Prayer 1692

O Merciful One,
we bend our hearts before you,
praising and glorifying your Name.
Pour out your wisdom upon us, O God,
that we may walk in love and faithfulness.
Make us magnanimous and joyful in all our work, Lord,
knit together in love,
and bearers of your grace and peace.
Fill us with the beauty of holiness,
and set us aflame by your Spirit.
Blessed Savior, we place our hearts before you,
and ask your blessing upon the concerns we carry.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1691

Detail from a door at La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

Our thoughts and prayers ascend to you O Lord,
as we finish the watches of the night.
We gather ourselves in silent contemplation
of all your magnificent works,
and cherish this moment to rest before you.

You are the source of all light and goodness,
and we hope to reflect that into the world
by our actions today.
Make us the bearers of the peace
we long to see in the world.
Give your Spirit charge
over those who are weary, uncertain, or in need of healing.

Amen.
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Prayer 1690: Like a Green Olive Tree in the House of God

A thousand-year-old olive tree. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Lord Jesus,
we praise and bless You,
and kneel before You in gratitude.
Let us open ourselves to your will
for love and true peace, O Holy One,
that your power may work in us
for the sake of healing and unity.
Help us to release the burdens
of past hurts that we still bear, O Healer,
that wound us still in memory and spirit.

Make us instead
like green olive trees in your courts, O God,
upright and resilient before the storm.
Send deep our roots into your Word, Lord,
and let us draw wisdom
from your Law of Love.
Holy One, make us bearers of life and hope,
of goodness and abundant grace,
fed and nourished by your mercy
flourishing in our lives.
Help us spread wide our arms,
offering evergreen respite from the heat of day
to all who seek You,
Our God and Mother.

Precious Savior, your blessings pour over us:
anoint us to your service this day.
Grant your comfort to those
whose cares weigh upon our hearts,
as we lay them before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1689: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The remains of Hurricane Harvey linger in the South as Hurricane Irma hits the Windward Islands, and Jose builds behind that, September 5, 2017. NY Times photo.

Most Merciful God,
we kneel before You in humble thanks
for your steadfast lovingkindness. 
Lead us in paths of reconciliation,
and let us never abandon each other
when hurt or anger threatens to divide us.

We lift up before You
all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of tumult.
You are our hope and our stay, O Lord,
and we know You are with us always.

Strengthen all who work as rescuers and helpers
and place them and the vulnerable under your sustaining hand.
Give us wisdom to seek the higher ground of service and compassion,
caring for each other as children of God.

Bring us together as one community,
united by love,
secured by service in your Name.

Resting in your abundant mercy and grace,
we place our needs and concerns before You as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1688: In thanksgiving for a birthday

(Inspired by the Jubilate)
You are the source of all goodness, O God, and our shelter in times of trial. 
The lands ring out their joy to God, whose mercy never fails. 
God calls each one by name, and we answer our shepherd's call. 
We know You have made us and are with us, O Loving One, and we sing your praise.
Your gates open before us; let us enter with thanksgiving, sure in your reception and protection of us.
We call upon You and You answer us, for your faithfulness endures from age to age.
Strengthen and vouchsafe those who call upon You, especially these for whom we pray.

Amen.
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Prayer day 1687- for those in danger (inspired by Psalm 31)

In You, O God, do we take refuge:
our trust is in You as we cry out in distress.
Even when the darkness surrounds us,
when walls close in upon us,
You are our mighty fortress.

Preserve us within the storms of life,
for though the tempest rages about us,
You are our God.
Mighty winds may blow and howl,
but You, O God,
are our rock of refuge and stronghold to keep us safe.
For You take heed of our souls' distress
and will never give us up to the power of darkness and despair.

We rest in the hands of the Almighty:
we rejoice in your mercy and lovingkindness.
Watch over your children, we pray,
and embrace those who rest within You.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1686

Three friends and their teacher at a school for the hearing impaired in Cuba.

