People's Prayers

Monday, July 13, 2020

Prayers of the People: Un-Tare-ing the Wheat ~ 7th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 19, 2020, Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23; Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

And the Lord stood beside him and said, "...Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place - and I did not know it!"...He called that place Beth-El. [Genesis 28:13a, 15-16, 19a]

Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways...Look well whether there be any wickedness in me and lead me in the way that is everlasting. [Psalm 139:1-2, 23]

When we cry, "Abba! Father!" is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then...heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ...But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." [Romans 8:15b-17a, 25]

[Jesus] answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels...The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect...all causes of sin and all evildoers, and...throw them into the furnace...Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. [Matthew 13:37-42a, 43a]

"Pogo" was a daily American newspaper comic strip by Walt Kelly that ran from 1948 to 1975. Set in the Okefenokee Swamp in the deep south, it used animal characters that portrayed human characteristics, and often mixed comedy with social and political satire. On the second Earth Day, in 1971, Pogo the possum is trudging through the swamp with his friend, Porkypine. In this two panel rendering, the characters bemoan the state of the swamp with the overwhelming amount of rubbish that has been dumped in it, and Pogo utters a now iconic phrase that captures us all too well still today: We have met the enemy, and he is us.

We are often, and in many ways, our own worst enemies. Jacob is frequently a victim of his own schemes (learned at his mother's knee) as he, in this case, has run away from his understandably angry twin Esau, and will never see his mother again.

The verses of Psalm 139 in this reading are the comforting ones that we use in Liturgy. See verses 18-21 for those days when a harsh look at our sometimes unkindly selves and a cathartic venting feels necessary!

Paul speaks to our inward groaning and mortal struggles to avoid the deeds of the body as he exhorts us to hope for what we do not see and wait for it with patience.

But it is this parable of Jesus, often known as the wheat and the tares [noxious weeds that resemble the wheat sprouts], that offers us a lesson in prudent personal agronomy. It takes an experienced farmer/gardener to know the difference between seedlings that grow into the desired plants and those that produce invasive, destructive weeds. The Master of this field wisely leaves well enough alone, as at maturity, the reapers will have no difficulty in distinguishing the wheat from the weeds, knowing which to save and which to burn.

While the Master of this story blames an enemy for the deliberate seeding of tares in his field, we can look to ourselves for the crop of noxious weeds we produce. One grows each time we point a finger in hate, however self-righteous and correct we think we are. Another shoots up each time we judge and belittle those we believe to be the enemy of our personal agenda (even if they are). The next grows tall every time we decide who is an undesirable and useless plant growing where it isn't wanted. And half-an acre rises up especially when we believe we know who God will - or should - burn. It is so easy to sow another seed of soul-destroying rubbish in our own spiritual ground, reducing it to an unholy swamp.

The message is pretty clear, and always difficult: it's not our job to reap the harvest and separate the weeds from the wheat. We are called to be the good seeds, the children of the kingdom, to be fruitful and nourish the fields of the Lord. In growing strong in Christ together, we will crowd out temptation, resist and lessen the impact of the noxious weeds in God's Creation. The true and fertile seeds of the Spirit are ready to sprout. God is the true and only judge of the hearts of others. Jesus came to save the fallen, not just the faithful. Let us not be the enemy. Only God is the One to un-tare the wheat.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Abba! God! You have traced our journeys from the womb and know well our hearts and thoughts. Keep us in the Spirit of Hope to labor with patience in Your fields, and away from the causes of sin.

                                       O Lord of All
RESPONSE:            You are in this place

~ Abba! God! Impel the hearts and souls of all who govern our World, our Country, and our Community to tear out the choking tendrils of deadly contagion, injustice, and greed to save the lives of all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                       O Lord of All
                                       You are in this place

~ Abba! God! Relieve the pain and despair from those who suffer with illness, injury, or addiction, and sustain the strength of those who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                       O Lord of All
                                       You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We lift up and release those we love into Your joyous welcome, to shine like the sun in Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                       O Lord of All
                                       You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                       O Lord of All
                                       You are in this place

~ Abba! God! We commend to You, with gratitude, those who have committed their lives to us in Your service. Bless, inspire, and uphold them as they work with us in Your Creation to guide us always toward You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                       O Lord of All
                                       You are in this place

The Celebrant adds: O God of Promise and Glory, sow in us a longing to take the wings of each morning to search and know our own hearts, to clear away the weeds of sin and doubt, and to prosper our spiritual ground as the Beth-El we each are called to be. We ask through Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom and Comfort, who together with You reign as One God, now and forever. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Monday, July 6, 2020

Prayers of the People: The Ground of Being ~ 6th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 12, 2020, Readings: Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-2

The children struggled together within her...the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided..." [Genesis 25:22a, 23a]

Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.

