People's Prayers

Monday, June 29, 2015

Prayers of the People: Prophet-Sharing, 6th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, July 5, 2015, Pentecost 6, Yr B, Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 12b-19; Ps 48, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Look, we are your bone and flesh..." [2 Samuel 5:1]

Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." [2 Cor 12:7b]

Then Jesus said to [the disciples], "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house"...Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two... [Mark 6:4,7-8a]

In our times, as throughout history, powerful/charismatic leaders attract some ardent followers who want to stay very close, idolize, and would even act as "the bone and flesh"of the hero. Such devotion by others can sometimes skew one's initial humility and original intent. It is isn't so easy to be constantly admired or put on a proverbial pedestal and stay modest. Paul may have recognized that in himself and accepted the thorn as a sacred reminder to be aware of the dangers of holding power over others. And yet there are always detractors. Perhaps Jesus was shaking off the dust of his frustration with the hometown reaction he received as he kept moving along, doing what he could, where he could. David, Paul, and Jesus were all doing the work God had given them to do and, as in every human life, some days were better than others.

There are two post-Communion prayers in the US Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and in both God says that we are "living members" of the Body of Christ. In one, we, the pray-ers, ask God to, "Send us now into the world in peace..." and in the other to "...send us out to do the work you have given us to do..." Whose bone and flesh, and what thorns are we willing to take on? Jesus called the disciples and sent them off two by two to do God's work and to "shake off the dust" where they weren't welcomed. Let us do some of God's prophet-sharing work together - there will always be more than two of us to help shake off the dust of disappointment on the difficult days, and to keep the thorns from piercing all the way through.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O LORD of Hosts, help us to recognize and receive the thorns of this life as grace-filled challenges in our quest to find our strength through You.

O God of Loving-Kindness

RESPONSE: Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

~ O LORD of Hosts, even if our words are not welcomed, let us not refrain from speaking the truth of Your love, justice, and mercy to all who govern the peoples of this world, our nation, and our community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Loving-Kindness

Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

~ O LORD of Hosts, restore health to all who must cope with continuing sickness, and hope to all who are homeless in living or in spirit. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O God of Loving-Kindness

Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

~ O LORD of Hosts, console all who grieve the earthly loss of loved ones, as You welcome home, with honor and rejoicing, all those we now commend to Your eternal care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Loving-Kindness

Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

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

O God of Loving-Kindness

Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

~ O LORD of Hosts, as Jesus called and taught the Twelve, so on behalf of Christ we are called and taught, by those who lead us in our Church, how to live in and proclaim God’s word. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Loving-Kindness

Grant us desire to live as the bone and flesh of Christ

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy LORD, our Eternal Guide, help us to shake off the dust of rejection or mockery as we turn our lives to Christ, share in his prophetic ministry, and be his bone and flesh on earth. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and the Holy Spirit, our source of Wisdom, who together with You reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Prayers of the People: Suddenly, Crossing Over, 5th Sunday after Pentecost

for Sunday, June 28, 2015, 5th Sunday after Pentecost, Yr B, Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Ps 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43

Paul said to the Church at Corinth, "...I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others...For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has-- not according to what one does not have..." [2 Cor 8:8b, 12]

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea...Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." [Mark 5: 21, 36b]

The echoes of the Charleston murders are still reverberating, as well they should for a long time to come, coloring the perspective of the readings for this Sunday. We have all crossed over, once again, as we seek to re-establish our footing in the midst of a tragic event - some of us move into new consciousness, some of us retreat into the old. This week even as David returns home a victor in war, he crosses over into the woeful lament and mournful loss of Saul and Jonathan. Saul who became an enemy that David still loved nonetheless, and Jonathan, a friend in life closer to his heart than anyone else. David exclaims, "How the mighty have fallen!" and we suddenly realize - the "mighty" all fall just as do the rest of us mere ordinary mortals.

Paul asks the Corinthians to cross over from the prior year's merely considering financial support for the poor in Jerusalem, to actually finishing the plan and giving.

