Prayers of Intercession - Fifth Sunday in Lent - Year C

God of new life, you reach out to embrace your people with new purpose and new possibilities. Give us the wisdom to know and the perseverance to follow your will all the days of our life. Open our ears to hear your upward call in Christ Jesus, that we do not remain stuck in the ways that lead to death and destruction. Protect those who are surrounded by death and destruction in Ukraine, keep them safe in the midst of this evil war. Make a way for those who seek to bring aid to the people who are suffering, remove any obstacles that threaten to delay or disrupt these relief efforts. Through your Holy Spirit inspire the leaders of nations to make decisions and take actions that will end this war and bring peace that will last.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of extravagant grace, you pour out on your people an abundance of blessings. Open our eyes to see the wonders of your love shown to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Help us to order our lives with priorities of our Savior. He reminded us that there will always be poor and disadvantaged people to care for. Give us the same heart of compassion that Jesus has, that we might pursue the work of reconciliation and justice with commitment and energy.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of compassionate love, you make paths in the wilderness of our lives, and streams in the desert of our despair, guide those who feel lost and alone due to circumstances beyond their control, renew the lives of those who suffer from illness, grief and disappointment. Be present with those in hospital, and work through the nurses and doctors to restore health or provide comfort, we pray especially for (names) For those who grieve the loss of a loved one grant them comfort and strength, we pray this week for the family and friends of (names).

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of wondrous beauty, you have created an amazing world filled with a diversity of life and landscape. Open our hearts to the gift of your creation, that we might treat all people and places with respectful care and concern. Where the environment is threatened and treated as disposable trash, where people are disregarded and deemed of little value, help us to do the work of restoration and protection, giving proper value to all you have created.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

In a moment of silence we bring you the concerns that weigh on our hearts, trusting that you will hear them.  (a brief time of silence)

We bring these prayers before your throne of grace through Jesus Christ and in the mystery of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession - Fourth Sunday in Lent - Year C

God of new life, there’s a wideness in your mercy like the wideness of the sea. Be close today to all who know what it means to be lost or alone. Your love is broader than the measures of our mind. Have mercy on those who find themselves in the depths of despair out of foolishness or hastiness or greed or willfulness. Show them the way back to your gracious embrace that their life would be renewed so that they would respond with lives lived in grateful service to others in your holy name.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of peace that passes all understand, you save your people from harm and danger, you rescue those surrounded by threats and violence. Protect the people of Ukraine in this time of war and give wisdom to the leaders of the nations that they would find a pathway to peace. Keep those who work to bring relief and assistance to all those impacted by this war, that humanitarian aid would not be hindered in any manner.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of compassionate love, you hear the cry of the distressed and destitute, turn your ear to those who are suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually. To those who are ill or recovering from surgery bring healing and wholeness. Surround those in hospital with your comforting and restorative presence, (names) and those we name in our hearts. Strengthen all in this congregation who face struggles, that they would be better equipped to deal with their circumstances.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

God of gracious patience, you have reconciled us to yourself through Christ by not counting our sins against us. You given us the ministry of reconciliation. Make us people who are merciful and forgiving that we may know the blessing of being peacemakers, showing welcome and acceptance of others in the same manner of Christ our Lord. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we can fulfill the ministry and mission you have given to all who follow your Son.

In your loving-kindness, O God have mercy and hear our prayer.

In a moment of silence we bring you the concerns that weigh on our hearts, trusting that you will hear them.  (a brief time of silence)

We bring these prayers before your throne of grace through Jesus Christ and in the mystery of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Meaning of Freedom

There has been a lot of talk about ‘freedom’ in recent weeks, but in the words of Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” I found it quite pertinent that the Orthodox scholar Alexander Schmemann, in his book Of Water & the Spirit, has some insights worth sharing on this subject. I came across these paragraphs today as I read this book as part of my studies in the Doctor of Worship Studies program at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Here are a few gems from Schmemann:

In a section on renunciation of evil and Satan in the Orthodox baptismal rite:

The terrible truth is that the overwhelming majority of Christians simply do not see the presence and action of Satan in the world and, therefore, feel no need to renounce “his works and his service.”… They are blind to the fact that the “demonic” consists primarily in falsification and counterfeit, in deviating even positive values from their true meaning, in presenting black as white and vice verse, in a subtle and vicious lie and confusion. They do not understand that such seemingly positive and even Christian notions as “freedom’ and “liberation,” “love,” “happiness,” “success,” “achievement,” “growth,” “self-fulfillment” – notions which truly shape… modern society, motivations and their ideologies – can in fact be deviated from their real significance and become vehicles of the “demonic.” 