[Psalm 119:105]

To set the mind ion the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace...But you are not in the flesh; You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. [Romans 8:6, 9]

Let anyone with ears listen! ...for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word...yet such a person has no root...and immediately falls away...As for what was sown among thorns, this is one who hears the word but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word, understands it, who indeed bears fruit... [Matthew 13:9, 20a, 21a,b; 22, 23a]

This week, among other things, we have twins who fight, parents who play favorites, and the Divine Master Gardener at work.

The story of Jacob, whose narrative will take nearly half of Genesis, begins. He and his twin, Esau, struggle together in the womb and far beyond, and the telling of it has all the hallmarks of a compelling and contemporary family drama. Hero and anti-hero in one, Jacob's significant life begins with his name in Hebrew that basically means "heel", from his holding on to his brother's heel at birth. It also comes from the same Hebrew root that means "cheat" and so he is, quite often, a heel who cheats. The family dynamics are quite fascinating as we will see going forward but there is, I believe, an important continuing theme undergirding the narrative itself that repeats from Genesis to Jesus to Paul ~ the flawed and sometimes despicable humans that move the people of God are all chosen by God and gifted with the free will to obey or not. Many of those who play the larger roles find themselves in thorny patches on rocky roads diverted from their appointed mission by the lure of earthly distractions, intemperance, or a volatile nature. Yet they are brought to us in Scripture, remembered for their deeds and misdeeds, as human as we are, and, like us, with depths and shallows, tragedies and triumphs, ordinary and extraordinary depending on the day, the dilemma, and the choices made.

We, too, are created and chosen by God with the seeds of the Spirit planted within us. It would seem that all we need to do is till, tend, water, feed, and weed for a bountiful harvest of God's love, Christ's salvation, and life eternal. But, of course, it's not always quite so simple. Farming is tough work, a 24/7 job on and in the ground. Great soil, good weather, and hard work should yield a good crop. But even excellent farmers have epic failures despite their best efforts. We, as all those who came before and all who come after, will encounter feasts and famines, droughts and floods, rocks, thorns, and pestilence, within the span of our lives; some of it through no fault of our own and some by our willing neglect and impetuous choices. But, the Spirit of God dwells within us and when we are shaken back to that consciousness, it is never too late to replenish the soil, enrich it with the nutrients of prayer and penitence, and nurture the deep roots that always remain. Whatever is on the surface of our temporal acreage at any given time, the Word of God will ground us if we will hear and understand.

A dandelion can flower in all manner of groundings, and a desert will erupt in blooms with the slightest moisture. Whenever the Word penetrates my awareness, I must try, try again to clear the rocks, cut back the thorns, and cultivate those deep roots that are the ground of my being; to be fruitful and multiply the good yields of my soul, to belong to Christ Jesus again and forever.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, Your Word is a lantern to our feet on the journey of this mortal life. Grant us eyes to see and ears to hear Your call to us, each and together, to seek the fertile path of the Spirit, to listen deeply, understand, and to willingly live and act upon Your Will.

Lord Jesus, our Christ

RESPONSE: Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, sow the healthy seeds of grace and goodness in the souls of those who govern this World, our Nation, and our Community. Divert them from the way of thorns into the arable terrain of fairness, honor, and integrity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord Jesus, our Christ

Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, comfort and heal all who struggle with illness in body, mind, or heart, and ease the burden of those who care for them. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

Lord Jesus, our Christ

Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, we commend to Your hand, all who have left this world for Your Kingdom where there is no death, only life everlasting in the fullness of joy. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Lord Jesus, our Christ

Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

Lord Jesus, our Christ

Deepen our roots in You

~ Holy God, Ground of our Being, plant a grower’s faith and vitality within those chosen and anointed as the tillers of Your verdant fields. Guide them to model and inspire spiritual growth in each other, in ourselves, and in our community of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord Jesus, our Christ

