People's Prayers

Monday, March 17, 2025

Prayers of the People: Perpetual Gardener ~ 3rd Sunday in Lent, '25 Year C

For Sunday, March 23, 2025, Readings: Exodus 3:1-15, Psalm 63:1-8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13,

Luke 13:1-9

There the angel appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of a bush...the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed...When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush..."...Remove your sandals...for the place you are standing on is holy ground." [Exodus 3:2, 4b, 5b]

My soul clings to you, your right hand holds me fast. [Psalm 63:8]

[O]ur ancestors...all ate the same spiritual food and all drank...from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ...Do not become idolaters as some of them did... [1 Corinthians 10:1b, 3b, 4b, 7a]

"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did"..."A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener...Cut it down!" [The gardener] replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." [Luke 13:2-3, 6-7b, 8]

What possibilities does life hold today? Limited or Endless? Have I simply decided that I can’t or is it merely that I won’t? That is, has my finite mind has decided what I can and cannot do and so no extra thought is required? I can comfortably go through the day, the week, the month with the same old mindset of poor tragic me or even YAY, Fabulous ME, and everything in between. I can sigh away in the desert of my sameness or boast of my successes and post either and all on Facebook. And isn’t it always just a bit of a shock when someone challenges my personal and most-knowledgeable perspectives? Who knows better than me, especially about me? The lessons for this week remind us that even the most sincerely humble of us need to have our consciousness raised.

When he realizes that God is speaking directly to him, Moses is overwhelmed before the burning bush. Raised as a prince of Egypt yet knowing and clinging to his Hebrew roots, keeping sheep was the job he knew how to do quite comfortably, no extra thought required. Now God was giving him a task beyond his self-imagined abilities ~ Who am I to go to Pharaoh? We can imagine the reluctance of Moses, with a speech impediment among other seeming limitations, to go back to face Pharaoh with outrageous demands. But of course God knew Moses better than Moses knew himself. And God assured him over and over and over that God was always present.

Paul tells us that God gave those brought out of Egypt by Moses all the spiritual food and drink they needed and yet, though filled with God's grace and goodness, many failed God through intentional sin and were struck down. By those being struck down in putting God to the test, we are given one example of discounting God’s instruction. Christ is the rock, says Paul, the Messiah that guides us all IF, we are open to the likelihood that not everything will be comfortable in this life. What are the oppressive pharaohs we have created for ourselves, the idolatry of gain or limit that we use to stunt our own spiritual growth? The key is: God through Christ is always present to help if we choose to seek him.

Jesus says that just because some Galileans suffered doesn't mean they were worse people than others and reminds the listeners ~ and us ~ to repent, to turn to God. Will we be spared hardship and suffering in this life? No, but intentional contrition and penitence, consciously walking towards God in what we say and do is what we are called to in this human existence. Even when we slip off the track, there is limitless forgiveness and patience in Christ once we awaken to and acknowledge our turn off the right path, and then return to it.

The owner of the vineyard reprieves the fig tree and the gardener will work hard to save it from destruction. The tree will have to respond to the nutrients, the food and drink in order to be saved. Christ is our perpetual gardener, always tilling and toiling to give us endless possibilities for eternal life. How will I respond? What am I willing to nurture and prune in my life to give my mind and heart to Christ? I already have all the spiritual food and drink that I need if I learn to recognize it.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God, our God, our souls were seeded with your gift of Free Will before our birth, and Christ provided us with the spiritual food and drink to bring us to full flower. Fill us with the saving joy of ongoing repentance, making choices to prune our unhealthy branches, so as to bear the ripe fruit of Your love.

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

RESPONSE: Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, root us so deeply in Your Holy Ground that we may not add to or be consumed by the violence and hatred of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and all that damages any of Your children. We pray for all who govern in this World, in this Nation, and in this Community to lead us out of inhumanity and injustice, especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, nurture the hope of all who suffer with chronic pain, debilitating anxiety, or a frightening diagnosis, and revive the spirits of their caregivers. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, gather the grieving under the shadow of Your wings, as our faithful departed now live again with contentment and joy in their souls, and life everlasting in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

Our Constant, Eternal Helper

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

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

Our Constant, Eternal Helper

~ O God, our God, we give you thanks for all those anointed as the tillers of our inner gardens. Grant them the tools to cultivate our spiritual hunger and relieve our thirst for your grace, allowing Your work within us to continuously sprout and thrive. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord of Loving-Kindness

