Prayers of the People, Saints Are People, Too!, 4th Sunday of the Season of Creation

for November 2, 2014, All Saints, 4th Sunday in SoC*, Readings: Sr. Joan Chitister*, Ps 107:1-7, 33-37; Ephesians 4:1-6, Mt 5:1-12

When is a Saint a Saint in these times? Sr. Joan Chittister tells us that [Saints] are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right...These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers...  [see full reading below] Who are the Saints, and saints, in your life?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, You have created all of us with unique gifts and we have each developed our own unique flaws. Today we celebrate those who have gone before, and those among us, who have given themselves entirely to You for the sake of us all.  Whenever we struggle, or forget, to find a single moment for You in a day, grant us the wisdom to look to the examples of saints and Saints to guide us to a glimpse of Your face, and then act accordingly, from the center of our humanness.

      Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

RESPONSE:      Help us to be dauntless in our faith
                                  that we may live as You have called

           

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, grant us the courage to decry injustice, condemn poverty, and refuse inequality as we raise strong voices, for those who have none, to the leaders of the World, our Country, and our Community, most particularly in these critical times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

Help us to be dauntless in our faith
              that we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, deliver from distress those whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

Help us to be dauntless in our faith
              that we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, as You comfort those who mourn, help them, and us all, to always remember that our loved ones rejoice to enter their great reward in heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

Help us to be dauntless in our faith
              that we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

Help us to be dauntless in our faith
              that we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to help us navigate our path to redemption. Help them remain faithful role models as we taste the possibilities of our spiritual greatness together. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

Help us to be dauntless in our faith
              that we may live as You have called

The Celebrant adds: Just, Merciful, Gracious God, in all humility we bow our heads and pray for Your blessing even as we often fail, but still continue to try, to embody those qualities of saintliness that will bring us to Your eternal life. We ask Your continued love and patience through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who with You live and reign as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever.  Amen.

*1st Reading - A Reading from the writings of Joan Chittister:

For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world.
~ Sister Joan Chittister [from: A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God, Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996]

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

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, Saints Preserve Us!, All Saints' Sunday

for November 2, 2014, All Saints’ Sunday, Readings: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3, Mt 5:1-12

     For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world. ~ Sister Joan Chittister  [from: A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God, Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, You have created all of us with unique gifts and we have each developed our own unique flaws. Today we celebrate those who have gone before, and those among us, who have given themselves entirely to You for the sake of us all.  Whenever we struggle, or forget, to find a single moment for You in a day, grant us the wisdom to look to the examples of saints and Saints to guide us to a glimpse of the Lamb, and act accordingly, from the center of our souls.

  Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

RESPONSE:  Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                             we may live as You have called

           

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, grant us the courage to decry injustice, condemn poverty, and refuse inequality as we raise strong voices, for those who have none, to the leaders of the World, our Country, and our Community, most particularly in these critical times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

    Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

    Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                  we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, deliver from their great ordeal those whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

    Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

    Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                  we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, as You wipe away the tears of those who mourn, shepherd those who have made their way to You and guide them to springs of the water of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

    Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

    Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                  we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

    Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

    Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                  we may live as You have called

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to help us navigate our path to redemption. Help them remain faithful and with purity of heart to proclaim to us the greatness of our LORD. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

    Universal, Omnipotent, Boundless God

    Help us to be dauntless in our faith that
                  we may live as You have called

The Celebrant adds: Just, Merciful, Gracious God, in all humility we bow our heads and pray for Your blessing even as we often fail, but still continue to try, to embody those qualities of saintliness that will bring us to Your eternal life. We ask through Jesus, our Lamb, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who with You live and reign in the glory of One God now and for ever and ever.  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, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, 20th Sunday after Pentecost

for October 26, 2014, 20th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Mt 22:34-46

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give.  

                  ~ United States Senator Cory Booker

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ LORD of All That is Holy, keep us mindful in every day to intentionally seek to love You with all of our hearts, our souls, and our minds, to delight in Your law, and, to be worthy to stand upright at Your Final Judgment.

                              Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

RESPONSE:  Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and love our 

                              neighbors as ourselves

                                    

~ LORD of All That is Holy, help us, especially in these days, to actively engage those we entrust with the decision-making in our World, our Country, and our Community. Let us be as a witness of the prosperity of love to open the eyes of those blinded by self-interest, political machinations, and other oppressive conditions that do not fulfill Your greatest commandment.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

                Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and
                love our neighbors as ourselves

~ LORD of All That is Holy, alleviate the pain of those burdened with serious illness, addiction, and/or emotional distress, and let us bring compassion to those who give them care.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

                Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and
                love our neighbors as ourselves

~ LORD of All That is Holy, we lift up those who are bowed by grief while, in the midst of sorrow, we give joyful thanksgiving for Your welcome of our loved ones into Your eternal kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

              Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

              Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and
              love our neighbors as ourselves

~ LORD of All That is Holy, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

                Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

                Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and
                love our neighbors as ourselves

~ LORD of All That is Holy, we look to those appointed to lead us in worship and the care of Your Church to show us by example of prayer and preaching how to live in this life and walk together to discover all that You declare through Your Word. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                Almighty God of Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy

                Grant us courage in You to declare the Gospel and
                love our neighbors as ourselves

The Celebrant adds: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, grant us the awareness of Your ever-present breath and spirit as we consciously seek to be fully Yours in every day. Help us to show, that within the power and glory that is You, You remain the Every Day God for our neighbors and ourselves. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, everyday, always, 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.