Deepen our roots in You

The Celebrant adds: Lord of Creation, our Divine Gardener, cultivate our hearts to free us from the weeds of temporal pleasures that choke away our spiritual birthright of salvation. Enrich our willingness to tend and nurture Your Word and Presence within us for a fruitful yield; a soul-fulfilling harvest to last eternally. We ask this through Jesus, Sower of the Word, and the Holy Spirit, Wellspring of Wisdom, who live and thrive together with You as One God, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, June 29, 2020

Prayers of the People: Teaming Up ~ 5th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 5, 2020, Readings: Genesis 24:4-8, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:11-18, Romans 7:15-25a, Matt 11:16-19, 25-30

The Lord is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down. [Psalm 45:14-15]

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but the very thing I hate...For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do...Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God though Jesus Christ our Lord! [Romans 7:15, 19,24b-25]

Jesus said to the crowd, "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another...For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say 'he has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds...Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will bind rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [Matthew 11: 16, 18-19, 28-30]

The appointed lectionary this week, for me, is a rare moment of disconnection between the Hebrew Testament and the Christian Testament. The reading from Genesis is setting up the background for the narrative to come and the Psalm supports it so I will put it aside for that stage to be set. But it is this self-revealing angst of Paul that always speaks to me, as well as the stark reality of all that happens now has been happening all along.

We all succumb to the us vs them mind game more often than we are willing to admit to ourselves. It may be hidden in a desire for a sense of personal superiority or of belonging to the correct group. There can be an almost addicting need for a sense of acceptance within a given community ~ if you are not one of or with us in all we think, say, or do, then you are one of or with them, painting with the broad brush of no exceptions. Further, if you are one of them you can't be one of us ~ THEM have demons, are gluttons and drunkards. THEM are and associate with all who are unacceptable to US.

It is so easy, familiar, and self-comforting to get caught up in the want of knowing unequivocally who is right and who is wrong. That has never been more crystal clear than right here and right now. Paul brings our humanity front and center - deep down I know I don't want to say or do some of the things I say or do but I do the very thing I hate. When I catch myself, I resolve to be better and improve my reactions and responses in everyday living. Then, unaware, I fall back into the “I'm better than fill in name of person or group” mode and act accordingly, whereupon - eventually - I realize, I have failed, again, to be who and what I want to be.

Jesus offers us His easy yoke, to guide us and teach us. The burden is light, he says, but the pull back to the familiar behaviors ~ even those we don't want ~ is quick and often unconscious. They are easier than making conscious changes, and, taking on the very real risk of being ostracized from our “us” as one of "them."

In the language of addiction treatment, we are sinners in recovery. The tendency to fall back is always strongest at the start of healing. But the farther we move ahead of it, the easier to resist, especially in a learning, supportive community of those who acknowledge their sins and strive to overcome them; and when a fall occurs, the easy yoke of Christ will carry us together.

There is a yoke on each of us and each come with a clear choice. One binds us to the sins great and small that we know are within us, that bruise and chafe our hearts and damage our souls. The other is the Yoke of Christ, not free of pain or trials or even fear, but the loads and burdens of this short life - much of it self-inflicted - are lightened, less wearisome, healing, and hopeful. We are always one in, of, and with Him. With His yoke, we are a team doing His work in His field, together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, awaken us to our self-imposed bindings of our familiar sins that distract us from hearing and acting upon Your truth. Rescue our hearts to recover our eagerness to accept Your easy yoke of learning and redemption.

O Christ, our Savior

RESPONSE: Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, burden and enflame the souls of the leaders of our World, our Nation, and our Community with a heavy yoke of desire to turn to the good they are capable of doing, gather the strength to avoid the evils of power, and the vision to see into the eyes and hearts of those for whom they legislate, as well those they know and love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Christ, our Savior

Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, soothe the pain and suffering of those depleted by disease, injury, or depression, and comfort those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Christ, our Savior

Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we commend with our love all who have been released from this life into the gracious and glorious reception of everlasting life with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Christ, our Savior

Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

O Christ, our Savior

Rest our souls in You

~ Gentle Jesus, Humble in Heart, for all who lead us in Your Church as a visible sign of Your Yoke, we ask continuing revival of spirit and replenishment of joy in life and ministry. Let us be mutual companions on this journey of our souls, caring and carrying in turn. We pray especially for:add your own petitions

O Christ, our Savior

Rest our souls in You

The Celebrant adds: O God of our souls and our humanity, help us to come as children to listen and learn, to hear and grow. Fill us with the desire to recognize and repent of our sins great and small, and to be held captive only by Your love and grace. We ask this through our Most Holy Jesus, and Your Glorious Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You, as One God forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, June 22, 2020

Prayers of the People: Willing to be Willing? ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost Yr A

For Sunday, June 28, 2020, Readings: Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 13, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42

God tested Abraham..."Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering..."When they came to that place...Abraham...took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord...said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy...for now I know that you fear God..." they came to that place...Abraham...took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord...said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy...for now I know that you fear God..." [Genesis 22:1a, 2a,9a, 10-11a, 12]

Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God, give life to my eyes, lest I sleep in death...But I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help...I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High. [Psalm 13: 3, 5, 6b]

...present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life...as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but grace...now that you have been freed from sin...the advantage you get is sanctification...For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 6:13b, 14, 22-23]

Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me...and whoever gives even a cold cup of water...truly I tell you, none..will lose their reward." [Matthew 10:40, 42]

   Abraham! How could…How did…What were…Am I…?
My first thought whenever this reading from Genesis appears is of Abraham. I try to imagine the conversation, “So, Sarah, I'm taking Isaac away for a few days.” Was he planning on how he would explain returning without the boy? “Terrible accident with a) fall off the mountain, b) wild beast got him, c) well, actually God said…” Was he worried, anxious, or so profoundly trusting in God and willingly obedient?
      My second thought is always about Sarah - did she know about this plan before or after? Given her actions to rid Abraham of Ishmael and clear the path for Isaac, we can only imagine the scene if the sacrifice had taken place.
       This universally known story of Abraham's almost-sacrifice of Isaac as a test of obedience to God is pretty horrifying on its face. It is no stretch of the imagination to understand why seminary professor and author, Phyllis Trible, names this one of the Texts of Terror in her book of the same name. Uncountable millions of words by nearly as many writers have been written attempting to explain it. Who of us, upon hearing this, hasn't wondered and worried if this is what it means to "obey" God? But we must keep the angelic intervention in mind - the sacrifice was more about Abraham's willingness to do God's bidding and that was all God required.
        It's very easy and frightening to get caught up in the language of fear, especially in these volatile times, but each of this week's readings reinforces God's steadfast love. Yes, physical harm may come from a variety of sources and yet allowing ourselves to be paralyzed by fear of what may or may not happen to ourselves and those we love is more than self-defeating, it’s unfaithful.
        Paul asks what advantage did you get…from the things of which you are now ashamed? In accepting Christ, we are freed from enslavement to sin. Yes, the language of “slave” and “enslavement” is archaic though wonderfully and especially distressing as we recognize the deep sin of systemic racial enslavement and willing discrimination in our own time. To put it into more contemporary language, Eugene Peterson’s The Message refers to the tyranny of sin and when released we are in living in God’s freedom.
      Matthew’s Gospel for this week gives us The Five Welcomes, the smallest actions of life done in the name of a disciple and/or Christ himself, grants us our never-ending reward of Salvation.
       Our "life" here, when we accept being freed from sin, welcoming and caring for others in Christ’s name, is to be a preparation for the free gift of God in eternal life in Christ.
       Free gift? Well, it is free choice and, at the very least, the promise of eternity seems well worth the sometimes-expensive price of obedience and hospitality. But as we learned from Abraham’s angel, it’s the willingness to obey that matters. It still a bit terrifying and isn’t at all easy. I try often and I fail more often, but as I keep starting over, I will always be looking and hoping for that rescue angel to reach me just in time.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Oh Lord Who Provides, awaken the spark You created within us to seek the heart of Abraham by accepting and working through, rather than fearing, each test of faith in this life, trusting in Your saving help.

