Prayers of the People: Tenants, Anyone? ~ 18th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, October 4, 2020; Readings: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46

    Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon up so that you do not sin." [Exodus 20:20]

    The Law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul...Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:7, 14] 

    ...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

   Jesus said [to the Pharisees], "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'...Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. [Matthew 21:42-43]

     This week we are given a personal reading by God in a passage we know as The Ten Commandments, or The Decalogue ~ from the Greek for “the ten words.” The Israelites are frightened by the power and enormity of God’s voice, the thunder and lightning and sound of an otherworldly trumpet. Well, who wouldn’t be? They turn to Moses to request that he, only, act as God’s spokesman. Moses tries to reassure them but explains that it is God’s test to put the fear in them so that they don’t sin. How soon they and we all forget…

    Paul is writing to his most loyal congregation. He wants them – and us – to understand that in strength of faith, even during hardship, we can press on…because Christ Jesus has made me/us his own. Our power comes from our Lord through our faith. Some days are easier than others.

    And then with Matthew we are into an infamous Vineyard scenario. This time Jesus tells us a parable about the tenants who are running the place and when the owner's representatives came to collect the owner's share of the produce, the evil and rebellious tenants beat one, stoned one, and killed another. The owner sends a second group who received the same treatment. Finally, the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be treated with all due respect. But even the son was killed so the conspiring tenants could "get his inheritance." [Mt 21:38b] 

   At first glance, I can't help wondering if some of these tenants had been the disgruntled workers of the previous vineyard parable, those who worked longer hours and received the same pay as those who worked fewer.

   At second glance, I feel as if I'm reading a headline about a local, national, or even international situation. Hateful rhetoric, tragedy, and rage seem to be so commonplace, as to almost desensitize us from shock. Violence, even in mere language, has become frighteningly normalized as otherwise “nice” people make vicious and disturbing comments on social media. The headlines on air and in print show us that every-day life is getting meaner by the moment. Not unlike in Jesus' own time, brutality in word and deed is the tool of vengeful cowards who know no other way to express their own fear and impotence.

    And then there's the third glance, Jesus is giving a lesson to the disciples about what is happening then, what is to come, and the ever-watching Pharisees unhappily get the picture about who's who and what's what in this parable. And as they should know, God is pretty clear in Exodus about The Law ~ how we are to behave ourselves and toward one another. Legal scholars often argue about interpretating the differences between the spirit of the law – the intent of the framer – and the letter of the law – defining its literal understanding. Paul cuts through to the heart of it and tells us in Philippians:  ...this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13b-14]

      We are the tenants in this parable as the vineyard is all of Creation and God is the owner. Our travel along this temporary road of earthly life is filled with bumps, potholes, sunshine, rain, disasters and rewards, and everything else. While we often despair of the mean-ness in today’s world, we are to take heart and even rejoice in the Presence of Christ, the Cornerstone of our spiritual foundation. The Summary of the Law that Jesus gives us in Mark 12:29-31 is our simple map to guide us forward. As we work for the good of this vineyard in faith, hope, and love, let us seek in Christ the sustenance, renewal, and the revival of our souls that readies and steadies us for all that is to come. So, who wants to join this group of good tenants, anyone? Let’s gather and press on toward the Cornerstone that is the Living Christ.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O LORD, our God, grant us the humility to desire and accept the call as tenants in Your earthly vineyard. Turn us from the idols of temptation and fill us with acceptable words and meditations to nurture, produce, and share the fruits of Your perfect Law.   

