People's Prayers

Monday, June 11, 2018

Prayers of the People: Confidentially ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, June 17, 2018, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13, Psalm 20, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, [11-13], 14-17; Mark 4:26:34

...for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
[1 Samuel 15:7b]

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, the Name of the God of Jacob defend you…Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God. They will collapse and fall down, but we will arise and stand upright. [Psalm 20 1, 7-8]

We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight. [2 Cor 5:6-7]

With what can we compare the kingdom of God...It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." [Mark 4:30-32]

Early in the Hebrew Testament reading for this week, Samuel is grieving over Saul’s abysmal kingship. God was sorry that he had made Saul king as he disobeyed God’s decrees and decided to do only as he wanted to do and in his own way. It’s an interesting and rare moment that God regrets a decision. The only other time we’re told about is in Genesis 6 when God regretted the creation of humanity and so, enter Noah. For me, it’s comforting to know that there are times when God’s mind is changed about a prior decision. While we only know about two of them from the Bible, perhaps there are more?

God is then preparing Samuel to find a new king for Israel and explains the criteria to him. Mortals look at outward appearance and make judgments while God looks on the heart and from that vantage point, God guides the uncertain Samuel to choose Saul’s successor. David, who while the smallest seed of Jesse, had a confident heart when the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him at his anointing. And then immediately we are confronted with Paul’s assertion in the beginning of this 1st Corinthians passage, that “We are always confident…” I am often far from confident in my faith at times. In retreating to the passage just before this one, I was able to find a bit of my internal footing, that is, Paul tells us just before that we [are to] look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. [2 Cor 4:18] It’s all seems very cryptic but it then weaves into Paul's reminder this week that being at home in this earthly body, that is seen and also temporary is life away from the Lord. We are called to seek our eternal, and not yet seen, home with our Lord God, and in so doing we become a new creation in Christ.

Jesus carries it further in his likening the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, a very tiny seed that grows into a shrub or tree so large that birds can nest in its branches. The parable of the mustard seed appears in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and has always resonated with me, especially later on in Luke and Matthew when Jesus says that all we need is faith the size of one of these very tiny seeds and mountains can be moved [Luke 17:6]. Just how small is that exactly? Well some varieties yield seeds the size of the period that ends this sentence. Only that much, or rather that little faith? Ok then, I can do that with a good heart and a little more confidence.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, You brought forth and seeded the Universe giving life in all of its forms. Foster our willingness to tend our own spiritual gardens by weeding out temptation, feeding with prayer in action, and prospering the work of our souls for Your service.

O Lord our God

RESPONSE: Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, answer us in our day of trouble and cultivate the growth of virtue, decency, empathy, and righteousness within the souls of all who govern in this World, in this Country, and in this Community. Implant any change of heart needed to bring about the full and equal flowering of all people, everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord our God

Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, may all who are weakened by severe illness, depression, or desperation, nest in the comforting shade of Your healing embrace, as You 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 God

Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, in the beauty and abundance Your Earth provides, we can merely glimpse and give continuous thanksgiving for the brilliance of eternal life, where those we love now live anew and thrive forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord our God

Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer 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 our God

Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, enhance the special combination of humility and confidence in those chosen to serve as leaders in Your Church. Guide them as they guide us to vibrantly bloom as a new creation in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord our God

Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts

The Celebrant adds: O God, Most High, instill the wisdom within each of us to know that however small and humble our beginnings, as we walk by faith and not by sight, we will surely reap the fullness of life eternal from the seeds of Your infinite love and grace. We ask through Jesus, our Christ, in whom all Creation is new, and the Holy Spirit whose Wisdom enriches the roots of our souls, who together with You, are One God, now and for 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, June 5, 2018

Prayers of the People: Out on a Limb ~ 3rd Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, June 10, 2018, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: Genesis 3:8-15, (11:14-15); Psalm 138, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1,
Mark 3:20-35

[God] said, “…Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?...Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” [Genesis 3:11b, 13]

