Prayers of the People: Teaming Up ~ 5th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 5, 2020, Readings: Genesis 24:4-8, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:11-18, Romans 7:15-25a, Matt 11:16-19, 25-30

               

       The Lord is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down. [Psalm 45:14-15]

         I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but the very thing I hate...For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do...Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God though Jesus Christ our Lord! [Romans 7:15, 19,24b-25]

       Jesus said to the crowd, "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another...For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say 'he has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds...Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will bind rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [Matthew 11: 16, 18-19, 28-30]

        The appointed lectionary this week, for me, is a rare moment of disconnection between the Hebrew Testament and the Christian Testament. The reading from Genesis is setting up the background for the narrative to come and the Psalm supports it so I will put it aside for that stage to be set.  But it is this self-revealing angst of Paul that always speaks to me, as well as the stark reality of all that happens now has been happening all along. 

       We all succumb to the us vs them mind game more often than we are willing to admit to ourselves. It may be hidden in a desire for a sense of personal superiority or of belonging to the correct group. There can be an almost addicting need for a sense of acceptance within a given community ~ if you are not one of or with us in all we think, say, or do, then you are one of or with them, painting with the broad brush of no exceptions. Further, if you are one of them you can't be one of us ~ THEM have demons, are gluttons and drunkards. THEM are and associate with all who are unacceptable to US.

         It is so easy, familiar, and self-comforting to get caught up in the want of knowing unequivocally who is right and who is wrong. That has never been more crystal clear than right here and right now. Paul brings our humanity front and center - deep down I know I don't want to say or do some of the things I say or do but I do the very thing I hate. When I catch myself, I resolve to be better and improve my reactions and responses in everyday living. Then, unaware, I fall back into the “I'm better than fill in name of person or group” mode and act accordingly, whereupon - eventually - I realize, I have failed, again, to be who and what I want to be. 

       Jesus offers us His easy yoke, to guide us and teach us. The burden is light, he says, but the pull back to the familiar behaviors ~ even those we don't want ~ is quick and often unconscious. They are easier than making conscious changes, and, taking on the very real risk of being ostracized from our “us” as one of "them."

       In the language of addiction treatment, we are sinners in recovery. The tendency to fall back is always strongest at the start of healing. But the farther we move ahead of it, the easier to resist, especially in a learning, supportive community of those who acknowledge their sins and strive to overcome them; and when a fall occurs, the easy yoke of Christ will carry us together. 

       There is a yoke on each of us and each come with a clear choice. One binds us to the sins great and small that we know are within us, that bruise and chafe our hearts and damage our souls. The other is the Yoke of Christ, not free of pain or trials or even fear, but the loads and burdens of this short life - much of it self-inflicted - are lightened, less wearisome, healing, and hopeful. We are always one in, of, and with Him. With His yoke, we are a team doing His work in His field, together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, awaken us to our self-imposed bindings of our familiar sins that distract us from hearing and acting upon Your truth. Rescue our hearts to recover our eagerness to accept Your easy yoke of learning and redemption.

                                                  O Christ, our Savior                                                           

RESPONSE:             Rest our souls in You           

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, burden and enflame the souls of the leaders of our World, our Nation, and our Community with a heavy yoke of desire to turn to the good they are capable of doing, gather the strength to avoid the evils of power, and the vision to see into the eyes and hearts of those for whom they legislate, as well those they know and love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, our Savior

                                                       Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, soothe the pain and suffering of those depleted by disease, injury, or depression, and comfort those who give them care.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, our Savior

                                                       Rest our souls in You

          

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we commend with our love all who have been released from this life into the gracious and glorious reception of everlasting life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, our Savior

                                                       Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, our Savior

                                                       Rest our souls in You

                       

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, for all who lead us in Your Church as a visible sign of Your Yoke, we ask continuing revival of spirit and replenishment of joy in life and ministry. Let us be mutual companions on this journey of our souls, caring and carrying in turn.  We pray especially for:add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ, our Savior

