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


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

Monday, August 9, 2021

Prayers of the People: A New Manna of Life ~ 12th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, August 15, 2021; Readings: Proverbs 9:1-6, Psalm 34:9-14, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58

            Wisdom has built her house…she has also set her table…she calls…To those without sense…Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight. [Proverbs 9:1a, 2b, 3b, 4b, 6]

               Fear the Lord, you that are his saints…Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. [Psalm 34:1a, 14]

             Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time...So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is... [Ephesians, 5:15-16a, 17] 

            Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever...This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." [John 6:51a, 58]

      This week we have a reading from Proverbs as our primary Hebrew Testament lesson. It is continuing a poetic narrative about Wisdom. In these verses, Lady Wisdom has built her house, prepared a feast and issues an open invitation to the simple to enter and to those without sense she says…Lay aside immaturity and walk in the way of insight.
     The psalmist tells us to Fear the Lord you that are his saintsThere are a couple of things to unpack in this short phrase. First, "Fear" isn't meant the way we use it today as "to be afraid or frightened." Rather, in Biblical context it meant to have respect for, reverence, or to be in awe. Second, you that are his saints isn’t intended for us regular folk to be excluded. From the Greek meaning "to set apart, " "sanctify, " or "make holy," in ancient times it was about separating God’s presence from the everyday worshiper, as only certain consecrated men were permitted access to the holy spaces. Later, in early Christian times, a saint was a martyr and down the centuries sainthood has become something more formally designated for those who are dead by some denominations and not especially recognized by others. But in general, all who dedicate themselves to life in God through Christ as lay, ordained, or in a vowed religious order are living saints, with flaws and imperfections, and sometimes in need of reconciliation, confession, and re-dedication! We are to turn from evil and do good… which is certainly a wise way to walk.
       Paul urges caution in this life and is quite direct in telling us to live wisely. He reminds us to "make the most of the time" we have and not "be foolish” and caught up in mere earth-bound pleasure. Anyone who has watched a child grow or sees how quickly the pages of the calendar turn, understands the increasing speed of years passing in this human time. As my grandmother used to say, "The days are long, but the years are short." We are to recognize and accept the opportunity to be filled with the Spirit, giving thanks for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
       Our redemption is from God through Christ who is the new manna from heaven that revives and saves our souls from the mortal wounds we often inflict upon ourselves. Jesus is not only the true food and true drink for eternal life, this Living Bread also fills us with divine purpose in this life, as preparation for the next.
        It is time to remember to be in awe of God again, to discover our own beginning of wisdom and even our saintliness. Once we wise up and follow on the path that Christ leads, then our faith, especially in a community of believers, will help keep us on track. When we stop on the path or turn in a different direction, we can become lost and spiritually hungry. Seek and then answer the call for wisdom for our souls to live on and be nourished forever.  
       The Living Bread from Heaven, Jesus, is our spiritual sustenance, our new manna of life. We can begin with Him anywhere, anytime, and a good time to begin and to begin again is always now.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy and Living God, open our hearts to sing with the melody of gratitude for Your gift of Jesus as our Bread of Eternal Life. Guide our every action to be in service to Your Will and in the name of our Lord Christ, the Son of Man.

                                            Gracious, Loving Lord                                         
RESPONSE:                  Your Wisdom invites us to faith

~ Holy and Living God, awaken the souls of those who govern to work for the good of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community. Grant us all the maturity of thought to live and walk the way of insight, turning aside from evil to do good, and to seek and pursue peace for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Gracious, Loving Lord
                                                Your Wisdom invites us to faith

~ Holy and Living God, deliver hopeful relief to all who suffer in body, in spirit, or in life circumstance, and to all entrusted with their care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Gracious, Loving Lord
                                                Your Wisdom invites us to faith   

~ Holy and Living God, gladden the hearts of those who mourn, as by Your redemption, those we love have awakened in the joyful courts of heaven to new life now and forever.  We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Gracious, Loving Lord
                                                Your Wisdom invites us to faith

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

                                                Gracious, Loving Lord
                                                Your Wisdom invites us to faith           

~ Holy and Living God, we offer our whole-hearted thanksgiving for those You have chosen to inspire us through Your Word and Sacraments and who guide us in the work You have given us to do. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Gracious, Loving Lord
                                                Your Wisdom invites us to faith

The Celebrant adds: Almighty and Eternal God, fill us with the Spirit to live wisely now with Divine purpose, that in our brief time on this earth, we will continually abide in Christ and prepare to be raised to eternal life. We ask through Jesus, our new Manna from Heaven; and the Holy Spirit, our unending Source of Wisdom; who together with You reign as One God, for all time, 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, August 2, 2021