                                    O God of Glory
RESPONSE:                           Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, strengthen and empower our voices in the governing halls across our Community, our Nation, and our World, to urge generosity of spirit, compassion, and ethical judgment in every facet of policy and legislation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, heal the pain of all who are chronically ill in body, mind, or spirit, and embrace the hearts of those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

~ O LORD, our God, deepen the joy of our loved ones who now live again in the peace and glory of Your eternal sunshine. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

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

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults        

~ O LORD, our God, renew and increase the energy and excite the hearts of all who are chosen to lead and enlighten us on our mutual path to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Glory
                                                       Cleanse us from our faults

The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our Strength and Redeemer, impel our wills to press on toward the goal for the prize of our Savior Christ. Keep us whole and sound and innocent of great offence, reviving our souls on our journey to You. We ask through Jesus our Christ, the Cornerstone of our life and faith; and the Holy Spirit who breathes the holy into our hearts; 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: Saying and Doing ~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, September 27, 2020, Readings: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:23-32

      The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink. [Exodus 17:5-6a]

      We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, and the wonderful works he has done. [Psalm 78:4]

      Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... [Philppians 2:3-5]

      Jesus said to [the Pharisees]: "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going to the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed in him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. [Matthew 21:31b-32]

   
   As we journey through this life, in times such as these, do you, like me and the ancient Israelites, 

wonder from time to time – Is the Lord really here, among us? By our current standards the Israelites had it good; God's presence was clear in the pillars of cloud by day and fire by night. God made a deal with Moses to be always present and have Moses do all manner of fantastic feats to lead the Israelites, feed them, and quench their thirst. Still, it wasn't enough and they grumbled time and again looking back at the hardships of slavery as better than their wilderness journey. How much more difficult for us to know God's presence in our own times without Moses striking a rock for water or Jesus besting those "righteous, letter-of-the-law" chief priests and elders, at least until the time came for them to execute him. Yet even his death is Life for us.

    Many of us would say, with a doubt or two creeping in, that we believe God is with us, even without concrete visual sightings of God's presence. But the days are busy and fraught with stress in ordinary routine, the toll of personal trials, and all the current craziness in the world at large. It's likely that we don't always stop and question the location of God in the midst of a Tuesday afternoon or Thursday night before bed, in an angry or frustrating conversation in person or on Facebook, or even on the happiest of occasions. Some weeks it's all some of us can do to find God on Sunday morning in online Church services. But for me, this week's readings say, God is here, where am I? How am I following? In other words, do I just plod along in life without conscious attention to how I express the faith I claim?
    Faith is as faith does, actions always tell the tale - just think of the parable of two sons in this week's Gospel. I need to be mindfully awake, present in a given moment to think through how what I do, or what I have done, expresses how close to or far from God I am. Is it my personal and unconscious wilderness that keeps God absent while I’m in pursuit of my selfish ambitions, while I am judging others as less worthy than me, and while not contemplating how to take on the mind of Christ?
    Humility in the face of all that God has done is part of Paul's message. Jesus reminds us that it isn’t always the high and mighty legal eagles that have all the answers. Stop, breathe, hear, listen. The message – the Word – is simple enough for everyone to understand. Let us each remember, when we're on that road paved with good intentions, pay attention. Who we think we are might surprise us. We are not what we say we’ll do. We ARE what we DO.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, quench our spiritual thirst by the living waters of Your grace. Split the hard shell of our selfish-ambitions and flood us with Your loving presence as we strive to take on the mind of Christ.

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, replenish our determination to press our political leaders for humanitarian and ecological solutions for the issues of our Community, our Nation, and our Planet. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, cradle and comfort all who suffer in body, soul, or life circumstance, and ease the burdens of those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, we give thanksgiving for all those newly released from earthly woes and trials, and welcomed into new life with Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

~ O Lord, our Rock and our Salvation, embrace and uplift all whose priestly vocations nourish our spiritual development and care for our pastoral needs, as they walk with us on the pathway to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of our Journeys
                                                We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Lord within us, Lord among us, as we journey through a seeming desert in these difficult times, rejuvenate our faith and animate our desire to seek and reflect on Your Word, engage in prayer-filled action, and hold fast to humble regard for others and Your Creation. We ask through our Savior Christ who, with the Holy Spirit, 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: Just Deserves ~ 16th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, September 20, 2020, Readings: Exodus 16:2-15, Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16

       The Israelites said to [Moses and Aaron], "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we...ate our fill of bread..." [Exodus 16:3a]

             Glory in his holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Search for the LORD and his strength; continually seek his face. [Psalm 105:3-4]

         Only, live your life in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ...standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. 

