Prayers of the People: He IS Risen! ~ Easter Day '20 Yr A

For Sunday, Easter Day, Readings: Acts 10:34-43; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; Mt 28-1-10

    ...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [Acts 10:38]

     On this day the LORD has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:24]

     Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is...Set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth... [Colossians 3:1a, 2a]

     But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. [Matthew 28:5-6a]

         EASTER is here! Hallelujah!! Christ is Risen!!! Wherever you are on this planet whether bursting into Spring, slipping into Autumn, or somewhere in between, today our Salvation is assured, again and still, through our faith in this Risen Lord of All. Yet it will likely be the quietest Easter in living memory for many of us.

        Daily life in the time of pandemic upends the usual, the regular, and even the irregular. Now that we are to experience a holiday/Holy Day apart from each other and our usual expressions of extra-glorious festival worship services, it will be unusual to say the least. There will likely be fewer colorful baskets of treats, Easter egg hunts will be more singular than communal, and what about Easter dinner? Even for those for whom Easter isn’t “all that” spiritually, it will seem less celebratory than before.

       This year draws me again to the words of Thomas Merton in his book The Sign of Jonas, "The grace of Easter is a great silence, an immense tranquility and a clean taste in your soul. It is the taste of heaven...a discovery of order above all order...a wine without intoxication, a joy that has no poison in it. Life without death..." What will you miss this Easter? What might you discover about Easter and the gifts it holds if we decide to accept. 

        There are four Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This year we hear from Matthew who tells us there was an angel whose appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. He spoke to the women who then left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy... and Jesus met them along their way.

        If you were asked, what does Easter mean to you, how would you describe it? If you were asked to tell the Gospel story, which of the four is closest to your memory? Listening to or reading different accounts of the same event can give us a fresh perspective and a new experience of the moment.

       Take some time this Easter season and read the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Reflect on what surprises you and what questions arise. Notice the similarities and differences. Wonder, and try to decide, if one account speaks to you more than another and why? Or perhaps you'll mix and match the Gospel writers' accounts to arrive at your own version, visualizing yourself in the time and place. Whatever you do, ask yourself: So what? What does it all mean for my life today, tomorrow, and beyond? What will I do - or stop doing - as a result of reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection? 

      Merton also says, in He is Risen, “Christ is the Lord of a history that moves. He not only holds the beginning and the end in his hands, but he is in history with us, walking ahead of us to where we are going…True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power that we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation.” How important are these words in these days?

       Move on from mourning the loss of a glorious church service with all the literal bells and whistles and choirs reaching the heights of musical expression. Let’s seek that clean taste in our souls, that fresh joy, that creative transformation. I want to discover a bit of the great silence within, dust off and resurrect my faith, and meet and be liberated by Christ beyond the tomb. While I remember that the resurrection of Easter requires the Cross of Good Friday, with Christ moving with us and before us, our path, though not easy, will surely lead us into the eternal Easter of Salvation and life everlasting. Choirs of angels await…   And while you’re at it, don’t forget to be in touch with those for whom Church is always distant and unattainable, who are more isolated than ever. A phone call, a note, a mail-ordered Easter basket will go a long way to keeping Christ present in our absence…a little taste of heaven goes a long way. He IS Risen! Hallelujah!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Christ, Risen! On this Day the Lord has acted! We will rejoice and be glad in it. In the midst of the darkness and fear in this world, let us revel in the Divine Light of Your Glorious Resurrection.

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                       Response:      Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Especially in these uncertain times, grant ever increasing amounts of prudence, integrity of purpose, compassion, and mercy, to the political leaders of this Earth, this Nation, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Lavish Your healing grace and hope upon all who are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and all who give them daily care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

           

~ O Christ, Risen! Our grateful hearts commend those we love, who have risen with You into the heavenly peace and splendor of life everlasting. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

                      

~ O Christ, Risen! Infuse the leaders of Your Church with limitless energy and interior peace, as they strive in ever more creative ways, to guide our prayer and encourage us to follow Your Truth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

                                                                                                       

The Celebrant adds: Holy Redeemer Christ, Resurrected in Glory, in dying You destroyed our mortal death; in rising You claimed salvation for our souls. Release us from temporal distractions that entomb us in this earthly life, and set us again on the path to our True and Eternal Life in You. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the Divine Breath of New Life; and our Merciful Impartial Creator, who together with You are One God in Glory, Boundless, and Everlasting. Amen.

