of the People were originally commissioned in 2013 by The Rev. David Andrews, then Rector of The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) in Wilmington, Delaware. They continue to be used by the Parish that in 2021 celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the blending of a traditionally white parish ~ St. Andrew's, founded in 1829, and a traditionally African-American parish ~ St. Matthew's, that began in 1846. St. Matthew’s was founded in the lower level of St. Andrew's as the Robert Smith Sunday School until it became St. Matthew's Parish in its own location in 1891. Much later, in the racially fraught year of 1968 after Dr. King’s assassination, Bishop Quintin Primo, then an African-American Episcopal Vicar, guided St. Matthew's from mission status to full parish status and lived to see the joyous union of these two parishes into one. As many of us were privileged to know him personally, we are pleased to celebrate his life and prophetic voice this day along with the vibrant legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. The selections from Bishop Primo's autobiography and from Dr. King (below) are SsAM's readings with the Psalm on this Sunday and will be read by the late Bishop Primo’s daughter, Cynthia, a member of SsAM. To learn more about the historical significance and current mission of SsAM click here: www.ssam.org

We're all invited, we've all been called ~ what is our RSVP? I think of young Samuel, confused and wondering, and then, following his instructions from Eli, he answered with Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Later he grew into a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. Would it be easier to be like young Samuel again, merely following the instructions of an elder? Well, most of us were at one time, many still are in a way, and a very rare few of us have become a trustworthy prophet. Perhaps there’s more than merely following the directions to receive the tingle in our ears when God speaks to us. Perhaps we also need to remember that God knew Samuel, and Eli, and all that was going on. What does God know about me ~ everything!
There are many Psalms that resonate within me and Psalm 139, particularly, always has a profound effect on me when I read it. There is my Creator, my Divine Parent, who knew me while my limbs were being knitted in the womb and still traces my journeys and my resting-places. Sometimes, admittedly when I’m not at my best (too often), my inner child tries to lie lower as if not to be seen or heard by that Parent, especially when some words on my lips are, well, frankly, quite far from God-like. And then Paul reminds us that our bodies are members of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s far easier to intend to live up to those holy standards than to actually do so, and then I remember that God knows me, more than I know about me or want to.
Could I have been like Philip, readily follow Jesus and then invite the slightly snarky Nathanael to simply "Come and see" as Jesus, reminds Nathanael of the Jacob’s Ladder passage [Genesis 28:10-17] as the angels were ascending and descending only in this version upon the Son of Man.
I show up at church regularly, even now that it’s also online. I give to charity, do occasional good deeds for others, I even pray often and not just for Divine intervention to get myself out of a jam. But, taking in the readings for this Sunday ~ have I really answered THE CALL? Have I turned my life over to God, truly followed Jesus, and listened to the Holy Spirit? Well, God knows.
It is time again to consider how I am to live my life. It is almost never too late to begin again ~ even Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to claim conversion to Christianity, declared Christianity as a state religion, built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Old St Peter's Basilica, convened the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 from which we still use the Nicene Creed ~ all that, yet, he wouldn’t be baptized until his death bed, because, well, he might want to do some things so he cut it pretty close! Then there’s St. Augustine of Hippo who said in his Confessions [written between 397-400] that in the early days of his conversion he asked God to make him chaste and continent (self-controlled) but not yet. SO, when does YET arrive? Or, how many times have I waved it away? God knows.
What will it mean for my life, how will I have to change, what will others think, am I ready? Yes, God knows all about who and where I am. And as I form the words in my heart: Speak, Lord, for I, that is, ~ um, er ~ your (slightly frightened) servant, is listening. I think that maybe, possibly, I'm more or less ready to come and see what I’m called to be and do.
And then, when I read these words of Bishop Quintin Primo: What we are doing at this moment is a symbol of what black and white people must continue to do as we offer our lives to be instruments for bringing the Kingdom of God reality on earth; and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands, suddenly I feel a sudden tingle beyond my ears that tells me “yet” has more than merely arrived! Oh my…Ok, Samuel, and Philip, Nathanael, Quintin, and Martin, walk with me, too. And, just maybe I'll even be able to pass along the tingling to someone else to come, to see, to be and to DO!