[Philippians 1:27-28]

           When the first came, they thought they'd receive more...they grumbled against the landowner. But he replied to one of them..."Take what belongs to you. I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you..." So the last will be first, and the first will be last. 

 [Matthew 20:10a, 11b, 13a, 14, 16]

        God rescued the Israelites from generations of horrific slavery and tortuous lives. After sending plague upon plague to dazzle Pharaoh and persuade him to Let God's People GO. When Pharoah said yes and then changed his mind, God parted The Red (aka Reed) Sea so they could still escape. With the initial lack of food and water, the euphoria of getting away gave way to despair for the loss of what they'd left behind. But the unknown road became more frightening than the known hardships they had fled, even with the proven leadership of Moses and Aaron and their demonstrated relationship with God. And so the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt..." [Exodus 16:2-3, emphasis added] God followed through on another promise and generously provided the meat and bread to fill them but it wouldn't be the last time they grumbled. Perhaps they didn't feel that they had gotten what they expected or what they felt they deserved. In any case, even after their release from Egypt, the parting of the Sea, the meals delivered by frost and wing, they hadn't learned to trust in God.

       The vineyard laborers in the parable of Jesus aren't happy that the Landowner is simply using his prerogative to be generous. Same pay for an hour's work for the last hour as for a full day - who wouldn't get upset about that? Don't those who worked longer and did more work deserve more? How many of us Good Christian People would grumble about that Landowner in the parking lot? If only we could feel - and stop - the creeping envy, greed, and judgment filling us. If only we could freely accept someone’s simple generosity to another without feeling as if we were somehow betrayed. Do we ever learn?

        It's a difficult balance to fight for equity and fairness for ourselves and others in our temporal life, while relinquishing jealousy and anger at not getting what we perceive is deserved.  God isn't leading us by clouds and pillars of fire these days, but by the Word of Christ. Am I seeking it first? Am I hearing? Am I listening? Am I following? Am I trusting? My prayer is to try to find that balance, to not leave releasing envy and grumbling to the last; and, oh yes: Dear Lord, if only You will save me from all that I just deserve...   

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Most Generous God, if only we could remember that Your love for us is limitless as we grumble and complain about fairness in this life. Fill us again with the Living Bread to stand firm with one spirit, to strive together with one mind, for the faith in Christ’s Gospel now, and for the Life to come.

  O Lord, our God                                         

RESPONSE:     Keep us Gospel worthy

~ Most Generous God, grant us a voice that will move political leaders locally, nationally, and globally to act always on behalf of humanity, mercy, and justice. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                       Keep us Gospel worthy                                                      

~  Most Generous God, enfold all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit into Your loving Cloud of Hope, and lift the spirits of those who give them care.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                       Keep us Gospel worthy 

          

~  Most Generous God, we commend to Your eternal embrace all, still loved in this life, who now live again and forever with Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                       Keep us Gospel worthy

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

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                       Keep us Gospel worthy

                       

~ Most Generous God, grant unlimited energy and ceaseless wisdom to all who have been chosen to elevate Your Church into a vibrant community of faith in every circumstance of Life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                       Keep us Gospel worthy

The Celebrant adds: O God of Eternal Permanence, compel our souls to desire life with Christ first in our every thought and action, and not leave the release of all judgment, greed, and envy within us to the last. We ask this grace through Jesus, our Hope and our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Sanctifier; who live and reign together with You, 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: Account-ing Lesson ~ 15th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, 13, 2020, Readings: Exodus 14:19-31, Psalm 114, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35

       The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided...the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. [Exodus 14:21b, 29]

            Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord...Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water and flint-stone into a flowing spring. 

[Psalm 114:7, 8]

            Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions...Who are you to pass judgment on...[another]? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. [Romans 14:1, 4]

           Peter came and said to Jesus, "...how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times...'[The lord of the slave said] Should you not have mercy of your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'...So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." [Matthew 18:21-22, 33, 35]

      The Israelites in the desert escaping the Egyptians is a classic Biblical Epic. A Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar lights up in the night ~ their only GPS. And the parting of the Red Sea ~ a universally known story and some people even know it without conjuring the image of Charlton Heston. After getting across the Sea on dry land, as it folds over and drowns the Egyptians, it says in Exodus 14:31, So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. And then the rest of the journey went well, right? Stay tuned for updates.