Prayers of the People: Perfect Food for the Journey ~ 11th Sunday After Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, August 8, 2021; Readings: Kings 19:4-8, Psalm 34:1-8, Ephesians 4:25-5:2, John 6:35, 41-51

   Elijah…asked that he might die…Suddenly an angel touched him and said go him, ‘Get up and eat…’ then [Elijah] went in strength of that food forty days and forty nights to…the mount of God. [1 Kings: 19:4-8]

              I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me out of all my terror…I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me and saved me…happy are they who trust in him! 
[Psalm 34:4, 6a, 8b]

         Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. [Ephesians 4:26, 31-32]

        Jesus said, "I am the bread of life"...No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day...Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life...This is the bread of life that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever... [John 6:35, 44, 47-48, 50, 51a]

    This week I long for the good ol’ days of last week and the week before when all the readings flowed together so well, unlike this week when there appears to be very little connective tissue. BUT, let us seek that we may yet find a thread in each to carry us along to the next.
    Unless you turn back a few chapters and then forward a few more, this snippet about Elijah doesn’t give us much about why Elijah asked God to let him die. Obviously, God wasn’t ready to grant that request and sent an angel to order Elijah to eat the food, that suddenly appeared, to give him strength. When done, Elijah was sent on his way to Horeb the mount of God after a journey of the frequent biblical length of forty days and forty nights. For me, the slender connecting thread is Elijah’s obedience without question or argument. His faith in God carried him forward. [If you want more on this story see:  1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 2:12]
    The Psalmist tells his own story of faith that in seeking God, his call was answered, and God saved him. If we keep God close, we are assured that happy are they who trust in God.
    Paul gives us that familiar phrase don't let the sun go down on your anger. Though he does give us permission to be angry ~ whew, because it's hard not to be at times ~ we are not given license to sin because of it, and we are strongly admonished to put away the by-products of anger ~ bitterness, wrath, and malice. It's not easy to be tenderhearted and forgiving when someone has broken your trust and your heart. In our "real time" of now, it is easier than ever to be goaded into explosive anger by political, religious, and nearly any other subject when there are vicious, reactionary, or merely polarizing opinions voiced on any media outlet you can name. My God-given life is 'way too short to feed the frenzy and be frenzied by the feed. I want to change my anger into positive energy by strengthening my faith and directing it toward solutions to genuine problems rather than to just add more unproductive and flammable trash talk.  
    Jesus tells us no fewer than six times in this Gospel reading that he is our salvation, our bread of eternal life ~ do we hear it, do we know it, do we believe it yet? If we eat of this bread, that is, if we live into the calling of Christ by faith, we are already given eternal life. Easy? Well, not at all, but as we frequently falter along the way, our faith, even if very weak at times, will lift us back to the path.
    Faith, to me, is the connection among these pieces. Faith to journey toward the unknown, to call out to God in distress, to transform our anger into kindness and forgiveness. Our faith in Jesus, the Bread of Life, is truly the perfect food for our journey to eternity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord of Glory and Greatness, grant us the patience to overturn our bitterness, wrangling, and self-serving wrath in thought, word, and action, and to know our own sin more quickly than another’s. Guide our hearts to forgive as we are forgiven, to live in love with our faith sustained by the Bread of Heaven.

                                             Jesus, Living Bread
RESPONSE:       Our Faith is our Eternity      

~ O Lord of Glory and Greatness, fill us with Your Truth to speak peace-filled words that give grace to those who hear. Sway our intent to join together and turn righteous anger into positive energy for the work of Christ across this Planet, this Country, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Living Bread
                                                Our Faith is our Eternity

~ O Lord of Glory and Greatness, whisper Your word of hope to all who wait and struggle in body, mind, or soul, and calm the hearts of all who give them care. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Living Bread
                                                Our Faith is our Eternity           

~ O Lord of Glory and Greatness, instill deep peace of heart in all who grieve, by knowing that their loved ones now joyfully feast at the glorious banquet of eternal life. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Living Bread
                                                Our Faith is our Eternity

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

                                                Jesus, Living Bread
                                                Our Faith is our Eternity           

~ O Lord of Glory and Greatness, enrich the souls of those entrusted with our spiritual growth through our worship, study, and prayer, that brings us unity in Christ as members of one another. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Jesus, Living Bread
                                                Our Faith is our Eternity