Our Constant, Eternal Helper

The Celebrant adds: Lord God of the Past, the Present, and Forever, release us from the idolatry of the oppressive pharaohs we create for ourselves, that turn our souls away from Your constant Presence. Renew our eagerness to seek and follow Your instructions, that we may flourish in Your faithfulness as Your right hand always holds us fast. We ask through Jesus, the Rock of our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, the Blazing Flame of our Faith; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Prayers of the People: Peace and Patience ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, March 16, 2025; Readings: Genesis 31:25-27, 43-50;

Psalm 3-4, 12:15; Romans 8:18-25; Luke 8:40-55

And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?” You have robbed my heart and herded off my daughters…Why did you sneak away and not tell me?...let us make a covenant…let it be a witness between me and you…they took stones and made a heap…Jacob called it (Heap of Witness)…Laban said, “This heap is a witness between me and you today.” [Genesis 31:26-27,44, 47-48]

WOMB of LIFE, what is humanity that you even know them, or the woman-born that you think of them. Humanity is like a breath; whose days are like a passing shadow…Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the WOMB of LIFE.

[Psalm 144:3-4, 15]

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to us…for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope…Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

[Romans 8:18, 20, 24-25]

Now when Jesus returned…the crows of women, children, and men welcomed him…There came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue…he fell at the feet of Jesus…urging him to come…for…an only daughter, about twelve…was dying…there was a women who had a…hemorrhage for 12 years…She came up behind Jesus touching the fringe of his garment and immediately her…hemorrhage stopped……Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”…she declared…why she had touched Jesus… Jesus said to her, “Daughter your faith has saved you, go in peace”…someone came from the synagogue leader’s house saying…”your daughter is dead…” Jesus…replied, “Fear not. Only believe and she will be saved…when he came to the house…Jesus took her by the hand and said, “Child get up!” And her breath-and spirit returned and she got up that moment…” [Luke 8-40-55]

Ah, the disputes among families and neighbors and friends, in cities and towns, in communities and on continents ~ life is filled with us-and-them disagreements that can flare up into violence and worse. How extraordinary then, with what is clearly a serious breach between Jacob and Laban, that it is resolved with a covenant of peace, the raising of stones to mark as a witness to their renewal of relationship. A favorite point for me, in this telling, is the pillar Mitzvah. As a young working woman, I became involved with a women’s social service organization that met regularly, raised funds for charities, and had a prescribed meeting format which always ended with a Mitzvah prayer. We held hands and recited: May the Lord watch between me and thee, while we are absent, one from the other. Many years later, my late husband and I found a heart shaped pendant that had been designed in two pieces with a “crack” to separate so each of us carried half of the Mitzvah message. It is even more precious to me now. And so it is with Jacob and Laban, with the Mitzvah pillar with Dr. Gafney’s translation: The HOLY ONE watch between me and you, when we are out of sight of the other. Of course, there’s an addition for Laban, which is that God is the witness of Jacob, when out of Laban’s sight, to care for Laban’s daughters and their children. We, too, are called, in God’s witness, to care for those most vulnerable in this life, whether we agree or disagree with them for the myriad reasons available ~ politics, religion, general opinions, life choices, and so on ~ we are called to care and help and to a higher form of love in all the ways we are truly able.

The phrasing of verse 4 of the psalm was also a moment for me to stop and just sit with the imagery. It’s quite a statement in this translation as well as in the US Book of Common Prayer [BCP] and is very similar in a variety of translations: Humanity is like a breath; whose days are like a passing shadow. The BCP is slightly less poetic and more in-your-face: We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow. Another good reason to make more peace than not.

And in this reading, Paul truly speaks to us ALL throughout the eons with the first sentence about sufferings of this present time. How would I, you, anyone have read/heard/felt this a year ago, or even six months ago? Of course he pushes us harder by telling us that if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience… sigh…

At first read the Jesus passage seems unrelated but then the connection came slowly and indirectly. He’s being jostled and pressed upon, you can almost hear people yelling questions and asking for attention and help. Jairus who is a leader in a synagogue is desperate for Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. Then, presumably on his way to help the child, Jesus is interrupted. He stops and discovers a woman who then confesses her problem, with understandable embarrassment, and explains that merely touching his the fringe of his garment she was healed. (The fringes are important in some forms of Judaism even today.) By her faith, Jesus tells her, she is saved. And then Jairus and Jesus are told the child is dead but Jesus moves forward, patiently, and arrives to raise the child to life. I particularly like the phrasing of her breath-and-spirit returned.