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart…and praise your Name, because of your love and faithfulness…Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe…The Lord will make good his purpose for me. O Lord, your love endures forever. [Psalm 138:1a, 2b, 8a, 9a]

Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace…may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God…So do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. [2 Corinthians 4:15-16]

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."…And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “…And if a house is divided against itself, the house will not be able to stand.”…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, 23a, 25, 32-35]

Many years ago, I was a young military spouse living in Fort Benning, Georgia. A military base is self-contained and as complex, or more so, as any well run city with all the usual infrastructures within its unique mission and industry. One of the more surprising elements when I first arrived was the special team of soldiers deployed daily to remove snakes hanging from the limbs of trees in the housing areas. With a hundred thousand residents that includes soldiers, families, children, and household pets, having them drop from trees is not ideal, to say the least, especially as there are a few poisonous varieties. This memory surfaces whenever I hear the Genesis story of the tempting, trickster, dangerous serpent, often depicted in trees.

Snakes are mentioned over 80 times in the Bible as deceptive creatures that lure us with the promise that something God has forbidden us is actually good. While I cannot imagine being lured by a snake in this life, insert shivers here, we cannot judge a snake by its scales. Eve and Adam in turn wanted to eat that fruit and gave into the temptation having received encouragement and permission from the serpent.

Snakes in many guises are everywhere. We even call someone who sells potentially dangerous, medically untested remedies, a "snake oil salesman." Still today advertised "snake oil" is a hugely profitable business and we all fall prey at one time or another, when the message, the promise is just what we want to hear. And so it is in all facets of human life. We are drawn to those who promise that all difficulties and troubles will be resolved if only we buy the whole truckload of what they're selling. We line up against those who try to tell us that we are only looking at a mirage because we like our sales person better than theirs. We become that divided house that Jesus speaks of. And he would know about household division.

Even Jesus with his storied ancestry arrives in his home territory with less than a happy welcome from his family. Mary, his mother, and the brothers of Jesus think he's crazy and needs to be physically restrained. Perhaps Mary and her other sons were embarrassed by Jesus, in the sight of others, for not following an expected career path. Most families I know or know of have tales about embarrassing or alienating relatives who have befouled the family tree and perhaps even been disowned. It is no easy feat to understand, support, and accept a member of the family who has gone in unexpected and inexplicable ways. And so a household divides. Jesus defines family for himself, and by extension for us, as those who do the will of God. And how are we to determine what is the will of God, and what is the True Source and not the snake oil? How do we stand together when we understand things so differently. We won't know for sure that we've made the right choices until ... And, until, whenever I feel I'm out on an uncertain limb of Christ's family tree, I go back constantly to my favorite prayer by Thomas Merton:

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

~ From: Thoughts in Solitude¸ Thomas Merton

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Lord God Almighty, as by Your Will we were created, keep us safe in the midst of trouble. May we may not fall prey to human serpents that would lead us by charm and guile down the tangled garden path of earthly wants. Renew our inner nature each day that we may seek and make good Your purpose in this life that prepares us for the next.

O God of Love and Faithfulness

RESPONSE: With whole heart we praise and thank You

~ Lord God Almighty, infuse the leaders of this Planet, this Nation, and this Community with faith, principles, and strength of character. Lead their hearts to discern and implement Your wisdom for all Your people, that we may abide together in Your House, undivided, with no exclusion. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Love and Faithfulness

With whole heart we praise and thank You

~ Lord God Almighty, heal and comfort all who struggle with chronic pain, addiction, and recovery, and heighten the stamina of those who give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

O God of Love and Faithfulness

With whole heart we praise and thank You

~ Lord God Almighty, we lift up, with our love, all who have exchanged this earthly life for the glory, joy, and peace of eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Love and Faithfulness

With whole heart we praise and thank You

~ Lord God Almighty, 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 of Love and Faithfulness

With whole heart we praise and thank You

~ Lord God Almighty, refresh the vigor and vitality of those anointed to guide us, as together we navigate the time and tides of this temporal life, connecting our everyday lives and actions to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Love and Faithfulness

