Prayers of the People: Papyrus, Rock, Keys ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, August 23, 2020, Readings: Exodus 1:8-2:10, Psalm 124, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20

    Now a new king arose over Egypt...[who] commanded all his people "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile...[When the Levite] woman...bore a son...she got a papyrus basket...she put the child in it among the reeds on the bank of the river...The daughter of Pharoah...took pity on him...she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water." 
[Exodus 1:8a, 22a, 2:2a, 3a,b; 5a, 6b, 10b]

      Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth. [Psalm 124:8]

      ...by the mercies of God...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed...that you may discern what is the will of God...We have gifts that differ according to the grace given us... [Romans 12:1b, 2, 6a]

      [Jesus] said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him..."I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
 [Matthew 16:15-16, 17a, 19]

                 Just as the well-worn literary device of "It was a dark and stormy night" alerts us to trouble ahead, so do the opening words of this passage of Exodus, "Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph." Of course we know the story of Moses and what is to come, we've seen the movies. Our ease with the story, however, can give way to distraction especially when the church service is online and we're sitting with coffee in hand, letting the reading roll on while we check an incoming Facebook post or a text message on our mobile phones. But the re-telling, of this and each of the other specifically appointed readings every week (as well as in the Daily Office), gives us a chance to find a new focus, or hear something we hadn't noticed before, or had forgotten. This is a the perfect time and opportunity to seek and discover the keys to unlocking the connections between the Hebrew and Christian Testaments.* By setting aside earthly distractions for at least the length of the Liturgy, and if we intentionally listen, hear, and consciously permit, ways to inform and shape our every-day-lives here and now will be more easily recognized. Reading them again for ourselves later will also add depth and possibly raise interesting thoughts and questions to encourage further contemplation.  

           Paul reminds us, in a most timely way, that we are one body in Christ with God-given, grace-filled gifts that we are to identify within ourselves and offer in service to God and each other. He says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God. He both admonishes and encourages us to look beyond ourselves to work together for God's purpose as the welcoming all-inclusive community of the many members in Christ. 

         When Jesus asks who others think he is, perhaps the disciples were wondering themselves if Jesus was some sort of re-incarnation of the prophets. But Simon Peter, gets the prize for getting the answer correct. Peter - a name meaning rock in Greek - is then awarded the keys of the kingdom of heaven to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Did Peter, in that moment, feel the enormous weight of the responsibility? Binding and loosing is a rabbinical concept that, as Jews, the disciples - and Matthew - understood. In very simplistic terms it means as a communal judgment to bind as in obligation or to loosen that requirement. How does that apply to us in our lives today?  

        Many of us feel a strong obligation, or at least a commitment, to present ourselves in Church each Sunday - if only online as currently until again in person - but of course we are free to not view or attend. So what does a true obligation to the work of Christ actually mean? Ah, that's where discernment applies. Discovering what are and how to use our particular gifts, as well as offering them in the sincere attempt to follow God's will, is the work of a lifetime, our spiritual worship, our living sacrifice. Our human gifts are the keys to unlocking our spiritual gifts when used in preparation for the true life that is to come. All that was, is now, and all that is now, will come again. It is up to us, individually and collectively, to recognize the connections we share with the past and the future that help us to decipher the signs that we are on the right path or diverging from it. To paraphrase mystic/monk Thomas Merton's helpful and hopeful prayer that begins, "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going...," the fact that I think I'm following God's will does not mean that I truly am doing so, BUT, I do believe that God knows when I am sincere in my desire to please and fulfill my calling. * * 
        Sincerity of purpose is one key to the loosening of apprehension and the binding of trust. Connecting the lessons of the past and present is the key to the future of life everlasting. 

* (As for a couple of biblical connections, the word for basket - as in the basket that Moses was placed in - is the same word as ark in Hebrew; ark is not just a vessel for water travel, it is a sanctuary, a safe place such as a box or a chest as with the ark of the covenant. In Exodus, all Hebrew boy babies were ordered to be killed by Pharaoh to prevent them growing up and revolting against him. Earlier in Matthew, Herod ordered all boys under 2 years old to be killed to prevent a Messiah from undermining his reign. Go forth and discover more each week.) 

* * for the full text click here: Thomas Merton's Prayer

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ O Living God, our Maker and our Help, through the waters that birth us, and Moses was drawn from, that nourish the Earth and sometimes drown it, we struggle to navigate our lives between the raging and the calm. Let us not drift aimlessly through tide and torrent, but point ourselves toward the Light of Christ, the Incarnation of Your Holy Will for us. 

