Prayers of the People: O Mother Who Art Thou? 2nd Sunday of Pentecost Yr B

for Sunday, June 7, 2015, 2nd Sunday of Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15), Ps 138, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35    

   

   All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel...and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations"... Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them...forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only-- you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." [1 Samuel 8:4-5,6b-7,8b-9]

       Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."... A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." [Mark 3:20-21,32-35]

       Dysfunctional families. Where would life's ever-unfolding drama be without them. Some children are their parents' treasure while others are their worst nightmare. Some children can do no wrong in their parents' sight, others can do nothing right. Samuel's sons are an embarrassment, a source of grief. While Mary, his mother, and the brothers of Jesus think he's crazy and needs to be physically restrained.
       Just as Samuel might have wished his sons had behaved better, and the elders of Israel wanted a king to "be like other nations," so perhaps Mary and her other sons were upset or embarrassed by Jesus not "being like other" sons. It seems to come down to: how do we define "family?" Jesus looked around and defined family for himself as: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Who is family for you?
     

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, grant us the fortitude to abandon the faithless gods of no good purpose that tempt our souls and lead us into forsaking You. Let us find the courage to stand with and in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, even when those closest to us do not understand.

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

RESPONSE: Let us seek Your word above all things

~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, as some seek to establish their own earthly kingdoms, let us work to extend the knowledge of grace, justice, mercy, and tolerance to all who would govern the peoples of this world, our nation, and our community.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

                                    Let us seek Your word above all things

~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, increase the strength within those who are weakened by the pain of illness or despair, and give new energy to all who give them comfort. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

                                    Let us seek Your word above all things

~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, give deep consolation to those whose grief yet knows no bounds and keep us all from losing heart through sorrow. Shine the light of eternal glory for those who live again and always in the Kingdom of Heaven. We pray especially for: Delaware's own Beau Biden and the Biden Family, add your own petitions

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

                                    Let us seek Your word above all things

~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

                                    Let us seek Your word above all things

~ God of Greatness, LORD of Glory, enhance the gifts of those chosen to lead us in Your Church, so that through their example, inspiration, and discipleship, our community of faith will grow in spirit and in grace.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

God Almighty, Highest King of Creation

                                    Let us seek Your word above all things

The Celebrant adds:  Sovereign of All that is, Seen and Unseen, grant us the courage to discern and follow Your will in the midst of being in earthly kingdoms, even as we strive to not be of them. We look to Your enduring love to become mother, father, sister, and brother to each and everyone around us. We ask through the steadfastness of Jesus and the blessings of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and throughout eternity.  Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: PENTECOST! Then, There AND Here, Now

for Sunday, May 24, 2015, Pentecost Yr B, Readings: Acts 2:1-21, Ps 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:22-27, John 15: 26-27; 16:4b-15

Fifty Days after Easter, 

Ten Days after the Ascension 

comes Pentecost, 

 the feast of Holy Spirit:  

        When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place.  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house...Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.  [Acts 2:1-4]

  On the Jewish calendar, this ancient feast is Shavuot and follows 50 days after Passover. It celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It's possibly another reason the disciples were gathered together in addition to waiting for the sign promised by the resurrected Jesus 10 days before in his last in-person teachings. Given that, in the previous month and a half, they had experienced the arrest and violent execution of Jesus, his resurrection, then his ascension, and their own grief and fear at these inexplicable turn of events, here they are gathered together again without quite knowing what was next or when. It may well have been comforting to be together in the familiar structure of this ancient feast. And then suddenly a sound like a violent wind and tongues of fire resting on them gave them more than good reason to be bewildered, astonished, and amazed!