*The Making of a Black Bishop by the Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr., Pub 2006:

The day of the yearly (Diocesan) Convention arrived. Presenting to the assemblage our (St. Matthew's) formal application to become a self-supporting unit of the diocese, the Rev. Canon James Birney, program developer/director for the diocese, spoke most eloquently, "What we are doing at this moment is a symbol of what black and white people must continue to do as we offer our lives to be instruments for bringing the Kingdom of God reality on earth. For the past 122 years, the white congregations have patronizingly supported the black mission of St. Matthew's. Today, when black men everywhere are breaking the bonds of patronage which we hope are the last remnants of slavery and inequality, the people of St. Matthew's now both black and white, are freeing themselves and this Diocese from bondage to each other. Subservience and patronage are both gone. The congregation is free and the Diocese is free. And being free, we are both free to be One. What binds us together now is our common loyalty to Jesus Christ and to this branch of his Church.

** Letter from a Birmingham Jail by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard so many ministers say, "Those are social issues which the gospel has nothing to do with," and I have watched so many churches commit themselves to a completely otherworldly religion which made a strange distinction between bodies and souls, the sacred and the secular. There was a time when the church was very powerful. It was during that period that the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was the thermostat that transformed the mores of society.

Wherever the early Christians entered a town the power structure got disturbed and immediately sought to convict them for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators." But they went on with the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven" and had to obey God rather than man. They were small in number but big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." They brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contest. Things are different now. The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo.

Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's often vocal sanction of things as they are. But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. I meet young people every day whose disappointment with the church has risen to outright disgust. I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are presently misunderstood.

We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America. Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. For more than two centuries our foreparents labored here without wages; they made cotton king; and they built the homes of their masters in the midst of brutal injustice and shameful humiliation -- and yet out of a bottomless vitality our people continue to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, You have searched us and known us from before we were in the womb and throughout our earthly lives. Tingle our ears and awaken our hearts to remember that we are not our own but members of Christ’s Body and living temples of Your Holy Spirit. Open us to hear again and offer our lives to be instruments for bringing the Kingdom of God to reality on earth.

O Lord Who Calls

RESPONSE: Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, guide our path to truth, integrity, and justice in a world filled with alienation and violence among people and nations. Grant each of us, and the leaders of this Country, our local Communities, and this World, the wisdom and selflessness to choose the well-being of us all, over destructive actions of temporary earthbound-only power and greed. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord Who Calls

Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, strengthen the faith of all who suffer from debilitating illness; addiction, and/or depression, and of all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord Who Calls

Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, whisper hope to the grieving of the joy for those now released from the trials of this life, into unbounded Glory to live again with You. We pray especially for the word and witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; … add your own petitions

O Lord Who Calls

Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

O Lord Who Calls

Help us to Listen and Answer

~ All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, we give You special thanks for those lead us in Your church and guide us on our journey to You. Grant them wisdom, insight, and hope, and guide them to embolden us to follow and reflect You with our thoughts, words, and actions in each and every day. We pray especially for:

O Lord Who Calls

Help us to Listen and Answer

The Celebrant adds: O God of Power and Might, fill us with courage in seeking the path of Christ in and beyond our personal lives, believing that by our individual and collective actions, we shall overcome violence, oppression, and intolerance, to establish unity and equality for all. We ask through Your Son, Jesus our Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; who together with You reign as One God, One Lord of All, now and forever. Amen.

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Friday, January 5, 2024

Meditation Moment ~ Have an Epiphany! '24

For Saturday, January 6, 2024, Feast of the Epiphany: Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6,

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you…Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [Isaiah 60:1, 3]

For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper.

[Psalm 72:12]

Of this gospel I have become a servant accord to the gift of God’s grace…This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. [Ephesians 3:7a,11-12]

In the time of King Herod...wise men came from the East to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ... Herod...sent them to Bethlehem...When they saw that the star had stopped they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother...and...they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. [Matthew 2:1-2, 8a, 10-12]

EPIPHANY IS BIG! It brings us a bright shiny and HOLY Revelation. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and His importance to us all! But perhaps we are worn down after the four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the hustle and bustle of preparation for gifts and food and gatherings, the familiar rush of the time of year, followed by the pageantry and the glorious music, and then the usual “let down.” Perhaps Epiphany has become an anti-climax, the end of the story, the time to take down the decorations (if anyone actually waits that long anymore). Yet it is in truth a beginning. We open new chapters of the Story that will take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer. While we celebrate the birthday with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into the reason for which this Child was born of a woman, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose is upon us. A “theophany” then ~ the manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery now. One definition of “epiphany” is “a sudden insight or intuitive understanding.”