O Lord, our God                                                  

RESPONSE:                                   Transform and Renew us 

~ O Living God, our Maker and our Help, empower us to be vigorous in the pursuit of re-forming the attitudes, agenda, and actions from callous to compassionate on the part of the political leaders of this World, this Country, and this Community.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us 

~  O Living God, our Maker and our Help, infuse hope, healing, and comfort in all who are lost in the grip of serious or life-threatening illness, and all who give of their strength in support.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

     

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us  

        

~  O Living God, our Maker and our Help, open wide the gates of heaven as You receive in joy, those we now commend to the bliss of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us 

~ O Living God, our Maker and our Help, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

   

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us  

                      

~ O Living God, our Maker and our Help, we offer our special thanksgivings for those who guide, us by their teaching, preaching, and prayers, to discern our own gifts and discover our path to all that is good and acceptable to You. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

  

O Lord, our God 

Transform and Renew us  

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Holy and Immortal God, awaken us each morning with eagerness to offer ourselves in service to Your Supreme Will, to escape the snares of conforming to what is of this world, and bind ourselves to Your Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, Son of Man, our Blessed Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Advocate, who together with You are one God, eternal, and everlasting.   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 

Prayers of the People: With Only the Crumbs ~ 11th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, August 16, 2020, Readings: Genesis 45:1-5, Psalm 133, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28

    Joseph said to his brothers... "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt...I will provide for you [in the land of Goshen]... and now your eyes...see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you...And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them... [Genesis 45:4, 11a, 12a, 15a]

                  Oh how good and pleasant it is when brethren live together in unity. [Psalm 133:1]

                  I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means!...For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. [Romans, 11:1a, 29]

                 But [the Canaanite woman] came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." [Jesus] answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." [Matthew 15:25-28]

         She is my hero. That Canaanite woman, that impure, foreign, woman, that non-Jew, that Gentile. I can imagine the scene - the disciples' rolling eyes and knowing looks of the she's one-of-them sort; their collective groans and oh please expulsions of breath in frustration, and finally asking Jesus to send her away as her shouts were annoying them. Can you see her, too? She's worrying about her child, seeking the help of the man she knows can work the miracle she and her child seek. Yet in her greatest moment of need, or perhaps because of it, she, of the lowliest stature, risks all to get a response from Jesus who then dismisses her, in effect, telling her she's no better than a dog. She gives a highly unexpected response that is food for thought for any of us who have diminished anyone - especially those we think of as not one of us - by a thought, a look, a comment, or especially an action that seeks to elevate ourselves above another. Jesus answers the ubiquitous question, What Would Jesus Do? THIS, THIS is what Jesus did: he heard her speak her truth to his power, and he acclaimed her for her faith and healed her daughter.
       And Joseph is also a hero to me. Sold into slavery to a foreign land by his own jealous brothers and then rising to an exalted position in the court of the pharaoh. Let me count the ways of revenge he might have used on them. But he didn't. He found himself in a position to help his family despite their actions against him. He forgave them. He gave them his love and protection.
       God has created us one and all with the free will to make what we can out of our human condition. Some days, some times of life, are clearly better than others for each of us, yet we all are God's chosen children. Luckily for the human race, God didn't give me or any of us the job of deciding who is the right sort, who is acceptable, or who belongs with the dogs.
       Paul tells us, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. God, in Jesus, did give me the responsibility of giving voice to faith, to use the gifts well, and to answer the call from the good in my heart, even if some days all I have are the crumbs of hope. Yet it is faith, however fragile at times, that is the key that opens the door and reveals the heart of the matter: We are to GIVE, FORGIVE, and BELIEVE. Let us seek those crumbs of hope, of faith, of love for it is in the seeking we will find that God’s door is always open.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Eternal God, Most High, by and in Your Creation, everyone is Your beloved. Free us from the rancor and hostilities of an us and them world, and fill us with the inner peace and the confidence of faith. Open the eyes of our hearts to see others as ourselves and know they, too, are completely Yours, never, ever discarded by Your choice.