O Creator God,
we thank you for this beautiful Earth
You have made as our abode.
We thank you for the family of humanity
in all the places we call home.
Help us to know and celebrate
the common bonds that unite us
regardless of race, creed, wealth, or nationality.
We thank you for those who care for the lost,
who comfort the sick,
who welcome the stranger.
Help us cherish each other
and learn from each other,
tied together in mutuality
as Your beloved children.
Strengthen those who sorrow or who hurt or who fear, 
especially these we now name.

Amen.
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Prayer, day 1685

Light of Life, Love of All Loves,
hear our prayers, and hallow our ways.
We arise from our rest
with the seal of God's protection upon us,
and gratitude fills our hearts and our mouths.
Let our tongues sing out the glory of God,
which dawns upon us and provides light for our ways.
O Holy One, we rest within your embrace,
and put our trust in You,
for you have claimed us and delivered us.

Give us compassion for all living beings,
that we tread reverently upon the earth.
Strengthen us in walking your paths of mercy and humility,
just as we pray to receive mercy and forgiveness.

O God, we lift up the needs
of all those disquieted in body, mind, heart, or spirit:
let your blessing rest upon them.

Amen.
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Prayer, day 1684

Holy One, we thank You for watching over us through the night, and welcome the morning You have placed before us. 

Heal us of our sins and offenses, that we may live in wisdom, gentleness, and integrity. Help us to empower the powerless and protect the weak. Guide us in paths of peace and compassion today, that we may bear each other's burdens with joy. 

Having rested in your refuge, let us go forth in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, witnessing to your truth. Help us to embody the life of Christ, to bring your love into the world. 

Holy One, we place within your care all those who are troubled in body, mind, or spirit. Comfort the vulnerable, Blessed Jesus, and place your hand upon those who call upon You.

Amen.
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Prayer 1683: For Labor Day

Mr. Eustace, carving a bird feeder from natural materials in Barbados.

Holy One,
the works of your hands sustain each moment:
we pause from our labors to give you thanks and praise.

O Creator, who rested upon the seventh day,
let us work not just for a living
but to have life abundantly.
Remembering your abundant grace,
let us work alongside those who are in want,
and act to empower the poor.
May we create an equitable society
that honors the dignity and contribution of every worker,
and uses wealth righteously.
Guide those who search for work,
that all may dwell in security, comfort, and ease.

Lord, You called us to establish justice:
may we remember your commandment
to love each other as we love ourselves.
For the love of all,
may we create an economy
with wages that sustain each household.
Giving thanks for our fellowship in your kingdom,
O Holy One,
we ask your grace to rest upon those we now name.

Amen.

Grace and Will- Sermon for Proper 17A

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.-- Matthew 16:24-25

Readings:
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

I am an unrepentant fan of Harry Potter—the books and the movies. This last Friday, September 1, all true Potter nerds like myself commemorated the very last scene in the books, because it was supposed to take place on September 1, 2017—19 years in the future from the end of the final victory against evil in the series.

I remember very well the day I finished reading that final book. I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it, but one thing was crystal clear. The author, J. K. Rowling, had just written a 7 book epic that reinforced the key claims of the gospel—that through love, good always triumphs over evil. That the only way to have a full life is through the willingness to risk loving and being loved. That no one has greater love than to be willing to lay down his or her life for their friends.

A large part of the story of Harry Potter involves trying to understand whether, even though a child, Harry is the person destined to take on the most powerful force for evil in his world—and win. The signs of him being the Chosen One are not clear. He does not get to have the straightforward calling that Moses gets in our first reading. There is no “burning bush” moment that lays out exactly what he is supposed to do. Rather, he spends a lot of his time trying to figure out exactly who he is and where he belongs, and what his real purpose in life is. In other words, Harry Potter is exactly like us. We believe that we are placed here to live lives of meaning and purpose, to overcome challenges and stand up for what is right, but we don’t know exactly how or if we have what it takes to do it. We all want to be loved. But are we willing to lay down our lives for each other in the name of love?

In our gospel today, Jesus is explaining that he is going to be called to do exactly that. He tells his friends that he is going to have to die in order to bring about abundant life for all, and die a most horrible and painful death, at that. And we know that his friends do not take this news well. Our evidence is Peter’s rebuking. Peter loves Jesus, and never wants to lose him- as we all feel about those we love. And what does he get for his loyalty? He gets told he is acting like Satan! Poor Peter—a week ago he was praised as being the rock on which Jesus will build his church, but today, he ends up being a stumbling-block, compared to Satan himself. And then Jesus adds on that we too, as his followers, are to take up our cross if we want to follow him.

