Prayers of the People: Taste and See ~ Proper 14, 12th Sunday after Pentecost, '24 Yr B

For Sunday, August 11, 2024;  Readings: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130,

Ephesians 4:25-5:2, John 6:35, 41-51 

       The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" [2 Sam 18:33]

      If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you…I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope…for with the Lord, there is mercy; with him there is plenteous redemption... [Psalm 130: 2-3a, 4, 6b-7a]

      Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. [Ephesians 4:26, 31-32]

     Jesus said, "I am the bread of life.” Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in my will never be thirsty…Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life…This is the bread of life that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever... [John 6:35, 47-48, 50-51a] 

     For me, forgiveness and hope are the over-arching themes of this week's readings. Without filling in the many and nearly salacious details of earlier chapters, we begin with yet another small piece of David's tangled story that violently ends the lust, intrigue, and betrayal by his sons Amnon and Absalom.  Although there is barely a taste of it over a few weeks of the Sunday lectionary, the life of David takes us from triumph to tragedy, with power and love amidst anger and hatred, revenge, and grief. As the sun sets on this dynamic and dramatic kingship, forgiveness is the repeating core element of God's relationship with David, and with us ~ God forgives David; David forgives Absalom; and God forgives us all. A key ingredient is, as with each of us, that while God saw all of David's deeds and misdeeds, God continued to love him and yet there was no escape from punishment and pain for this very human king.

    The Psalmist gives voice to the anguish of the depths yet holds on to the hope of God's word, that for those who follow, there is plenteous redemption. 

    How about this news: not just a wedding shower plaque or a meme on Facebook, it was Paul who gave us that familiar phrase don't let the sun go down on your anger. Though he does give us permission to be angry ~ whew, because it's hard not to be at times ~ we are not given license to sin because of it, and we are strongly admonished to put away the by-products of anger ~ bitterness, wrath, and malice. It's not easy to be tenderhearted and forgiving when someone has broken your trust and your heart or worse. Yet again we see that God, through Christ, forgives them and us. And as someone else wisely said, if God forgives, who am I not to? 

    In our "real time" of now, it is easier than ever to be goaded into explosive anger by political, religious, and nearly any other subject when there are vicious, reactionary, or merely polarizing opinions voiced on any media outlet you can name. My God-given life is 'way too short to feed the frenzy and be frenzied by the feed. I want to change my anger into positive energy and direct it toward solutions to genuine problems rather than to just add more unproductive trash talk. I want to grow my faith.

    Forgiving can be very difficult emotional and soul work and, in some circumstances, it may feel unrewarded. Yet taking a step forward in working to forgive is also an act of faith, however shaky it feels. As the Prayer of St. Francis says, "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned." Pastor Max Lucado said beautifully, "Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!" Remembering that faith, as small as a mustard seed, or, in the case of Jesus as our Eternal Life-Giving Bread, faith as small as a grain of wheat, is how we begin to forgive another. An act of mercy we give to one is also received by us. Forgiveness given for another brings us closer to forgiving ourselves for our actions/thoughts/judgments, etc., that we keep deeply hidden within us.

    Forgiveness is a work in progress, like life itself. As we work to fill our souls with faith in Christ, He, as our eternal Bread of Life, will be our Guide to free us from the useless prison of an angry or bitter heart.

   Let us inhale the sweet fragrance of salvation and hope, and exhale all that drains our good intentions away. May we remember that as we pray for ourselves to be forgiven, we are called to forgive those who sin against us to be forgiven in the same way as we forgive them. Let us feel and know and radiate and savor the Divine Nourishment that is simply waiting for us to reach out to taste and see as we grow and bloom with faith, love, and hope forever.

    Jesus tells us no fewer than six times in this Gospel reading, that He is our salvation, our bread of eternal life ~ do we hear it, do we know it, do we believe it yet? Through him, by God, we are forgiven everything, if we only just believe. Then faith will truly change our lives.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of Mercy, grant us the patience to overturn our own bitterness, wrangling, and self-serving wrath, even if only in thought, and to know our own sin more quickly than another’s. Guide our hearts to be kind and forgiving, to live in love, and to believe in and feed on the Bread of Life.

                                                    God of Plenteous Redemption

            RESPONSE:             Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, fill us with Your Truth to speak peace-filled words that give grace to those who hear. Let us join together to turn righteous anger into positive energy for the work of Christ across this Planet, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      God of Plenteous Redemption

                                                    Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, whisper Your word of hope to all who wait and struggle in body, mind, or soul, and calm the hearts of all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                      God of Plenteous Redemption

                                                    Let us forgive as we are forgiven

~ Lord of Mercy, instill in all who grieve, deep peace of heart in knowing that their loved ones now joyfully feast at the glorious banquet of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      God of Plenteous Redemption

                                                    Let us forgive as we are forgiven

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

                                                      God of Plenteous Redemption

                                                    Let us forgive as we are forgiven        

~ Lord of Mercy, enrich the souls of those entrusted with our spiritual growth through our worship, study, and prayer, that brings us unity in Christ as members of one another. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      God of Plenteous Redemption

                                                    Let us forgive as we are forgiven       

The Celebrant adds: Eternal God of Hope, energize our faith and excite our souls that whenever this life brings anger, grief, or distraction from You, we do not fall into sin but seek to believe and act as the living legacy of salvation through Christ. We ask through Jesus, our sacred Bread of Life; and the Holy Spirit by whom we are Sealed for Redemption; who together with You are One God, for ever 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: Always Fresh ~ Proper 13, 11th Sunday after Pentecost '24 Yr B

For Sunday, August 4, 2024; Readings: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-13, Ephesians 4: 1-16, John 6:24-35

 

    Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity"...Nathan said to David, "You are the man! [2 Samuel 12:5-7a]

   Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful spirit. [Psalm 51:1a, 11, 13]

    I [Paul]...beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called...But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift...The gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...  [Ephesians 4:1a, 7, 11-12]

    Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you....Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  [John 6:27, 35]

    David, oh David, God and everyone around you saw how you intentionally sent a man to his death so you could have his wife as your own. God told Nathan to tell you only a few of the ways you are to be punished for your terrible transgressions. There will be many more tragedies visited upon your house because of your greed and actions of abusive power. 

     How easy it is to read this ancient drama/morality tale and feel smugly comfortable that this is a fascinating episode in a longer narrative. And David's momentous life from first we know it until the end is the stuff of legend, novels, and films. But David reacts to Nathan's story as I might ~ and have done ~ when confronted with an anecdote or a behavior of someone else that causes a sudden and righteously angry reaction within me. Then, just as suddenly, moments of my own sin roar into my consciousness and require immediate, honest self-reflection, and sincere penitence. 

     Create in me a clean heart, O God [Psalm 51:10] is a prayer that comes swiftly to my regretful mind and heart in those times. (Some translations use pure in place of clean.) Yet the saving grace and hope ~ for me and all of us ~ is knowing that although God punished David, God never abandoned him, always loved him, and was with David as he finally saw his sin with woeful clarity. And so it is for each of us today.

    Paul begs us to lead a life worthy of the calling and it is Jesus who brings earthly appetites into focus for us now, in our own time, in our own lives. I remind myself again that the Bible is more than stories of "then" it is also "now." All that happened then is happening now, the dreadful things, the lovely things, the boring things, and the long lists of things ~ look at headlines any day of the week. Jesus has given us the directive of what to take with us and what to leave behind on our Journey to Eternal Life. By him we are fed and led. Through him we are redeemed; we are forgiven. All we need to do is believe it and then live into our belief by our words and actions, by following Jesus. Christ, our Savior, will never abandon us. Jesus is our manna from Heaven, our Bread of Life whether you choose plain white, gluten-free, whole wheat, pumpernickel, rye, sourdough, or any other… His are truly nourishing words, and always, Always Fresh and available 24/7~365(6). 

 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, especially in these trying times, give us the joy of Your saving help again. Awaken us to humility, gentleness, and patience, to bear one another in love to build up the Body of Christ.

                                                     Jesus, Bread of Life                                                           

          RESPONSE:                Feed our Souls

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, grant us the conviction to speak the truth in love to all who hold authority in this Community, in this Nation, and on this Earth. May our words arouse benevolence and compassion and stem the tide of racism, division, and greed. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Bread of Life

                                                       Feed our Souls 

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, release from suffering all who live in the throes of chronic illness, depression, or addiction, and give strength to those who love them. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Bread of Life

                                                       Feed our Souls

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, release us from earth-bound grief to know that the joy of Heaven is unceasing for all who have received new life in Your bountiful Spirit. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Bread of Life

                                                       Feed our Souls

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

                                                       Jesus, Bread of Life

                                                       Feed our Souls  

~ Holy God, Loving and Kind, refresh and energize all who are blessed with gifts as pastors, evangelists, mentors, and teachers. Guide them as they strive to equip us to find our own gifts for the work of ministry, and grow in Christ through the bond of peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Bread of Life

                                                       Feed our Souls

The Celebrant adds:  Eternal LORD, cleanse our hearts and renew Your right spirit within us, that we may be willing and worthy to lead the lives to which You have called us. Kindle our desire to turn to You each day, to nourish our souls for the work of heaven, that gives life to the world and endures for eternity. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Sustenance, and the Holy Spirit, our Bountiful Counselor, who together with You are One God, for all infinite, imperishable time. 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 and Celebration Moment: The Philadelphia Eleven 50 YEARS ON!

A reprise of the original post in 2014:

Church of the Advocate - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 29, 1974
The First Eleven WOMEN Ordained as PRIESTS

50 Years Later...    

...It seems incongruous to some who don't remember before, that women being ordained is such a big deal. And it is still heretical to many others for reasons I will NEVER understand, that on that July 29 in 1974, the Feast of Mary and Martha, 11 women became Priests for the Church and for all of us. The rest of the world, Anglican and otherwise, is still catching up, wrestling with the issue, or completely denying Holy Orders to women.       I don't have any profound statements or pronouncements to add to what has been said in many places elsewhere including two articles below, but I am posting the names of each of these courageous women. The hardships, the triumphs, the travesties, and travails they endured are beyond imagining, yet each one felt the strong call and forged the seemingly impossible path for those who have followed. How many of us will ever be faced with such challenges?  Here are those women, some of whom have now left this earthly plane. Please pause at each name and pray a thanksgiving and let us also pray for those in this world still denied their opportunity simply because of their gender. Let us remember and thank: 

~ Merrill Bittner

~ Alla Renée Bozarth (Bozarth-Campbell)

~ Alison Mary Cheek  

~ Emily Clark Hewitt

~ Isabel Carter Heyward

~ Suzanne Radley Hiatt

~ Marie Moorefield Fleischer

~ Jeannette Ridlon Piccard

~ Betty Bone Schiess

~ Katrina Martha van Alstyne Welles Swanson

~ Nancy Constantine Hatch Wittig

   
God of ALL Genders, Races, Colors, Ethnicities, Heights, Weights, Sexual Orientation, Ages, and all Other Categories ~ Please grant a special place in heaven for all of these women, who struggled to answer your call, and for all of those who supported them in their quest. Also bless the Bishops who defied the status quo and helped make this ordination day possible. Sanctify all those with the courage to push the barriers knowing many obstacles will not yield easily if at all, and that their own suffering for the cause will make the road easier for those that come after. Open the eyes, hearts, and minds, of those who continue on a path of needless discrimination without justification that prevents others from fulfilling their own destinies. We have all been blessed by these women, and their legacy will last as long as faith in You continues.  amen.             



Here are the links to 2 articles and the entire celebration service in Philadelphia:

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/women/celebrating_the_philadelphia_e.html

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/07/23/philadelphia-11-shattered-stained-glass-ceiling-40-years-later-now/

Here is the Liturgy as it was recorded live on Saturday, July 26, 1974 at The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where The Eleven were ordained 50 years ago:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/live-demand-worship

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: Divine Bounty ~ Proper 12 ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost Yr B '24

For Sunday, July 28, 2024, Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21

   …[David]…saw from the roof a woman bathing…Bathsheba…wife of Uriah…David sent messengers to get her and she came to him…David wrote a letter [to] “set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting…that he may be struck down and die.” [2 Samuel 11:2b, 3b, 4a, 15a,c] 

    All are corrupt and commit abominable acts...The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God...those evildoers...[who] do not call upon the LORD...will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous. [Psalm 14:1b, 2, 4b-c, 5] 

  I pray that...you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...that you may have the power to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth...[of] the love of Christ...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  [Ephesians 3:16-18] 

      A large crowd kept following [Jesus]...they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted...When evening came, his disciples got into a boat, and started across the sea...It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough...[and] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  [John 6:2, 10b ,16-20]

      How, when one is the adored [or feared] King with unlimited power and significant human appetites, possessing or immediately acquiring everything desired, even the life or death of another within finger-snapping distance, does one keep that power in check, the appetites moderated, and the ego from attempting to control the world? If you're King David, apparently not very well. But God was watching... and every human reign ends.

      Reckless and wanton disregard for the lives of others, as the psalmist describes corrupt and abominable acts, may ultimately be forgiven by God, though not without consequences and only IF the self-serving seek after God’s love and mercy. Otherwise they will tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.

      Paul's prayer from prison reminds us, that God has the power to grant us inner strength when we seek God and are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ through faith. Although the faith exhibited by the disciples who followed Jesus wasn't always perfect, as ours is also far from perfection, the people knew by the signs of his actions who Jesus was. The available 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread were all Jesus needed to satisfy the hunger of a large crowd. Imagine how faith in Christ, as the Bread of Life, could satisfy our spiritual hunger and deepest soul needs. And, after all that had happened on that day alone, as Jesus walked across the water to the boat - he still had to tell the disciples not to be afraid. How many of us are fearful, anxious, and worried even as we proclaim our faith?

     All of us falter or fail in how we live our faith, some fail with ego-moderating, and others with the suppression of various appetites, others just fall away. Even Jesus got angry - righteously so, perhaps, but still, in his human nature, he really was angry at times. And God is watching, knowing our hearts even more than we do at times, and loving us anyway. Stop, breathe, and pray, every now and then, to be rooted and grounded in love, to try and understand in some small way what is the breadth and length and height and depth [Ephesians 3:18] of our Creator's gift of this life and the next. Whether feeding the 5,000 on the mountainside or strolling across the Sea of Galilee on foot, God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, by the power of the work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine  [Ephesians 3:20] from the heavens to the universe, on land and at sea. Let us be fed by faith, in strength or weakness, for spiritual and eternal satisfaction, for courage and comfort in the rough seas of life. When we step out together, no matter how fearful we are, we find courage and support with the knowledge and trust in the wealth of Christ’s divine bounty in our hearts, our minds, and our souls. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, as You look upon us and know us deep in our hearts, fortify our inner beings that we may be rooted in faith, fed by Your limitless love, and express the eternal fullness of You in our everyday lives.

                                                     Faithful, Merciful God             

          RESPONSE:                Turn our fear into courage

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, equip us to transform the minds and hearts of all who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community.  Grant us the energy and determination to release all of Your people from bigotry, poverty, and dread. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God

                                                       Turn our fear into courage

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, give rest and hope to all who suffer from serious illness in body, mind, or spirit, and relief to all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…add your own petitions 

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God

                                                       Turn our fear into courage

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, comfort all who mourn as you lift the precious souls of our loved ones to the bliss and beauty of everlasting life in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God

                                                       Turn our fear into courage

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

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God

                                                       Turn our fear into courage          

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, enrich and enhance the wisdom and vision of all who lead us in Your Church, as we sail together on the unpredictable waters of life on our journey to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God

                                                       Turn our fear into courage

The Celebrant adds:  Gracious, Loving Lord, endow us with spiritual insight to know and experience the miraculous breadth, and length, and height, and depth of Your nourishing presence in our lives. Grant us the gifts and willingness we need us to bring You into the life of this world. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Teacher and Healer; and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter in Affliction; who together with You live and reign as 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: Here, There, and Everywhere, 9th Sunday after Pentecost '24 Yr B

For Sunday, July 21, 2024: Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Psalm 89:20-37, 

Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

   Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? …Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” [2 Samuel 7:5, 7]

  My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through my Name…He will say to me, “You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. [Psalm 89:24, 26] 

    ...[In] Christ Jesus...is our peace...he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall...thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body...you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined...you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.  [Ephesians 2:13a-14,16a,19-21a,22]

   As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things…they laid the sick in the marketplace, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.  [Mark 6:34, 56b]

     The last time I worked with these readings was in 2018 and I opened my commentary with: …a mere three years ago, we were reeling from the shooting deaths at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Remember that? So much happens so quickly that yesterday’s horrors are replaced by today’s. Little did we know the magnitude and numbers of events ahead with death and destruction, from human hands and natural disaster, locally and around the world. Our psyches are overloaded with tragic and hate-filled images and a barrage of voices with words that incite, frighten, or depress us. And every day we unite ourselves defensively with one group only to alienate ourselves from another, because, as always, we know that “we” are correct in our opinions and reactions and “they” are not. And here we are in 2024 just a few days after an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate.

     How do we take it all in; how do we fix it; how do we reconcile with “them?” What steps might make genuine, helpful, hopeful progress, with and for each other, in our very brief human life?  Every day we are challenged and every day we have to start within ourselves to consciously decide how we will face the tests and tasks ahead.

    The words of Paul are a starting point: For [Jesus] is our peace…he has…broken down the dividing wall between us, that is, the hostility between us… for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father [Ephesians 2:14, 18].  Will this fix all the nastiness in the world, prevent disasters, or change anyone else’s mind? Certainly not on any grand scale. But every individual’s act of kindness, even of just a smile in passing, is a gesture that heals.

    In the opening reading appointed for today, David wanted to build God a house but God said, not so fast. God never asked for a house but made clear that when God wanted one, the builder would come  not from David yet after him through David’s descendants. Paul tells us that together spiritually, we are God’s dwelling place.

    Accepting the peace of Christ within calms my soul, my heart, and my mind. It helps me to project the peace of Christ on the outside, at least until I forget and then something finally calls me to remember to begin again. I can’t change anyone but me. I can seek and find sabbath time, joy, and love as constructive energy to counter and redirect the forces of anger, pain, and suffering. I can offer at least a moment of reconciliation and light in a tunnel of despair, but it can be hard going alone.

   In the Gospel for today, Jesus was trying to find some peace and rest for himself and the disciples yet the scores of people who lined up to be healed by him left little chance for that. But he kept going in the company of the disciples, and so must we, and at the very least hold peace in our hearts, minds, and souls until the respite time is found and we do not have to go it alone.

   Let us actively seek Jesus as the foundation of our spiritual household. In Him there is no "them." Each of us are one connecting piece that joins the whole structure and strengthens the peace among us and beyond. Together, in this one small pocket of this difficult world, we can make our personal, as well as our community house of worship, into a peace-filled home that is truly a dwelling place for God here, there, and everywhere.       

     As the hymn says:  Christ is made the sure foundation,

Christ the head and cornerstone,

  chosen of the Lord, and precious,

binding all the Church in one;

holy Zion's help for ever,

and her confidence alone.

[Hymn 518, The Hymnal 1982]

 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Faithfulness and Love, break down the walls that divide us, and strengthen the faith we need to reconcile ourselves to each other and to You, as one body. Let us walk together, in similarity and difference, as the heart and hands and feet of Jesus, our Cornerstone in the foundation of Your eternal House.

                                                      Lord of Peace and Compassion

RESPONSE:                 You are the Rock of our Salvation

~ God of Faithfulness and Love, illuminate our path toward healing division and strife. Endow our spirits with the capacity to choose leaders who respect equality, diversity, justice, and mercy in our Community and in our Country, and who will encourage all who hold authority in our World to do the same. Unite us in our quest to stand firm in the peace of Christ, wholly accepting His grace and saving ways even in difficult times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Peace and Compassion

                                                       You are the Rock of our Salvation                   

~ God of Faithfulness and Love, embrace with care all the desperate and downtrodden, heal the sick, and energize all who give comfort and care.  We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Peace and Compassion

                                                       You are the Rock of our Salvation

~ God of Faithfulness and Love, to You we commend our beloved, already citizens with the saints, who now have risen to live again in the glory in Your Kingdom that never ends. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Peace and Compassion

                                                       You are the Rock of our Salvation

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

                                                       Lord of Peace and Compassion

                                                       You are the Rock of our Salvation            

~ God of Faithfulness and Love, we lift our prayers in gratitude for all who are anointed in Your service as they lead us, teach us, and heal our souls, while journeying with us to life eternal in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Peace and Compassion

                                                       You are the Rock of our Salvation             

The Celebrant adds:  Lord God of Hosts, nourish our souls as we seek to open ourselves as conduits of grace to give and receive from all we meet, however differently we each perceive this world. Join us together within the whole structure of Your holy temple, the spiritual dwelling place to be with You and all You whom You have created. We ask through the Hope of Christ Jesus; and the Sacred Breath of the Holy Spirit; who together with You reign as One God, now, forever, and always.  Amen.

 

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