In a section on confessing and reverencing Christ in the Orthodox baptismal rite:

We are taught today that the dignity and freedom of [a person] consists precisely in not bowing down before anyone or anything, in [a person’s] constant affirmation of [themselves] as their sole master. But how miserable, how petty is this “dignity” and this “freedom”!... How truly noble, truly human and genuinely free are those who still know what it means to bow before the High and the Holy, the True and the Beautiful; who know what reverence and respect are; who know that bowing down before God is the true condition of freedom and dignity.

As I read those words I was struck by the paradoxical truth that freedom for us comes not from doing what we want but from freely turning to God, living our lives in obedience to Christ and his commands, by the power of God’s Spirit. This kind of freedom is a rarity in our society these days.

Killing the Praise of God - Part 2

Scriptures do say that humans have a unique place in creation, but we are still part of creation, we are not separate from it. When we forget that we can end up treating creation as simply a resource to be exploited for our own gain, and we ignore the relationship we have with the world around us. Francis of Assisi understood the close relationship humans have with creation deeply. Near the end of his life Francis wrote a song which expresses this relationship of humans with other parts of God’s creation eloquently. I quote the first part of the song here:

Canticle of the Sun Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
     all praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
     and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.
Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
     especially Sir Brother Sun,
     who is the day through whom You give us light.
     and he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
     of You Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
     in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
     and fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
     by which You cherish all that You have made.
Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
     so useful, humble, precious and pure.
Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
     through whom You light the night
     and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth
     who sustains and governs us,
     producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

For Francis the various parts of creation were his sisters and brothers, not to be exploited or taken for granted, but rather reasons to give God praise. We would all do well to adopt the approach of Saint Francis. Take some time this summer to commit to being a better sibling of creation. Think about specific ways you can help maintain or even strengthen creation’s praise of God. It is part of our Christian responsibility to be good stewards of the world God created, and we need to strive to do that in personal and corporate ways. There are many young people leading such efforts, may their youthful energy and enthusiasm rub off on all of us.

There is a prayer in the Iona Abbey worship book that I quite appreciate. The Iona faith community is shaped by the Celtic Christian tradition, along with its appreciation of creation, reflected beautifully in this prayer that I am using to conclude this post:

There is no pain in our hearts or in our planet
     that you do not know,
     for you have touched the lowest places on earth.
Teach us to grieve with you, O Christ,
     the loss of all the beauty that is being killed.
There is no place in the heavens
     that cannot be touched by your resurrection presence,
     for you fill all things.
Give us strength in your victory over death
     to grow into your way of love,
     which does not despair but keeps sowing seeds of hope
     and making signs of wholeness.
Under Christ’s control
     all the different parts of the body fit together
     and the whole body is held together
     by every joint with which it is provided.
Teach us to know our interconnectedness with all things.
Teach us to grow with each other
     and all living creatures through love. Amen. 

I hope, dear reader, that you get many opportunities to get out in nature. I hope you find restoration and inspiration in the midst of God’s creation. Listen to the birds sing, watch deer gracefully leaping, marvel at how squirrels jump from branch to branch, let your imagination soar with the pelicans floating majestically on updrafts, be delightfully surprised when a meteorite streaks across the night sky, hear the rumble of a thunderstorm in the depths of your being, soak in the saturated colours of a sunset, breath in the fragrance of flowers in bloom, feel the warmth of the sun on your face, walk in the dampness of grass covered in dew, enjoy God’s creation in all its diversity and wonder. Then join your praise with the praise of all creation, giving thanks to God for this amazing world.

The prayer is from the Iona Abbey Worship Book

Wild Goose Publications - Compilation © 2001 The Iona Community
The picture of the waterfall in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone by Dennis Hendricksen

Killing the Praise of God - Part 1

Summer is a time to get outside, to enjoy God’s creation – and many people do this by retreating to their cabins, or embarking on a camping trip, or even simply by taking an evening stroll by the creek. There is something restorative to being out in nature. Last year Doctors in Scotland began prescribing nature as part of treatments for chronic illnesses. According to one of the health improvement practitioners for the National Health Service in Scotland "Through the 'Nature Prescriptions' project doctors and nurses can explain and promote the many benefits which being outdoors can have on physical and mental well-being." Being out in God’s creation is good for us, plain and simple.

Celtic Christianity has a deep understanding of the connection between God and nature, and the rediscovery of early Celtic Christianity’s unique approach to faith and life in recent decades has given birth too many new expressions of this emphasis of seeing God in God’s creation. In one of my Celtic worship resources I came across a poem that captures this beautifully. It was written in 1986 by Donald Evans in Gaelic, and translated by Cynthia and Saunders Davies.

The Christ of Nature

He loved cherry sunsets growing heavy on the branches of the evening;

He loved bud coloured dawns opening from the east’s earth.

