People's Prayers

Friday, January 6, 2023

Meditation Moment: Magi-cal Gifts ~ Epiphany!

For Epiphany, January 6, 2023: Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you…Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [Isaiah 60:1, 3]

For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper.[Psalm 72:12]

Of this gospel I have become a servant accord to the gift of God’s grace…This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. [Ephesians 3:7a,11-12]

“Go and search diligently for the child…” When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [Matthew 2:8b, 10]

EPIPHANY IS BIG! It brings us a bright shiny and HOLY Revelation. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and His importance to us all! But perhaps we are worn down after the four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the hustle and bustle of preparation for gifts and food and gatherings, the familiar rush of the time of year, followed by the pageantry and the glorious music, and then the usual “let down.” Perhaps Epiphany, the 12^th Day of Christmas, has become an anti-climax, the end of the story, the time to take down the decorations (if anyone actually waits that long anymore). Yet it is in truth a beginning. We open new chapters of the Story that will take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer. While we celebrate the birthday with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into the reason for which this Child was born of a woman, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose is upon us. A theophany then ~ the manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery now. One definition of “epiphany” is “a sudden insight or intuitive understanding.”
      At the Nativity of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never mentions the Magi. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the birth itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a son; and he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the East..." They saw a great star revealing to them the need for a journey to pay homage to a new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and we begin to see the ominous cloud moving in to shadow the glorious star. But having heard this story so very many times perhaps we need to hear it or read it again? Have we tuned out rather than engaging with the experience? Or, have we re-awakened to the wonder and pondered what it could possibly mean for each of us in our own time? What sudden insight or understanding might come?
       These three “Kings” who weren’t likely kings but rather astrologers and astronomers. Possibly, as they have been called, they were Magi, priests of Zoroastrianism from ancient Persia, who saw a sign to follow in the famous star. Traveling a thousand or more miles from the “east,” their journey would likely have taken months, not days, and they would likely have had an entourage carrying food, tents, supplies, etc. At last they found King Herod to tell him, and us all, of the significance, power, and majesty this Child brings.
       These three “Kings” who weren’t likely kings but rather astrologers and astronomers. Possibly, as they have been called, they were Magi, priests of Zoroastrianism from ancient Persia, who saw a sign to follow in the famous star. Traveling a thousand or more miles from the “east,” their journey would likely have taken months, not days, and they would likely have had an entourage carrying food, tents, supplies, etc. At last they found King Herod to tell him, and us all, of the significance, power, and majesty this Child brings.
       Today, it is a new dawn, another chance to listen to or read these Scriptures, not only on this day, but each Sunday (and weekdays, too!), especially the Gospel, and to hear, feel, and know the message deeply within. In the compression of time given in the Gospels and the Church calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin the unfolding of the ministry, miracles, teaching, sacrificial execution, and resurrection of Jesus. It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true adoration in this event.
       Hear the story as if for the very first time ~ know that we have been given an extraordinary gift, Christ, Our Lord, has been born to us! Let us be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search diligently for the child within us and around us. Epiphany is the time to seek the Magi-cal gifts in my own life that call me to pay homage, follow, and live into the light and life of Christ in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Arise, shine; for your light has come! Have an EPIPHANY!

“And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, til it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they
were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2: 9-11

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Monday, January 2, 2023

Prayers of the People: Staking our Claim ~ 1st Sunday after Epiphany '23 Yr A

For Sunday, January 8, 2023, Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 29, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. [Isaiah 42:1]

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. [Psalm 29:2]

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. [Acts 10:42-43]

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:16-17]

We’re in fast-forward mode. Two days ago the Magi visited the Christ Child, leaving town in a hurry to avoid Herod. In between then and now Joseph received a dream that caused him to take Mary and the Child to Egypt as Herod was killing all the children under two. It was after Herod’s death that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to settle in Nazareth. Of course, the “real” time for these events took several years. But the Church Calendar advances swiftly. We now pick up where we left off in Advent just after John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers” for their false piety when they presented themselves for Baptism. John is a God-sent herald to warn them to turn away from their corruption. As he says “one more powerful than I is coming” and this Sunday, Jesus, now a grown man beginning his public ministry comes to John for Baptism.