                                                       Rest our souls in You

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds: O God of our souls and our humanity, help us to come as children to listen and learn, to hear and grow. Fill us with the desire to recognize and repent of our sins great and small, and to be held captive only by Your love and grace. We ask this through our Most Holy Jesus, and Your Glorious Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You, as One God forever and ever.  Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Willing to be Willing? ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost Yr A

For Sunday, June 28, 2020, Readings: Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 13, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42

      God tested Abraham..."Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering..."When they came to that place...Abraham...took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord...said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy...for now I know that you fear God..." they came to that place...Abraham...took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord...said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy...for now I know that you fear God..." [Genesis 22:1a, 2a,9a, 10-11a, 12]

      Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God, give life to my eyes, lest I sleep in death...But I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help...I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High. [Psalm 13: 3, 5, 6b]

 ...present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life...as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but grace...now that you have been freed from sin...the advantage you get is sanctification...For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 6:13b, 14, 22-23]

 Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me...and whoever gives even a cold cup of water...truly I tell you, none..will lose their reward." [Matthew 10:40, 42]

     Abraham! How could…How did…What were…Am I…? 

      My first thought whenever this reading from Genesis appears is of Abraham. I try to imagine the conversation, “So, Sarah, I'm taking Isaac away for a few days.” Was he planning on how he would explain returning without the boy? “Terrible accident with a) fall off the mountain, b) wild beast got him, c) well, actually God said…” Was he worried, anxious, or so profoundly trusting in God and willingly obedient? 
      My second thought is always about Sarah - did she know about this plan before or after? Given her actions to rid Abraham of Ishmael and clear the path for Isaac, we can only imagine the scene if the sacrifice had taken place.
       This universally known story of Abraham's almost-sacrifice of Isaac as a test of obedience to God is pretty horrifying on its face. It is no stretch of the imagination to understand why seminary professor and author, Phyllis Trible, names this one of the Texts of Terror in her book of the same name. Uncountable millions of words by nearly as many writers have been written attempting to explain it. Who of us, upon hearing this, hasn't wondered and worried if this is what it means to "obey" God? But we must keep the angelic intervention in mind - the sacrifice was more about Abraham's willingness to do God's bidding and that was all God required. 
        It's very easy and frightening to get caught up in the language of fear, especially in these volatile times, but each of this week's readings reinforces God's steadfast love. Yes, physical harm may come from a variety of sources and yet allowing ourselves to be paralyzed by fear of what may or may not happen to ourselves and those we love is more than self-defeating, it’s unfaithful.
        Paul asks what advantage did you get…from the things of which you are now ashamed? In accepting Christ, we are freed from enslavement to sin. Yes, the language of “slave” and “enslavement” is archaic though wonderfully and especially distressing as we recognize the deep sin of systemic racial enslavement and willing discrimination in our own time.  To put it into more contemporary language, Eugene Peterson’s The Message refers to the tyranny of sin and when released we are in living in God’s freedom.
       Matthew’s Gospel for this week gives us The Five Welcomes, the smallest actions of life done in the name of a disciple and/or Christ himself, grants us our never-ending reward of Salvation.
       Our "life" here, when we accept being freed from sin, welcoming and caring for others in Christ’s name, is to be a preparation for the free gift of God in eternal life in Christ.
       Free gift? Well, it is free choice and, at the very least, the promise of eternity seems well worth the sometimes-expensive price of obedience and hospitality. But as we learned from Abraham’s angel, it’s the willingness to obey that matters. It still a bit terrifying and isn’t at all easy. I try often and I fail more often, but as I keep starting over, I will always be looking and hoping for that rescue angel to reach me just in time.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ Oh Lord Who Provides, awaken the spark You created within us to seek the heart of Abraham by accepting and working through, rather than fearing, each test of faith in this life, trusting in Your saving help.
 
