Prayers of the People: Fired Up, Again! 12th Sunday after Pentecost

for August 31, 2014, 12th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Ex 3:1-15; Ps 105: 1-6, 23-26, 44-45; Romans 12:9-21; Mt 16:21-28 [NRSV]

       Moses was called from out of the fire to free the Hebrews from the horrors of their existence in the ancient world. The world of today is being consumed by the fires of our own making through political animosity, corporate greed, senseless killings, war, ethnic and racial hatred, suffering, misery, tragedy - thank heavens we live in modern times!
       It would be so easy to wander lost in the wilderness of despair or apathy or cling to the false god of profit and power to save us from ourselves.  Paul, for one, won't let us be still and gives us a rapid-fire list of how to begin to be the Living Sacrifice that Jesus calls us to be:  Let love be genuine, hate evil, hold fast to good, love one another, outdo, don't lag, rejoice, be patient, persevere, contribute, extend, bless, rejoice, weep, live, associate, and don't claim to be wiser than you are, etc., etc., etc. 
       I'm nearly exhausted at the thought of it all yet Jesus reminds us that all that has been done will be repaid. The time is now, the place is here, there is much to do so, let's get fired up, again.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, Your Divine Fire sanctifies our faith, transforms our souls, and guides us to find our footing on Your holy ground, this bounteous Earth, our island home. Keep our faces turned toward You, that we may not be consumed by human things, but set our minds on all that is Holy.

                              We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

RESPONSE:    As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, kindle in us the ardor of spirit that will prevail upon the leaders of this world, our country, and our community, to renounce the actions of repaying evil with evil. We must employ honor and zeal to overcome malevolence with the humane. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

                        As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, You know the sufferings of Your people, give us the listening ear and helping hand to care for those who are caught in a cycle of addiction, physical or mental illness, or homelessness, and for those who are struggling to meet their needs.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

                        As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, we also weep with those who weep for the loss of their loved ones who are now in Your everlasting care.  Bless those now at rest who are free of misery and tears.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                        We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

                        As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

                        We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

                        As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

~ O God of the Past, the Present, and the Eternal, for those among us who, like Moses and Peter, are reluctant but willing to take on Your mantle of leadership and ministry on our behalf, we ask Your enduring grace as we offer our humble gratitude. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        We seek the LORD’S continual presence and strength

                        As we each say, “LORD, Here I am!”

The Celebrant adds:  Most Divine God of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, grant us a hunger, not for the superficial milk and honey of this life, but for the finding of the peace in eternity as the ultimate reward for our living sacrifice. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Messiah, and the Holy Spirit, the fervor in our hearts, who reign together with You as one Living and Eternal God. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: Tick Tock

Life is short and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel this journey with us, so be quick to love and make haste to be kind.  
         ~ Henri Frédéric Amiel* [1821-1881]






O God of Chronos Time ~
        My present moments are too rapidly becoming my past moments even as I am looking ahead for a glimpse of my future moments. And I am dribbling away the precious life You have given me, by more than a few drops at a time - how much is left?? Only You would know.
         It's always much easier to say "LOVE ONE ANOTHER" than it is to do, especially in a world filled with horror, tragedy, and rage. So, Lord of Now, help me stay in the moment and worry not about the next. Please help me swim through each of the laps I have left knowing that all I truly have is You, all I can truly give is the knowledge of You that I offer through my thoughts which are revealed through my actions. Oh how pathetic when I think of some of my actions BUT that was then, this is NOW....so here I am thinking:
        Dear God of This Moment, please give me the strength to show love to fill in the blank who has been unkind to me here or there, in real or perceived ways. Even if the opportunity for a one-on-one conversation is not presented, at the very (seriously very) least I can do is offer a prayer for her/him to You. Help me balance the weights of time and swing the pendulum to the far reaches of kindness, tolerance, and love. Maybe, that really will make things better somehow. I can't change the face of all the political strife in the world. But I can, in a moment of frustration, as well as in a moment of beauty, think secondly of how to frame a brief prayer in their honor, for their well-being, for my soul. It certainly can't hurt especially for as long as that clock is ticking. amen.

*Henri Frédéric Amiel was a Swiss philosopher, critic, and poet.  He was a professor of aesthetics at the University of Geneva in 1849 and later a professor of moral philosophy.


Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Catch the Wave and Let Loose, 11th Sunday after Pentecost

for August 24, 2014, 11th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Ex 1:8 – 2:10, Ps 124, Romans 12: 1-8, Mt 16:13-20 [NRSV]

         From Noah's Ark to Moses' basket to Jesus and his most famous walk, our history with God is flooded with watery stories. Water is required for life and yet, as with many things, too much is deadly.  In this week's reading the Egyptians try to drown the baby boys to keep the unwanted population from growing, but the kindness and compassion of the midwives and Pharaoh's daughter transform the lives of the Hebrews and Egyptians alike. 
          Paul says to get out of what is of the world - renew our minds and transform ourselves to discover God's will. With the gifts we've each been given by God's grace, there is something for us all to do as individuals who are members of the Body of Christ. And Jesus puts it together - in giving us the keys to the Kingdom our actions on earth will be bound in heaven and what we let loose here, will be let loose in heaven.   
         So let's catch the wave of the Living Water, and let loose some grace-filled transformation. 


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Living God, through the waters that birth us, that Moses was drawn from, that nourish the Earth and sometimes drown it, we often struggle to navigate our lives between the raging and the calm. Let us not drift aimlessly through tide and torrent, but by Your mercy, steer toward the Light of Christ, our Messiah, the Incarnation of Your Holy Will for us.

                                Our help is in the name of the LORD

RESPONSE:     Who made the heavens and the earth

~ Living God, so many of Your sons and daughters in our earthly home are being thrown into the rivers of despair, brutality, and war. Give us the key and courage to transform the attitudes and actions of the political leaders of this world, our country, and our community, from bitter strife to vigorous compassion. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Our help is in the name of the LORD

                            Who made the heavens and the earth

~ Living God, help us to be Your rock of hope, faith, and love for those who are lost in the grip of addiction, depression, and/or illness of body, mind, or spirit. Let us also give comfort to all who give their strength in care for those they love.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Our help is in the name of the LORD

                            Who made the heavens and the earth

~ Living God, give solace and rest to the sorrowful as they mourn, and open wide the gates of heaven, as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Our help is in the name of the LORD

                            Who made the heavens and the earth

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

                            Our help is in the name of the LORD

                            Who made the heavens and the earth

~ Living God, we give special thanksgivings for those helping us through teaching, preaching, and guiding, to discover what is our holy and acceptable spiritual worship of You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Our help is in the name of the LORD

                            Who made the heavens and the earth

The Celebrant adds:  Transcendent, Immortal, and Holy God, we offer the grace-filled gifts You bestowed upon us, in service to Your Supreme will. Let us, as the Body of Christ, renew our minds, transform our souls, and escape the snares of conforming to all that is of this world. We ask through Jesus, Son of Man, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, Your Divine Breath, who together with You are one God, omnipotent, eternal, and everlasting.   Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Speak Up, 10th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, August 17, 2014, 10th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Gen 45:1-15, Ps 133: 1-6, Romans 11: 1-2, 28-32; Mt 15:10-28

      It is definitely not my job to decide who is the right type to be chosen, that is all God's domain and God chooses even those I don't think are right. But it is my job to speak up and out, loudly and with conviction, persistently and continuously to God and to everyone else whenever a wrong must be righted, a truth must be told, and a life must be saved. Giving voice to our faith, speaking the good of our hearts through the opening of our mouths, let us do our jobs to care for our children and, for anyone who is a child of God. Let the crumbs fall where they may.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Immutable Mercy, in an us and them world, You choose everyone as Your beloved. Grant us the inner peace and self-assurance to see others as ourselves, and know they, too, are fully and completely Yours, and never, ever discarded.
 

                               Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

RESPONSE:    You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

~ O God of Immutable Mercy, help us find the ways to reach the minds and hearts of the leaders of this world, our country, and our community so that as Your people, we can all live together as kindred souls in unity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                           Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

                           You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

                       

~ O God of Immutable Mercy, with Your precious oil of love and comfort, anoint those caught in the pit of despair, illness, and pain, and preserve the health and patience of those who give care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                           Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

                           You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

~ O God of Immutable Mercy, allay the pain of the grieving and give peace to their aching hearts. Their loved ones are received with the ecstatic grace of everlasting life in You and so we pray especially for: add your own petitions
 

                           Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

                           You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

~ O God of Immutable Mercy, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…
 

                           Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

                           You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

~ O God of Immutable Mercy, we ask an extra measure of blessing for our clergy for the innumerable ways they care for us and work to strengthen our faith in You. As they teach us how to listen and understand all that You intend in our lives, help us show our thanks and gratitude for theirs. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                           Jesus, Son of God, Master of The Table

                           You gather us All and from our hearts, let our mouths speak out in Faith

The Celebrant adds:  LORD of Blessing, LORD of Life, please show us the way to each other, as we, Your children, struggle with the wars and discords among us. We ask Your special grace through Jesus, our Redeemer, and, the Holy Spirit, our Soul Guide, who with You, are One God, now and forever.   Amen.



 

Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: I See It!