Prayers of the People, The Human Family, 3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation

for October 26, 2014, 3rd Sunday in SoC*, Readings: Isaiah 42:5-9, Ps 146, Mother Theresa**, Luke 10:25-37

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give.  

~ United States Senator Cory Booker

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, keep us ever mindful that we are each sometimes the other, creating and receiving suspicion and fear, when we step away from our familiar communities. Let Your light radiate from our eyes and our everyday actions be as works of charity, reflecting the overflow of our love for You from within ourselves.

    We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

RESPONSE:     We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

                                    

~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, help us, especially in these days, to stand up and actively engage those we entrust with the decision-making in our World, our Country, and our Community.  You call us to be as a covenant to Your people to open the eyes of those blinded by self-interest, political machinations, and other oppressive conditions that do not fulfill Your love for Your people ~ our neighbors and ourselves.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, alleviate the pain of those burdened with serious illness, addiction, and/or emotional distress, and let us bring a breath of compassion to those who give them care.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, we lift up those who are bowed by grief while, in the midst of sorrow, we give joyful thanksgiving for Your welcome of our loved ones into Your eternal kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

~ Most Gracious Parent, Creator of Our Entire Human Family, we look to those appointed to lead us in worship and the care of Your Church to tell us of the former things of You that have come to pass, show us by example of prayer and preaching how to live in this life, and walk with us to discover the new things to come that You declare through Your Word.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

We praise You, LORD, from the depths of our souls

We will live and act as the mercy of Christ  

The Celebrant adds: God of the Hungry, the Privileged, and All Others, grant us the awareness of Your ever-present breath and spirit as we consciously seek to be fully Yours in every day. Help us to show, that within the power and glory that is You, You remain the Every Day God for the entire Human Family. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, everyday, always, and forever.   Amen.

*2nd Reading A READING FROM THE WORD OF MOTHER THERESA:

Whether you are a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian, how you live your life is the proof that you are fully God's or not. Loving must be as normal to us as living and breathing, day after day until death. To understand this and practice it we need much prayer, the kind that unites us with God and overflows continually upon others. Our works of charity are nothing but the overflow of our love of God from within. Therefore, the one who is most united with God loves her neighbor most.

[From Everything Starts With Prayer, White Cloud Press, Ashland, OR, 1998]

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

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: This, That, AND The Other

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. 
~ Mystic/Trappist Monk/Author Thomas Merton
[1915-1968]

          Easy for you to say, Thomas, but difficult to do in the midst of life events. I know that all I have is now, but when now is fraught with worry and wonder about how much more or what's next... Yet, because of your words, I know that I can rest a bit, be calm-ish, and just do what needs to be done in this moment. The next moment will be revealed, and the one beyond that, and so will what needs doing.

          So here is my prayer for now:

Dear God of Present Moments, 
        Will this be a good news day, a bad news day, or just a nothing-in-particular news day? I guess it really doesn't matter, does it - whatever happens, happens, and so I ask only for the courage, faith, and hope to attend to the challenges, be open to the possibilities, and be thoroughly present to You in each moment, and to others when I'm needed, even if only through my prayers. With a deep calming breath and the spiritual sustenance of Your grace, I will walk through This, That, AND the Other - I might sometimes be afraid, but I'll know I'm never alone. 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, The Planet Lives, 2nd Sunday in Season of Creation

for October 19, 2014, Our Living Planet, 2nd Sunday in Season of Creation*, Readings: Isaiah 65:17-25, Ps 8,
St. Francis of Assisi**, Mt 6:25-34

"We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland. "  ~ Nelson Mandela

There is plenty of bad news about the condition of our planet, of the dreadful and terrible kind, that needs our action, attention, and God-ordered stewardship.  But today, we celebrate. We come to learn more and to know this great gift of God, our Earth, more deeply. We examine its lushness, its highest peaks and deepest depths, the fragrances and the freshness. We see what has gone before, where we are, and, all of our world's potential and what we are called to do about it. This Earth feeds us and provides oxygen for our breath, its resources give us materials for our homes, fuels for heating, cooling, transportation, and so much more. How magnificent is Our Living Planet?! Let us behold our God's gracious hand and safeguard all of it for posterity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! The glory of the lilies and Your handiwork of the sea and sky pale in comparison to the gifts You bestow upon us, Your human creations. Strengthen our faith, trust, and hope as You weaken our worry, weeping, and striving for all but the righteousness of Your Kingdom.

