People's Prayers

Monday, March 15, 2021

Prayers of the People: Peddle Toward Forever ~ 5th Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 18, 2018, Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-13, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33

...I will make a new covenant...I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts...I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. [Jeremiah 31:31, 33b, 34b]

Have mercy on me, O God...in your great compassion...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me...Give me the joy of your saving help and sustain me with your bountiful spirit. [Psalm 51:1,11, 13]

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered...he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him... [Hebrews 5:8a, 9b]

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [John 12:24]

From the beginnings of formal Christian/Church Liturgy until the late 1950s, the 5th Sunday in Lent was known across many liturgical denominations as Passion Sunday, and it marked the beginning of a two-week Passiontide. The 6th Sunday was Palm Sunday with the Passion cycle culminating on Good Friday, as we are to then solemnly await the news of the Resurrection on Easter Day. There are a few traditionalists that still follow that liturgical line but these days in our corner of Episcopal/Anglican Land, the official two weeks of Passiontide is no longer observed in that way. The 6th Sunday in Lent is the combined Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.

The readings for this 5th Sunday and for all of Lent have been preparing us for what lies ahead for Jesus, as he was preparing those who were following him in that time. Of course, we know the rest of the story, and his real-time followers did not at this point. But what does it all mean to me now, in my daily life?

In this second year of virtual liturgy per pandemic, in this 5th week in Lent, I find myself, as much as possible, wanting to suspend my "knowledge" of the biblical events to come and letting the Scripture and Liturgy carry me as if I were going through them for the first time. I will strive to pay attention to each reading, each moment of the Liturgy, and think about what is being said to me, and what it is teaching me. What will I experience? What will I learn? How might living into the spirit of these readings change the direction of my life? Will I let them?

Jeremiah is teaching us of a New Covenant, not in content so much as in form, that is, God has written on, inscribed upon, fully internalized The Law in our hearts; we know it; it is ours. The Psalmist brings us the beauty and poignancy of David’s remorseful and repentant voice after his unlawful taking of Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah. And Paul heightens our awareness of Jesus as our Great High Priest [see Hebrews 7:1-22 for more about Melchizedek].

This week, Jesus tells his disciples about the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit. The cycle of this grain’s death begets new life that bears fruit, is harvested, planted, and dies, to beget new life as this cycle repeats.

As we move through these remaining two weeks of Lent, we are to begin to crack open the grains of Christ’s truth and God’s Law within us, to die to the unnecessary of this Life, that we may blossom into the fulness of Christ, and live on to harvest the fruit of our souls in the bounty of eternal life. Now is the time to crank up the Life-Cycle and peddle toward the best of forever.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of Loving Kindness, You have written on our hearts, granted us unlimited pardon, and still we look away toward earthly wants. Let us see and hear again, through the faith we have and the faith we want, that we will blossom into the full fruits of eternal life in Christ.

O Lord, our God

RESPONSE: Your Saving Help is our Joy

~ O God of Loving Kindness, create clean hearts, renew right spirits, and awaken Your written Law within the hearts of all political leaders on this Planet, so that their actions will restore all people to their rightful justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Your Saving Help is our Joy

~ O God of Loving Kindness, calm the fears and pain of all who are afflicted by illness, turmoil, or doubt, and refresh the energy of all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Your Saving Help is our Joy

~ O God of Loving Kindness, we offer our praise and unending gratitude for the joy and gladness of those we love, now alive again forever in Your glorious and bountiful Spirit. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Your Saving Help is our Joy

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

O Lord, our God

Your Saving Help is our Joy

~ O God of Loving Kindness, grant special grace and blessings to all who are anointed to bring us Your Word and Sacraments, that we all may know and live in the reconciling love of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O Lord, our God

Your Saving Help is our Joy

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Eternal God, break us out of our self-protecting shells to die to temporal distractions, that, rooted in the holy ground of Christ, our spiritual fruitfulness may nourish our souls as You guide us all into eternal life. We ask through Jesus, our great High Priest; and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier; who together with You, live, love, and 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, March 8, 2021

Prayers of the People: The Saving Antidote ~ 4th Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 14, 2021, Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21

The Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea...but the people became impatient...[and] spoke against God and against Moses...Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents...many Israelites died...So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." [Numbers 21:4-5a, 6, 7b-8]

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever...Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [Psalm 107:1, 19]

But God, who is rich in mercy...made us alive together with Christ...For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:4a,b; 8-9]

Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life...the light has come into the world...those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." [John 3:14, 19a, 21]