When one door closes, another opens: but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.         ~Alexander Graham Bell* [1847-1922]

Well, admittedly over the years there have been quite a few closed doors that I have gazed at longingly, regretfully, sadly, even wantonly, and one or two I still peek back at over my shoulder. But I do work at keeping my feet moving forward and eventually my heart and head catch up. At the moment, I see a door that has opened and beckons me. The sign on it reads clearly:

V A C A T I O N

and I am heading straight for it!  No major travel plans this year, mostly a few day trips here and there, a little catching up with some this and that which may inspire some future writing, but the highlight is having a whole week with my (aged 9 1/2) Favorite Oldest Granddaughter all to myself and we will have some memorable adventures!   

 

SO, Dear Reader, I'm taking a little time off from just the everyday posting. The Prayers of the People will still arrive weekly and I expect to be back more regularly by mid-September, if not sooner. In the meantime, scroll back through and check out some posts you may have missed.  And please let me know if you have any suggestions for future Meditation Moments. And who knows, I may interrupt myself if I feel so inspired. 

 

BIG THANKS to all of you who have commented, emailed, requested prayers, and shared what I've written!  Stay tuned, and until then, this link's for you:  See You in September







*Alexander Graham Bell - as if you didn't know - is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. But maybe you weren't aware that he was a Scotland born inventor, engineer, and innovator, and both of his parents were profoundly deaf spurring  his scientific interest in hearing devices and elocution. He developed many other inventions in the fields of optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics, among others.  He later regarded the telephone as an intrusion in his scientific work and refused to have one in his study.  Bell was a founding member of the National Geographic Society in 1888.  


Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: WWNMD?

I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death. ― Nelson Mandela* [1918-2013] 

Well, God, 
        If I'm planning a self-indulgent pity party of the poor me variety and the world news isn't enough to divert me, then it's time to read Mandela. All the usual descriptors apply - inspiring, heroic, determined, etc. - and, he ascended to heights well above anything that seemed remotely possible. So, Creator of Excessively Amazing People, could I have just a touch of what You gave Madiba? His own words certainly say more than mine can and I need to read them often. His life story is the very definition of hope. Will You please nudge me when I'm slowly sinking into my own stuff? (although a nudge might not be enough - sometimes I need You to shove me into the next room) 
        I need to be more optimistic, even if I have to work hard to achieve it. Nelson is a tremendous role model - he was flawed, brilliant, and tenacious. It's comforting to know that even he had his dark and doubtful moments - he was no saint but a real flesh and blood person. We all have our trials in life but rare is the example of such perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. And because of his story, I can walk a bit more briskly into the face of whatever comes. I can change my address to Hope Street and, in addition to wondering What Would Jesus Do to decide my next course, I can add What Would Nelson Mandela Do to the equation. I don't pretend to have any real idea what either one would actually do, but at least with the inspiration of both, I have a head start into moving forward with my "head pointed toward the sun."  amen.


*Nelson Mandela, revolutionary, politician, philanthropist, duly democratically elected first black President of South Africa after 27 years of imprisonment for sedition, treason, and sabotage. If you do not know his story - why not? Look it up!




Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditation Moments: Changing the Pray-er

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.
                         ― Søren Kierkegaard [1813-1855]

Dear God, Almighty, Everlasting, and Eternal ~
           Of course I want to influence You. Of course I want You to do what I want You to do. Of course I'm not happy when things don't go my way. Sometimes I get angry. I'm human; it's my nature. SO, if I walk away in anger and blame, am I just acting as a spoiled child who is never satisfied? 
           But eventually I stop and I remember. I have Free Will. I have choices. I can choose to use prayer to demand, require, and exert an ultimatum for a requested outcome and be frustrated and angry when it doesn't come to pass. Or I can exclaim "Thank God!" when something good happens as a cursory nod for the expected. 
           I can also choose to pray through conversation with You to express my wants, needs, and desires, as well as my hopes and fears. When I pray without expecting You to fix or give something in return, I feel less agitated, perhaps no less in need or want, but more comforted from merely knowing You are present, listening, aware. The nature of my prayer becomes a visit with a trusted and cherished Friend who embraces my heart, soothes my soul, and is simply present and available whatever the outcome. And within the visit, through the prayer, I am transformed. I am calmer, I am more composed, and I am ready to work through all that life brings. I, the Pray-er, am changed. amen.  
           



*Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and wrote extensively on Christian Ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of Religion.  He often focused on personal choice and commitment, and, the art of Christian love.


Please feel free to request a prayer or meditation to be composed for a particular person, concern, or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. If you would like the weekly Prayers of the People prior to its appearance on the blog, please send me an email. Personal prayer requestors will remain anonymous.