The admonition to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Jesus is perhaps a bit less shocking to us than it was in the time of Jesus’s earthly ministry. The idea that we have to be willing to suffer for our faith seems especially harsh here, too, given that it was just a few weeks ago that Jesus was assuring us that his yoke was easy and his burdens placed upon our backs were light. How can this be good news? It may sound to us at first glance like Jesus is telling us to be willing to throw our lives away—after all, the cross was a symbol of criminality and death. Trust me, to Jesus’s followers, crucifixion was no empty metaphor.

Yet we also live in a time when the cross has been transformed from a symbol of shame to a symbol of victory, thanks to Jesus’s willingness to embrace it. That cross has been transformed into a symbol of God’s grace. And that’s important for us to think about as we try to make sense of what Jesus is saying. Jesus is not asking us to embrace death, but instead, to truly embrace a life grounded in God, who loves us no matter what. Jesus is asking us to be willing to use our God-given lives for the good of others and for the good of the world.

Deep in our hearts, many of us have a hard time believing that God’s love is that limitless for us. Every love we experience in our lives changes us in some way. Choosing to embrace God’s love for us will change us, too. Now, change can be a scary thing. It’s scary, because any real change in our lives involves embracing a death of our former selves- letting go of all that is familiar to us, that made us who we have been in the hope that we will become something better.

Before I was ordained, I was a teacher for 27 years. One of the things I used to tell my students when I was a teacher is that every choice you make to do one thing means that you will close the doors to other things you might have done instead—what we in the social studies business call “opportunity cost.” Some people hear that phrase and they focus on the word “cost,” and try, usually to their detriment, to find a work-around that usually just results in a mess. But the foundation of real choice is opportunity—opportunity for something better. But we can become better versions of ourselves only if we are willing to first let go of our old selves. When our hands are clenched into fists around all that we’ve ever known, we can’t take hold of the good things that come our way.

It’s like when we went to the circus when we were kids. I was always fascinated by the trapeze artists. Sure, there was a net stretched below them. But even with that, I was always amazed by their willingness to let go of the first trapeze, and for several heart-stopping moments to be clinging to nothing at all as they tumbled through the air. There was always a moment when their hands were empty: the trapeze artist cannot move from one swing to the next without releasing the perch they have occupied in order to open their hands for the trapeze swinging toward them. Our own lives are often just as risky at times too. We move from one swinging perch to another throughout our lives, as we develop and grow. In between the letting go and the grasping, there are those heart-stopping moments when we are holding on to nothing. But without opening our hands, we have no way to grasp the new life-change coming toward us. This is also true of our lives as followers of Jesus. Unless we empty our heads, hands, and our hearts in a similar manner, letting go and emptying ourselves of all that has tied us to the way we have been and the way we were, we cannot take hold of the abundant new life to which we are called through the loving voice of Christ.

It’s important to remember that we are given the gift of each day from God, and what Jesus is reminding us here is to use each one of those days as much as possible making the most of that life. That doesn’t mean living selfishly or over-cautiously. It means that the only life worth living is one in which we are willing to be transformed by the power of God’s grace to live for others. Jesus stretched his arms wide upon that cross as God Incarnate to remind us that God’s arms are themselves stretched wide to encompass the entire world—no exceptions. Jesus stretched his arms wide upon that cross as a fully human person to remind us that we are all capable of loving each other that much, that abundantly. God loves us into being and breathes love into us from the moment of our births, and we are called to try to breathe that love and grace into a world that, through our own human folly and selfishness, is gasping for it.

