A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Prayers of the People: Ready or Not 23rd Sunday after Pentecost '17 Yr A

for November 12, 2017, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, Readings:  Amos 5:18-24, Psalm 70, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Mt 25:1-13


But let justice roll down like the waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. [Amos 5:18024]

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me...Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you... [Psalm 70:1, 4a]

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 
[1 Thessalonians 4:17-18]

Jesus said, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise...As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept...the bridegroom came and those who were ready went with him...Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour." [Matthew 25:1-2, 5, 13]

         Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. [Mt 25:13]  Of all the admonitions of Jesus, this one always sends a chill up and down my spine. I've spent a considerable amount of time in hospital emergency rooms with family, friends, and as part of some coursework, and the swiftness of some unexpected deaths can sometimes unnerve and unsettle even the most experienced and detached medical staff.
          In my own life, the hour and the day have suddenly and stunningly whisked away those I hold most deeply in my heart so abruptly, years on I still feel the reverberation in my body, as if being hit with a concussive blow that that continues to viscerally echo through me. These wrenching experiences and this cautionary parable starkly remind me that I, too, can be gone in a nano-flash. 
          It's so easy to dismiss the notion of Christ's Coming Again in these current times so far and away from the time and place of the telling of this parable. We don't think of Jesus as delayed if indeed we think concretely of Jesus and his return at all. Playing the role of active Christian, faithful in prayer, giver of alms, and doer of good deeds, is all well and good but my inwardly digested attitude of Christ needs some work. Paul asks us to encourage one another with the promise and hope of our resurrection in Christ, but are we too busy and distracted in the now to vigorously and eagerly prepare for the indiscernible then
          For those afflicted with serious and potentially fatal illness, the reality of mortality is palpable and many will engage in the restoration and renewal of their faith and the relationship to God that had been set aside or even lost. For those who are seemingly healthy and busy and pursuing human endeavors, that sense of mortality is still abstract. But in these difficult and uncertain times, one only needs to catch a news report to hear of yet another horrific mass tragedy so unpredictable that it takes our conscious and communal breath away, or a natural disaster that kills hundreds of thousands and leaves millions desperate. It is no small matter for our souls to stay awake and alert, to be as ready as one can be, to seek reconciliation with God and our neighbor and within ourselves and it is never more urgent than today. Time to get more oil for the lamp, trim the wick, and start again to match my Sunday best to my daily thoughts, words, and actions. O LORD, make haste to help me. [Ps 70:1b]  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God, Almighty and All-Knowing, deliver us from the foolishness of wasting our lives pursuing vain, empty, and temporary pleasures. Keep us earnest and sincere in living out the faith we claim, encouraging one another to remember and to trust, our coming resurrection and unending life in Christ.

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
RESPONSE:             Let us seek and rejoice in You

~ O God, Almighty and All-Knowing, make haste to help us in these days of distressing political turmoil, distrust in one another, and increasing violence everywhere. Send Your Holy Spirit to breathe through us, that we may find courage and strong yet calm, rational, and peace-filled voices within ourselves. Give us the words to speak to, and inspire, all who hold power on our planet, in our nation, and in our hometowns, to turn the weapons of today into tools of justice, righteousness, harmony, and stability. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
                                                Let us seek and rejoice in You
                                               
~ O God, Almighty and All-Knowing, comfort all who suffer serious physical or emotional pain, or desperate life circumstance, and instill hope and stamina in those provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
                                                Let us seek and rejoice in You
           
~ O God, Almighty and All-Knowing, as our hearts weep with those who mourn, hold us all fast in Your all-encompassing Presence. Help us to find and extend consolation in Your faithful assurance of life everlasting now granted to all who live again in Your steadfast love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
                                                Let us seek and rejoice in You

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

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
                                                Let us seek and rejoice in You
           
~ O God, Almighty and All-Knowing, grant our spiritual leaders the purity of heart, the wisdom of Christ, and the fidelity of faith to guide our soul journeys toward Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Promise and Trust
                                                Let us seek and rejoice in You
                                                                                                        
The Celebrant adds:  O God our Source, our Savior, our Destination, grant us the will, the wisdom, and the inner peace to rise each day to face our fears, decry injustice, and keep our souls awake and alert for the unknown day and hour of our new joy-filled life in You. We ask this through Jesus, our Coming Christ, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, who, together with You, reign as One God, in heaven, on earth, and beyond all time and space.  Amen.