      I commend to you all of Romans 14:1-12 for a stark lesson in our individual accountability. If it isn’t perfectly relevant to our very time, nothing is. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or your sister? …For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Read the entire piece, re-read, read again and, as we say, “inwardly digest.” It is quite a prelude to this week’s Gospel.

     Jesus tells Peter that seventy-seven times we are to forgive, or, as in an older perhaps more familiar translation to some, seventy times seven.  Sometimes forgiving once feels beyond my capacity but I sure can snap to judgment in a nano-second. I do know that my instant judgment of another sometimes has to do with a projection of what I don't like about myself, specifically the uncomfortable awareness of my own sins. When I push myself to move beyond denial and engage in thoughtful, prayerful reflection of who I am and how I react, I remember the saying, If God forgives you, who are you not to forgive yourself?!  Of course, in these tumultuous times, anger and judgment seem to permeate the very air that we breathe. Forgiving is a challenge when the stakes feel so highly charged. Plus, when I dig deeper, I discover that forgiveness received and given isn't a mere slap-dash-high-five-good-to-go. It requires a significant, deliberate, conscious change in me without requiring the same of others. Oh, the agony! Some days - some minutes! - are easier than others to live up to the challenge of self-changing. But when I purposely accept the forgiveness of God and make a sincere intentional pledge and employ much effort to be better and do better, I do experience a lifting of my spirit, a freedom, and a strengthening of my faith even though, too often, short-lived. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    When I feel forgiven, it is easier to extend forgiveness, understanding, and compassion to others. When judgment and cynicism wane and I feel forgiving, the work of faith, hope, and love becomes more instinctual though not less difficult. It is a continuous process filled with detours, back-tracking, monumental failure, and persistence in starting over. Paul reminds us that we are each accountable to God. Perhaps a sticky note that says accountable, on the dashboard of my car or on my computer screen when I log into social media, will help me to remember in one of those many moments, that it is God's favorable judgment I seek. I also need frequent reminders that it is my own responsibility to live as a disciple of Christ, with honor. After all, as Paul asks, who am I to judge another?

     Jesus is uncomfortably clear that God will forgive us AS, in the way that, we forgive others. How simply difficult. Okay then, it's a new day, the long road is before us, and, we are never alone as long as we seek that Pillar of Cloud and Light. Let us follow the wisdom of Moses, Paul, and Jesus, and walk always toward God's dry and holy ground with mercy, compassion, and forgiveness for others in our hearts, and an account-ing lesson to remember.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy God, Pillar of our Universe, liberate us from the slavery of judgment and anger, keep us mindful of our accountability to You and always aware that You forgive us as sincerely and grace-fully as we forgive all others.

                                                       Most Merciful Lord                                                

RESPONSE:                  I am accountable to You

~  Holy God, Pillar of our Universe, in these perilous times, energize us to press the urgency of informed decision-making and rational response to crises for ourselves and especially the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Local Community.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

~  Holy God, Pillar of our Universe, part the waves of illness, pain, and despair for all whose hope is sinking; and lift the spirits of those who provide support.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

           

~ Holy God, Pillar of our Universe, our souls are comforted by the heavenly embrace and infinite peace of our loved ones who now live again in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

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

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

                       

~ Holy God, Pillar of our Universe, bestow an unlimited capacity for energy and spiritual joy to all who are anointed and entrusted to guide us by Your Word and Wisdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Most Merciful Lord

                                                       I am accountable to You

The Celebrant adds: O God of Wind and Water, our Light in the Darkness, quicken our faith in Your Presence, and impose upon us the character and courage to forgive as forgiven, seeking Your dry ground of mercy and compassion for all. We ask always through the blessings of Your Son Jesus, our Christ; and Your most Holy Spirit, our Counselor; who are together with You, 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