With whole heart we praise and thank You

The Celebrant adds: O God of Grace and Glory, develop in us a spiritual thirst that seeks to be quenched only in service to Your Holy Will. Through Your enduring love and grace, let us strive to become mother, father, sister, and brother to every one on every limb in the sacred family tree of Christ. We ask through the steadfastness of Jesus, and the blessings of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Prayers of the People: Listen for the Grain Drops ~ 2nd Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, June 3, 2018, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), Psalm 139: 1-5, 12-17; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12,

Mark 2:23-3:6

Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" [1 Samuel 3:8b-9]

Lord, you have searched me out and known me...you discern my thoughts from afar...You trace my journeys and my resting places and are acquainted with all my ways. Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you O Lord, know it altogether...For you yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

[Psalm 139:1a,b; 2-3, 12]

For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus made be made visible in our mortal flesh. [2 Corinthians 4:6, 11]

One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were going through the grain fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"...Then [Jesus] said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath..." [Mark 2:23-24, 27]

Psalm 139 is my favorite Psalm of all, well, most of it. In the verses appointed for this Sunday, we celebrate "the mystery of human personhood" as Biblical Scholar Walter Bruggemann has called it. We have left aside, for the moment, the parts that take our personhood to another part of our mortal being, the very human desire for vengeance. But we will leave our Smite-ing God for another day and think about the God who calls us.

Samuel hears and is confused. Was it a BOOMING GOD VOICE or a still small voice as he was lying in readiness for sleep? We don't know but it causes me to wonder, if, when, how has God's Voice come to me unrecognized and therefore unattended. But Eli had the perfect solution, if Samuel hears - or thinks he hears - God calling, simply say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. After all, the Psalm is very clear about what the Lord knows about us as we were knitted together in our mother's womb. And when life is feeling especially dark, and the uncertainty of God's voice and presence is large, Paul reminds us that it is God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness"...the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus...

Our fragile human existence, our life ~ this treasure in clay jars ~ is intended to receive and give that light, that we can know within and others can see from the outside, that Jesus is visible in all that we do in our lives, which takes me back to the Psalm. God has searched us out, knows our ways, our thoughts, and the words on our lips ~ almost frightening on one level, yet comfortable on another. Who else but with God are we totally ourselves, with nothing to hide, and, if we relax into it, say in Sabbath time, nothing to fear? But are we listening?

Jesus seems prepared and defiant when questioned by the Pharisees about the disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath. The incidents recounted in Mark don't reach the level of vengeance, but it is notable that it says Jesus looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart..." when questioning the Pharisaic enforcers, perhaps sarcastically, about whether it is lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath. Jesus told them earlier that the law was made for humans not humans for the law and was absolutely intentional in his flagrant healing of the man with the withered hand. There is a very deep message to hear if we are listening. Religious and secular laws can reflect the values and commitment of individuals and communities for a just and fair society. But taken to an extreme they can also be used against individuals and communities through technicalities that defy the spirit or intent of the law as it was instituted. God instituted Sabbath for human rest. If someone was unable to gather enough food the day before, should they be expected to go hungry for the sake of the letter of the law, or be denied healing? Jesus didn't think so. But listen for all the grain drops that fall and realize that as they pile up, and we fear disturbing the heap, we may become desensitized to the true needs of others. Let us release ourselves, through Sabbath rest, from hardness of heart and fear of the heartless. Let light shine out of darkness...Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ God of Glory and Greatness, You created and know us in all our ways, our thoughts, and our words. Grant us the desire and intention to seek and then listen to Your Voice when it comes. Guide our path to use the lives You have given us, in humble and grateful service through the message of Christ Jesus.