   Bless us, O Christ       

RESPONSE:                              May our faith be great

~ Eternal God, Most High, grant us the tenacity to sway the minds and hearts of the leaders of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, to be the models of justice, integrity, and peace, for Your purpose: kindred souls living together in unity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Bless us, O Christ

                                                       May our faith be great

~ Eternal God, Most High, lighten the burden of all who are in the pit of despair, chronic pain, or serious illness, and preserve the health and patience of those who give them care.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Bless us, O Christ

                                                       May our faith be great

           

~ Eternal God, Most High, our earthly pain of loss is lessened knowing that our loved ones live again, in the ecstatic grace of eternal life in You.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Bless us, O Christ

                                                       May our faith be great

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

                                                       Bless us, O Christ

                                                       May our faith be great

                      

~ Eternal God, Most High, bestow an extra measure of blessing on our spiritual leaders, especially in these troubled times, for the innumerable ways they care for us and work to strengthen our faith in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Bless us, O Christ

                                                       May our faith be great

~The Celebrant adds:  Lord of All Blessing, Lord of All Life, open our ears to hear our hearts, open our hearts to hear Your Voice, and open our mouths to speak only Your love. We ask, in great faith, through Jesus, the Master of our Table, and the Holy Spirit, the Guide of our Souls, who together with You are 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

Prayers of the People: Steppin' Out ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, August 9, 2020, Readings: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b; Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33

Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was a child of his old age; and he had made him an ornamented tunic...his brothers...hated him. [Genesis 37: 3, 4b - Jewish Study Bible]

              Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name, make known his deeds among the peoples...let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. [Psalm 105: 1, 3b]

      For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. [Romans 10:12]

     But when the disciples saw [Jesus] walking on the sea, they were terrified...But...Jesus...said, "...it is I, do not be afraid." Peter [said]..."command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." [Peter] became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught [Peter], saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  [Matthew 14:26a, 28-, 30b, 31-32]

      Jacob made his son, Joseph, a "an ornamented tunic," or, "a richly embroidered robe," or, a "long robe with sleeves" depending on the translation you read. The differences in description are because the Hebrew itself is not clear. But the story is known far and wide, by believers and non-believers alike, as Joseph and his coat of many colors, the coat being a symbol of a father's great love for his son and the jealousy wrought by extreme sibling rivalry. God is with Joseph throughout his entire ordeal and despite his brothers' treachery, Joseph survived many hardships and was able to repay his brothers in surprising ways as we'll soon see. 

      The constancy of God is a continuing theme in the Jacob saga and throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, no matter the whims and wastes of those God loves. The Psalmist reminds us to call upon his name and to search for the Lord and his strength.

      Paul tells us that God in Jesus is Lord of all, of everyone, whether Jew or Greek or whatever the color of your coat - this was a shocking idea in those times, a notion that God doesn't dismiss or exclude those people who aren't one of us was quite radical - no wonder Paul ended up in prison! Imagine if we felt that way today - oh, wait, have you read the current news? It leads to the kind of betrayal Joseph's brothers visited upon him, it encourages violence, irrational hatred, and divides neighborhoods and nations. Yet Paul is adamant that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [Romans 10:13].  Furthermore, we are the ones who are to proclaim Christ to all.  

     Just as God is Lord of ALL, regardless of human categorization of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, status in life, etc., Jesus calls - requires - us all to be out of the boat to get our feet wet in the realities of life's unpredictable times, tides, and weather. Nothing easy about it - just ask Peter. But praying for the trust to believe in our hearts, to speak our faith out loud in words and actions and bring Christ to others, will help us find the strength we need to pull ourselves and each other up from that sinking feeling of fear and doubt. Jesus bids us Come, step out in faith, and together we will know and share the calmer seas of the Good News. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Generous and Merciful God, the Constant who guides us through the calm and chaos of our earthly life if we believe in our hearts and call upon Your Holy Name. Amplify our faith, relieve our fears and doubts, and quicken our determination to answer Christ’s simple call, “Come.”

                                                    Jesus, Lord of All

RESPONSE:           Our Strength and Salvation

~ Generous and Merciful God, renew us in spirit daily as we carry the message of Christ on our lips and hearts to the leaders of this Community, this Country, and this World for the peace, health, and well-being of all people everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation   

                                               

~ Generous and Merciful God, soothe the hearts and minds of all who struggle with serious illness, chronic pain, or depression, and revive the stamina of those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation   

                                                           

~ Generous and Merciful God, we give You thanks and praise for the new life of our loved ones in the glorious eternity of heaven. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation   

~ Generous and Merciful God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation   

           

~ Generous and Merciful God, grant spiritual vitality and an even keel to all who lead us in Your church by Your Word and Wisdom, through the calm and perilous waters of life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                    