                                                     O God of Grace
RESPONSE:                               We trust in Your Mercy
 
~ Oh Lord Who Provides, ignite the hearts and souls of the leaders of this Country, this Community, and this World, with extra grace and strength of character, to act upon Your will and wisdom for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy 
 
~  Oh Lord Who Provides, restore hope and health to those who struggle with continuing illness, isolation, or homelessness, and stamina for all who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

 
                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy
           
~ Oh Lord Who Provides, to Your Everlasting Arms, we lift up all who have exchanged this earthly life to flourish in the peace of eternity with You.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 
                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy
 
~ Oh Lord Who Provides, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

 
                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy
                      
~ Oh Lord Who Provides, fortify and sustain those chosen to help us navigate the time and tides of this human experience. Impart refreshment in spiritual wisdom to preach Your Word, encourage our understanding, and connect us to You in everyday living. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 
                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy
                                                                                                        
The Celebrant adds: God of all that is, Seen and Unseen, save us from fear in our times of trial, and give light to our eyes to see the path to salvation. Guide us to be a welcoming reflection of Your love in all that we are and all that we do. We ask through Jesus, our Messiah, and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, Your Sacred Breath within us.  Amen. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Losing to Find ~ 3rd Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, June 21, 2020, Readings: Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1b -11, Matthew 10:24-49 [Track 1]

       But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and...your slave woman...do as [Sarah] tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring will be named for you. I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring...God called to Hagar..."Do not be afraid; lift up the boy...I will make a great nation of him"...God was with the boy... [Genesis 21:12-13, 17b-18, 20a]

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love for all who call upon you...In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for your will answer me. [Psalm 86: 5, 7]

        ...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life...So you also much consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3b, 4b, 11]

       So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows..."Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven...I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." [Matthew 10:31-32, 34b, 38-39]

            In last week's reading from Genesis, Sarah was laughing - she got caught, denied it, and was brought up short. She was then granted happiness in her old age, or so we thought.

          This week we find a different Sarah, jealous and vengeful, separating the child from his father, Abraham, and willing to allow that child and his mother to die. God calmed Abraham and later Hagar, by telling her Do not be afraid. And we are told about this other son of Abraham, known to us as Ishmael, upon whom God also founded a nation, that God was with the boy.  

          Paul reminds us that in Baptism we die, to sin that is, and if all goes well with us, we are alive to God in Jesus. And then Jesus tells the disciples (us, too) not to have fear of those who disparage him. Yet although the words those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul are fearsome, Jesus reminds us that even sparrows sold cheaply are valued by God. He echoes God in saying do not be afraid because we are more valuable than many sparrows.  

          THEN, BOOM - where did THIS Jesus come from: Not bringing peace but a sword, setting family against family, households against one another? Separating us from him if we love others more? We have arrived at Part 2 of Jesus' teaching on what discipleship actually means. Last week we were sheep in the midst of wolves and now we learn what can happen when confronting those wolves, when we pick up His cross and follow Him. He has my attention - he had me at I have not come to bring peace, but a sword... 

          But then, how different is this from what we experience in life, especially in these tumultuous times, when we hold differing opinions with those we love? Political and even religious rhetoric can be fiery and fierce, families and friends stop speaking to one another. Strangers are yelling at each other in the streets and, of course, on social media.  

         The world seems angrier than ever and us vs them boils over all too often into violence. The difference is that Jesus stops us in our tracks in this Gospel with his sword, because it begs the questions to ourselves and each other: What really is our life all about? How easily - like sheep - do we bolt headlong into everything except what our Shepherd wants? He doesn't want us to stop loving each other, but we are to love Him more. The glint of the sword blade is a clear warning that being steadfast in faith, acknowledging Him above all else - family, friends, job, lifestyle, etc. - is fraught with far more than separation anxiety, it can be dangerous for a mere human. We are not the sword-carriers, we are bearers of the Word, the Good News. And some days will be easier than others. But this is not a part-time occupation, a Sunday thing, or a Christmas and Easter duty. This is what we sign up for when we call ourselves Followers of Christ. The pay-off is full-time, eternal life. No easy road but if we travel together, we can keep the wolves at bay while losing only that which keeps us from finding our true life. Remember that pray without ceasing thing? Start NOW and, oh yes: Do not be afraid. God in Christ is with us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, You bid us to choose between living now in false comfort or with division by walking in the newness of Christ. Keep us grounded, strong in our faith, willing to bear the cost in this life for the promise of Jesus in the next.