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

RESPONSE: Shine in and through us

~ Most High and Holy God, while some may seek power to establish their own earthly kingdoms, keep us mindful of the eternal life in Christ that is beyond mere mortal flesh. Free all victims of iniquity and blasphemy and let us work to extend the knowledge of grace, justice, mercy, and tolerance to all who govern the peoples of this World, this Nation, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

Shine in and through us

~ Most High and Holy God, strengthen 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… add your own petitions

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

Shine in and through us

~ Most High and Holy God, in gratitude for the earthly time, we commend to You those who have now entered new life through the Heavenly Gate of divine joy and everlasting peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

Shine in and through us

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

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

Shine in and through us

~ Most High and Holy God, enhance the gifts of those chosen to lead us in Your Church, so that through their example, inspiration, and discipleship, we each and our community of faith, will grow in spirit and in grace with the life of Christ made visible within us. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Creator Lord, Light in the Darkness

Shine in and through us

The Celebrant adds: Lord of All, Seen and Unseen, while in the fragility of human life ~ our treasure in clay jars ~ let us seek the physical and spiritual shelter of Sabbath as necessary and holy time. May we rest often in Your goodness and mercy to strengthen body and soul, yet not to the exclusion of the true needs of others. We ask through Jesus, Son of Man, and the blessings of the Holy Spirit, who together with You, reign as One God, now and throughout eternity. 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

Monday, May 21, 2018

Prayers of the People: Two Men and a Bird? Trinity Sunday, 1st Sunday after Pentecost '18 Yr B

For Sunday, May 27, 2018, 1^st Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 29 or Canticle 13, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

In the year that King Uzziah died…The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke…Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal…touched my mouth with it and said, “…your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send…” and I said, “Here am I; send me!” [Isaiah 6:1a, 4, 6a, 7-8]

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness…The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of Peace. [Psalm 29:2, 11]

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. [Romans 8:14, 15b-16a, 17b]

“What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit…’You must be born from above.’” …”If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” [John 3:6, 7b, 12]

It’s so very difficult – ok, impossible – for us as mere mortals to wrap our brains around the mystical mysterious concept of the Trinity, or mathematically speaking: 1 + 2 = One. Two out of the three persons of this, our Trinitarian God, are genderless although many refer to God as Father and some think of the Spirit as the feminine of Wisdom, or Sophia as it is written in Biblical Greek. While our human minds cannot possibly grasp the Trinity in its complexities, we still wrestle with how to reduce it to fit in a small box in our minds that we can pretend to understand. The mind naturally seeks to sort and file its collected data into usable bits amidst the consternation of those pieces that simply don’t fit the space allotted.

The Christian Trinity is, plainly and purely, if not simply, a mystery. Yet if it is explained then there is no mystery and is easily dismissed. What is God-like in that? Some minds clamor for any mystery to be reducible and solvable to fit neatly into that file as in wanting to know the steps an entertaining magician uses to perform an illusion. Others are comfortably engaged in the wonder of the ways it is unfolding.

The mystery of the Trinity is nothing if not confounding. One God/Three Persons – separate yet one, equal with different roles that are ultimately the same, belief in one is meant to be belief in all and the One that is the same but different. “Stranger than we think and stranger than we can think,” to borrow from physicist Neils Bohr’s description of the Universe. Franciscan Richard Rohr tells us that some ancient mystics have suggested that we are called as an almost fourth person in the flow of God, as Jesus says later in John’s Gospel, "so that where I am you also may be" [John 14:3].
One of my favorite ways to attempt a workable sense of the Trinity – gender language aside – is through a piece of a 6th century creed from Dublin known as Tírechán’s Creed ~ when speaking of God it says:

He has a Son who is co-eternal with himself;

and similar in all respects to himself;

and neither is the Son younger than the Father,

nor is the Father older than the Son;

and the Holy Spirit breathes in them.
And the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable.

Perfectly clear now, yes? Well, here’s another wrinkle, someone else once wrote – I don’t remember who – that if your understanding of the Trinity is 2 men and a bird, it is time to rethink! If we can truly understand the mysteries of God, then that God, for me, is way too small.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Abba, Redeemer, Advocate, release us from our quest to reduce You and the vast mystery of faith to our human level of certainty and understanding. Grant us openness of mind, sincerity of heart, and willingness to come to You unknowing, allowing the wind of the Spirit, the redemption of Christ, and our birth from Above, to move through us in Your many and miraculous ways.