We pray for grace, but we fear it at the same time. Some of us fear the full implications of grace, because if we can’t EARN our way into heavenly salvation, that means we have to let go of our belief in our own agency and power (to which Paul and Jesus and even Moses would all say, “PRECISELY!”). We have to let go of the illusion that we get to make the rules, and lean into the idea that God’s dream for us, of living into our full potential as his beloveds, calls us to embrace grace for everyone. God calls us to reject exploiting others, to reject the earthly rules of scarcity that then drive fear and division among us and our fellow-creatures. God’s free gift of grace calls us to be transformed to embrace abundance and trust, charity and hope. If we really take seriously the idea of God’s love and grace for ourselves, we will then open up to the necessity of transformation and we WILL ourselves become vessels that overflow that grace into the world. Now THERE’S the good news!

We fallible human beings can’t be touched by a love like that and emerge from it unchanged. That’s why our reading from Paul talks about how our lives as followers of Jesus are changed and transformed through our faith in Jesus over faith in human structures and empires. And if you look really carefully at that list of tasks Paul places before us as the fruit of living by grace in communion with all of creation, those tasks that are the marks of grace seem to get progressively harder. He starts out with general admonitions that most of us can agree to. Loving each other? Sure. Taking care of those who don’t have enough? Absolutely, even though maybe some might argue that some of “them” don’t deserve help. Sound familiar? Yet that right there is where we start forgetting that we ourselves are where we are only through the blessings of amazing grace given to us. And Paul’s not done! The next things he tells us are even harder! Bless those who persecute us? Turn away from vengeance? Be kind and loving to those who hate us? Talk about denying ourselves! Talk about a cross to bear!

Yet that is exactly the full meaning of grace. The taking up of the cross by Jesus is an act of love and complete empathy for the world and for each individual person and thing in it. It is a defiant act of solidarity with all who are oppressed in body, mind, or spirit. It is standing alongside people whom the rest of the world would ignore or condemn because that is the true meaning of grace—given without reserve on God’s part and without merit on our part. Given only through the love that Jesus calls us to embody without any sort of personal agenda.

That kind of love leaves its marks on us, as the Harry Potter books insist again and again. That kind of love settles into our very marrow and transforms us, makes us strong and fearless. That kind of love seeps into us as we gather together around the altar to give Jesus praise and thanks as we are fed by him. We bear those marks as a result of already being loved beyond belief by God. These marks are not a bid to earn love, but a response to that abundant love already given to us. It’s there every time we trust that the Lord has promised good to us—we just have to be willing to empty our hands and our hearts to take those good things, and let them empower our lives as disciples. Let’s take up our cross—for we know it leads to resurrection and life abundant.

Amen.

This sermon was preached at the 8 and 10:15 am services at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Ellisville, on September 3, 2017, Proper 17, year A, track 1 in the Revised Common Lectionary.

Prayer 1682- Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Blessed Jesus,
our companion on all our ways,
we come before your altars in joy and praise.

We offer our lives to You
to continue your work of healing and mercy in the world, O Redeemer.
We remember your arms held open to embrace the whole world
and your empathy for the poor and outcast.
Teach us to overcome evil with good, O Savior,
and give all our lives into your service.
Lead us in paths of empathy and grace, O God,
that your wondrous love is revealed for all.

Make us into a community of grace
formed and powered by love
by the power of your Spirit.
Abide with us and within us, Lord Christ,
and bless and keep those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1681

The voice of God echoes throughout creation:

May we open our hearts to receive the beauty of God's word!

The mercy of God stretches over us like a canopy of stars:

may we seek to live and serve God with all our might!

The truth of God opens a path for us in the wilderness:

may we be disciples in word and deed.

The love of God embraces us:

may we give glory and thanks for ever!

The blessing of God washes over us as a cooling rain:

may our spirits bloom abundantly within the embrace of God!

Lord Christ, we worship you with all we have and all we are:

Let our lives be a testament to your grace.

Gather, we pray, those whom we hold in our hearts

within your steadfast embrace, O Holy One.

Amen.

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Prayer, day 1680: On the World Day of Prayer for Creation

Holy One, we lift our hearts to You,
praising and blessing your steadfast lovingkindness.

You, O God, formed this beautiful Earth
that cradles us and bears us in tenderness:
may we love and tend it faithfully.
You made us from the stuff of Earth and of stars
to remind us of our unity with all creation.
May we see your charity in every wind-stirred leaf,
and birdsong remind us to sing your praise.