    Even God gets tired of grumbling. After all the grand displays of glory ~ pillars of cloud and fire, parting of seas, manna (what no salt and pepper?), and more ~ the grumbling Israelites still had no confidence in the eventuality of God's deliverance. So, God sends poisonous snakes that kill, and suddenly chastened, the people begged Moses to pray and intervene for them, and he did. God delivered ~ not an end to the dangers, but relief.
    Moses, on God's orders, made a bronze snake to hang on a pole. All the Israelites had to do was look at the snake on the pole when bitten and they lived. God is not predictable, but God is faithful. The Psalmist tells us that God’s mercy endures forever. And, Paul tells us we are saved by God's grace.
We ALL have God's grace. We don't have to work for it ~ no one does ~ it comes to us by faith. Yet how have we harnessed it, especially after we have been bitten by the snakes of our own trespassing behavior, or that of someone else's?
      Have you ever thought or said that old expression: There but for the grace of God go I? It is mostly well-intended, and at once unintentionally thought-less and even care-less. It's an instant reaction to reduce our own fear and to comfort ourselves against the dangers of life as in: “Whew! Dodged that! There's that poor guy who was run over in the same intersection I just crossed, and there but for…" Even well-meaning, the unconscious thought is: "I have more grace than that guy."
As we are deep in this Lenten season, let us work to be more conscious, more aware of even our most random reactions and instant thoughts. God is "rich in mercy" and loves and understands each of us as only our Creator could; certainly better than we understand ourselves or each other. Our lives are filled with danger, there are all sorts and conditions of "snakes" that bite us, many of which we invite into our own space by striving for ever-more earthly material.
      The poison of sin can be quite tempting as well as lethal to our souls. God doesn't promise our earthly life will be easy or safe and John 3:16 isn't magic or just for signs at football games. It is for us to know, deep down, in every day of this life, so that everyone who believes in Christ may not perish but may have eternal life.
We are to be steadfast and faith-filled in the knowledge of the Light of Christ within us. Our conscious acts are clearly to be of and for God. As the Israelites were directed to look up to the pole, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man is also to be lifted up. We are called to look to Christ and the Cross, in faith, for our salvation, before we are bitten by the snakes of sin, as well as after. With meaningful prayer and practice over time, even our unconscious thoughts and actions may be less poisonous to ourselves and others. And, maybe, we could even stop grumbling quite so much. Meanwhile, let us strive to grow in faith, to accept and feel the infusion of the ever-flowing Grace within us that is a saving antidote to the darkness of sin.

T'was Grace that taught
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far
and Grace will lead us home.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of Enduring Mercy, awaken us to the snakes we invite into the wilderness of our own making by impatient striving for mere earthly advantage. Open the eyes of our souls to the light of Christ that stems the poison of sin and lifts our desire for eternal salvation.

Lord of Eternal Wonder

RESPONSE: By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, amplify our voices to all who hold power on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community, as we combat and clamor against ordinary and catastrophic injustice toward all who are endangered by the darkness of deliberate human trespass. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of Eternal Wonder

By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, deliver from their distress all who are suffering through life-threatening illness, addiction, or homelessness, and give rest to all who provide support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need…

Lord of Eternal Wonder

By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, we shout for joy in thanksgiving for all who are now made alive again and gathered forever into the immeasurable riches of Your unending love. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Lord of Eternal Wonder

By faith we accept Your grace

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

Lord of Eternal Wonder

By faith we accept Your grace

~ O God of Enduring Mercy, guide the souls, the minds, and the hearts of all who bring us together into our Living Christ through their service of Pastoring, Preaching, and Prayer. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of Eternal Wonder

By faith we accept Your grace

The Celebrant adds: Good and Redeeming Lord, invigorate our faith and inspire us in our repentance to acknowledge and accept Your free gift of Grace, that our souls may not perish in sin, but thrive in Your eternal life. We ask through Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ; and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit; Who live and reign with You as One God, now, in the ages to come, and forever. Amen.