Mark gives us Jesus and the Disciples crossing literally from one side of the sea to the other. They're in the same boat that was nearly sunk by a storm that frightened the Disciples until Jesus demanded and received a sudden calm on the water. On this shore, he is met by a frightened father in fear of his daughter's serious illness so Jesus agrees to go to see the child. On the way, a frightened woman afflicted with hemorrhages for 12 years reached for and touched his cloak and was suddenly healed. And then Jesus goes on to the home of Jairus and is told that the child has died - but of course, we know how this story ends.

So two more crossings occur - a woman suffering for 12 years crosses back into full health and a girl of 12 years seemingly dead crosses back into life. Perhaps those witnessing also crossed over into an even greater level of faith in Jesus as Jesus tells the woman, "Your faith has made you well." And it was the faith of Jairus that Jesus responded to in the raising of his daughter.

So, what has all this to do with my faith? Am I ready to cross over into consciously living my faith rather than merely desiring it? It's a little frightening sometimes. So the Psalmist reminds me often, and especially this week, to be active in prayer:

Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;

LORD, hear my voice;

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

[Ps 130: 1]

It is in the reaching for Jesus that we are led to faith in action, and prayer brings God's support every step of the way. With our constancy in prayer, we will be more able to live out our faith with far less fear of what is and of what is to come.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, as we more easily turn to You in the tragedies of life, help us to remember that Your presence is constant, even in the most ordinary of moments. Let us be constant and mindful in our prayers so that they will be unceasing and true in purpose.

O God of Mercy and Redemption

RESPONSE: Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, please bestow a strong sense of conscience, ethics, and virtue to all in authority in government, military, and law enforcement in this world, our country, and this community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Mercy and Redemption

Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, relieve the suffering of those with chronic pain in body, mind, or spirit, and give respite to those who tend their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…

add your own petitions

O God of Mercy and Redemption

Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, soothe the hearts of those stricken by grief and grant that we all share in the peace of knowing, that those we love, live again in the bliss of Your eternal kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Mercy and Redemption

Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

O God of Mercy and Redemption

Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

~ O Lord of Hope and Healing, grant wisdom and clarity of purpose for all Deputies, clergy and lay, who now pray and work in the General Convention of our Church. We pray especially for: Katharine, our Presiding Bishop; the nominees for and especially the individual who will be elected as our next Presiding Bishop; add your own petitions.

O God of Mercy and Redemption

Grant us strength to stand in faith without fear

The Celebrant adds: O LORD, Giver of Life, as the woman reached to Jesus, and the child awakened at his call, let our eyes be open and our spirits made whole. Help us reach towards You with fearless faith, eagerness of heart, and purity of intent. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, who together with You reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Meditation Moments: Because of Charleston and Too Many Other Times and People...

Jesus Wept.
[John 11:35]

There are millions of words to be read, listened to, absorbed, rejected, or accepted about the tragic and sorrow-filled events in Charleston, Ferguson, Staten Island, etc, etc, etc., just this year alone. There are no useful words that I can add and yet I was asked to provide a short litany and closing collect for this moment that will help us gather our prayers communally. Here is what I prepared, adapting the format, style, and some of the language from The Great Litany in our Book of Common Prayer [page 148]. This Litany is generally used at the beginning of Lent. You can find the full original text of it at http://www.bcponline.org/ What follows is my adaptation in hopes that it gives our hearts some of the words our minds cannot find.

Peace be with you and especially those suffering such losses...

Because of Charleston and too many other times and people:

O God, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.

From all hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word and commandment by thought, word, or deed,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all oppression, violence, battle, and murder, and from dying suddenly and unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver us.

That it may please you to bring into the way of truth all such as have grievously erred, and are deceived,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you so to rule the hearts of all in authority, that they may do justice, and love mercy, and walk in the ways of truth,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to make wars to cease in all the world; to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord; and to bestow freedom upon all peoples,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to preserve all who are in danger by reason of the color of their skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other difference from ourselves,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to preserve, and provide for, young children and orphans, the widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by the strife and pain of blind hatred, racism, and all other -isms.
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to your holy Word,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts and also to turn our own hearts to forgiveness,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to grant to all the faithful departed eternal life and peace, especially:

~Sharonda Coleman-Singleton

~Rev. Clementa Pinckney

~Cynthia Hurd

~Tywanza Sanders

~Myra Thompson

~Ethel Lee Lance

~Rev. Daniel L. Simmons

~Susie Jackson

~Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor

And peace to those who love them,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

O Christ, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.