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Hosanna! Always and Especially in the Time of Covid 19 ~ Passion/Palm Sunday '20 Yr A

For Sunday, April 5, 2020, Readings: The Liturgy of the Palms: Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; The Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 50:4-9a, 
Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mt 26:14-27:66

        The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  [Matthew 21:9]

               Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord… [Psalm 118:25-26a]

             The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher... Morning by morning he wakens...my ear...The Lord God helps me...and I know I shall not be put to shame. [Isaiah 50:4, 7b]

                But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. I have said, "You are my God. My times are in your hand...in your loving-kindness save me." [Psalm 31:14-15a, 16b]

                     Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God...And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death...[Philippians 2:5-11]

      Then [Jesus] went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples. "Sit here while I go over there and pray"...Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."  [Matthew 26:36, 40-41]

Hosanna! The perfect short prayer, for these and other times, that we didn’t know that we knew.

      How strange “Palm Sunday” is this year as I write in the midst of the Coronavirus/ Covid-19 Pandemic. With churches closed, the festival-like processions with waving palms and joyful hymns don’t lend themselves to online liturgies with no congregants. For those of us in Christian denominations that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, it almost seems more appropriate, just now, to move directly into the second part of this particular Sunday’s usual worship practice, the Passion narratives. However, these two parts are inextricably interwoven and significantly more cohesive and substantive when taken together than when separated. It is human nature to only want the fun part, yet as we know all too well, in the span of mortal life we cannot overlook the difficult in favor of only the pleasurable. And, that is why the shout of HOSANNA! is more important than ever, on this day and on every day.

           Hosanna, pronounced “Hoshana” in the Hebrew [Old] Testament, comes to us today in Psalm 118 appointed for the “Liturgy of the Palms,” in verse 25-26 (NRSV):  Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord. In original Aramaic, the language Jesus would likely have spoken, the exclamation was “help, save, I pray.” The words of the Psalm become clearer with that in mind if we shift to “Help, Lord, Help! Lord, send us now success.” In the Jewish Study Bible (of the Jewish Publication Society and published by Oxford Press 1985/1999), verses 25-26 read as O Lord, deliver us! O Lord, let us prosper! May he who enters be blessed in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the House of the Lord.

            Christian usage in the Christian [New] Testament has become an exclamation of special respect for the one who saves us. Neither definition excludes the other and so to proclaim Hosanna! is to recognize, celebrate, and respect Jesus as our Lord and Savior even as we ask him to help us.

           As we continue to stay at home to prevent further spreading and/or incurring this new plague, we are given a fresh opportunity, perhaps never undertaken before, namely, to read the full texts of today’s readings without at once listening to the recitation by another. We begin with the acquiring of the animal for Jesus to ride, the choice of which has significance. As Jesus was accused later in the week of proclaiming himself "King of the Jews," riding into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey symbolized that he was coming in peace, as a ruler would do to show a peaceful arrival rather than a warrior King riding in on a horse bent on war. Then the procession with palm branches celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem just on the heels of his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead just two miles away. The greetings of hosanna are a recognition that he is a Messiah who will remove and save them from the oppression of Rome.

           The Passion narrative develops the details of his Last Supper, betrayal by Judas, and the machinations of the Chief Priests whose local standing and power among the Jewish hierarchy and Rome were clearly threatened by this acclaimed and unorthodox prophet and miracle-worker. All of these elements were carefully noticed and recorded by the Roman occupiers and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council who had its own police force and trial court. How easy, it seems, to go from enthusiastic cheers of the crowd to the strongly manipulated and equally enthusiastic and deathly jeers by the same people mere days later. 

        Two thousand plus years on, it is still a story for our own time. How easily are we turned from waving palms to throwing punishing stones by a few well-placed headlines or Facebook comments because we simply followed the crowd?