Monday, March 1, 2021

Prayers of the People: Turning the Tables ~ 3rd Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, March 7, 2021, Readings: Exodus 20:1-7, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22

I am the Lord your God...you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth...Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy...But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God... [Exodus 20:2a, 4, 8, 10a]

The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul...The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes... Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight... [Psalm 19:7a, 8, 14]

For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

[1 Corinthians 1:25]

In the temple [Jesus] found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables…Making a whip of cords he drove all of them out of the temple...poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables..."Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"...Jesus answered [the Jews], "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"...But he was speaking of the temple of his body. [John 2:14-15, 16b, 19, 21]

Here we are at about the halfway point in this Lent, and the first of the appointed readings for this week presents us with the Ten Commandments. While we all think we know them, and perhaps even memorized them as children, it's a good opportunity to look at the list again and re-think our relationship with them. By digging through some archaic vocabulary and translating it into current expressions, we may very well discover a fresh perspective. [Try this paraphrase: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A1-17&version=MSG and while on this site, try a few of the many other translations and paraphrases offered, any time you are reading a piece of Scripture; you may be surprised at some of the differences and discover a freshness in something old and familiar]

Jesus later gave us what seems to be a simplified version when answering a question, by saying that we are to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and, to love our neighbors as ourselves [Mark 12:28-29]. Yet to me, there is nothing simple in those words of Jesus when we consider the entire list of Commandments ~ that is, if I truly Love God and Love my neighbor as myself, then I won't create idols, misuse God's name or covet anything of anyone, as well as all the other dictates including sabbath. But it's always useful to revisit the original and consider how ~ or if ~ they are informing our thoughts and actions.

We may not use the term idol generally in today’s conversations other than tv talent shows, but here are some questions I need to explore for myself: What are the idols that get in my way of an active and conscious commitment to God? Are they electronic devices, streaming services, social networking? Are they food, drink, or online shopping? When does wanting something become coveting? Is my sabbath time ever spent resting with God? What is sabbath time in my life?

I'm quite taken with the Psalmist's language this time ~ not unusual as they often speak to me. For this one I could put every word down in this space and allow my soul to float in the imagery. A day and a night telling tales and imparting knowledge to one another, without words, but yet sounds that travel to all lands. The law of the Lord revives the soul and gives light to the eyes; cleanse me from my secret faults. Just sliding into a sabbath reverie with these words is resting with God and keeping a holy time, no matter the day or the hour.

In Paul’s writing to the Corinthians, I was struck by the ending note of this small piece that God's foolishness is wiser that human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. It's unusual to think of God with foolishness and weakness but Paul makes it clear that we are definitely not in God's league! And, Christ incarnate is the power and the wisdom of God, the Word was God, as John’s Gospel says in its opening [John 1:1].

But the real surprise is Jesus with a whip ~ wow ~ turning the tables in more ways than one! Bad day at the Temple for those livestock sellers and money changers.

This account appears in the other three Gospels [Mt 21:12-17, Mk 11:15-19, and Lk 19:45-48] but at a significantly later time in the ministry of Jesus. All the accounts agree, however, that this action precipitated the plotting against him by the High Priest and his men.

In John’s version, the cleansing of the Temple becomes the first public act of Jesus in Judea. The wedding at Cana was a private event. The issue of the Gentile marketplace in the Temple, for Jesus, was that it profaned a sacred area that was meant to be open to all people, of all nations [Mk 11:17]. It had become a convenience and a source of revenue for the Temple, an opportunity for corruption. Jesus wasn’t opposed to the sacrificial acts themselves ~ as long as they conformed to the Laws, e.g. animals without blemish, and changing the Roman coins with an image of Caesar (no graven images, remember?) for the local coins with no such image. For him this was a clear desecration of the space itself. Yet the real purpose is to set the stage for the transformation of “Temple” worship in a stone building, to the living structure of The Mystical Body of Christ, people united with their Lord and raised with him to the newness of true life, as a “temple” of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus said if the temple was destroyed he would raise it in three days, he was speaking of the temple of his body. I remember my grandmother telling me that my body is a temple of God and I should treat it with holiness. When was the last time I thought of that (and avoided it)? A conscious relationship with my body and my mind might just be a way to mindfully live into those pesky Commandments. A regular attempt at a holy Sabbath could well do more than I expect, especially in days of violence, hate-mongering, and pandemic distress, and reduce my dependence on the idols of my own human excess. I might find that I need God for more than just a dashed off prayer when the thought occurs. Yes, it's time to turn over a few tables.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God of Power and Wisdom, from the covenant given to us through Moses, Your Divine Commands give us each clear direction for our daily lives. Embolden us to change our unfaithful ways, to choose the desire to love You above all else in this life, and to actively seek to fulfill our spiritual destiny in the next.