By your hand, O God, may we be led to wisdom;
may we yield to goodness and resist evil.
You have made us by love and for love:
unite us to your Son in gentleness and mercy.
May your Spirit pour over us like rain
to reconcile with the whole Earth
in the name of justice and peace.

Merciful God:
Earth-maker, Redeemer, Life-Giver,
may we rejoice in your call to service.
Spread the awning of your blessing over us,
and over those whom we now remember.

Amen.
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Prayer 1679: for protection and respite

Detail from the pulpit at Benton Chapel, Vanderbilt University.

In peace we awaken to draw near to our God:
deliver us, O Lord,
and place us within the lee of your embrace.
Set us safely upon the higher ground
and drive back the rising waters of fear and anxiety.
Place your protection over all who are in danger:
O God of All Comfort, be our refuge and our stronghold.
For we know You are with us always,
in joy as well as trouble,
and we turn to You in assurance, O Holy One.
Grant us the gift of the Holy Spirit
to lift us up and heal our hurts,
and the mind of Christ to do right.
With one heart,
we place before You all our concerns, O Lord,
and ask your mercy to rest upon them.

Amen.

Prayer 1678: Restore our hearts

Navajo Madonna and Child by Bro. Robert Lenz.

Eternal One,
who is making the heavens and the earth,
holy and honored be your Name.

In humility, we bow down before You,
who have loved us into being:
abide within us always.
Grant us wisdom, O God,
that we may turn our minds toward peace
by building foundations of justice and love.
Help us cast away our hearts of stone
that beat like fists within us;
place within us hearts for love and service, we pray.

Take us by the hand and lead us
in the way of your commandments,
abounding in amity and hope.
By the love of Christ,
mark us as your own sheep,
and place the seal of your healing
on those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1677: for reconciliation

Most Merciful Savior,
may our prayers be acceptable and pleasing to You,
grounded in praise and gratitude.

Empty our hearts of all that divides us, O Lord,
that we be filled instead with a spirit of unity and hope.
Awaken the better angels of our natures, O Creator,
that we seek not to exploit others,
but serve each other.
May we seek and see the face of Christ in every person
and the thumbprint of God in all of creation.

Lead us into wisdom grounded in compassion,
that we may testify through our lives
to your goodness, O God.
By your love, we rest in You, God,
and ask your blessing and healing
over all the cares we now lay before You.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1676

As the morning sun blesses us with light,
we rise to ring out praises to our God:
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lead us into the path of life,
O Most Holy Spirit,
for we need your tender care and guidance.
Settle us into the crook of your arm, Almighty One,
for we are prone to wander and worry.
You are our strength and our stronghold:
send us forth, renewed and fired with joy,
to do your work in the world, O God.
Give us courage in the face of adversity,
and hope in the face of struggles:
Lord Jesus, may we walk with you this day.

We lift our prayers and praises before You, O Lord:
spread your sheltering wings over those for whom we pray.

Amen.
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Prayer 1675: the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

The "Space Window" at Washington National Cathedral.

Beloved Savior, we invite you into our hearts
as we gather in community to praise your saving help.
Forgive us our sins,
and lead us into a new life of healing and compassion.
May we empty our hearts of all
that separates us from living in the love of God.
May we walk in your ways, Lord Christ,
reflecting your care for the poor and the oppressed.
May we testify through our lives
that you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

Holy One, place your healing hands
upon all who are anxious, hurting, or lost,
and comfort those who mourn.
Bless and keep all those we now name,
O Shepherd of Our Souls.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1674

Holy, Merciful Lord, we lift up our hearts and our hopes to You, rooted in your abundant love. 

May God grant us wisdom and discernment in choosing the path we take up upon our waking, that we walk in justice and charity. 
May God guide us on our going out and our coming in, that our actions may be blessings for those we encounter. 
May we place ourselves in the hands of the Holy, that we be molded and shaped by love and compassion. 

Blessed Savior, let us abide with You and open our eyes to your unfailing presence, that we be at rest when day is done. Gather within your embrace all who call upon You, Lord Christ, especially those we now name.

Amen.
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