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous                                                                                                              RESPONSE:          We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, give us the courage to be what we expect and demand of political leaders in this World, across our Country, and in our Local cities and towns. Strengthen us to work in large and small ways to end quarreling, power plays, and violence that separate and kill us here and across this Earth. We pray especially for: Donald, our President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                We lift our souls to Your Mercy 

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, comfort and help all who are seriously ill, addicted, or homeless, and grant extra blessings for all who provide support. We now join our hearts to pray aloud for those in need…

                                                O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, we commend those we love to the freedom of eternal life, resurrected and alive in Jesus, never to die again. We pray especially for…

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                 We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                 We lift our souls to Your Mercy              

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, lift the hearts and souls of those anointed to guide us in Your Church in these wearying times. Grant unceasing energy as they endeavor to fortify us in our discipleship, seeking to be worthy of Christ. We pray especially for: Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop; David, our Rector; Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus; Emily and Peter, our Associate Priests.

                                                 O God, Great and Wondrous
                                                 We lift our souls to Your Mercy           

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord, our God, rescue us from the desert of denial, open our eyes to the wellspring of the Spirit, awaken our hearts to live first for Christ, and companion us to walk unafraid in Your Light and Love. We ask in the name of Christ Jesus, our Sin-Bearer; and the Holy Spirit, our Fount of all Wisdom; 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 and edited for local use 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: Keeping the Wolves From the Door ~ 2nd Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, June 14, 2020, Readings: Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7), Psalm 116:1, 10-17, Romans 5:1-8, Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23)

      Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." [Genesis 21:6]

       I love the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me...How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me?...I will call upon the Name of the LORD. [Psalm 116:1,10-11]

      Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...we have obtained access to this grace...and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God...we also boast in our sufferings...[that] produces endurance...and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit... [Romans 5:1-6]

      Jesus went about...proclaiming the good news...curing every disease...he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said..."The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest"..."See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves...But the one who endures to the end will be saved."  [Matthew 9:35-38; 10:16]

         When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. It is startling, at times, when the words of Scripture are so easily seen in the news, in the cities and towns, in the streets of today. When Jesus sent the disciples - and us by extension - out like sheep into the midst of wolves with the admonishment to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, it wasn't with the understanding that all will be easy and comfortable. In fact, then as now, the assignment is quite frightening and dangerous. The key tools for our success at attaining a share in the glory of God are wisdom and innocence. Innocence, it must be said, is NOT about being naïve or dimwitted. It is about paying attention to surroundings, who or what is lurking in them, and keeping ourselves and each other safe from the clutches of sin. 

       Sheep are as good or better at flocking together as their feathery avian counterparts and just as skittish when disturbed. Unlike the birds of the air, sheep have limited directional options and will frequently scatter helter-skelter when frightened. The shepherd's job to calm them is all the more difficult and important as the shepherd must continually shift the flock to different pastures for feeding and safety. But sheep do come to trust their shepherd and to recognize and remember both animal and human faces and, along with a keen sense of smell, the comfort or danger they represent. The behavior of the flock is communal and spontaneous - impulsive and reactionary - to threats real and merely perceived. How like sheep we humans are, except that our sense of "smell" doesn't always tip us off to the many wolves in our midst.  

      The wolves of this world are many indeed, but there are billions upon billions of sheep. The importance of our flocking together as a community of Christ was never more crucial as now.  Jesus was clear when he says later in Matthew: For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them [Mt 18:20]. As the body of Christ, each endowed with specific gifts from the Holy Spirit, we are called to labor in the fields of the LORD, to build up the Kingdom, and ultimately to share in God's glory through the sacrifice of Jesus. Our safe haven is always shepherded by the constant Presence of Christ among and within us.  