              Today it may be easy for us to be blasé, to know the story too well, to be immune to the thrill and amazement. Yet today is an excellent time to heed the words of Paul when he reminds us that we do not know how to pray as we ought but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. [Romans 8:26b] Peter reminds us in the words of the prophet Joel, that when Christ returns, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Acts 2:21]

              Today is the day to stop knowing the story. Today is the day to START feeling the Spirit – be amazed and astonished and bewildered!  We have the Spirit within us, and God’s grace, and the love and Salvation of Christ for the wanting of it! Let us rejoice and be glad and joy-filled, and alive in it! After all, what else is faith for? 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, bewilder our sense of the ordinary, and help us also to be amazed and astonished on this day. Let us experience again, the wonder and joy of a living and active faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

RESPONSE: Fall afresh on us

~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, with the Holy Spirit upon us, let us be emboldened to stand before the leaders of this world, our nation, and our community, with the substance and grace to encourage the renewal of this earth and its people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

Fall afresh on us

~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, lighten the burden of pain for those who are weakened in body, spirit, and soul. Let their hearts be filled with the peace of knowing that You hear their every prayer. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

Fall afresh on us

~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, grant peace to all who have hope in the unseen, even in the midst of grief. Help us all to wait in faithful patience to join our loved ones who now live again in the glory of Your highest heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

Fall afresh on us

~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

Fall afresh on us

~ Great and Glorious LORD our God, as the Spirit descends upon us, quicken the hearts and minds of all who lead us in Your Church, so that they may energize and excite our life in faith within the Church, and through all of every-day life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

Spirit of Highest Truth and Hope

Fall afresh on us

The Celebrant adds: Holy and Living God, You above all, desire our redemption and salvation, and yet all of Creation groans as if in labor. To us this day You send the Spirit to intercede, to make us strong where we are weak, to fill us with the fire of faith, and to know that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Our joyful and unending prayers ascend to Jesus our Christ and the Holy Spirit our Advocate, who together with You, live as One God, now and forever. Amen.

       Also known as the Birthday of the Church, Pentecost marks the official beginning of the ministry of the Apostles beyond their local area and into the whole world. The descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire imbued them, and each of us by extension, with extra-ordinary gifts to bring the message of Christ to everyone.
This day is known as Whitsun/Whitsunday in Ireland and the UK, a descendant of a Gaelic celebration of medieval or perhaps even more ancient times. 



Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: Looking Up to Heaven, Seventh Sunday of Easter

for Sunday May 17, 2015, Easter 7,Year B, Readings: Acts 1:15-17, Ps 1, 1 John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19    

          Looking up to heaven, Jesus prayed, "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world...When I was with them, I protected them in your name...I ask you to protect them from the evil one...Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world."  
[John 17:6,12a,15b,17-18]

          In the lesson from Acts, Peter tells the crowd of believers that the time has come to find the replacement for Judas and it is determined to be between two worthy candidates. After they pray and ask God to choose, lots are cast and the lot fell on Matthias. 
          Then in the Gospel, we move slightly backwards in time. This reading is in the middle of what is known as the Farewell Discourse of Jesus that takes place just after the Last Supper. In this moment, Jesus is praying on our behalf, updating God on the progress of the mission so far even to say, While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. [John 17:12 ]  The one lost, of course, refers to Judas. And in this prayer, for us, Jesus asks God to protect us not just for our own sake but for the sake of the whole world. In that way, God's love will live in us and be given out to the world through us through the work of Christ's mission we have been given to do. The disciples were, and we are, sent into the world sheltered in love, by love, and for the love of God through Jesus. As he looks up to heaven, Jesus asks God to make his own joy complete in us and to sanctify - or hallow - us in the truth of God's Word.  What is your prayer to God? What part of Christ's mission will you take on today?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, as the lot fell on Matthias, so it falls to us, to actively take our place in Your ministry and discipleship by accepting this gift with faithfulness and love.   

 O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

RESPONSE:  Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, as believers in You, let us stand together to foster justice, mercy, and freedom for all of God’s people; and give our witness to those who govern on Earth, in this Nation, and in this City. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, lift up the spirits of those who suffer through illness, depression, or life circumstance, and fortify those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, calm the tears of the grieving that they may know our loved ones have now come to eternal life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

~ Holy Christ of Earth and Heaven, we offer gracious thanksgiving for all who make You known to us through Your word and sacraments. Grant them the spiritual tools to inspire us all to carry You into our everyday lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O LORD, Our Strength and Our Peace