So it is through peace and patience we are to move through this breath and passing shadow of life. Yet most certainly there are times when we must speak our piece with as much peace as we can manage, as did Laban. It is often quite necessary to speak even loudly to disagree when harm is occurring to one’s self or family or others around you. There are ways and options in the models of Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace and patience are often difficult, or harder still peace with patience as we wait in hope for what we do not see, the glory about to be revealed to us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Creator God, our WOMB of LIFE, as our conscience and our guide, show us in our own day, the path to a covenant of peace with those with whom we disagree. Remind us as we care for the best interest of the most vulnerable in our families, among our friends, and, for our neighbors ~ those known and unknown to us, near and far ~ that we are called to a higher form of love by Jesus, our Christ.

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times

RESPONSE: Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, steady our hearts and minds amidst these unsettling days. Grant us the courage and fortitude to boldly bear witness to and proclaim the Gospel, upholding Your message of peace, justice, and humanity, to all Leaders and Legislators in our Country, in our Community, and across our World. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, comfort all who are in distress from chronic pain, serious addiction, and mental illness; and sustain the hope of all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, lift the weight from grieving hearts, as those we send ahead to Heaven’s eternal splendor, now live again where tears and trials are no more. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times
Help us work and wait patiently in hope

~ Creator God, our WOMB OF LIFE, grant extra strength and wisdom in mind, heart, and spirit to all who are ordained to the yoke of Christ, as our pastoral guides in triumph and tribulation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

HOLY ONE, walk with us in suffering times

Help us work and wait patiently in hope

The Celebrant adds: O God, our Witness and our Breath-and-Spirit, in Your wisdom You created humanity as a breath whose days are like a passing shadow. Grant us the vision to discern Your constant Light to draw us to return to You always in faith without fear and in Your saving peace. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and our Salvation; the Holy Spirit who Breathes within us and through us; who together with You are our One Holy and Glorious God, now, and for ever. Amen.

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ. To learn more about her and her work, see her website:

https://www.wilgafney.com/

Monday, March 10, 2025

Prayers of the People: Chickening In ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent '25 Yr C

For Sunday, March 16, 2025; Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27, Philippians 3:17-4:1;

Luke 13:31-35

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” [Genesis 15:1]

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then should I be afraid? [Psalm 27:1]

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me...For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ...Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven... stand firm in the Lord... [Philippians 3:18a, 19-20a, 4:1b]

Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing! [Luke 13:34b]

Before he becomes Abraham, the childless Abram, even with his substantial wealth, bemoans to God that his only heir is a slave born in his house. We remember where this story goes as God gives to the faithful Abraham the children he desires and the descendants that number as the stars. The message we are to receive is that through our own faithfulness and sacrifice, God speaks to us also when he says, Do not be afraid…I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.

The Psalmist echoes the confidence we can have in God and the comfort we can take in not being fearful in either the ordinary moments or in the extraordinary. God is the light in our darkness, our strength and our salvation in all parts of this life.

Paul is chiding the Philippians in this letter and warning them about their attachments to earthly things. He harshly reminds them, and us, that we must learn to recognize our own inconsistencies, divided loyalties, and the complacency that results in them and us, being enemies of the cross of Christ. For those who are not living as Christ would have them live, their god is the belly. Paul’s true and heartfelt intention is for us to imitate his example and model our lives ~ as much as we are able ~ on Christ. We who are faithful will be transformed by the commitment to Jesus and, therefore, our primary citizenship is in heaven, rather than in this brief human sojourn.

Jesus speaks bluntly to the unusually well-intentioned Pharisees in a foreshadowing of the three days to come. The Pharisees were no fans of the Herod family and Jesus took their warning as sincere. He then gives them a message for that fox that lets them know that he has no fear of Herod, fully understands what is to come, and is deliberately walking into it all. Jesus scolds Jerusalem for her unwillingness to be gathered as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, as he would gather us. Yet the hope of things to come remains in his cryptic telling that he will not be seen until…

These readings tell us, in this renewing season of Lent, to be less fearful in our everyday life and not to seek God in the stuff of earth. It is clear, however, that while we are in this mortal moment, we have much to do. We are charged with being faithful, as Paul tells us, to live in, with, and as Christ did; we also are to speak truth to power as Jesus did with the Pharisees. Rather than chickening out, let all us chickens begin this week by chickening in to whatever comes in turning our lives to Jesus who is willing to gather under his wings, and be a holy, busy, and faith-filled brood awaiting the Blessed…one who comes in the name of the Lord.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Lord of Light and Salvation, we look to You for the courage to release ourselves from the earthly trappings and distractions that beguile us into complacency of faith. Free us of the fear to conform our lives to Christ, standing firm in Him in this life, so to attain our place and peace in the next.

O Christ, hear us

RESPONSE: Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, steady our hearts and minds amidst these unsettling times. Grant us the courage and fortitude to boldly bear witness to and proclaim the Gospel, upholding Your message of peace, justice, and humanity, to all Leaders and Legislators in our Country, in our Community, and across our World. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Christ, hear us

Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, comfort all who are in distress from chronic pain, serious addiction, and mental illness; and sustain the hope of all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

O Christ, hear us

Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, lift the weight from grieving hearts, as those we send ahead to Heaven’s eternal splendor, now live again where tears and trials are no more. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Christ, hear us

Have mercy upon us

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

O Christ, hear us

Have mercy upon us

~ Lord of Light and Salvation, grant extra strength and wisdom in mind, heart, and spirit to all who are ordained to the yoke of Christ as our pastoral guides, in triumph and tribulation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Christ, hear us

Have mercy upon us

The Celebrant adds: O Jesus, our Christ, blessed are You who comes to gather us as Your own brood, not as enemies of Your Cross, but with willing, faithful, and trusting acceptance in our citizenship of heaven, this day and always. We ask through the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; and our Creator, Most High; who together with You are One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Meditation Moments: Lent Begins, Don't Just Give Up! Take On, Pray ~ Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025 ~

The fronds from last year's Palm Sunday have been burned to ash. And Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, was filled with pancakes, great Fellowship, and many other pre-Lenten treats. Yesterday was also Shrove Tuesday as we are soon to be shriven, that is, absolved of our misdeeds great and small, if we present ourselves to God for confession, repentance, and penance.

Lent is always a good time

to begin again.

The word "Lent" comes from the old Anglo-Saxon language and essentially means "lengthen" as in the days lengthening in the Spring. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are shortening so the perspective is a little different. However, we who are Christians from the Roman, Orthodox, Anglican and other Christian traditions all observe the same 40 days of Lent. It is to mirror the 40 days and nights Jesus spent alone in the wilderness, after his Baptism by John, being tempted by Satan, in preparation for the official start of his ministry that began when he returned.

Sundays are in Lent, rather than of Lent. A picky detail but if you've ever counted the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter...there are more than 40 days because Sundays aren't actually counted as they are in other liturgical seasons. Why? Because Sunday is ALWAYS Easter! It is indeed a liturgical remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross but it is also a celebration of the Resurrection.

Even if you are not a church-goer, or in a denomination that experiences Lent, for someone who has faith, or wants to have faith, or whose faith has been shaken or is just shaky and filled with doubt, Lent is a season to rediscover our relationship with God and renew our commitment to it. It is a time for reflection of our past actions, our genuine intentions, and the repair of our souls. Some of us will be marked on our foreheads this day with the sign of the cross in the ashes of the palms. This is an outward sign of and inward recognition of our human mortality but not required. Whether people are Christian or not, most will know the expression Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. No matter how high one reaches in life, or how low, everyone returns to dust.

During these 40 days, some will enter into a period of dedicated fasting, prayer, and self-denial. Some will give up things such as chocolate, alcohol, or cigarettes, some will take on activities such as daily meditation and prayer or extra volunteer work. Some will begin in earnest and maintain their discipline and others will fall away in distraction or be a bit haphazard. There's no right or wrong way to do Lent when you are intentional about wanting to be closer to God. Whatever your mode, with or without you, Lent begins...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and help me find my way back to You. While I would like to show my good intentions by grand repentant gestures and worthy pious activity, I have to be honest here as I know I'm not likely to stick with a full-on heavy discipline for 40 whole days. So, for today, and one day at a time, please help me clean my heart and restore my soul in other smaller ways such as with patience so as to give up arguing a point on social media or in email or even in person, and take on being mindful of my thoughts, emotions, and actions while driving and in the grocery store line. Dear Lord of all Peoples, on each day of this Holy Lent ~ and beyond ~ let me understand and live into the words You have given us through Jesus:

"Forgive us our sins AS we forgive those who sin against us."

Perhaps that could change us all for the better.