Closing Collect: O God, our Refuge and our Strength, in the face of fearsome foes and the tempests of tragedy, in suffering and in joy, let us remember to always turn first to you with our faith strong and our hearts wide open. We ask with heavy hearts through your Son Jesus, our Savior and the Holy Spirit our Comforter, who together with You are One Holy and Eternal God from before the beginning until beyond the end. Amen.

Adapted from the BCP Great Litany by Christina Brennan Lee

Monday, June 15, 2015

Prayers of the People: Facing the Fearsome, 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Yr B

for Sunday, June 21, 2015, 4th Sunday after Pentecost,Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11), 19-23; Ps 9:9-20, 2 Cor 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41

...And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span...When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine...
[1 Samuel 17:4, 48]

...A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and [the Disciples] woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"... [Mark 4: 37-40]

We didn't get to the actual fight between David and Goliath in this week's reading but who doesn't know this story? While we - in the Judeo-Christian culture - know it from the Hebrew [or Old] Testament, the story is also found in Islam's Qu'ran. Whatever the myriad interpretations and historical/scriptural/universal significance of this underdog-victory tale, the bottom line for me is who wouldn't be scared facing a heavily-armored 6 foot 9 inch giant with only a slingshot and a couple of stones? But David was clear in his mind that he could do what needed to be done because of God's help.
Contrasting David's confidence, in Mark's Gospel the Disciples are terrified of the storm on the water. But wait, aren't most of them experienced fishermen? That must have been one whale of a storm to frighten them so much and you can almost hear the translation of Jesus's words to them in today's terms as "REALLY, GUYS?"
So, where am I in all this? Stepping up like David or cowering like the Disciples? Faith-strong or faith-weak? It depends on the day and the fear. Yet, Paul helps me once again as he says: "See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" [2 Cor 6: 2b] And, we are to open our hearts because God's presence is constant, eternal, unequivocal. Of course it doesn't mean that no terrible things will ever happen to me or those I love. But keeping my faith in God through Christ and the Holy Spirit conscious and active does mean that I may surprise myself with my own strength, resilience, and capacity to face the fearsome foes and woes in life, especially the ones I create for myself. It also means that I can shine as the brightest of suns when the greatest joy arrives. And, with God in my life, everything in between is perfectly, wonderfully, ordinary.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, in the face of fearsome foes or angry seas, in the smallest and largest moments of everyday life, in joy and in suffering, let us remember to always turn first to You with our faith strong and our hearts wide open.

O Lord of Our Salvation

RESPONSE: Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, grant us the courage of Your servant David, that we may speak to the giants of government in our world, our nation, and our community, to urge them to bring justice to the needy and hope to the poor. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Our Salvation

Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, restore the health and give comfort to those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit and grant patience to those who tend their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord of Our Salvation

Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, lighten the burden for those who grieve as You embrace those who now dwell with You for eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Our Salvation

Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

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

O Lord of Our Salvation

Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

~ O God, our Refuge and our Strength, grant wisdom and clarity of purpose for all Deputies, clergy and lay, who begin to gather this day to pray and work over the coming weeks in the General Convention of our Church. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Our Salvation

Calm our deepest fears; turn our trust toward You

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Most Loving God, we often forget that it is always an acceptable time to bring ourselves into Your presence. Help us to accept Your grace as true and humble servants during the wildest of storms and in the most ordinary life moments. We ask through Jesus, our Savior and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, who with together with You, are One God for all of time eternal. Amen.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Prayers of the People: Sprouting Confidence, 3rd Sunday of Pentecost, Yr B

for Sunday, June 14, 2015, Yr B, Readings: 1 Samuel 15:34-16-:13, Ps 20, 2 Cor 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17, Mark 4:26-34

...for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

[1 Samuel 15:7b]

[So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. ( 2 Cor 4:16-18)...For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Cor 5:1)...]** So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight. [2 Cor 5:6-7]

With what can we compare the kingdom of God...It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." [Mark 4:30-32]

When the reading from 2nd Corinthians for this week began with "So we are always confident...", I was immediately struck with the sense of how, more often than not, I am far from feeling confident in my faith, in my understanding of God, and especially those moments in life when, as Paul says in Romans 7:15: "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate."