Sanctify our faith; empower our hearts

The Celebrant adds: God of Glory and Righteousness who knows our hearts and minds, please guide us to find delight in Your word, protection from evil, and the eternal happiness of walking in Your ways. We ask through Your Son our Savior, Jesus Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and forever.  Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: Love, Act-ually? Sixth Sunday of Easter

for Sunday, May 10, 2015, 6th Sunday of Easter, Yr B, Reading: Acts: 10:44-48, Ps 98, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17

       The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out, even on the Gentiles...Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"    [Acts 10:45, 46b-47]

      Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
      [The LORD] remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, 
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God...
    In righteousness shall he judge the world,
and the peoples with equity. [Ps 98:1, 4, 10]

     Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love...This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you...And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last...
[John 15:9, 12, 16b] 

               How intrusive is this message against the backdrop of mistrust, hatred of "the other," and the seemingly endless and rampant violence across the world and even into our very local communities? Them vs Us, You vs Me, This is Mine is the "old song" that never tires of repeating. And the "circumcised believers...were astounded" that the Holy Spirit was given "even to the Gentiles." Peter was clear that the water of baptism cannot be withheld from even those who are different because they "have received the Holy Spirit just as we have..." And Jesus was even more clear: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." Is there any room for negotiation here? Those people are doing terrible things so how can Jesus possibly expect us to love them? Well, whether or not he expects it is irrelevant, he commands it. IF we believe in Jesus, then we must bear the fruit of God's love to all people, in all places, and every one is included. I don't know who has "received the Holy Spirit" and who hasn't. That's not my job. That's for a much higher pay grade. And some days, loving some people is really, really hard. Help!
             So, let's start by trying to love each other and abide in - or frantically cling to - the Holy Vine together [see last week's Fruit of the Vine post]. As we grow in faith as a community, perhaps we can grow in our ability to sing a new song of love to those less lovable to us than ourselves. No easy journey is promised, only complete joy if we act-ually love.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, remove our doubt; remove our fear; awaken our souls to the complete joy we will know, when we truly believe and abide in You.

 LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

RESPONSE:  Help us to live in and give out Your love

~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, grant us, born of God through love of You, such strength in faith and consciousness of spirit, that we hold ourselves and all those who govern, to Your standards of righteousness and equity, on behalf of all people everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

                                    Help us to live in and give out Your love

~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, embrace all those who are ill in body, heart, or soul, especially, on this day, if they are mothers of children or children of mothers. We pause now as we pray aloud for those in need…

                                    LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

                                    Help us to live in and give out Your love

~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, console and brighten the hearts of all who feel lost in sorrow, as You rejoice and celebrate the arrival of our loved ones, who now live again for eternity.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

                                    Help us to live in and give out Your love

~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

                                    LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

                                    Help us to live in and give out Your love

~ Jesus, our Loving Christ, for those who have pledged their lives in service to Your Church, grant renewal of purpose and replenishment of vigor, to teach and lead us in Your word and ways. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 

                                    LORD of Mercy and Faithfulness

                                    Help us to live in and give out Your love

The Celebrant adds: God of All and Everyone, You call each of us to love one another as Christ loves us, and to be bearers of the fruit of Your love to all the world. Grant us the inner peace and fortitude to freely give our lives to You, from this day forth and forevermore. We ask through the purest Heart of Jesus, and the Truth of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, are One God, now and forever.  Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: Fruit of the Vine, Fifth Sunday of Easter

for Sunday, May 3, 2015, Fifth Sunday of Easter, Yr B, Readings: Acts 8:26-40, Ps 22:24-30, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8

        Then the Spirit said to Phillip, "Go over to his chariot and join it." So Phillip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?"  [Acts 8:29-31a]

        Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers and sisters are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.  [1 John 4:20]

       Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit...Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches."  [John 15:1-2, 4b-5a]