For all this we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Prayers of the People: The Eyes of Our Hearts ~ 1st Sunday in Lent WLWC* ‘25 Yr C

For Sunday, February 23, 2025; Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 49: 1-2, 5-15;

Ephesians 1:15-21, John 3:1-8

Thus says the Highest, the Breath of Life: From the four winds-of-breath-and-spirit, come spirit breath and breathe spirit upon these who have been slain, that they may come to life…and she, the breath-that-is-spirit came into them and they came to life and stood upon their feet, a vast legion. [Ezekiel 37:9b-10]

For when one sees the wise, they die; the foolish and ignorant perish together…Like sheep they are set for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall rule over them until the morning, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their abode. But God will ransom my soul, for from the grasp of Sheol she will take me. [Psalm 49:10, 14-15]

I do not cease to give thanks for you all as I make mention of you all in my prayers…in order that the God of our Redeemer Jesus, the Messiah, the Origin of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know God…so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you all may know what is the hope to which God has called you…and what is the surpassing magnificence of God’s power for we who believe, according to the working of the power of God’s strength. [Ephesians 1:16-20]

[Jesus responded to Nicodemus] Truly, truly I tell you without being birthed again—that is being birthed from above, no one can see the majesty of God…I tell you, without being birthed of water and spirit no one can enter the majesty of God. What is birthed of the flesh is flesh, and what is birthed of the spirit is spirit…You must be birthed again, birthed from above. [John 3:3, 5-6]

Thanks to this combination of readings, transport, restoration, and spirit/breath are the themes that gathered together for me in them. Ruach in the Hebrew means spirit, wind, and/or breath of the Holy Spirit/aka Wisdom/God. Obviously there is no life without breath and sometimes the wind overwhelms us, perhaps the Spirit does, too, and I/we don’t recognize it. Yet we and all living creatures that are not plants were created with the Breath. (an interruptive aside here ~ have you ever noticed the word creature and its relationship to create/Creator?) And so it is when the Spirit and Breath transports those very dry bones from their graves and the bones become enfleshed and are restored to stand up and live again.

The Psalmist is clear that those who trust in their wealth and praise of the abundance of their riches (Gafney v. 6-7); or The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, and boast of their great riches… (v. 5 in the Book of Common Prayer ~ BCP~, Psalm 49, pg. 652) will be transported to Sheol and unlike those dry bones, the land of the dead shall be their home…They shall join the company of their forbears, who will never see light again. (BCP Psalm 49:14b, 19). And then we have verse 15! The transport of some and the restoration of The upright in this version of the psalm and the ransom of God in the BCP, redeem in the NKJV, The Complete Jewish Bible, NIV; ransom in Authorized KJV, and so it goes in many other translations. [I use Biblegateway.com]. Of course it doesn’t mitigate the damage done to the upright in the short term. But the ransom/restoration/transport away from the Pit of Sheol, by God, is what keeps our hope alive and the spirit breath within us flowing.

And then to the Letter to the Ephesians…as we remember, Paul wrote letters to specific churches for specific reasons. Sometimes it’s very difficult to connect those letters to our own time for those reasons. Yet in there are some letters and moments in them that certainly stand out and this is one of them. Again, you can read this in any translation you prefer and the phrasing that hit me immediately was/is with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you all may know what is the hope to which God has called you… Some of the paraphrases ~ that is translations re-written to be more modern in their wording such as The Message, The Living Bible, Good New Translation, etc., simply have the same basic thought just phrased differently. For me, this week, it was with the eyes of your heart enlightened that jumped out. A continuing reminder to dig deeply and often, and to reflect on what and why my attention is captured positively and especially if otherwise.

And then in John’s Gospel, the Born Again piece that has been used often though perhaps not so wisely, but, as said above, digging more deeply we get a restoration of the full meaning of Jesus, especially as we move beyond verse 8 all the way to verse 21, whereafter the scene changes.

Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel (v. 9-10) is having difficulty believing what Jesus is saying. In verse 12, Jesus responds with, If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? A question for the ages! What do you think Jesus means by saying we must be birthed of water and the spirit? For me, these chosen readings all come full circle in the Gospel. Through the breath-wind of the Spirit we are given life. When we take the time, as we stop for a period of time every single day to consciously breathe deeply in, hold, and breathe deeply out, for at least several minutes and more, with our questions on these readings as a beginning, we invite the Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we may turn toward the light of God in Jesus and be birthed again, and again, and again from above. As we seek, often, to know what is the hope that God calls us, placing our hope in Jesus, our Christ, is our first step.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Reader: ~ Sovereign ALL-KNOWING GOD, come upon us and bring us out through your Spirit. Cause your spirit-and-breath to enter us and fill our bones with Your energizing life, to rise upright, birthed again from above.

Response: O Wellspring, O Source, O Author of Life