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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Prayers of the People: Our World at Peace, 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, November 12, 2017, 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation,Readings: Micah 4:3-4, Psalm 85:6-14*, A Prayer**, Matthew 5:43-48
For information on the Season of Creation click here:  http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html                                                                  
                                                           Season of  Creation Week 5's Theme is: Our World at Peace
Created by Soviet artist Evgeny Vuchetich, presented to the UN in 1959,
by the Gov’t of the USSR to symbolize man's desire to put an end to war,
and turn means of destruction into tools to benefit mankind.
It is located in the North Garden of UN Headquarters, New York City.

...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more...and no one shall make them afraid. [Micah 3:3b, 4b]

*Turn, revive us, nourish our joy. Show us mercy, save us, Lord. I listen to God speaking, "I, the Lord, speak peace, peace to my faithful people who turn their hearts to me." [Psalm 85:6-8]

**...As we honor the graves of our neighbours may we face those we fear, cry justice for the oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace flourish till the moon fails. [Rosemary Power]

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...for God makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have...And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, of what more are you doing than others?" [Matthew 5:44a, 45b, 46a, 47a]

  Love my enemies? Maybe a question parallel to another that Jesus posed is: Who is my enemy? How many of us really think of having personal enemies? If honest, most of us can easily and quickly name those we dislike intensely, whether we know them or not. Pointing toward those who hold unfathomable political, religious, and social views, and/or those whose observed intolerance makes my blood pressure rise and my head want to explode. Of course it is then that I catch myself exhibiting very high levels of intolerance for others' intolerance! But still, I must love them. Perhaps I'd rather begin to "love" an enemy of my country - or at least pray that they go away and do no more harm - than be confronted with flesh and blood enemies of my self-righteousness that I am required to love
        Rosemary Power in her A Prayer** calls us to account saying we are all guilty when We build barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people's hearts, we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger, we defend ourselves from other people's rights. And that all happens whether or not we are fully engaged or distractedly dismissive, or even simply living in blissful ignorance. Too often we are proud of our piety in Church and then head outside for the rest of the week with the same old un-peace-like attitudes as if putting aside the costume and mask we wore on Sunday morning. Or if Church is not a regular occurrence, we still roll along in the guise of "Good Christian." Jesus tells us if you love only those who love you and if you greet only your brothers and sisters, of what more are you doing than others? We, as Christians, are called to a higher standard beyond doing just enough to satisfy our sense of "good." But when is "just enough" ever really enough? 
       We must aspire to be loving and peaceful within ourselves reflecting the love of Christ, as well as we truly can, in what we think and what we do. If we do not sincerely try, then complacency, hatred, violence, and fear only escalates and will kill us all, if not in body, certainly in soul. I know that I must consciously work on reconciling my Christian intentions with my thoughts and actions, little by little, peace by piece. Loving my enemies doesn't mean standing by and allowing viciousness and injury to go unchecked and unpunished, but in seeking peace, I can take a deep breath and find ways to genuinely act and care for those less fortunate, as I am able. And perhaps more importantly, I can diligently pray for myself and especially for those whose motives, actions, and mindset I do not understand, learning how to conjure love, lest I allow my own anger and frustration to feed the whirlwind of destruction. Oh LORD, this is the hardest thing You ask of me. Dear God, grant me Your Peace to give and retain, to plant and to embody, to be constant in the pursuit of putting our world at peace through love.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Almighty All-Knowing God, You created each of us as bearers of the seeds of peace to one another and our world. Turn us from the fear and anger that divide us, and revive our faithfulness to You in our everyday thoughts, words, and actions. Nourish our joy for service to this Earth and all Your people, especially those we name as our enemies. 