           Every gardener, even one with just a small plant, knows that good growth requires maintenance. Some plants, such as a vine or an apple tree, need pruning to make them stronger and able to produce more and better fruit. Along with water, sunshine, and good soil, a gardener must tend the pots, or rows, or fields, with care, knowledge of weather, season, and region or growing zones. 
          Jesus calls us to abide in Him, to be joined to Him as branches on a vine. We will bear much spiritual fruit if we cling to the Vine and allow our inner deadwood to be pruned to clear the way for new sprouting. But the fruit we bear is not for our own care and feeding ~ it is to be shared with others for their nurture and growth. As we, the branches, grow stronger, we draw together as brothers and sisters in a community of faith, hope, and eternal love in and with Christ as our Vine, the Holy Spirit as our Guide to understanding, and God Almighty as our Gardener/Vinegrower.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, prune away detachment from our hearts and cultivate us as strong dynamic branches that bear an abundance of the fruit of Your love. Let us not wither, but flourish, as we abide always in You.

  

 Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

RESPONSE:  Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, grant us the desire and courage to stand in faith and act together, before all who govern globally and locally, so that justice to anyone is never denied. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, comfort and heal all who are poor in health and poor in spirit and bring them into the full flower of Your inexhaustible hope. We pause now as we pray aloud for those in need…

Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, restore peace in the hearts of those who grieve, while the ones we love enter into Your perfect and everlasting life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

~ Jesus, Vine of Life Within Us, bless those who guide our understanding of You, as they lead us from the wilderness road to the joy of knowing You in this life and the next. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Eternal God, Source of Infinite Love

Let Your seeds of compassion take root in our lives

The Celebrant adds: Holy God, Almighty Vinegrower, prepare our souls as the living and fruitful soil that will bring forth the harvest of Your love and peace, so that we may see, know, and nourish all people as our brothers and sisters. We ask this through our True Vine, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, our Guide, who together with You, live and reign as One God forever and ever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: Just Sheeping Along, 4th Sunday of Easter

for Sunday April 26 ,2015, Yr B, Readings: Acts 4:5-12, Ps 23, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18

       The poetry of Psalm 23 speaks to us in the simplest of terms that belie the intricacy of its depth. Jesus would, of course, have known the psalm and it is a perfect pairing to his continuing "discussion" with the religious authorities in this week's Gospel of John.
       The symbolism in this well-known Psalm is far more complex and fascinating than just the obvious image of a man walking down a country lane with a big staff and a dog, or the pretty girl of nursery rhymes with a bow on her crook as the sheep dutifully follow. Along with the earlier verses in John 10 (which I encourage you to read), taken line by line we can see, feel, and almost hear Jesus, our Shepherd, with us, reviving, caring, comforting, and anointing. Watching over us, preparing our table, restoring us; nothing we need is withheld. 
      Our Good Shepherd's job is never done. The demands on real living shepherds are constant and endless. Sheep are peculiarly needy and helpless creatures, quite restive, and even self-destructive at times. They can stand still for hours or bolt into stampede because an apple drops unexpectedly from a tree. The shepherd must keep continuous vigil against disease, insect infestations, predators, pecking-order fights, escape artists,
water, and food supplies. Sheep will NOT lie down unless they are completely contented and secure. A special oil mixture that the shepherd prepares and swabs (anoints) around each sheep's head and nose keeps deadly insects from burrowing and causing panic, disease, and injury, and the sheep is calmed for at least a little while. Then there are shearing and lambing seasons...* 
       The sheep know their shepherd's voice and it comforts them. Do we know the voice of our Shepherd? Some days I feel pretty sheepish and need that voice as reminder to get back into the flock. How about you?      

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, guide our souls to seek shelter in Your verdant pasture, to know Your voice as You know ours, and to heed Your call to eternal life.

  

  Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

RESPONSE:  Help us to live through You and for one another

~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, let our love and trust in You show forth by our truth and action in each day. Let us also require truth and just actions on the part of those who govern on this earth, in our nation, and in our city. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

Help us to live through You and for one another

~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, we ask Your special tenderness for those in Your flock with illness of body, mind, or spirit, and for those who give them care. We pause now as we pray aloud for those in need…

Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

Help us to live through You and for one another

~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, lighten and soothe the shadowed hearts of the mournful as You open wide the gates of Heaven to enfold those who have left us in this mortal world. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

Help us to live through You and for one another

~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…

Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

Help us to live through You and for one another

~ Lord Jesus, Mystical Shepherd, revive the souls of own shepherds in this earthly day and time, that together we may abide in Your love and obey the commandments of our God. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

Jesus, Cornerstone of our Salvation

Help us to live through You and for one another

The Celebrant adds: Almighty God, as we are anointed with Your goodness and mercy all the days of our lives, grant us the desire to lay down all trivial wants and to walk the right pathways, so to dwell in Your glorious house forever. We ask through our Redeemer Christ Jesus, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, live and reign as One God, now and forever.  Amen.