     Our community of believers is a place to learn from, comfort, and guide one another around the wolves that would devour us, harass us, or tempt us. As we flock together, we also reap the benefit of joyful times. God gave laughter to an aged Sarah, and to us in many and various ways. While we may not always feel like whistling while we work, we can seek pause to enjoy our life together, gather others lost and alone in their fields, and continually shift ourselves and our fellow sheep out of the dens of wolves and back onto the path of hope that leads to the Heavenly and Eternal Pasture. As Paul told the Romans, Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Grace and Hope, arouse and provoke us in heart and in mind to take up the labor in Your fields, sow to the Spirit, and reap the plentiful harvest to grow Your family of faith.

                                                Lord of Love and Glory                                 

RESPONSE:           We call upon Your Name

~ God of Grace and Hope, keep us wise, fervent, and unceasing in our quest to speak Your truth to misguided power as we strive for Justice, Compassion, and Principled governing across this World, this Country, and our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Love and Glory

                                                We call upon Your Name

                                               

~ God of Grace and Hope, grant comfort and endurance to all who suffer from chronic or life-threatening disease, depression, or desperate circumstance, and constantly renew the energy of their caregivers. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Love and Glory

                                                We call upon Your Name

           

~ God of Grace and Hope, precious in Your sight is the death of Your servants. We hold them always in our hearts as You now hold them in Your everlasting embrace. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Love and Glory

                                                We call upon Your Name

~ God of Grace and Hope, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Love and Glory

                                                We call upon Your Name

           

~ God of Grace and Hope, uplift and uphold all who lead us on our journey to You, as faithful witnesses of the love and presence of Christ, through their prayer and service in His name. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Love and Glory

                                                We call upon Your Name

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Holy God, Holy and Mighty God, guide us to safeguard our souls from the devouring wolves of temptation in this life. Fill us with the innocence and wonder of holy laughter, and diligence in Your service as we spend our human time in thanksgiving for the gift of Salvation. We ask through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus, our Christ, and Your boundless love from the Holy Spirit, who together with You are One God, forever and ever.   Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use 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: Beyond Two Men and a Bird ~ Trinity Sunday, 1st Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, June 7, 2020,  Year A Readings: Genesis 1;1-2:4a; Canticle 13, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20

        In the beginning...God created the heavens and the earth...God said, "Let there be light...called the dry land Earth and the waters seas...Let the Earth put forth vegetation...and living creatures of every kind...Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness" and God saw everything that he had made, and...it was very good. [Genesis 1:1]

                 Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; we will praise you and highly exalt you forever. [Canticle 13]

            The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. [2 Corinthians 13:13]

           Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them...And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [Matthew 28:16-20]

               How do you think about the Trinity? Many of us revert to how we were raised to “see” and wonder about this enduring mystery. We often envision the Trinity as two men and a bird within a triangle. Let us now begin to think outside the triangle.  

        The imagery of the Holy Trinity is as varied as it is old and intends to help us, and the many who came before us, attempt to articulate that for which there are no adequate words. Perhaps Michelangelo used the Face of God as an old man, painted on the Sistine Chapel, metaphorically to suggest timelessness, as God is from beyond time and impossible for human comprehension. Jesus was human as well as Divine so that is easier to grasp, except he is often depicted as lighter-haired, blue-eyed European rather than the middle-eastern Jewish man he was. The Holy Spirit as the Dove of Peace and also Tongues of Fire isn’t always clear. Perhaps St. Patrick really did use a shamrock to explain how three are all in one. We do need something to help us somehow. Who of us doesn’t have a photo of someone we hold dear or even as I do, of great-grandparents I never knew. It is somehow a comfort to me to know what they looked like. But then, IF we can understand what God looks like, we aren’t understanding God at all, not even a little.