At the Nativity of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never mentions the Magi. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the birth itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a son; and he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the East..." They saw a great star revealing to them the need for a journey to pay homage to a new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and we begin to see the ominous cloud moving in to shadow the glorious star. But having heard this story so very many times perhaps we need to hear it or read it again? Have we tuned out rather than engaging with the experience? Can we be re-awakened to the wonder and ponder what it could possibly mean for each of us in our own time? What sudden insight or understanding might come?

These three “Kings” who weren’t likely kings but rather astrologers and astronomers. Possibly, as they have been called, they were Magi, priests of Zoroastrianism from ancient Persia, who saw a sign to follow in the famous star. Traveling a thousand or more miles from the “east,” their journey would likely have taken months, not days, and they would have had an entourage carrying food, tents, supplies, etc. At last they found King Herod to tell him, and us all, of the significance, power, and majesty this Child brings. And at last they found Him and presented him with their gifts ~ but what of those gifts and their foretelling?

Gold is symbolic of Christ as King while Frankincense speaks to His Divinity. And then the Myrrh, its bitter perfume, breathes a life of gathering gloom, a medicinal spice used often in those times to anoint the dead. Kingship, Divinity, Foreboding...

And as the Magi left by another road, we learn in later verses not read on this day, that Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus fled to Egypt, while Herod murdered male children trying to kill the One. The Holy Family didn’t return until after Herod’s death.

Today is another turning point in The Story, an ending and a beginning. In the compression of time given in the Gospels and the Church calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin the unfolding of the ministry, miracles, teaching, execution, and resurrection of Jesus. It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true adoration in this event.

Read the story as if for the very first time ~ know that we have been given an extraordinary gift, Christ, Our Lord, has been born to us! Let us be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search diligently for the child within us and around us. Epiphany is the time to seek the Magi-cal gifts in my own life that call me to pay homage, follow, and live into the light and life of Christ in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Arise, shine; for your light has come! Have an EPIPHANY every single day!

Click on or copy the link for the Robert Shaw Chorale with We Three Kings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ZOGTPsxng

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Prayers of the People: New Day, New Year, New Spirit ~ First Sunday after the Epiphany '24 Yr B

For Sunday, January 10, 2021, Readings: Genesis: 1-5, Ps 29, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light...And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day. [Genesis 1:1-3, 5b]

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness...The LORD shall give strength to his people; the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace. [Psalm 29:2, 11]

Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them... [Acts 19:4-5, 6a]

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth...and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." [Mark 1:9-11]

How fitting it seems in our still New Year with the reading from Genesis 1 about Creation's First Day, with light overcoming darkness and wind across the waters. Then the Gospel of Mark gives us a brief mention of the baptism of Jesus which is considered the First Day for his official ministry, with the Holy Spirit arriving as a Dove and the Voice of God proclaiming Jesus as God's Son. Paul, in Acts, is questioning some disciples he encountered and asked them about their baptism which was by John the Baptizer. He baptized them again in the name of Jesus bestowing the Holy Spirit in his laying on of hands

Baptism is a First ritual or sacrament that many think of as an entry point into the Church for babies, toddlers, teens, and adults, and yet, has many varied practices across the breadth of Christianity. For some denominations it is an obligating sacrament, for others a rite of initiation and adoption into the Christian faith, some require it to participate in certain rituals of worship, or reception into a specific sect, and deemed less important by others. Many believe that infant Baptism is necessary whenever possible, many others do not. Some may offer it to older children or teens and adults for admission into a particular congregation whether or not one has been baptized elsewhere. And as many reasons for it, opposed to it, or neutral, there are many ways to achieve it.

With water considered a channel for holiness, baptism can be accomplished in the following ways: aspersion (sprinkling), affusion (pouring), or immersion (total or partial, standing or kneeling, or complete submersion). And for those who find themselves wishing they had been baptized but were not for whatever reason, some believe that there is the Baptism of Desire ~ that is, if you want it, you have it. In Mark's Gospel and from Paul in the reading from Acts, through faith in Jesus, baptism brings the Holy Spirit upon us.

We are called by Jesus to follow Him, officially baptized or not, and so we start again at the beginning of this new year with the symbolic beginning of the ministry of Jesus. The words of an old Negro Spiritual say it best. God will trouble the water ~ stir it up ~ so we can see the right place to enter the path:

Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children,
Wade in the water
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see?
God's a-goin' to trouble the water
The Holy Ghost a-coming on me
God's a-goin' to trouble the water

From the waters of Creation, to the waters of Birth and Baptism, Christ is our bridge over waters troubled and calm and it is He who comes to set our souls ablaze with the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Whether baptized by water, desire, or faith, before now or not, it is time to renew our faith and our ministry again. Come on in, this "water" is fine! Let us bathe in the Light of Christ and the Fire of the Holy Spirit! Welcome to another refreshing, revitalizing, and rededicating of faith and joy in Christ, in this moment, in this New Day, New Year, and New Spirit.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Almighty Creator, in the Beginning, You brought forth light from the formless void and darkness on the First Day of Your Creation. From the waters of Birth and Baptism, Jesus came as our new Beginning, a radiant light to dispel the shadows in our souls. Let this be a new First Day, as we accept Baptism in the power of the Holy Spirit, by answering the call to seek and serve Christ in others and ourselves.