*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, himself a modern-day shepherd, for a closer look at the connections between the Psalm's imagery and real life sheep farming.



Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to Leeosophy@gmail.com. All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way.

Prayers of the People: Witness for the Proclamation, 3rd Sunday of Easter

for April 19, 2015, 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, Readings: Acts 3:12-19, Ps 4, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 

   Then [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." [Luke 24: 45-48]

        Maybe it was easier in the time when Jesus was fully alive again and able to speak to the Disciples, eat with them, answer questions in person, and explain the plan. All they had to deal with was fear for their lives, an adverse political climate, and the doubt of what they were experiencing. Of course there are many in today's world, even in this country, who are facing daily violence and persecution just for being who they are and what they believe in without having Jesus visible in their midst. 
        Many others of us merely have to deal with listening, again, to the details of a story we know well. Perhaps we also live with the complacency of being in a different time and place with everyday life to manage, and, for some, not ever truly having the experience of the Living Christ in our presence. This Eastertide is the time to think about that relationship with Christ - what has yours been, what do you want it to be, what concerns you about it, what questions do you have?
       And how am I supposed to "Witness" and "Proclaim" that Jesus is about repentance and forgiveness? Repentance simply means to turn toward and if you feel you've turned away from God, just turn back toward God and you are forgiven. How to turn back? Here's a quick first step, an easy prayer. Simply call out the name of Jesus and he's with you immediately. That's it - you can even sing it! Remember the lyrics to that old James Taylor song: Just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I'll come running, to see you again! click here to sing your prayer: James Taylor - You've Got a Friend and he'll be there, yeah, he'll be there. And what you feel inside will show outside and that will be your witness and proclamation!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Lord of Peace, You stand among us still and call us together in hope. As beloved children of God, our hope in You will purify our souls and our faith will grow beyond measure. Grant us the desire to abide only in You, that we may dwell in safety, know we are forgiven, and live free from the temptations of sin.

 O God, our Defender

RESPONSE:  We put our trust in You

~ Jesus, Lord of Peace, in these times on this Earth, in our nation, and in our local communities, there is no room for ignorance in action on the part of our elected, appointed, or self-declared leaders. Grant wisdom and clarity in the ways of justice and mercy to those who would chart the course of our lives, and courage to each of us to hold You in our hearts as we hold them accountable. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    O God, our Defender

                                    We put our trust in You

~ Jesus, Lord of Peace, relieve the pain of those who suffer through physical or mental illness and those who feel despair and desperation in their lives. We pause now as we pray aloud for those in need…

                                    O God, our Defender

                                    We put our trust in You

~ Jesus, Lord of Peace, though we weep for the loss of those we love, help us to ease our hearts and minds in the knowledge that they now join You in the glory of Resurrection to eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    O God, our Defender

                                    We put our trust in You

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

                                    O God, our Defender

                                    We put our trust in You

~ Jesus, Lord of Peace, as the Apostles were in their time, today their successors, the leaders of Your Church, give witness to the truth of Your words and the fullness of life gained by following You. Electrify their message that we may be enveloped by their fervor and stride mindfully into each day, without doubt or fear, proclaiming our faith by thought, word, and action.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    O God, our Defender

                                    We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: God of the Beginning, the Now, and of all that is to Come, You never leave us, it is we who turn away from You. Raise us as You raised our Christ, into the faithfulness of heart, mind, and soul that leads to the glory and the joy of eternal life. We ask through the name of Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier who reign together with You as One God now and through all eternity.     Amen.

   

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