            A mystery, if explained, is no longer a mystery. There is no specific Scriptural reference to the Trinity. The Jews knew God as the Wisdom, the Power, and the Glory and tried to wrestle with an idea to make God analogous to humans. It was through Jesus that the Apostles came to know God as their personal “Father” then made manifest in the Jesus they knew and came to understand as God’s Son. The Holy Spirit fell upon them with the Gifts that gave them and us all, the Great Commission in this Gospel – to go forth and make disciples of all nations…

          The mystery of the Trinity is nothing if not confounding and controversial. One God/Three Persons ~ separate yet one, equal with different roles that are ultimately the same, belief in one is meant to be belief in all and the One that is the same but different. Got that? That’s probably why we have Trinitarians, Unitarians, and No-tarians.

        Franciscan theologian Richard Rohr tells us that early in its existence "...the Western Church overemphasized the individual names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but not so much the quality of the relationships between them, which is where all the power and meaning lies!" And further, "The real and essential point is how the three ‘persons’ relate to one another ~ infinite outpouring and infinite receiving..."

        Rohr tells us that "...Niels Bohr, [a Danish physicist who was a major contributor to quantum physics and nuclear fission] said the universe is 'not only stranger than we think, but stranger than we can think...' The doctrine of the Trinity is saying the same thing: God is not only stranger than we think, but stranger than we can think...Perhaps much of the weakness of the first 2,000 years of reflection on most of our doctrines and dogmas is that we've tried to understand them with a logical or rational mind instead of through love, prayer, and participation itself..." Perhaps we are called, as one mystic suggested, to be almost a fourth person in the flow of God...[to read the piece in its entirety, click the link: Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, The Trinity]

        If rational knowing all that God is becomes the substance and goal of our faith, aren't we merely reducing God to our level and then dismissing all that God is? Otherwise, how does one claim to have faith? [see John 20:24-29, Doubting Thomas] 

      One of my favorite ways to attempt a kind of explanation/understanding is through a piece of a 6th century creed from Dublin known as Tírechán’s Creed ~ when speaking of God it says:

He has a Son who is co-eternal with himself;

   and similar in all respects to himself;

   and neither is the Son younger than the Father,

   nor is the Father older than the Son;

   and the Holy Spirit breathes in them.

And the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable.

       If we think outside the Triangle that was developed to try to contain and explain, perhaps we can arrive at the beginning where all things are possible with, in, and through God. So, now that the mystery of the Trinity is solved, any questions? Well, at least we have looked beyond two men and a bird image!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Divine and Holy Trinity, from You is every form of the Creation and its Life, including the redemption of our sins and the fire of Pentecost within us. Even with all You’ve given, we beg You yet again, to urge our souls to discard the obstacles of our own making, that prevent us from fully dedicating our lives to You.

                                                         Abba-Son-Spirit

RESPONSE:                    We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

~ Divine and Holy Trinity, quicken our fervor with the intellect, love, and courage You have instilled in us, to exhort the political leaders in this Nation, on this Planet, and in our Community, to immediately turn to principled governing with integrity, mercy, justice, and in peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Abba-Son-Spirit

                                                       We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

~ Divine and Holy Trinity, infuse an extra measure of the grace of hope upon all who are ill in mind, body, or spirit, along with strength and perseverance for those who give them continuing care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Abba-Son-Spirit

                                                       We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

           

~ Divine and Holy Trinity, in our earthly grief, we cling to the knowing that You carry those who have left our realm, into the warmth of holy comfort and the peace of Your life everlasting. We pray especially for…add your own petitions

                                                       Abba-Son-Spirit

                                                       We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

~ Divine and Holy Trinity, we pause in this moment to offer You our other thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       Abba-Son-Spirit

                                                       We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

                      

~ Divine and Holy Trinity, bestow peace of heart, strength of mind, and courage of conviction, on all You have called and anointed, as guides for our souls in this life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

  

                                                       Abba-Son-Spirit

                                                       We must praise you and highly exalt you forever

                                                                                                      

The Celebrant adds: Eternal Whole, All Who are One, we are each endowed with Your essence to accompany us in all that we pray, think, and do. Enhance and enrich the desire of our souls to seek our ultimate fulfillment in humble service to Your call. We beseech You as our Holy Creator, our Messiah Christ, and our Sacred Spirit, Who together are One God, forever and ever.  Amen. 

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