        Jesus enters the chaos of his times as he enters the chaos of our own. As Lutheran Pastor David Lose has noted:

               “The tragedy of the day is that the people are half right. He did come as God’s Messiah. But they misunderstood what that meant – not “regime change” by violence, but rather the love of God poured out upon the world in a way that dissolved all the things we use to differentiate ourselves from others and the formation of a single humanity that knows itself – and all those around them! – as God’s beloved people. The other tragedy of the day is that the religious and political authorities are also half right. Jesus was a threat. For that matter, he still is. He threatens our penchant to define ourselves over and against others. He threatens the way in which we seek to establish our future by hoarding wealth and power. He threatens our habit of drawing lines and making rules about who is acceptable and who is not. He threatens all of these things and more…Jesus’ resurrection…affirms that God’s love is stronger than hate and God’s life is stronger than death…[Still, in this day,] he continues to threaten our reliance on anything – our wealth, position, political identity, good works, relationships or, for that matter, our limitations or life tragedies – anything other than God’s mercy. What’s hard about this message is that we all have come at times to seek our identity and secure our future on things other than God. The blessing of this message is that none of these other things are up to the job. No matter what we trust in, we will be disappointed, as only God’s Word can declare us as not just acceptable but as blessed and beloved. Jesus’ journey to the cross shows us just how far he was willing to go to demonstrate to us God’s unconditional love and acceptance. And once you hear that message of grace, mercy, and love, then whether you name it Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, or just the Sixth Sunday in Lent, there is suddenly good reason to shout our hosanna with all the joy and hope we can muster.”*

           Let us pray in distance and together, this day and always: Hosanna!

*Click here for the full text: [http://www.davidlose.net/2017/04/palmpassion-sunday-a/]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, in this year of years, our usual way of living has changed as quickly as those who turned from Hosanna to Crucify Him. Grant us the willingness to walk consciously through this Holy Week with fresh eyes, and, the uncomfortable awareness of how often we, too, have slept in Your presence.

                                                     O Lord our GOD,

RESPONSE:                  Our times are in Your Hands

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, lighten the hearts and enlighten the minds of all who govern in this Community, this Nation, and this World, that they may seek the cause of healing humanity through global cooperation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD,             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, cradle in Your benevolent arms all who are sick, desperate, or hopeless, and give peace of heart to those who care and worry. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

           

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, ease the burden of grief in these dark times, as those we mourn now live in the eternal radiance of everlasting resurrection in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

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

                                                       O Lord our GOD             

                                                       Our times are in Your Hands

                      

~ Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, embrace and enrich those You have called to lead us in Your Church through this sacred week and beyond. Inspire their words, their prayers, and their souls, that they and we together, may draw ever closer to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: GOD Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, in Your loving-kindness sustain our hope and save us from this time of trial, that humbled in our human form, we may seek and serve Christ in ourselves, in each other, and in all of humankind. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our Souls, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Unbind and Distantly Gather ~ 5th Sunday in Lent '20 Yr A

For Sunday, March 29, 2020 ~ Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45

       The hand of the LORD came upon me...He said to me "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones hear the word of the Lord...I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you...and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." [Ezekiel 37:1a, 3-5, 6b]

                     Out of the depths have I called to  you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice...For there is forgiveness with you...I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope. [Psalm 130: 1, 3a, 4]

                 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. [Romans 8:10-11]

               Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I m the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." [John 11:24-26]

       I know people who have had to hunker down in full-on desert sandstorms in Iraq. They tell me it's blinding, abrading, choking, and all-around frightening. The dunes shape-shift so swiftly as to bury and lay bare concurrently. When the particles settle, the air is so dry it's nearly electric. Without shelter and protection, flesh peels off limbs in sheets and, in the aridity of the desert, you cannot tell the old bones from the new.
       The bones of Ezekiel's valley were very dry, empty, and scattered, each from the other. I’m sure even in his vision, Ezekiel had difficulty in imagining them re-connected, re-fleshed, and re-animated, yet through God’s instructions and Ezekiel’s obedience in prophesying, they were. We, as Christians, see this as a foreshadowing of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. The Pharisaic teaching, that Martha and Mary knew, was that all the righteous would be raised on “the last day.”