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope                                            
RESPONSE:                         Let us embody Your Love and Peace

~ Almighty All-Knowing God, save us from these days of distressing political turmoil, distrust in one another, and increasing violence everywhere. Send Your Holy Spirit to breathe through us, that we may find courage and strong yet calm, rational, and peace-filled voices within ourselves. Give us the words to speak to, and inspire, all who hold power on our planet, in our nation, and in our hometowns, to turn the swords of today into tools of justice, harmony, and stability. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope
                                                Let us embody Your Love and Peace
                                               
~ Almighty All-Knowing God, comfort all who suffer serious physical or emotional pain, or desperate life circumstance, and instill hope and stamina in those provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope
                                                Let us embody Your Love and Peace
           
~ Almighty All-Knowing God, as our hearts weep with those who mourn, hold us all fast in Your eternal presence. Help us to find and extend consolation in Your loving promise of the eternal life now granted to all who live again in Your never-failing light. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope
                                                Let us embody Your Love and Peace

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

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope
                                                Let us embody Your Love and Peace
           
~ Almighty All-Knowing God, grant our spiritual leaders the purity of heart, hope of the Spirit, and the fidelity of faith to guide our soul journeys toward Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of Mercy and Hope
                                                Let us embody Your Love and Peace

The Celebrant adds: O God our Source, our Savior, our Destination, grant us the will, the wisdom, and the inner peace to rise each day to face our fears, decry injustice, and live into the fullest extent of the faith we claim in You. We ask this through Jesus, our Christ, and the most Holy Spirit who, together with You, reign as One God, in heaven, on earth, and beyond all time and space. Amen.

*Psalm 85:7-14 From The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering, Liturgy Training Publications (International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994.

Turn, revive us,
     nourish our joy.
Show us mercy,
     save us, Lord.
I listen to God speaking:
     “I, the Lord, speak peace,
     peace to my faithful people
     who turn their hearts to me.”
Salvation is coming near,
     glory is filling our land.
Love and faithfulness embrace,
     peace and justice kiss.
Fidelity sprouts from the earth,
     justice leans down from heaven.
The Lord pours out riches,
     our land springs to life.
Justice clears God’s path,
     justice points the way.

** A Prayer
       Creator Lord of the unclaimed place and of clashing claims, of no one’s land where some have homes, in danger zones, in human souls, in nations’ claims: we are all guilty. We build barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people’s hearts, we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger, we defend ourselves from other people’s rights.
       Drive out the demons that divide neighbours. Jesus, in the land where your feet were tired, where you carried the oppressor’s burden, broke the chains of the prisoners, demolished walls, made wounded lives blossom, and set our hearts free to turn and to serve: may you be the potter in our lives’ neutral zones; in divided land, may justice return.
       Spirit of hope, may those who build houses live in them, those who plant olive trees harvest them, may they shelter under fig trees, give water to strangers, tell stories to children, keep Covenant with God.
       As we honour the graves of our neighbours may we face those we fear, cry justice for the oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace flourish till the moon fails.  ~Rosemary Power, From Seven Days - Stories and reflections for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel




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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Monday, October 30, 2017

Prayers of the People: Saints Among Us 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation '17 Yr A

For Sunday, November 5, 2017, 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalm 149, Romans 12:9-18, Matthew 5:1-12

       I, Paul... beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:1-3]

      Praise the Lord! Sing to the LORD a new song, is praise in the assembly of the faithful. [Psalm 149:1]

      Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [Romans 12:9-10]

[Jesus] taught them saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst...the merciful...the pure in heart...the peacemakers...those who are persecuted...Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven... [Matthew 5:1-12]

         Defining "saint" in this day and age isn't all that simple. For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable, and, if we're honest, undesirably difficult for ourselves. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles. What or how did their lives become exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we commend to You and celebrate the everyday saints among us and the Holy Saints for the Ages. Grant us the wisdom to seek the saint within our own flawed humanness, to persevere in prayer, and discover again that we find You always in our midst.

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
RESPONSE: Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, especially in these critical times, infuse us with the courage and strength to direct the leaders of our World, our Country, and our Community, to decry injustice, renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
                                               
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress all whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, let us rejoice and be glad as those we love are welcomed into their great, glorious, and eternal reward with You. We pray especially for:  

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

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

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
The Celebrant adds:  Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You, and the flaws we have developed, may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever. Amen.