The Celebrant adds: Eternal and Ever-Living God, energize our faith and excite our souls that whenever this life brings anger, grief, or distraction from You, we do not fall into sin but seek to live and act as the living legacy of salvation through Christ. We ask through Jesus, our sacred Bread of Life; and the Holy Spirit by whom we are Sealed for Redemption; who together with You are One God, for ever 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, July 26, 2021

Prayers of the People: Grace Filled and Gluten Free ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost, '21 Yr B

For Sunday, August 1, 2021, Readings: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15, Psalm 78:23-29, Ephesians 4:1-6, 
John 6:24-35

    …the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron…saying to them, ‘If only we had died…in the land of Egypt, when we…ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us…into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’ [Exodus 16:2-3]

      He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them grain from heaven…So they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. [Psalm 78:24, 29]

     I [Paul]...beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called...But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift...The gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...  [Ephesians 4:1a, 7, 11-12]

      Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you....Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  [John 6:27, 35]

   As with last week’s readings, there are a few parallels among the readings appointed for this 10th Sunday after Pentecost. In the Hebrew Testament there’s an uprising against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites are complaining about the conditions of this massive journey away from the slavery in Egypt and saying they would rather have died there as at least they ate their fill of bread. They are accusing Moses and Aaron of a plot to kill them by hunger. God hears them and brings on the manna and the meat. But of course, that will only hold them so long. We’ll have another rebellious moment in about 16 chapters while Moses is meeting with God and stays longer than those he has saved think is appropriate.
    The portion of Psalm 78 for today is filled with the imagery of God feeding the people as they travel onward with a little tweaking of the created order.
    Paul begs us to lead a life worthy of the calling outlining for us the grace and gifts that come directly from Christ to each of us. Paul sharply reminds the Church in Ephesus AND us: We must no longer be children tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming…we must grow up in every way into…Christ… WE are to discover and use the gifts and grace we’ve been given for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
    Jesus brings earthly appetites into focus for us now, in our own time, in our own lives. I remind myself again that the Bible is more than stories of "then" it is also "now." All that happened then is happening now, the dreadful things, the lovely things, the boring things, and the long lists of things ~ look at headlines any day of the week. The complainers, the conspiracy theorists, the accusers, even in the midst of the proof of God’s mercy and bounty, were never satisfied on the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It is the same today.
    The directive of what to take with us and what to leave behind on our Journey to Eternal Life, is clearly set out for us by Jesus. We are not to work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life…   By Christ we are fed and led. Through him we are redeemed; we are forgiven. All we need to do is believe it as well as we are able, and then live into it by our words and actions, by following him. Christ, our Savior, will never abandon us. Jesus is our manna from Heaven, our Bread of Life. His are truly nourishing words, and always, always grace-filled and also gluten free. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Lord, our God, lead us again from the child-like wilderness of blowing about in complaint, false doctrines, and by others’ trickery and deceitful scheming. Awaken us to humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing one another in love to build up the Body of Christ.
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
            RESPONSE:     Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope        
 
~ O Lord, our God, grant us the conviction to speak the truth, in love, to all who hold authority in this Community, in this Nation, and on this Earth. May our words and actions arouse benevolence and compassion and stem the tide of racism, division, and greed. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope
 
~ O Lord, our God, release from suffering all who live in the throes of chronic illness, depression, or addiction, and give strength to those who love them. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope
           
~ O Lord, our God, release us by faith from earth-bound grief, to know that the joy of Heaven is unceasing for all live anew, in Your eternal arms. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope
 
~ O Lord, our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope
                       
~ O Lord, our God, refresh and energize all who are blessed with gifts as evangelists, teachers, and pastors. Guide them as they strive to equip us to know our gifts for the work of ministry, as we grow together in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope
 
The Celebrant adds: O God, Creator of All, open us to be willing and worthy to lead the lives to which we are called. Kindle our desire to turn to You again each day, to nourish our souls for the work of heaven that gives life to the world and endures for eternity. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Sustenance; and the Unity of the Holy Spirit; who together with You are One God, for all infinite, imperishable time. Amen.
 