Most Holy Trinity

RESPONSE: In faith we answer Your call

~ Abba, Redeemer, Advocate, in a world where principle and integrity are obscured in the smoke of fear and confusion, let us answer “Here we are; send us” to seek Your Voice, speak with clean lips, and to bear witness for truth and justice in the halls of governments in our World, our Nation, and in our Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Most Holy Trinity

In faith we answer Your call

~ Abba, Redeemer, Advocate, embrace and sustain the hope and faith of those bowed low by illness, addiction, or loneliness, and give comfort to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

Most Holy Trinity

In faith we answer Your call

~ Abba, Redeemer, Advocate, we joyfully ascribe the glory due Your name as you receive those we love into everlasting life, in the beauty of holiness they have now achieved. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Most Holy Trinity

In faith we answer Your call

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

Most Holy Trinity

In faith we answer Your call

~ Abba, Redeemer, Advocate, we lift to Your care the souls and hearts of our Earthly Guides, ordained by You to walk with us, beyond the bindings of earthly things toward the glory of all things of heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Most Holy Trinity

In faith we answer Your call

The Celebrant adds: Creator, Savior, Sanctifier, grant us the blessing of Your peace as we accept the strength You have given us as joint heirs of Your eternal Kingdom. Expand and amplify our faith that its depth and constancy are revealed in the ways we answer Your call. We ask through each and all of the Three Eternal Persons in the sacred mystery of the Holy Trinity, who are One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Prayers of the People: Who's on Fire? ~ Pentecost Sunday '18 Yr B

For Sunday, May 20, 2018, Pentecost Sunday, Year B, Readings: Acts 2:1-21, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 104:25-35, 37; John 15:26-27, 16:4

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]

O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and…then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act… [Ezekiel 37:13b-14a,b]

You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the LORD endure for ever…Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah! [Psalm 104:31, 32a, 37]

Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…he will testify on my behalf. You are also to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.” [John 15:26-27]

It is hard to believe that it is now the 50th day after Easter, and the 10^th day after the celebration of the Ascension of Jesus. It is Pentecost – the word itself comes from the Greek for fiftieth – and it did not begin with the time of Jesus. In 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 would have been another of the reasons that the disciples had gathered together. Of course, they were also waiting with some trepidation, no doubt, for the sign promised by the resurrected Jesus just 10 days before, in his last in-person teachings, as he said he would send them the Advocate, the Spirit of truth. It may well have been comforting to be together in the familiar structure of this ancient feast. What must each day have been like for them, individually and collectively? Just in a few recent months they experienced praying – or trying to stay awake - with Jesus in the Garden, then the sudden arrest, Peter’s denial, the trial, the carrying of the cross through the City, and the violent execution of Jesus, his resurrection, then his ascension, to mention only a few details. I would think they would still be reeling in their own shock, grief, and fear trying to cope with these inexplicable turns of events. Now here they are gathered together again without quite knowing what was coming next, let alone when “it” would arrive. Perhaps in their remembrance of God giving Moses the Law, they also remembered the encounter Moses had with God in the burning bush. 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 and amazed!

Today it may be easy for us to be blasé, to know the story too well, to be immune to the thrill, the astonishment. Whatever the planning, hopes, and desires of the Liturgists, sadly and often, it seems, that the wonder of it all has been lost.

So it is then, that today is the day to STOP knowing the story. Today is the day to START experiencing 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 merely for the wanting of it! 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. And Jesus tells the disciples, from whom we follow on, that they/we are to testify on behalf of Jesus. The Gospels tell us how to do it, God filled our lungs with breath, and the Spirit gives us our voice.

Let us rejoice and be glad and joy-filled, and alive in it, after all, it's Pentecost and we're on fire!

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 known world to bring the message of Christ to all.

This day is known as Whitsun/Whitsunday in Ireland and the UK, a descendant of a Gaelic celebration from medieval or perhaps more ancient times.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Lord GOD, Almighty, rattle our bones, amaze and astonish us, bewilder us out of our distractions and detachment, fling us out of the ordinary into the stunning wonder and exquisite joy of the Holy Spirit within.