        Martha and Mary must have felt scattered and lost at the death of their beloved brother; so painful a loss that Jesus also wept. Who among us cannot understand that while shedding an ocean of tears in the midst of immediate grief, there can be a sense of emptiness that feels as vast, as dry, and as deep as the sands of the Sinai? They wondered why Jesus, who could have saved Lazarus, didn’t come sooner. The teaching of the time was that a soul lingered nearby for 3 days after death. Mary was clear to Jesus that Lazarus was now dead 4 days. All was truly lost, until…       

        We don’t expect or believe that Jesus will call our loved ones out of the grave and restore them to full life and health, certainly not in this life. We hope for it, perhaps dream about it. But the reality of the earthly loss arrives very quickly and never leaves. Yet Paul reminds us that setting our minds on the flesh of this life is death to eternal life. We are to set our minds on the Spirit which is life and peace. No, it definitely isn't easy, especially in the times of life when we feel blown about as in a sandstorm; frightened of the next few days or weeks or months as in these times of a pandemic. Some of us are covered over and some of us laid bare. But no matter the age or wellness of our bones, hope is always the best antidote to despair and the best place to find hope is in a community of faith.

          A community exists even when we are at a distance from each other, as many of us are right now. We must work harder to find other ways to communicate ~ telephone for those who aren’t able to use or receive electronic or social media. Write a simple note ~ letters are so underutilized in the age of the internet. If your church has an online service or there is one on tv or radio ~ call someone and put your phone on speaker so to share the time ~ even pray together. It's an interesting thought that while we "pray together" in church, we may still feel comfortably separate. Now is a great time to find comfort in praying with each other.

         We all believe and hope in different ways for different outcomes, but as a community in these solitary and arid times, we must gather our bones and come alive together in whatever new ways we can discover. The psalmist says in his word is my hope. The Word of the Gospel can re-animate our hope as we seek the Spirit of Christ within us. We are not alone, even at a distance from each other whether across deserts, oceans, or one street, as long as we choose hope and reach out to each other in love. In Christ fear is unbound, the Light fills and surrounds us, distance fades as we gather ~ even distantly ~ in faith. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Merciful GOD, unbind us from the desires and fears that dry our souls, our hearts, and our bones. Set our minds on the Spirit of life and peace, that we may seek, believe, and follow Christ Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life.

                                                     O Lord, our GOD                                  

RESPONSE:                              Rest Your hand upon us

~  Most Merciful GOD, endow those who govern with the capacity, foresight, and willingness to act decisively for the benefit of all Your people throughout this Community, this Nation, and this Planet. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our GOD                

                                                       Rest Your hand upon us

~ Most Merciful GOD, bestow Your healing touch upon all in ill-health, emotional turmoil, or despair; and for those who give them care, rest for today and hope for tomorrow. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our GOD                

                                                       Rest Your hand upon us

          

~ Most Merciful GOD, let our tears be dried and our grief released, for as Jesus called Lazarus from his tomb, You call our loved ones to the joy of new and eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our GOD                

                                                       Rest Your hand upon us

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

                                                       O Lord, our GOD                

                                                       Rest Your hand upon us

                      

~ Most Merciful GOD, hearten the spirits of those sent to us to lead Your Church as they prophesy Your Word, and bring us together into the Light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our GOD                

                                                       Rest Your hand upon us

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our GOD, breathe into our mortal bones and awaken us from the death of sin, as our waiting souls turn toward the radiance of Your mercy, forgiveness, and everlasting life. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Compass and our Guide; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

 

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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Prayers of the People: Was Blind, Still Am sometimes ~ Fourth Sunday in Lent '20 Yr A

For Sunday, March 22, 2020 ~ Readings: Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41

       But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance of on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." [1 Samuel 16:7]

        Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. [Psalm 23:6]

        Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. [Ephesians 5:8-14]

        "...As long as I am in the world, I am the light o the world." When [Jesus] said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the [blind] man's eyes saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. [John 9:5-6]

       Did you ever wonder why if Jesus knew he could make the blind man see, he didn’t just snap his fingers or simply say "you can see now"? But then, symbolism - when recognized or at least intuited - is important even if not always understood completely. Spittle in ancient times was deemed to have medicinal properties. The mud he made with his saliva became a healing agent, and in turn, Jesus became a known healer. (Have you also ever wondered if any of the Pharisees tried this mud idea later?) 