Spirit of the Living God

RESPONSE: Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, strengthen us to carry Your voice over the troubled waters of political oppression, injustice, and greed. Give us the words to speak of compassion, and humanity, to be heard and cause positive action in the halls of government throughout this Earth, in our Country, and in our Cities and Towns. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Spirit of the Living God

Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, calm the hearts and minds of all who are unsettled by illness, physical challenge, or addiction, and bring rest to those who provide for their comfort. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…add your own petitions

Spirit of the Living God

Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, we treasure and celebrate all who have gone ahead and are now risen in the beauty of holiness in Your eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Spirit of the Living God

Fall afresh on us all

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

Spirit of the Living God

Fall afresh on us all

~ Almighty Creator, refresh and grant special blessings to all who lead us in Your church, as we journey together seeking Your holy will. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Spirit of the Living God

Fall afresh on us all

The Celebrant adds: Holy Lord of Power and Glory, release us from the turbulence of the doubt and fear we allow within us, and guide us to a new dawn of faith and hope, quenching our spiritual thirst in the living waters of Christ’s Baptism. We ask this through Jesus, Your Beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, the Ignition and Fuel of our faith; who together with You reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Prayers of the People: Yesterday, Today, and Every Tomorrow ~ First Sunday after Christmas '23 Year B

For Sunday, December 31 2023, Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 147,

Galatians 3:23-25; 4-4-7; John 1:1-18

For the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up...For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest... [Isaiah 61:11a; 62:1a]

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds...The LORD lifts up the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground. [Psalm 147:3, 6]

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law...So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. [Galatians 4:4, 7]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [John 1:1-2, 3b-5, 17]

The Gospel of John has marked differences from the other three Gospels which are known as the Synoptic Gospels because of their similarities to each other. John's emphasis might be thought of as more "theological" and contains material not in the other three and, in some cases, seemingly contradicting them and with some passages thought of as anti-Semitic. But the beauty, for me, of the mysterious opening, known as the Prologue, is something to linger with and ponder. Jesus, the Word, was with God, and the Word was God...The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
The Word comes from the Greek, logos, and is usually defined as Jesus, in theological terms. [Theos comes from the Greek for God, theology is the study of God] Once we understand Who the Word is, then the Prologue [John 1:1] may be more easily comprehended in verse 14: the Word became flesh and lived among us. Jesus is the face of God, was with God from the beginning, and was sent to be among us to make God and God's will known to the world.
In the 4th century, St. Athanasius said of Jesus, He became what we are that he might make us what he is. Paul tells us in Galatians that Jesus is faith revealed by God. Those who followed Jesus in his time and who influenced others who came after, have all tried to instruct us in ways to be more like our Christ, our Messiah. This Child, just born, is God's promise, God's Word, with flesh, blood, and a beating heart, like us, and that I can grasp and almost understand. Yet the mystery of God endures, for if we do think we fully understand God, Jesus, and the Spirit ~ the Triune God, the Holy Trinity ~ then our god is too small.
As the Church year unfolds, we will enjoy the ageless story of the Epiphany and proceed soon after to be led through the woes of Lent and into the Passion of Holy Week, until the glorious Resurrection. In the meantime, let us savor this moment of Great Birth, and through all the days to come let us know in heart, soul, and mind that our Redeemer lives: with us, in us, and through us. If we relinquish ourselves to steadfast faith, however difficult in difficult times, and allow ourselves to be open and accepting, we will know Jesus as the Light in our hearts that darkness cannot overcome. We begin, again and still and always, from all yesterdays to today and in every tomorrow, to welcome Jesus, the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Word of all Words, as we, too, are re-born, refreshed, and filled with joy.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of All That Is, Seen and Unseen, into this fullness of time You have sent our Messiah, woman-borne, to redeem us as Your own children. Let us rejoice with our whole beings, as heirs of Your eternal Kingdom, justified by faith, and proclaiming Christ’s grace and truth.

Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier