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.