                                                Jesus, Lord of All

                                                Our Strength and Salvation  

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Ever-Living God, You created us all in Your image, in coats of many colors, and bid us always to turn to You in each hour of life. Empower us to step out and answer Your call with courage and conviction, in tempest and tranquility, for this life and the next. We ask this through Christ Jesus, our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate; who together with You, are One God forever and ever. 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

Prayers of the People: And the Answer is... ~ 9th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, August 2, 2020, Readings: TRACK II* Isaiah 55:1-5, Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22; Romans 9:1-5,  Matthew 14:13-21

    Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?...Incline your ear, and come to me, listen, so that you might live… [Isaiah 55:2a, 3a]'

      The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness…The Lord is near…to all who call upon him faithfully…he hears their cry and helps them. [Psalm 145:8, 19, 20b]

   I am speaking the truth in Christ – I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [Romans 9:1-2]

  Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and all the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled... [Matthew 14:19b-20a]

      I was struck immediately by the two verses from Isaiah that I’ve quoted above, beginning with Why do you... Followed on by the reminder in the Psalm that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion... Then Paul astounds us by saying he'd give up his own salvation if he could only bring his Jewish brethren to understand that they and Christ are of the same flesh, that is the ancient Israelites, now the Jewish people, to whom the law was given are also one in Christ. Jesus, after all, was incarnated in Jewish flesh! Paul’s impassioned pronouncement comes just after last week's assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He is, as Paul always is, completely dedicated and unalterably determined to bring the Jewish people to Jesus even at the cost of his own soul (reminiscent of Moses in Exodus 32:32). He loves his fellow Jews and wants them to remember God's unfailing faithfulness over multiple generations that Christ continues. Through their faith, Paul is saying, the Gentiles (now us) can also feel safe and cherished by God in Christ who will not fail us, whose promises will not be broken.

      And while it seems a bit of a stretch to bring these readings together with the iconic miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, there is plenty of food for thought when these are all taken together. While there are billions of words distilling the literal from the symbolic feeding of the five thousand (oh, and let us not forget besides women and children), something significant happened that day. It was well beyond a nice story about a few bits of bread and fish passed around, or a full picnic for sustenance. One commentator described it as an extravagant, bountiful feast of God...the overflowing generosity of grace...in a gift...as improbable as it was unexpected. A reminder that even in hopeless situations, the inadequate can become more than enough and it is in faith then that feeds and nourishes our hope. Hope strengthens our will to live into each day.

   God through Isaiah asks what we are doing with our resources and time, and tells us to incline our ears to listen that [we] may live. The Psalmist echoes that God's presence and love are available always to those who call for help faithfully. Paul's unceasing anguish is palpable as we can relate in our own times in sorrow and wonder at some of the actions and inactions of our fellow humans towards one another. And Jesus feeds us all if we are merely present to him in faith, in hope, through love, and by example.

    There is much to ponder and the God questions I began with are still with us, each and all  – Why  do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”

     Here’s another perspective: There was a lovely amusing series of cartoons for church bulletins called Pontius’ Puddle. In one of them one character says, Sometimes I’d like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about them. His companion asks, What’s stopping you?  The answer comes back, I’m afraid God might ask me the same question. How will I/we answer?

     To reiterate from last week If God is with us, who can be against us? 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, by the Spirit who knows our anguished hearts, we are drawn to Your loving kindness that lifts us when we are bowed down, and satisfies our deepest need.

                                                         Holy and Loving God

RESPONSE:                                  We put our faith in You

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, urge the ears, the wills, and the morals of the power brokers of this World, this Country, and this Community, to incline to Your purpose and Your righteousness in all their ways for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, hear their cry and fulfill the hopes of all who suffer from chronic illness, injury, or anxiety, and uphold the energy of their caregivers.  We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

           

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, our grieving hearts are soothed by knowing that You receive with joy and open arms, those now newly arrived in glory. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

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

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

                       

~ Gracious and Compassionate Lord, we ask Your special blessings upon those who are chosen to feed our souls through Your Word and Sacraments. Sustain them with Your loving embrace and support, as they lead us ever closer to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Loving God

                                                       We put our faith in You

~ The Celebrant adds: God, Steadfast and Righteous, as we come faithfully seeking our spiritual sustenance, we are fed and nourished by the Words and Sacrifice of Christ, our Messiah. Grant us wisdom, courage, and fortitude to carry You with us to feed the souls of all we meet. We ask for these blessings through Jesus, Bread of Life; the Holy Spirit, Breath of Souls; who together with You, Creator of All, are the One God, forever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                                        