                                        Jesus, Bread of Life
                                        Our Grace, our Peace, and our Hope

 

 

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 19, 2021

Prayers of the People: No Reservations Needed ~ 9th Sunday after Pentecost '21 Yr B

For Sunday, July 25, 2021; Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44, Psalm 145:10-19, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21

     A man came…bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God 20; loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain…Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people’…but his servant said, ‘How can I set this before a hundred people.’ So he repeated, ‘Give it to the people…for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’   [2 Kings 4:42, 43, 44]

    The Lord is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds…The Lord is near…to all who call upon him faithfully.  [Psalm 145:14, 19]

            I pray that...you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...that you may have the power to comprehend...what is the breadth and length and height and depth...[of] the love of Christ...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  [Ephesians 3:16-18]

          A large crowd kept following [Jesus]...they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted...When evening came, his disciples got into a boat, and started across the sea...It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough...[and] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  [John 6:2, 10b, 16-20]

     The feeding of the one hundred people with 20 loaves of barley, as ordered by Elisha on the word of God, is of course a connective precursor to our reading in John’s Gospel about the feeding of the 5 thousand with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. As in the passage from 2 Kings, in John’s account there were leftovers also, this time 12 baskets full. The feeding of multitudes of 100 and 5,000, occur in today’s readings but also, and adding the feedings of 4,000, they are in the following accounts: Matthew 14:13-21 and 15:32-38, Mark 6:34-44 and 8:1-10, Luke 9:10-17. As we think back to each of those moments for the people in that time, how often, in our time, do we connect having more than enough food available to have leftovers, and using the privilege of some in our culture who say I never eat leftovers as we watch TV news reports, and see advertising asking for help for the too many who are hungry?
     Psalm 145 is describing the character of the God of Israel who is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds and that The Lord is near…to all who call upon him faithfully.
     Paul's prayer from prison reminds us, that God has the power to grant us inner strength when we seek God and are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ through faith. Although the faith exhibited by the disciples who followed Jesus wasn't always perfect, as ours is also far from perfection, the people knew by the signs of his actions who Jesus was. The available 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread were all Jesus needed to satisfy the hunger of a large crowd. Imagine how faith in Christ, as the Bread of Life, could satisfy our spiritual hunger and deepest soul needs. And, after all that had happened on that day alone, as Jesus walked across the water to the boat~ he still had to tell the disciples not to be afraid. How many of us are fearful, anxious, and worried even as we proclaim our faith?
     All of us falter or fail in how we live our faith, some fail with ego-moderating, and others with the suppression of various appetites, others just fall away completely. Even Jesus got angry ~ righteously so, perhaps ~ but still... And God is watching, knowing our hearts more than we do at times, and loving us anyway.
     Stop, breathe, and pray, every now and then, to be rooted and grounded in love, to try and understand in some small way what is the breadth and length and height and depth of our Creator's gift of this life and the next. Whether feeding the 5,000 on the mountainside or strolling across the churning Sea of Galilee on foot, God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, by the power of the work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine from the heavens to the universe, on land and at sea. Let us recognize, as the crowds who followed Jesus, our own hunger for the experience of being fed by faith. 
    We, too, seek the spiritual and eternal satisfaction of Christ’s teaching and healing, and especially the comfort in our souls when in the rough seas of life. When we step out together no matter how fearful, we find the courage, the support, and the overflow of strength in our inner being when we are rooted and grounded in Christ’s love. We don’t need reservations for the spiritual sustenance of Jesus, we only need to show up and ask.   
   How about after dinner we take a walk across the lake?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Enduring and Everlasting Lord, come near to fortify our inner beings that we may be rooted and grounded in faith, fed by Your limitless love, and treasure the eternal fullness of You in our everyday lives.

                                         Faithful, Merciful God             
               RESPONSE:             Turn our fear into courage

~ Enduring and Everlasting Lord, equip us to transform the minds and hearts of all who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in our Community. Grant us the energy and determination to release all Your people from bigotry, poverty, and dread. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God
                                                       Turn our fear into courage

~ Enduring and Everlasting Lord, give rest and hope to all who suffer from serious illness in body, mind, or spirit, and relief to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God
                                                       Turn our fear into courage

~ Enduring and Everlasting Lord, comfort all who mourn as you lift the precious souls of our loved ones to the bliss and beauty of everlasting life in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God
                                                       Turn our fear into courage

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

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God
                                                       Turn our fear into courage        

~ Enduring and Everlasting Lord, enrich and enhance the wisdom and vision of all who lead us in Your Church, as together we sail the unpredictable waters of life on our journey to You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Faithful, Merciful God
                                                       Turn our fear into courage         

The Celebrant adds:  Gracious, Loving Lord, endow us with the spiritual insight to know and experience the miraculous breadth, and length, and height, and depth of Your soul nourishing presence in our lives. Grant us the gifts and willingness we need to bring You into the life of this world. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Teacher and Healer; and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter in Affliction; who together with You live 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