See,
the Sovereign Redeemer comes with
might…She will feed her flock like a shepherd; she will gather the lambs in her
arms, and carry them in her bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. [Isaiah 40:10a, 11]
Deliver for me
justice God and defend my case from a people devoid of lovingkindness; from the
deceitful and iniquitous deliver me! Send forth your light and your truth…let
them bring me to your holy mountain…Then shall I go to…God my joy, and my
delight. [Psalm 43:1, 3-4]
Now then, friends and kin, stand firm and hold fast to the
traditions that you were taught by us, either by [spoken] word or by our
letter. And now may our Savior Jesus Christ himself and God our Maker, who loved
us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts
and strengthen them in every good work and word. [2 Thessalonians 2:15-17]
When Jesus arrived he found that for four days
Lazarus had already been dead in the tomb…Martha said to Jesus, “Rabbi, if you
had been here, my brother would never have died…Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even though they die,
they will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do
you believe this? She said to him, “Yes Rabbi, I believe that you are the
Messiah, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world. [John
11:17, 21, 25-27]
This week in
the Hebrew/Old Testament readings, we remain in the Babylonian captivity
through the passage in Isaiah and in the Psalm. God, in Isaiah, knows the
suffering of the Judean people long in exile. God has instructed the prophet to
give comfort and hope that their deliverance will be soon coming. The feminine
imagery used by Dr. Gafney* is particularly poignant here in the ending verse as
God feeding her flock and gathering them in her arms as she gently leads the
mother sheep.
The Psalmist
gives voice to those still held in captivity to their deep yearning for the return
to their homeland from which they were taken long before.
Moving to
the Christian/New Testament, the young congregation of Thessalonica is being guided
by the letters to them as they struggle with their cultural occupation. While
Paul’s authorship is disputed among scholars, nonetheless the letters give comfort
by assuring them to hold fast to the teachings they have been given in
person or by the letters. Their hope and strength will come with all that they
do together to share the word of Jesus by their proclamation of the Gospel in every
good work and word.
In our own
times It is not at all difficult to find communities in exile in or out of
their homelands, held hostage by enemies for one political purpose or another. Whether
they are a Christian community or another faith tradition or of no particular
religious affiliation at all, we Christians are called to give comfort
in the many and various ways we have available, individually and collectively.
It is the inherent duty and moral imperative given through our Baptismal
Covenant and, in the complex simplicity of Christ’s teaching of The Greatest
Commandment to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is
this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than
these.” [see Mark 12:28-34, and other versions in Matthew 22:37-40
and Luke 10:25-38]
The story of
Lazarus is one known by Christian, non-Christian, and non-religious persons
alike. What is difficult and shocking is that Jesus chose to stay away when notified
that Lazarus was likely dying. How unusual for Jesus, who showed such foresight
with other people and situations. Martha was clear in saying to him when he
arrived, that her brother would have never died if Jesus had been
present. Was this to be a lesson for Mary and Martha and those around them that
perhaps God does not answer all of our prayers? Or, was it to give Jesus a
chance to show another side of his power beyond multiplying bread and fish or
healing the living? We all know by one experience or another that God doesn’t
answer all prayers, at least insofar as we can know how, why, or when God
chooses to or not. Perhaps God is doing something much larger and beyond our
understanding that we will may or may never know. Not a comforting thought when
grieving a loss of one’s own. Yet, all of these readings are letting us know
the need for us to share comfort with and for one another and the source of the
comfort is of and comes from God, as we are God’s own creation; and the
death-defying eternal life we are offered through the resurrection of Jesus. Oh
~ the other resurrection? It isn’t that of Lazarus, it’s ours.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, feed us, your flock, with your
spiritual food to nourish our souls and our hearts. Gather us in your arms and guide
us to your holy mountain, beyond the oppression of our enemies, to refresh and
renew our faith.
O God, our Maker and our Refuge
RESPONSE: Grant
us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
~ Most Sovereign Redeemer,
guide the hearts of all who build the towers of governments to defend us
from the deceitful and iniquitous, and those devoid of lovingkindness. Grant us
continuing courage, in difficult and comfortable times, to hold fast to the
teachings and model of Jesus in all that we say and do. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God, our Maker and our Refuge
Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, send comfort and healing to all who are ill, addicted,
feel hopeless, or angry, and replenish the energy of those who give support. We
now join our hearts to pray for those in need: add your own petitions
O God, our Maker and our Refuge
Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, let grieving hearts be lifted, until the day when
we will be joined forever with those who have now gone ahead to your glorious
and eternal Land. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O God, our Maker and our Refuge
Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O God, our Maker and our Refuge
Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
~ Most Sovereign Redeemer, thank you for the spiritual
gifts of all who have dedicated their lives as true disciples of Jesus. In teaching
us, we endeavor together to live, grow, and act by and through our faith. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
God, our Maker and our Refuge
Grant us Hope, Comfort, and Justice
The Celebrant adds: O God, our Joy and our Strength, fill us all with your light and
truth as we seek to be a living example of the Gospel of Christ. Turn us
toward you, in the time we each have, to stand firm in your grace as we share
our faith through every good work and word. We ask through Jesus, our Savior Christ; and
the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor of our souls; who together with You are One
God, our Eternal Comfort and Good Hope. 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/