       Jesus explains that this man had not sinned as the Pharisees who, by tradition and their interpretation of The Law, attributed all misfortune to sin. His eyes were opened to sight after he washed clean - perhaps as in the waters of Baptism washing us clean of sin? We are told in the passage that the name Siloam translates as sent, as Jesus was and is sent by God to open our eyes to see the light, to believe and follow the life to which God calls us. None of us is perfect but we are forgiven - as is David who, as we know from his later story, was far from perfect (and in that there is hope for us all!).

       The choosing of David by God, in the passage from 1 Samuel, is merely the beginning of the compelling story of this man. The "blind man" is unnamed and his story is brief, yet important, but David begins his reign fresh from his pastures as a young shepherd and has a long and chaotic life.

         The Psalm appointed for this week is attributed by some traditions to David himself, and surely, he or whoever authored it, thoroughly understood the nature of sheep and shepherding. The symbolism comes through the depth of each line that refers back to how to work with real-life sheep.* For example, sheep are inherently nervous creatures and are frightened to stampede by an apple dropping from a tree. The shepherd massages each sheep with oil to keep burrowing insects from infecting their eyes and to comfort them. They are terrified by fast flowing water and can only drink from water that appears to be still. The psalmist asks the Lord to lead him beside still waters and the lectionary’s timing for this could not be any better given the turbulent times in which we live.

       Paul speaks to the Ephesians, and ultimately to us, exhorting us to awaken from the sleep of the darkness of sin to live as children of light, and to discover what is pleasing to the Lord. Things are always easier to see in the light though not necessarily more clearly. The Pharisees used a different lens to "see" what Jesus what trying to tell them - they didn't seem to get the whole picture. God tells Samuel that the Lord does not see as mortals see...the Lord looks on each heart. 

       This is a good week to try to see what is in my heart, what blinders are on my eyes, and what darkness I invite into my life. I can use this Psalm as a personal prayer and plea as I speak the "my, and the I, and the me" for myself, and then I can take those personal pronouns and replace them with the name of someone else as a prayer for her or him or them any time and particularly for those currently in fear or already infected with this terrible virus: The Lord is their shepherd; they shall not be in want. He makes them lie down in green pastures and leads them beside still waters…

        I know that I have often been figuratively blinded to the true Light of Christ by the temptations and distractions in this mortal existence. I still am, at times, when it is easier to turn to the sleep of the dark than to wake and answer Christ’s call. O Jesus, massage the blindness from my eyes, it is past time for this Sleeper to awake again!  The Light is already shining if I just sit at Your table and see.

       

*I commend to you a lovely little book titled, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23  by W. Phillip Keller who once was a true contemporary shepherd. He unpacks all that the psalm speaks of in relation to how a shepherd cares for sheep as God cares and (tries to) lead us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, You chose David in his youth and us from the womb, knowing our full potential. Look into our hearts and lead us from the blindness of self-pride to the clarity of eyes opened to the fullness life in You.

               

                                                O God of Truth and Light

              RESPONSE:           Let us awake!                             

~  Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, arouse and kindle the inner vision of those who lead us in this World, this Country, and this Community, so they will see themselves as You see them, and begin to shepherd their own flocks with integrity, principle, and compassion.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, comfort all who suffer with physical illness, fear of sickness, or economic anxiety, and impart Your calming Spirit to those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

           

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, soothe the hearts of all who grieve, as our loved ones now live again in the delight of endless green pastures, dwelling in Your House forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

                      

~ Eternal Shepherd, Merciful and Just, amplify Your Spirit already within those who are anointed to guide Your Church along right pathways, as we walk together seeking the fruit of the light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Truth and Light

                                                Let us awake!

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O LORD our God, still the turbulent waters of our times and release us from the darkness we make for ourselves. Draw us to the table that You spread before us, where the cup of Your goodness and mercy overflows in this life and anoints us for the next. We ask this through Jesus our Christ, True Light from True Light; and the Guiding Spirit of all that is Holy; who live and reign with You, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 

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