*We will return to Track I for Pentecost 10

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

Prayers of the People: What's in Your Basket? ~ 8th Sunday after Pentecost '20 Yr A

For Sunday, July 26, 2020, Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-39,  Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 TRACK II*

And Solomon said…”O Lord my God…Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people able to discern between good and evil… [1 Kings 3:7a, 9a]

   Turn to me in mercy, as you always do to those who love your Name. Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.  [Psalm 119:132, 135]

    If God is for us, who is against us?...Who will separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:31b, 38]

   Jesus [said]: " The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...like yeast...like treasure hidden in a field...[and] like [a pearl] of great value...[and] like a net that...caught every fish...when it was full, they...put the good into the baskets but threw out the bad. [Matthew 13:31, 33, 44, 45, 48-49]

        In Solomon’s time as in our own there were corporate/communal rituals and worshipful actions along with precise words that allow for congregants to say in unison. Then, as now, there were also individual conversations with God – aka prayers – for a more intimate expression of emotion and thoughts to share with God. Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 3:6-9 is an early example of such a prayer. God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks Solomon what he wants – clearly a test that Solomon passes very well as he is now the icon of his reward: wisdom. The Psalms, of course, are also expressions of prayer and cover every human emotion possible from joy, rage, peace, adoration and more. Today’s Psalm is promise to remain faithful with God’s constant help.

       Even Paul is teaching us about prayer and ways to access God’s help when we often don’t know our own minds or hearts. He reassures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness if we have faith – however small and however it wavers. It is our intention that will be known by God. We may need to be reminded that prayer isn’t about telling God what to do, but rather to ask and seek to know what we are called to fulfill.

       Jesus lets loose quite a barrage of parables to further explain the kingdom of God in everyday illustrations for that time and some in our own. There is something for everyone to do whether we are planting tiny mustard seeds to grow into large trees for nesting birds and human food, mixing yeast with flour to expand the dough of life, finding buried treasure in the field of an everyday experience, or discovering a pearl so perfect that we choose to sell all we own to buy it. And there are times when we must allow ourselves to be caught like fish in a net, and the goal of that moment – and every other – is to be sorted into the baskets with the good fish rather than thrown out with the bad.
        One message here is that there is no perfection in humanity but in choosing well, our smallest efforts can grow and yield a large return. We are to remember that God is always present even if that discovery sometimes requires some digging on our part. Paul tells us that to be separated from the love of God through Jesus, even with all of our faults, is nearly impossible. After all, If God is for us, who can be against us? Only ourselves! And the choice to be separated would have to be our own.

       The Spirit of God, if we open ourselves in faith, is the yeast that expands our understanding, our relationship, and the willingness to seek God’s purpose in all that we do. The love of Christ is what blends us all, as Christ’s own, together, and God gathers the yield of all the harvest. Some days in God’s Creation are better than others yet God is the constant that draws us. All we have to do is choose what’s in our basket: a great pearl or bad fish?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our God, the smallest seeds, the yeast that gives rise, and the hidden treasures of everyday life, are a few of the markers of Your bountiful love. Guide us to see the ordinary as miraculous in Your Creation, filling our souls beyond measure through faith.

                                                       O Spirit of God                    

RESPONSE:                                Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, endow all who govern in every area of our World with wise and understanding minds, able to discern and choose good over evil for the health and welfare of all Your people. 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.

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, ease the burdens and fear of illness, injury, or despair for those who suffer, and bring relief to those who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

          

~ O Lord, our God, we hold closely in our hearts all who have traveled to the end of their human experience, and now shine in Your eternal radiance and peace.  We pray especially for…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~ O Lord, our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

                       

~ O Lord, our God, bestow the gift of grace-filled respite for all who are called to lead us in Your church, teaching us to pray, worship, and work together, all according to Your purpose. We pray especially for: Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop; David, our Rector; Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus; Emily and Peter, our Associate Priests.

                                                       O Spirit of God

                                                       Our help in weakness

~The Celebrant adds: O God of Mercy, as You are always for us, nothing can separate us from the enduring love of Christ but ourselves. Catch us in Your ample net and draw us from the troubled waters of this life, into the eternal good of Your Heavenly Kingdom. We ask through Jesus, our Hope and our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Counselor, who together with You are our One God, forever and ever. Amen.

*We will be using Track II for Pentecost 8 & 9

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