                              Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

RESPONSE:    We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call       

                              with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

                                    

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! Grant us the necessary convincing words and actions that will enlighten and animate the leaders of the world and local community to care for and protect Your Creation, our sacred Earth. There is no greater gift for the support of all living beings than the healthy abundance of land, sea, and sky. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                         with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord! Heal those who live with pain, fear, and hopelessness in everyday life and reinvigorate all those who care for them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  As we hold dear those who mourn and weep this day, we give thanks for the earthly lives of those You have called home with rejoicing for a new life in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud…

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

~ Most-High, All-Powerful, All-Good Lord!  For all those who serve You in Your Church, who see to our pastoral and prayer needs, who preside at the Vestry and the Eucharist, who strive to bring You closer to us and walk with us toward You, we give special thanks. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Creator of Heaven and our Mother Earth

                        We, Your mortal servants, must answer Your call 

                        with faithfulness, humility, and thanksgiving.

The Celebrant adds: Unwavering, Transcendent God, we Your sometimes wavering people, bow our heads and bend our knees in praise and thanksgiving for Your constancy.  Keep us close in Your holy heart and help us to be as conscious of You daily as You are of us.  We ask this through our Savior, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, our Companion in prayer who together with You, reign as One God now and forever.  Amen.

*For information on the Season of Creation, see blog post for October 12, 2014, New Beginnings, 1st Sunday in the Season of Creation

**2nd Reading A READING FROM ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing. To you alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, and first, my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day; and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars; in the heavens you have made them, bright And precious and fair. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and fair and stormy, all the weather's moods, by which you cherish all that you have made. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, so useful, lowly, precious and pure. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten up the night. How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother, who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs. All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, by you, Most High, they will be crowned. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, from whose embrace no mortal can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your will! The second death can do no harm to them. Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks, and serve him with great humility. [from Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis of Assisi, 1225 C.E.]

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, What's in Your Pocket? 19th Sunday after Pentecost?

for October 19, 2014, 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Readings: Exodus 33:12-23, Ps 99, 1 Thess 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22

         Moses has a lot to say to God this week.  He perseveres in an insistent tone requiring God to listen and respond - but, Moses also knows when to take a breath and listen for God's voice. We need to learn to speak to God in our own voices with our own words and say, ask, even demand and then, quietly, patiently, and, with an open heart, listen for how and when God chooses to answer.  

       Paul reminds us to live into our deep relationship with God with trust and faith, to feel the power of the Holy Spirit within us and begin to act upon it. When we experience the depth of faith, we will begin to be more of what God is asking of us. Instead of looking for excuses of time or other commitments, we will be readily available to give our attention to and reflect the Glory of God in all of our relationships and actions.

      Jesus and Caesar's money is used in a variety of ways - separation of Church and State is one example. And as so very often happens, Jesus is turning the tables on those almost smart enough Pharisees - instead of falling into their trap, he caught them in his.  The coin in question with Caesar's image also contained an inscription that referred to the divinity of Caesar. So here's a Pharisee, on Temple grounds, with a blasphemous coin in his pocket - the image is clearly a blaspheme as is the inscription regarding divinity - as any good Pharisee would know from the prohibitions against graven images and divinity other than our God's in both Genesis and Exodus. Jesus is more cryptic than we realize when he tosses off the "Give therefore to the Emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."  It has been suggested that perhaps, in his quietly subversive way, Jesus was hinting about a payback to Caesar - "Give Caesar what he deserves"? Clearly, we owe all to our Emperor, God.  God knows what's in your pocket and to whom it is owed.  Do you? 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Glory and Goodness, Moses asked and You gave Your presence and favor through him to us. You forgave the Israelites their transgressions as they journeyed from Egypt; forgive us our own as we also turn again today, tomorrow, and beyond, toward Your graciousness and mercy.

                                   Holy LORD, Living and True

RESPONSE:      Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

                                    

~ God of Glory and Goodness, No matter what coin we render to the political powers of the world, our country and our community, our greatest currency bears the likeness of us, who are made in Your image. Let us always give first and most to You, O Lord, and let our actions, voices, and words in the houses of government and on the streets and roads of our lives, always reflect Your perfect truth and justice.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, Heal those who live with pain, fear, and hopelessness in everyday life and reinvigorate all those who care for them We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, As we hold dear those who mourn and weep this day, we give thanks for the earthly lives of those You have called home with rejoicing for a new life in Christ.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

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

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

~ God of Glory and Goodness, For all those who serve You in Your Church, who see to our pastoral and prayer needs, who preside at the Vestry and the Eucharist, who strive to bring You closer to us and walk with us toward You, we give special thanks. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Holy LORD, Living and True

Let us proclaim Your Greatness through our faith, trust, and hope

The Celebrant adds: Unwavering, Transcendent God, we Your sometimes wavering people, bow our heads and bend our knees in praise and thanksgiving for Your constancy. Keep us close in Your holy heart and help us to be as conscious of You in our daily lives as You are always of us. We ask this through our Savior, Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God now and forever.  Amen.

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