But why ever does Jesus ask to be baptized? Even John wonders and is reluctant. After all Jesus is without sin; God’s own Son brought to human incarnation to lead Israel from the old Law of Moses into the new Way of The Great Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40]. Yet Jesus prevails ~ as he does with Peter and the foot-washing later on ~ and chooses to identify as the good Jew he was raised to be. Through Baptism he assumes his place in the Hebrew nation by participating in this communal rite of repentance and purification.

As Jesus rises from the water, Matthew tells us that God announces from on high, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" and that the Holy Spirit descended as a dove to mark this man Jesus as God-sent, of God-nature, One with God, God’s own Human Image.

In this awakening season of Epiphany, let us begin again to discover and define our own public and private ministry. With the glitter of Christmas put away, all the turmoil in every corner of the world claims our attention or repels us and it’s easy to be distracted and distanced from the calling of Jesus. Whether you were officially baptized or not, take some time to think about the ritual of Baptism and its deep significance. For many Christians, though not all, Baptism is a Sacrament of Purification, a Rite of Initiation, a formal adoption into the Christian faith. A simple definition is that the word comes from a hybrid of Latin and Greek and literally means "washing." This Sacrament is intended to be a means of and a visible form of God’s grace, just as the dove descending was for Jesus. It was, for Jesus, the beginning of his journey as Messiah.

You can read and pray through the ritual of the US Episcopal Church, learn or revisit its purpose and understanding at www.BCP.org and clicking Holy Baptism on the left sidebar. The five questions* are asked of and answered by either the one being Baptized or, in the case of a child, a Godparent or Sponsor. Along with the five promises* that are part of the Baptismal Covenant, these questions and promises are our operating principles, our acceptance of our charge and responsibilities as followers of Jesus. They are intensely serious and not meant as mere platitudes in a sweet ceremony. We revisit them at least five times per year in the Liturgy to remind us of what we might need to work on, a chance to reflect on how we managed at the end of a day or a month, an opportunity to renew our own commitment to Christ. One or more of them may even point to possibilities to shape our mindset for daily activities, or perhaps a new direction in vocation or volunteering as we make our way through our brief human existence.

My favorite part of this Sacrament is near the end, after all the words have been spoken and the water has been poured. It is then that the Celebrant takes the chrism that was blessed in the prior Holy Week and anoints the forehead of the one Baptized. The words at that moment stir my heart and my self-reckoning: you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever.

Whether by actual Baptism or a Baptism of desire, whether or not officially anointed, we are each claimed as Christ’s own for ever. As mortal beings we will fail and fall away yet we can and may always return to the One who raises us with Him. Our hearts love to claim the Babe in the Manger. Let us now stake our soul’s claim to the Christ who leads us on His Way to our Salvation whatever comes during our earthly lives.

*The Questions:

-Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?

-Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?

-Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?

-Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?

-Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?

*The Promises, the answer for each is I will, with God’s help:

-Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in

the prayers?

-Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the

Lord?

-Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

-Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

-Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every

human being?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, God’s Beloved, You are the Covenant God has made with us all, the bright beacon of love that can reach into the darkest of hearts and blindest of eyes. Animate our wills to answer Your call, enter the beauty of holiness, and worship You best by our lives.

Jesus, Lord of All

RESPONSE: Our Hope and our Salvation

~ Jesus, God’s Beloved, as a Light to the Nations give strength to Your people and the blessing of peace. Grant all who lead the governments of this World, this Country, and this Community, open hearts filled with mercy and justice that they may work together, and with us, to serve all Created Beings and this Earth with humility and righteousness. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Jesus, Lord of All

Our Hope and our Salvation

~ Jesus, God’s Beloved, shower Your healing mercies upon all those who are ill or filled with worry and dread, and refreshment for those who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

Jesus, Lord of All

Our Hope and our Salvation

~ Jesus, God’s Beloved, grant solace for those in sorrow through joy in the memories of those well-loved, now returned in eternal glory to You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Jesus, Lord of All

Our Hope and our Salvation

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

Jesus, Lord of All

Our Hope and our Salvation

~ Jesus, God’s Beloved, endow all who lead us in Your Church with the grace, wisdom, and strength of spirit to shake us from the wilderness of apathy, and guide us to the fullness of faith and forgiveness in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Lord of All

Our Hope and our Salvation

The Celebrant adds: Living Jesus, in Whom God’s soul delights, You rose from the waters of Baptism to bring new life to God’s people. Raise us up with You again, that through renewal and repentance to purify our souls, we may live into and give the glory due Your Name, and always claim You as our Redeemer Christ. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith; and the Creator of All That Is, who together with You are One God, now and for ever. Amen.

Monday, December 26, 2022

Prayers of the People: Above Every Name ~ Holy Name Sunday '23 Yr A

For Sunday, January 1, 2023; Readings: Numbers 6:22-27, Psalm 8, Philippians 2:5-11 (Galatians 4:4-7),

Luke 2:15-21

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. [Numbers 24-26]

O Lord our Governor, how exalted is your Name in all the world! [Psalm 8:10]

Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend... [Philippians 2:5-11] or (But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. [Galatians 4:4-7])

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen...After eight days had passed it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus... [Luke 2:20-21]

It is the first day, the first Sunday, and the first week of the New Year, and it is filled with opportunities to celebrate. As we know it today, Holy Name Sunday, has also been known as the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus. In addition to Luke's Gospel for today, there are several other naming accounts of this Holy Child ~ from Joseph's dream in Matthew 1:21, when God's angel appears dissuading him from dismissing Mary, and explaining that the son she will bear will be called Jesus, which means "God is salvation." Following quickly on is Matthew 1:23’s Emmanuel, which means God is with us, referring back to the Prophet Isaiah 7:14's prediction of the child of the virgin that will be called Immanuel. [The spelling is irrelevant]

The approaching Feast of the Epiphany, will also be celebrated this week in western Christianity.

This Sunday's naming focus gives us a moment to think about what is the power of a name? What does your name mean to you? Do you know your name's history, why it was given to you? How do you feel if someone mispronounces or misspeaks your name? When that happens to me, especially by someone who knows me, it can feel as if my name and I are unimportant. Because of that, I try to remember people’s preferred names and use them. And then, for me, there is nothing so touching and wonderful as hearing my name spoken by someone who cares about me.

Using a name well creates a connection with another. It is more than mere identification, it is relational, even if only a brief encounter in a retail or service location. If someone is wearing a name tag, I will call them by name. If it is an unfamiliar kind of name for me, I ask how to pronounce it.

There is power in a name, and no greater power in any name than in the name of Jesus, as Paul said in the Letter to the Philippians it is the name that is above every name. Sadly these two familiar syllables are, far too often, used in less than honorable ways. It has become a verbal football to throw around casually as an exclamation, or worse, even by some of us who profess to be faithful to the name and the man.

Here's an idea for a New Year's Resolution: if you haven’t before, start now using the name of Jesus in only the most sincerely reverential tones. Begin again to use the name with intention as a prayer ~ a reverent invocation as an acknowledgement of His presence within, even use it as a meditation by repeating it quietly perhaps with a following prayer phrase such as my heart is with you. Fr Richard Rohr says, "Prayer isn't primarily words; it's a place, an attitude, a stance." Let us use the Holy Name of Jesus as our place of holy introspection, our attitude of faith, our stance of firm ~ or at least firm-er ~ willingness to turn toward the Way that Christ beckons us to live. From Psalm 51 come the words: Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Will what is on my lips create a clean heart and renewed spirit? Let me begin again with the power of and in the Holy Name of Jesus.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Jesus, our Light in all Darkness, we praise Your Holy Name that is above every name, as the most perfect and sacred word our thoughts and our lips can form. It is at once a prayer, an inspiration, the intentional beckoning of our humbled souls to accept and live into Your Promise of Salvation.