For that reason I had to go back to the end of 2 Cor 4 and the beginning of chapter 5** to find my internal footing, to begin to accept that the opening lines of today's reading from Paul can really apply to me.

God's conversation with Samuel, when God says, in effect, people look at outward appearance and make judgments while God looks at our hearts, weaves well into Paul's reminder that life in this body is to be away from life with God and, that as we move into thinking of Christ and ourselves beyond the human body, we become a new creation. Jesus carries it further in his likening the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, a very small seed that grows into a shrub or tree so large that birds can nest in its branches.

The parable of the mustard seed appears in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and has always resonated with me, especially later on in Luke and Matthew when Jesus says that all we need is faith the size of one of these very tiny seeds and mountains can be moved [Luke 17:6], So, how small is that? Well some varieties yield seeds the size of the period that ends this sentence. Only that much faith? Ok then, I can do that with a good heart and more confidence.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, You have given each of us the means to blossom into eternal life from our earthly existence. Grant us the willingness to consciously tend the ground of our beings to be the fertile soil to grow as a new creation in Christ.

O LORD, our God

RESPONSE: Help us walk by faith, not sight

~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, look into the hearts of all who govern in this world, whether by legitimate rule or reign of fear, and implant the changes needed to bring about the full and equal flowering of all people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our God

Help us walk by faith, not sight

~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, send healing to all who are weakened by severe illness, depression, or desperation, and energize those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O LORD, our God

Help us walk by faith, not sight

~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, calm the burning waves of grief for those who mourn, and give us all a glimpse of the brilliance of eternal life where those we love now thrive. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our God

Help us walk by faith, not sight

~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

O LORD, our God

Help us walk by faith, not sight

~ Master Sower, Creator of the Seeds of Life, we ask Your special blessings upon those anointed to serve You and us as leaders in Your Church. Grant them the special combination of humility and confidence that will guide us on our spiritual journey to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, our God

Help us walk by faith, not sight

The Celebrant adds: God of Compassion and Strength, we need only look to Creation and each other to be reminded of Your constant Presence among us. Help us to know that, however small and humble our beginnings, with sincere and active faith, we each can reap the fullness of the harvest from the seeds of Your love and grace. We ask through Jesus in whom all Creation is new and the Holy Spirit whose Wisdom enriches the soil of our souls, who together with You, are One God, now and for ever. Amen.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Prayers of the People: O Mother Who Art Thou? 2nd Sunday of Pentecost Yr B

for Sunday, June 7, 2015, 2nd Sunday of Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15), Ps 138, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35

All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel...and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations"... Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them...forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only-- you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." [1 Samuel 8:4-5,6b-7,8b-9]

Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."... A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." [Mark 3:20-21,32-35]

Dysfunctional families. Where would life's ever-unfolding drama be without them. Some children are their parents' treasure while others are their worst nightmare. Some children can do no wrong in their parents' sight, others can do nothing right. Samuel's sons are an embarrassment, a source of grief. While Mary, his mother, and the brothers of Jesus think he's crazy and needs to be physically restrained.
Just as Samuel might have wished his sons had behaved better, and the elders of Israel wanted a king to "be like other nations," so perhaps Mary and her other sons were upset or embarrassed by Jesus not "being like other" sons. It seems to come down to: how do we define "family?" Jesus looked around and defined family for himself as: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Who is family for you?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, grant us the fortitude to abandon the faithless gods of no good purpose that tempt our souls and lead us into forsaking You. Let us find the courage to stand with and in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, even when those closest to us do not understand.