He loved the sea, green in its happiness, seeking the shore;

He loved to see it languishing back stonily from its crest to its groove.

He loved the character of birds, the flock that trusted in His Father;

He loved lambs, the most skillfully fashioned: the lambs,

the most innocent in their nature.

He loved the beasts of the borders: the ones that dwelt in the world;

He loved their sure dependence on that which the wilderness provided.

He loved wheat shivering as it became golden and heavy headed with nourishment;

He loved the fortressed mountain country, the desolation where peace grew.

He loved the earth, loved it as a lover, because it is God’s earth;

He loved it, because it was created by His Father from nothingness to be Life’s temple.

When we spend time in nature I think that we sense deep down the goodness of creation, that God brought all this diversity, complexity, balance and beauty into being in a mysterious and wondrous manner – and that nature truly is Life’s temple, where God’s sustaining presence intersects with all of life, including our own.

The Psalmists knew this too. There are a number of psalms that speak of creation as an expression of God’s power, beauty, creativity and providence. These psalms see various elements of creation as evidence of God’s active presence in the world. An example of one of these creation centered is the 148th Psalm:

Psalm 148  (ESV)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For he commanded and they were created.

And he established them forever and ever;

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,

fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

Beasts and all livestock, Creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to him.

Praise the Lord!

Here the Psalmist sings of how all of creation praises God, simply by being what it was created to be. The sun, moon and stars praise God simply by shining in the heavens. The mountains and hills praise God simply by bringing contour to the landscape. The beasts of the earth and the birds of the air praise God simply by their very existence. This idea is echoed in other places in the Bible, for instance Isaiah 55:12 which speaks of mountains and hills bursting into song and the trees clapping their hands in praise of the greatness of God.

The past few years Beth and I have started taking more notice of the birds in our area. We have set up a few bird feeders in our yard, which I try to keep well stocked. This year we have had everything from Goldfinches to Mallards, Hummingbirds to Downy Woodpeckers visit us – over 20 different species that we have identified so far. I enjoy the bird song that fills our yard, to me it sounds like praise-filled music. I am particularly delighted when I hear the sound of rare birds, for I am aware that many of these songs are disappearing.

In a CBC report on the work of Dr. Christy Morrissey, an avian toxicologist at the University of Saskatchewan, she is quoted as saying "Farmers will tell you they used to see meadowlarks on every fence post and now the meadowlarks are increasingly rare, you feel it's a special thing when you actually see a meadowlark or hear one singing." It is sad to think of the silencing of the meadowlarks’ praise. Regina author Trevor Harriot also writes of the decline of the song bird population on the prairies in his book Grass, Sky, Song: Promise And Peril In World Of Grassland Birds. Mostly this decline is the direct result of human activity.

What we see happening on the prairies is amplified when we look at the whole of creation. In a shocking report from the United Nations released just this spring we learned that Nature’s Dangerous Decline is ‘Unprecedented’ and that Species Extinction Rates are ‘Accelerating’. Perhaps it’s most shocking revelation from this U.N. report is that up to 1 million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. When I read that I thought to myself “When we wipe out a species we are killing the praise of God!” By causing species to go extinct we are silencing the unique praise of God emanating from that particular animal, fish, reptile or insect. I wonder what the Psalmists would think if we could go back in time and tell them that large portions of God’s living creation would be decimated by humans in the future. I think they would see such human activity not as praise of God, but rather the cursing of creation.

 

The poem The Christ of Nature is from
A Celtic Primer: The Complete Celtic Worship Resource and Collection   compiled by Brendan O'Malley.

The picture of the American Goldfinches by Dennis Hendricksen. 

A Blessing Not Used

This past summer I wrote a blessing for an event which ended up not getting used. I share it here for the beginning of Advent, a season of hope.

May God's healing touch reach out to you,
and through you,
that you may be beacons of hope
in a world so in need of that gift.
May the love of God
soak your soul to overflowing,
that the light of God
shine through your life –
this day, and all days to come.

A New Verse for an Old Hymn

In the end of summer every three years we hit a spot in the Lectionary where the Gospel readings for five weeks are from the 6th chapter of John - all centered around Jesus as the Bread of Life theme. I thought the hymn "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" fit well with my message this week, but it didn't have a verse specifically centered on Jesus as the Bread of Life. So I thought I would write one. This is what I came up with:

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am the Living Bread;
all who receive me never die.
Come to the feast, be fed!"
I came to Jesus, and I ate
this nourishment of grace,
and strengthened by this mystic meal
the road ahead I face.

This verse references not only the 6th chapter of John, but also the first reading for this week from 1 Kings 19:4-8 (the story of Elijah being fed in the desert by an angel). I see this new verse coming between the current verses 2 and 3. We'll see how it sings tomorrow.