Blessed Child, our Christ

RESPONSE: May our lives reflect Your Glory

~ Jesus, Lord of Light, illuminate life’s righteous road of empathy, wisdom, and peace, and guide along it all who govern in our names on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed Child, our Christ

May our lives reflect Your Glory

~ Jesus, Lord of Light, help us to see with new eyes those who are ill, lonely, homeless, or desperate, and find ways to provide needed love and help. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

Blessed Child, our Christ

May our lives reflect Your Glory

~ Jesus, Lord of Light, as the grieving seek Your comfort, let us remember all those we have loved who now live again, radiant in the joy and peace of Your eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed Child, our Christ

May our lives reflect Your Glory

~ Jesus, Lord of Light, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

Blessed Child, our Christ

May our lives reflect Your Glory

~ Jesus, Lord of Light, embrace the souls and hearts of those entrusted to bring us Your Word and Sacraments, as we walk together with renewed faith and fervor in Your Holy Name. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Blessed Child, our Christ

May our lives reflect Your Glory

The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our Governor Most Gracious, into this fullness of time You have sent our Messiah, woman-borne, to bless us and keep us, to be the Compass for our lives. Quicken our desire to follow Love’s pure Light and seek that bold path that leads us to Eternity. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Prayers of the People: The True Light Shines in the Darkness! ~ Christmas Eve and Christmas Day '22 Yr A

For December 24/25, 2022 , Readings: Christmas Eve ~ Luke 2:1-20 at the Creche, Isaiah 9:2-7, Ps 96, Titus 2:11-14, John 1:1-14; Christmas Day ~ Isaiah 9:2-7, Ps 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light...For a child has been born for us, a son given to us...and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:2a, 6]

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. [Psalm 96:1-2]

The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce…worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [Titus 2:11-12]

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy...to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah...and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God... [Luke 2:8-11, 13]

In the beginning was the Word…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…And the Word became flesh and lived among us… [John 1:1a, 3b-5, 9, 14a]

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit,

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

[from the Nicene Creed]

There is something almost magical, perhaps mystical is a better word, that occurs within me when I hear the words from Luke 2, especially when we get to: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night... I become expectant. I become my 6 year old self, hearing the resonant voice of a familiar narrator. I am hope-filled. All is calm and bright in the world...for this moment.

Every Christmas someone asks, "If only we could stay this way all year." The spell cast by the words and the music, the glitter of ornaments and lights, and the chatter of little ones and bigger ones ripping paper to reap the reward, breaks all too soon. Our precious Infant has a far and difficult road to travel in only the few months between now and Easter. What part of it will we travel with him as the moment spins into what we call reality? What part of the reality of others in our community and in the world at large ~ poverty, violence, war, greed, and disasters natural or human made ~ do we shun, dismiss, ignore or, just throw money to, all while decrying the lack of Christ in Christmas?

Most of the readings for this sacred season are so familiar that even non-Christians will know them. Yet what stands out for me is the short lesson from the Letter of Paul to Titus that often gets lost in the sparkle of the others. In particular, I was engaged by a phrase in the first of this only two-sentence reading: The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [emphasis added]. Jesus, our personal trainer, in our own time!

We are trained by parents as children, by teachers in school, for the jobs we hold, the exercise we need, and even the volunteer work we do. How is it we – or at least I – forget to be “in training” every day with Jesus for the roles we are to play in our own and others’ lives?

We are so often ~ in our own time ~ bedazzled by the glamor of this season, in stark contrast to the humble surroundings of the birth of our Redeemer and of so very many living in this in the world with us. It’s time to reawaken to the Gift we are given this day and all days. I am quite drawn to the concept of Jesus training us in the present age. The Gospels give us more than just advice, more than just reminders, more than just checklists of nice things to do, even more than teaching. Jesus is our trainer if we accept Him and if we acknowledge our need for Him. He will keep us on track, pushing us to go well beyond the comfortable, to reach a potential of faith in action that we didn’t ever consider or, because we fear the risks, in renouncing the merely earthbound. No easy path, but with Christ as my trainer, my faith will begin to shape up, become toned, and strengthened. My conscious thoughts and actions as a CHRISTian will become more confident and natural. For me, now, the question isn’t “what is Christmas all about” but rather “when do I allow Christmas to begin in my life?”

As Christ is always in CHRISTmas... let us also remember to keep Christ in Mondays, Thursdays, in February, and August. Let us truly Sing to the Lord and bless his name and proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day to ourselves first! Let us live out what we believe in. Feel the JOY! The Light shines again and always. Suit up, the training begins now!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Holy Jesus, God’s True Light, You come at last, our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God who shines upon us through the darkness. Let our joy be unbounded for the arrival of our Glorious Child, One in Being with God and the Holy Spirit, who redeems and claims us for the work of Heaven on Earth.