                                                     O God of Grace
RESPONSE:             We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, ignite the hearts and souls of the leaders of this Country, this Community, and this World, with extra grace and strength of character, to act upon Your will and wisdom for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, restore hope and health to those who struggle with continuing illness, isolation, or homelessness, and stamina for all who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, to Your Everlasting Arms, we lift up all who have exchanged this earthly life to flourish in the peace of eternity with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, fortify and sustain those chosen to help us navigate the time and tides of this human experience. Impart refreshment in spiritual wisdom to preach Your Word, encourage our understanding, and connect us to You in everyday living. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God of Grace
                                                       We trust in Your Mercy

The Celebrant adds: God of all that is, Seen and Unseen, save us from fear in our times of trial, and give light to our eyes to see the path to salvation. Guide us to be a welcoming reflection of Your love in all that we are and all that we do. We ask through Jesus, our Messiah, and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, Your Sacred Breath within us. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Monday, June 15, 2020

Prayers of the People: Losing to Find ~ 3rd Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, June 21, 2020, Readings: Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1b -11, Matthew 10:24-49 [Track 1]

But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and...your slave woman...do as [Sarah] tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring will be named for you. I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring...God called to Hagar..."Do not be afraid; lift up the boy...I will make a great nation of him"...God was with the boy... [Genesis 21:12-13, 17b-18, 20a]

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love for all who call upon you...In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for your will answer me. [Psalm 86: 5, 7]

...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life...So you also much consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3b, 4b, 11]

So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows..."Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven...I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." [Matthew 10:31-32, 34b, 38-39]

In last week's reading from Genesis, Sarah was laughing - she got caught, denied it, and was brought up short. She was then granted happiness in her old age, or so we thought.

This week we find a different Sarah, jealous and vengeful, separating the child from his father, Abraham, and willing to allow that child and his mother to die. God calmed Abraham and later Hagar, by telling her Do not be afraid. And we are told about this other son of Abraham, known to us as Ishmael, upon whom God also founded a nation, that God was with the boy.

Paul reminds us that in Baptism we die, to sin that is, and if all goes well with us, we are alive to God in Jesus. And then Jesus tells the disciples (us, too) not to have fear of those who disparage him. Yet although the words those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul are fearsome, Jesus reminds us that even sparrows sold cheaply are valued by God. He echoes God in saying do not be afraid because we are more valuable than many sparrows.

THEN, BOOM - where did THIS Jesus come from: Not bringing peace but a sword, setting family against family, households against one another? Separating us from him if we love others more? We have arrived at Part 2 of Jesus' teaching on what discipleship actually means. Last week we were sheep in the midst of wolves and now we learn what can happen when confronting those wolves, when we pick up His cross and follow Him. He has my attention - he had me at I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...

But then, how different is this from what we experience in life, especially in these tumultuous times, when we hold differing opinions with those we love? Political and even religious rhetoric can be fiery and fierce, families and friends stop speaking to one another. Strangers are yelling at each other in the streets and, of course, on social media.

The world seems angrier than ever and us vs them boils over all too often into violence. The difference is that Jesus stops us in our tracks in this Gospel with his sword, because it begs the questions to ourselves and each other: What really is our life all about? How easily - like sheep - do we bolt headlong into everything except what our Shepherd wants? He doesn't want us to stop loving each other, but we are to love Him more. The glint of the sword blade is a clear warning that being steadfast in faith, acknowledging Him above all else - family, friends, job, lifestyle, etc. - is fraught with far more than separation anxiety, it can be dangerous for a mere human. We are not the sword-carriers, we are bearers of the Word, the Good News. And some days will be easier than others. But this is not a part-time occupation, a Sunday thing, or a Christmas and Easter duty. This is what we sign up for when we call ourselves Followers of Christ. The pay-off is full-time, eternal life. No easy road but if we travel together, we can keep the wolves at bay while losing only that which keeps us from finding our true life. Remember that pray without ceasing thing? Start NOW and, oh yes: Do not be afraid. God in Christ is with us.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, You bid us to choose between living now in false comfort or with division by walking in the newness of Christ. Keep us grounded, strong in our faith, willing to bear the cost in this life for the promise of Jesus in the next.

O God, Great and Wondrous RESPONSE: We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, give us the courage to be what we expect and demand of political leaders in this World, across our Country, and in our Local cities and towns. Strengthen us to work in large and small ways to end quarreling, power plays, and violence that separate and kill us here and across this Earth. We pray especially for: Donald, our President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.