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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Prayers of the People: Finding My Inner Saint, All Saints Sunday '17 Yr A

For Sunday, November 5, 2017, All Saints Sunday, Year A, Readings: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

      They will hunger no more, and thirst no more, the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd... [Revelation 7:9-17]

     I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me out of all my terror...The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, and none will be punished who trusts in him. [Psalm 34:4, 22] 

     See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are...And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. [1 John :1-3]

[Jesus] taught them saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst...the merciful...the pure in heart...the peacemakers...those who are persecuted...Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven... [Matthew 5:1-12]

       Defining "saint" in this day and age isn't all that simple. For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable, and, if we're honest, undesirably difficult for ourselves. Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles. What or how did their lives become exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       "For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we commend to You and celebrate the everyday saints among us and the Holy Saints for the Ages. Grant us the wisdom to seek the saint within our own flawed humanness, to persevere in prayer, and discover again that we find You always in our midst.

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
RESPONSE: Arouse our hope in You

~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, especially in these critical times, infuse us with the courage and strength to direct the leaders of our World, our Country, and our Community, to decry injustice, renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
                                               
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress all whose spirits languish in the pain of illness, anxiety, or addiction, and endow those who give them care with patience, gentleness, and love. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, let us rejoice and be glad as those we love are welcomed into their great, glorious, and eternal reward with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

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

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You

           
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Boundless, Forgiving God
                                                Arouse our hope in You
           

The Celebrant adds:  Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You, and the flaws we have developed, may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever. Amen.





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. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Prayers of the People: All We Need (to do) is Love, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, October  29, 2017, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 
Mt 22:34-46


       You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. [Leviticus 19:18]

       Happy are they who have not...lingered in the way of sinners...Their delight is in the law of the LORD...they are like trees...with leaves that do not wither...For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. [Psalm 1:1, 2b, 3, 6]

      But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. [1 Thessalonians 2:7b]

   ...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

             We are truly all in "this" together in this life on this planet although you would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with others and just take care of us. Of course, one of the largest issues in the world today is eons old: a satisfactory definition of who us is. Another lawyer asked Jesus in Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan, Who is my neighbor? [Luke 10:25-37] We of the human variety are determined to answer this question correctly, that is, to suit our own needs and wants and keep within some construct of the rules we have devised. We build walls, fences, and tall gates that are all designed to keep out the uninvited, the unacceptable, the dangerous - in other words, those others. 
      What we are often blinded to is that we each are the other to someone, creating and receiving suspicion and fear when we step away from our sheltered space. And, of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are truly dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD - so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's people. 
      It's hard work to sift through our own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think because I know my group and will avoid the rest. It also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble loving myself? In the snippet from Leviticus, part of what is known as the Holiness Code, God is now opening up the instructions for everyone, not just the priests. Then Jesus gets directly to the point that all the Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.  
      The obvious questions are: Who is my neighbor? Any human you meet. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's reading and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. I think that U.S. Senator Corey Booker said it best, and it applies to ALL of us:   Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give. 
      Sounds so easy when God, Jesus, and Corey say: All we need to do is love. Let's keep working on it ~ together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life                               
RESPONSE:               Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity for peace, planetary health, and for the well-being of all humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                               
~ Gracious Creator, embrace with Your tender care all who are burdened with serious illness, addiction, or emotional distress, and refresh all who provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, receive in joy and splendor, all those we commend with thanksgiving to Your loving and eternal Kingdom, to live again in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You

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

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
           
~ Gracious Creator, we praise You for the calling, anointing, and commitment of those who lead us in worship, prayer, and our pilgrimage toward eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Lord of All Life
                                                Help us put our trust in You
                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  O Lord our God, grant us humility to delight in Your Law, seek the way of the righteous in all that we do, and be as strong in our faith as trees whose leaves do not wither in adversity. We ask through the mercy of Jesus our Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You as One God, every day, always, and forever. Amen.




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