Most Holy Lord

RESPONSE: Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, quicken our determination to be heard by every political leader on this Earth, in this Nation, and in this Community. Grant us the words and vitality to inspire and require positive, life-giving action on behalf of all Your people, especially those beset and beleaguered by poverty, violence, and discrimination. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Most Holy Lord

Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, restore hope in all who are lost in the illness of body or despair of mind, and give comfort to all who provide them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

Most Holy Lord

Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, help our hearts rejoice as the doors of Heaven open wide to receive those we love, now alive again in Christ forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

Most Holy Lord

Revive and Strengthen our Souls

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

Most Holy Lord

Revive and Strengthen our Souls

~ O God of Power and Wisdom, excite and enlighten the words and meditations of the hearts of those who lead us in Your Church, and, in our own. Draw us to willingly and joyfully follow the path You have set for us. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Most Holy Lord

Revive and Strengthen our Souls

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, You created each of us as a living temple to embody the love of You, our neighbors, and ourselves. Shield us from the lure of idols in the distractions of earthly life, lift our hearts and give light to our eyes, as we rejoice in Your steadfast Presence, and eternal love for us all. We ask through Your power and wisdom in Jesus our Christ; and the faith-giving fire of the Holy Spirit; who together with You, reign as 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

Monday, February 22, 2021

Prayers of the People: Three Rs + 1 ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent '21 Yr B

For Sunday, February 28, 2021; Readings: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30, Romans 4:13-25,

Mark 8:31-38

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared...and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. ...No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham...And I will make my covenant between me and you...to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [Genesis 17:1-2a, 5a, 10a]

My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him...My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever. [Psalm 22:24, 29]

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith...[Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God...For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all...who share the faith of Abraham. [Romans 4:13, 16, 20b]

But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things...For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? [Mark 8:33, 36]

A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff. [George Carlin]

In this second week of Lent, Abram and Sarai become Abraham and Sarah, as God now names them. God then establishes a covenant with Abraham and his descendants forever. The Psalmist instructs us in the praise of God and the great and multiple reasons for it.

Paul is explaining Abraham's righteousness of faith. In other words, his moral and virtuous faithfulness in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. The promise of Abraham’s inheritance comes not through the Law, but through his strength of faith. Paul then says that Abraham, hoping against hope, believed what God told him about all that was to come. Swiss theologian Heinrich Emil Brunner [1899-1966] once said that What oxygen is for lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life. And so, with hope in place, Abraham and Sarah, with a few hiccups along the way, yet still giving glory to God, journeyed on. Abraham, giving witness to his faith repeatedly, and hope and meaning to all our lives, has ultimately become the patriarch of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; in that, we are all Children of Abraham. For Christians, he is the prototype of faith in the God that brings us to Jesus.

In the Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus gets serious with the disciples about his imminent future. Peter decides to challenge these notions of the suffering and death to come, and Jesus, in a stunning and stern moment, rebukes Peter, calling him Satan! This is a direct cue for us. To continue setting our minds on human things and not divine in everyday life, is to give us pause, to stop for a moment and think about the words of Jesus: For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? If we are so tied to “this” life, losing it for the sake of Jesus and for the sake of the Gospel is neither comfortable nor comforting to think about.

Sure, I know “I can’t take it with me” but there’s stuff I want while I’m here. What’s wrong with having nice things and living well? There’s not so much wrong with it, but the real question is: when is enough enough? The constant acquiring of more “stuff” may be more of a detriment to our souls and spirits than we recognize, and, may be more about trying to fill a hole in our spirits through material satisfaction rather than a faith-journey with Christ.

There is much to be gained in this human experience in the simplicity of and gratitude for life itself, and through discarding a false sense of need for so many possessions. We are then free to savor the beauty of God’s presence in the pleasure of a sunset, a child’s glee, a piece of music or art, or even better, in the mutually fulfilling act of giving peace to another’s soul through a smile, a meal, or just listening.

Speaking of our faith publicly ~ witnessing ~ is difficult for many of us. But, our human sojourn is brief, and we know not the day nor the hour that it will end, no matter who we are or who we think we are.

As disciples of Christ in our own day, even as we ourselves often push forward with hope against hope, we are called to bear personal witness to the glory of God in Jesus and live out our days by, in, and for the sake of the Gospel. If we do, we are given the full protection of God’s everlasting covenant. The gift of Lent is the time to explore these three Rs: Reflect, Repent, and Re-start our true and faithful life. Plus another R, Reward, begins in this life and grows in the next.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O God Almighty, fill us with the faithfulness of Abraham and guide us to seek the names You give to our souls. Open us to receive, and accept, the bond of Your everlasting covenant, as we give witness to Your saving deeds with our own faith, our praise, and our action.